9.3x62

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diabeticfreak

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What do you guys think of 9.3x62? I have found a few for relatively cheap, and some ammo for a little over $2 per round. What do you think of these as hunting rifles, how accurate are they? What kind of scope would you put on one? All of those kinds of questions. I know it's overkill for anything in North America, it's just one of those things I irrationally want lol.
 
It fits well between the 3006 and 375hh. It has a proven record in africa and across the world. Mild recoil and a long heavy bullet at modest velocity. It just plain works. As for scopes my tastes have been shifting to lower power variables and id choose a 1-4×24 power optic myself. 4x will get you to 250 yards easily. Mist of my shots are well inside a fifth of that. Accuracy is dependent on barrel quality and most of the older guns shoot well enough for any bug game hunting. Modern rifles shoot like modern rifles. 232gr to 310gr bullets will have you covered for most anything
 
There is nothing irrational about a 9.3x62. At the opposite, it is very rational. There is nothing you can not hunt in NA with it, from deer to moose and big bears. My hand loads in Zastava all print around or less than 1 moa. If your factory load works well, you are good. If not, you can get some 286 grains bullets, H4895 powder, and handload to around 2400 fps. If you want a flatter trajectory, you can get a Nosler Accubond 250 grains, load it up to around 2580-2600 fps, which will give you a trajectory similar to a 180 grains in a 30-06. This is easily achieved with Varget.
The drawback is recoil. A 9.3x62 kicks more than your 270 win or a 30-06, but less than a 300 Win Mag in my experience. This is not a rifle you would take to the range and have fun with for a whole afternoon. But as mentioned before, it plain works. My rifle has a 2-7x scope.
 
diabeticfreak said:
What do you guys think of 9.3x62? I have found a few for relatively cheap, and some ammo for a little over $2 per round. What do you think of these as hunting rifles, how accurate are they? What kind of scope would you put on one? All of those kinds of questions. I know it's overkill for anything in North America, it's just one of those things I irrationally want lol.
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I live middle of no-where, rural Western Manitoba. We get black bears in the yard - our dog gets after them - sooner or later one will stand and fight - dog will get butt kicked good, so I will have to deal with it. I have been three times in back yard in that situation - dog has been smart enough to come back to us, so have not had to fire, so far.

The rifle is a FN 98 Mauser - was likely a Husqvarna 649 before I started on it - Limbsaver Recoil pad - Dakota or Gentry horizontal swing safety - one or the other, I forget which. Is the only rifle not locked up - is laying on table behind me as I type. Loads are from Barsness articles - is a good load with Big Game powder and 286 Partition, but the 250 Accubond plus Varget make multiple triangles 3/4" to the side, at 100 yards off of sandbags, as I last set the scope - good enough. Cases used are all PPU. Fed 210 primers. Scope is a Leupold M8-3x with Duplex type reticle. Is no reason a 308 Win with 180 grain, on up from that, would not work in same role - but the 9.3x62 Mauser makes me feel better. Is about the most that I can handle and recover for a quick second shot, if needed - bigger cartridges here are all basically one useful shot, for me - takes too long to recover and re-acquire the sight picture.
 
You are extremely unlikely to find yourself undergunned with a 9.3x62. Mine is a Husky M98 complete with flag safety and thumb cut. Mine is an iron sight only rifle though it is drilled for a detachable side-mount. If I was to scope it I would definitely be using a Leupold 1.5-5x VX3. That's the perfect range of magnification that may be used anywhere from 250 yards in to bayonet range.

People have shot larger animals than me with their 9.3x62s, but probably not on this continent.
 
I think the 9.3x62 is a great cartridge, and most of the relevant points have been mentioned so far. I found it to be an easy caliber to reload for, and you can load it mild to wild if you so choose without loss of performance. I took a deer with a 286 grain bullet going 2250 fps, and performance seemed all out of proportion for what was going on. It dropped like a sack of potatoes out the back of a truck, yet meat damage was minimal.
 
BigUglyMan said:
You are extremely unlikely to find yourself undergunned with a 9.3x62. Mine is a Husky M98 complete with flag safety and thumb cut. Mine is an iron sight only rifle though it is drilled for a detachable side-mount. If I was to scope it I would definitely be using a Leupold 1.5-5x VX3. That's the perfect range of magnification that may be used anywhere from 250 yards in to bayonet range.

People have shot larger animals than me with their 9.3x62s, but probably not on this continent.
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B.U.M. what is your weight and length of that big boy?. Also i noticed you are an avid reloader by the way of taking care of the used brass in the heat of adrenaline rush. (Lol) . I have done the same, trying not to do that till it's over now
 
I have been wrestling with 9.3x62mm vs. .35 Whelen for a few years now.

Unfortunately for me I'm not a fan of my 9.3 rifle and will be listing the barreled action shortly. That leaves me with just a .35 Whelen in a single shot, which is super nice and compact but also only holds one shot - maybe not the best for my de facto "heavy game" rifle. I would definitely consider 9.3x62mm though, much like the .35 Whelen it operates in a velocity window which helps to ensure reliable expansion and deep penetration without excessive recoil or unpredictable close range bullet performance. You can get 286gr bullets easily over 2400 and that'll take care of the most ornery cervids and grouchiest bears without much consideration. Under 300 meters? Easy peasy. Over? Practice more.

I did discover a .35 Whelen load though. 250gr @ 2650 fps. 4000fpe. Looks super crushing and is decently accurate. I don't know if the same "magic load" can be adapted for 9.3x62mm but it would be neat to see those 286's up over 2500 or so to get close to the Whelen load. Hmm. Time to fire up GRT.
 
mikeyb - look up John Barsness articles or his postings on campfire - both things that you want have been done already - I have reproduced both his loads in my rifle - Big Game powder - 286 Partition - 2500-ish fps; Varget, 250 Accubond - 2650-ish fps. He had one or both of those loads pressure tested at Western Powders lab - is higher than SAAMI limit for 9.3x62, but similar or less than 30-06.
 
mikeyb said:
I have been wrestling with 9.3x62mm vs. .35 Whelen for a few years now.

Unfortunately for me I'm not a fan of my 9.3 rifle and will be listing the barreled action shortly. That leaves me with just a .35 Whelen in a single shot, which is super nice and compact but also only holds one shot - maybe not the best for my de facto "heavy game" rifle. I would definitely consider 9.3x62mm though, much like the .35 Whelen it operates in a velocity window which helps to ensure reliable expansion and deep penetration without excessive recoil or unpredictable close range bullet performance. You can get 286gr bullets easily over 2400 and that'll take care of the most ornery cervids and grouchiest bears without much consideration. Under 300 meters? Easy peasy. Over? Practice more.

I did discover a .35 Whelen load though. 250gr @ 2650 fps. 4000fpe. Looks super crushing and is decently accurate. I don't know if the same "magic load" can be adapted for 9.3x62mm but it would be neat to see those 286's up over 2500 or so to get close to the Whelen load. Hmm. Time to fire up GRT.
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It is difficult to get above 2500 fps with a 286 grains in a 22 in barrel. I read it was doable with a 24-26 inches. Since I do not have such barrel, I can not confirm it. But the general wisdom about the 9.3x62 is that you don't need to get the last fps to make it effective. People have killed everything or almost on this planet with a 286 grains going at 2340 fps. I get 2440 fps with my Zastava 22 in barrel with fantastic accuracy.
 
I have 2 of them, one Ruger no1 with a Leupold 1.5-5 on it, I got that moose with it last fall https://photos.app.goo.gl/4mQ65jTtshCnh1CA8
286gn nosler Partition over some IMR 4166 going 2420fps, the shot was 106m semi frontal, shot him between neck and shoulder, went through the heart, out the opposite side front few ribs and into the opposite leg…. That moose went down so quick we were all taken by surprise hahaha! 475lbs of dressed meat in the freezer!

I really like the caliber, I was a die hard 30-06 fan, but I have to say I really like that 9.3x62 stuff!!
I just got a new to me Husky full wood large ring commercial Mauser(640?) and I loaded a few test rounds of Speer hot core 270gn over H4895 and feds 215 primers…. We’ll see!!
I’m surprised Whynot? hasn’t chimed in yet… but I saw him driving away earlier so he must be busy ice fishing lol!
 
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