Where to start?
I suppose the polite thing to do is to invite you along while I go down the rabbit hole 'yet again' with the 9.3x62mm Mauser cartridge designed by Otto Bock back in 1905... You see, for me it all started with a friend and being exposed to his European Browning BAR. And I'll be honest, if you know me you'll know it really didn't take much in the way of convincing, let alone 'twisting' of my rubber arm. To top it off, I soon discovered that approximately half of the African countries where dangerous game hunting is allowed, also permit those hunters to use this venerable cartridge. From that moment, I was hooked on getting a 9.3 as I daydreamed about going on Safari one day...
And this is where my very own European BAR in 9.3x62 entered the picture. It was procured from a fellow board member and I installed a Sightron S-TAC 2-10x32 scope with the duplex reticle. Everything felt perfect and it looked great! Then, I went to the range and the rifle proceeded to jam on me several times with both Hornady & PPU ammunition. Frustrated, I returned home and sold the rifle with full disclosure on the EE. It was some time later that I noticed a post pop up from a board member asking for help with a Browning BAR... See for yourself, Post 14 is where I weighed in on that discussion.
https://www.canadiangunnutz.com/forum/threads/help-with-browning-bar.2131327/#post-17868409
So with a clear conscience and the 9.3 itch having been scratched, or so I thought, I went back to the ol' 35 Whelen. As with most firearms enthusiasts, a few guns came and went, but that 9.3 itch never really disappeared. In an attempt to douse the smouldering embers that I feared would burst into flames unless I did something about it, I posted a question on the forum about Winchester's semi auto SXR2 which you can buy in 9.3x62. Here's that thread. https://www.canadiangunnutz.com/forum/threads/winchester-sxr2-semi-in-9-3x62-thoughts.2514263/
Now I can't explain it, but for some reason I just couldn't bring myself to pull the trigger and buy one of those Winchesters. To me, there just wasn't enough information online, nor reviews on YouTube to quell the trepidation I felt while considering a SXR2 following my European BAR experience. But that sure didn't stop me from googling and googling some more.
Which lead me to yet another 9.3x62 discovery, and that was that there'd been a change in distributorship for Sauer rifles. That change resulted in the decision to clear some inventory and put the Sauer 100 XT on sale. Yes, yes, yes, I hear you already, it's a bolt not a semi. But hear me out, we need to side-track for a moment. I just came into possession of my first bolt action in 7.62x39, a CZ 600 Alpha. It is a sweet little gem that I purchased on clearance from Nechako Outdoors, which I topped with an Elite 3200 2-7x32 and have since printed sub MOA groups using Sellier & Bellot soft point ammunition. See for yourself in Nechako Outdoors thread where I posted some pics etc. https://www.canadiangunnutz.com/for...x39-cgn-promo-354-discount-free-ship.2513231/ So you'll have to forgive me, I'm kinda sold (at the moment) on the quality and value for money that I'm personally seeing from European firearms manufacturers. Which is why I then made the decision to compromise on the semi auto platform and purchase a synthetic stocked bolt action Sauer 100 Classic XT in 9.3x62mm Mauser from site sponsor Precision Optics.
You'll recall from earlier in the discussion that I mounted a Sightron S-TAC 2-10x32 scope with the duplex reticle on my long gone BAR. What I've failed to mention until now is I've come to quite like the Bushnell Elite 4500 2.5-10x40 scope with 30mm tube and duplex reticle as I'd picked up several of them on clearance. So it's the Bushnell that I plan to mount on the Sauer using medium height Talley lightweight scope rings. Can you tell that it's hard for me to resist a deal? Chuckle.
So let's go through the list of essentials required to scratch my recurring 9.3 itch:
(1) Rifle, CHECK;
(2) Scope, CHECK;
(3) Scope rings, CHECK;
(4) Spare magazine (because one is really none...), CHECK; and...
(5) Ammunition, HOLD THE PHONE!!!
When I threw the semi out of the house, I also sold the ammunition to my buddy who started this whole racket... And off I went to find & purchase five boxes of 9.3x62mm Mauser ammunition, which I see as the minimum anyone should have for their hunting rifle. By the way, has anyone had a look at the price of ammo recently? Because I'll be honest, the prices are starting to feel a bit like highway robbery!
I know you folks are wondering what the status of this whole project is, and I can tell you we are definitely deep down the 9.3 rabbit hole once again. Options have been weighed, and both a compromise and purchase decisions made. All to say that I am happy to report that the first of three parcels arrived today. What this also tells you is that there'll be further updates to this post as parcels 2, 3 and 4 arrive, not to mention my initial impressions of the Sauer and following the installation of the scope, a range report shortly thereafter... So standby for those!
Now, who's curious to see a pic of what showed up first? I'll give you a hint, it's not the rifle as I'd be posting my initial impressions in this thread, chuckle... It was the ammunition & it looks GREAT! (And no laughing, but with today's ammo prices I'll be praying from now until the end of the first range trip that the Sauer 100 Classic XT loves this 9.3x62mm ammunition from Hornady...)
Thanks for reading & following along!
Cheers
Jay
P.S. About that itch. None of us are going to live forever and you can't take your money with you, so my unsolicited advice is to buy the rifle, scope, rings and ammunition to scratch that itch...
I suppose the polite thing to do is to invite you along while I go down the rabbit hole 'yet again' with the 9.3x62mm Mauser cartridge designed by Otto Bock back in 1905... You see, for me it all started with a friend and being exposed to his European Browning BAR. And I'll be honest, if you know me you'll know it really didn't take much in the way of convincing, let alone 'twisting' of my rubber arm. To top it off, I soon discovered that approximately half of the African countries where dangerous game hunting is allowed, also permit those hunters to use this venerable cartridge. From that moment, I was hooked on getting a 9.3 as I daydreamed about going on Safari one day...
And this is where my very own European BAR in 9.3x62 entered the picture. It was procured from a fellow board member and I installed a Sightron S-TAC 2-10x32 scope with the duplex reticle. Everything felt perfect and it looked great! Then, I went to the range and the rifle proceeded to jam on me several times with both Hornady & PPU ammunition. Frustrated, I returned home and sold the rifle with full disclosure on the EE. It was some time later that I noticed a post pop up from a board member asking for help with a Browning BAR... See for yourself, Post 14 is where I weighed in on that discussion.
https://www.canadiangunnutz.com/forum/threads/help-with-browning-bar.2131327/#post-17868409
So with a clear conscience and the 9.3 itch having been scratched, or so I thought, I went back to the ol' 35 Whelen. As with most firearms enthusiasts, a few guns came and went, but that 9.3 itch never really disappeared. In an attempt to douse the smouldering embers that I feared would burst into flames unless I did something about it, I posted a question on the forum about Winchester's semi auto SXR2 which you can buy in 9.3x62. Here's that thread. https://www.canadiangunnutz.com/forum/threads/winchester-sxr2-semi-in-9-3x62-thoughts.2514263/
Now I can't explain it, but for some reason I just couldn't bring myself to pull the trigger and buy one of those Winchesters. To me, there just wasn't enough information online, nor reviews on YouTube to quell the trepidation I felt while considering a SXR2 following my European BAR experience. But that sure didn't stop me from googling and googling some more.
Which lead me to yet another 9.3x62 discovery, and that was that there'd been a change in distributorship for Sauer rifles. That change resulted in the decision to clear some inventory and put the Sauer 100 XT on sale. Yes, yes, yes, I hear you already, it's a bolt not a semi. But hear me out, we need to side-track for a moment. I just came into possession of my first bolt action in 7.62x39, a CZ 600 Alpha. It is a sweet little gem that I purchased on clearance from Nechako Outdoors, which I topped with an Elite 3200 2-7x32 and have since printed sub MOA groups using Sellier & Bellot soft point ammunition. See for yourself in Nechako Outdoors thread where I posted some pics etc. https://www.canadiangunnutz.com/for...x39-cgn-promo-354-discount-free-ship.2513231/ So you'll have to forgive me, I'm kinda sold (at the moment) on the quality and value for money that I'm personally seeing from European firearms manufacturers. Which is why I then made the decision to compromise on the semi auto platform and purchase a synthetic stocked bolt action Sauer 100 Classic XT in 9.3x62mm Mauser from site sponsor Precision Optics.
You'll recall from earlier in the discussion that I mounted a Sightron S-TAC 2-10x32 scope with the duplex reticle on my long gone BAR. What I've failed to mention until now is I've come to quite like the Bushnell Elite 4500 2.5-10x40 scope with 30mm tube and duplex reticle as I'd picked up several of them on clearance. So it's the Bushnell that I plan to mount on the Sauer using medium height Talley lightweight scope rings. Can you tell that it's hard for me to resist a deal? Chuckle.
So let's go through the list of essentials required to scratch my recurring 9.3 itch:
(1) Rifle, CHECK;
(2) Scope, CHECK;
(3) Scope rings, CHECK;
(4) Spare magazine (because one is really none...), CHECK; and...
(5) Ammunition, HOLD THE PHONE!!!
When I threw the semi out of the house, I also sold the ammunition to my buddy who started this whole racket... And off I went to find & purchase five boxes of 9.3x62mm Mauser ammunition, which I see as the minimum anyone should have for their hunting rifle. By the way, has anyone had a look at the price of ammo recently? Because I'll be honest, the prices are starting to feel a bit like highway robbery!
I know you folks are wondering what the status of this whole project is, and I can tell you we are definitely deep down the 9.3 rabbit hole once again. Options have been weighed, and both a compromise and purchase decisions made. All to say that I am happy to report that the first of three parcels arrived today. What this also tells you is that there'll be further updates to this post as parcels 2, 3 and 4 arrive, not to mention my initial impressions of the Sauer and following the installation of the scope, a range report shortly thereafter... So standby for those!
Now, who's curious to see a pic of what showed up first? I'll give you a hint, it's not the rifle as I'd be posting my initial impressions in this thread, chuckle... It was the ammunition & it looks GREAT! (And no laughing, but with today's ammo prices I'll be praying from now until the end of the first range trip that the Sauer 100 Classic XT loves this 9.3x62mm ammunition from Hornady...)
Thanks for reading & following along!
Cheers
Jay
P.S. About that itch. None of us are going to live forever and you can't take your money with you, so my unsolicited advice is to buy the rifle, scope, rings and ammunition to scratch that itch...
Last edited:
