Since we are all into math I posted this in another thread about the 9.3x62.
(thread link
http://www.canadiangunnutz.com/forum/showthread.php?t=92944)
The search for the best ‘All-around cartridge’, the one cartridge best capable of collecting animals ranging from small deer to elephants has certainly produced more printed words than any other hunting subject. Unfortunately, a candidate for this title must be a compromise.
It won’t be a particularly good rifle for either deer or elephant, but certainly would be good for anything in-between. African hunters, with their tremendous range of animals, developed the following system for classifying cartridges -
Large Bores- ‘Heavy’ calibers that were used for elephants in very heavy brush at very short range. They were designed as ‘Stoppers’, sure to turn a charge or stun the elephant with any reasonably accurate brain shot so that a deadly follow-up shot could be obtained.
’Medium’ Calibers - These cartridges are the great ‘all-arounders’, capable of killing even a charging elephant reliably, in the open, but also used for everything else.
‘Light bores’ -Cartridges useful for collecting the many small animals that are in the African bush but, except in the hands of very accurate hunters, will not reliably kill heavy animals such as buffalo or rhinos.
Now Listen up!
North American hunters need nothing larger than the 'Medium Bores' even for the largest game.
Everyone’s list of ‘all around cartridges’ includes the .375 H&H Magnum. It has been shown over the years to be able to get the job done. It is also one of the most over-rated cartridges that I know of. It is L-O-N-G and requires a heavy magnum action. The belt makes it hard to reload, and it burns 70 to 80 grains of powder. This is inefficient and unnecessarily results in higher recoil because the mass of the burning powder is a significant factor in producing recoil. Anything it can do, the 9.3X64 Brenneke can do better. Both cartridges are more powerful than needed for North American game
9.3X62 mm. Mauser - ‘Enough Gun’
According to the highly respected John Taylor in his book, ‘African Rifles and Cartridges’, this cartridge was designed around 1905 for the German colonists in Africa who were unhappy with the cartridges then available to them. It quickly became the most widely used African ‘Medium Caliber" and remained so until after World War II, when the .375 H&H Magnum and similar cartridges largely replaced it. Part of the reason for its immediate success was the high quality of the inexpensive Mauser rifles that it was chambered in. Another reason is its effective power. Taylor wrote, "The full-patch (solid) bullet has adequate penetration to kill an elephant from any reasonable angle; it will also kill rhino and buffalo on the shoulder shot. The plain soft-nose bullet can be used on everything else..." It made its reputation with a 286 grain bullet loaded to a relatively low muzzle velocity of 2175 feet per second, later increased to 2350 ft/sec.
The case is one millimeter shorter than the .30-06 and of .366 caliber. 30-06 or .35 Whelen cartridges should NOT be used for reloading the 9.3X62 Mauser. The 9.3X62 case has a larger diameter and premature case head separations may result with higher pressure handloads.
When used in open areas, Taylor wrote of the .350 Rigby Magnum with its 225 grain bullet at 2,600 ft/sec, "...,it is a splendidly effective shell and at ranges up to at least 150 yards kills just as instantaneously as the .375 Magnum." The .375 H&H Magnum was his favorite ‘medium’ cartridge so this is very high praise indeed. Well, guess what - the 9.3X62 has a "light’ bullet too, weighing 232 grains.
‘Sectional density’ (s.d.) is a fancy way to compare the ‘penetrating power or carrying power’ of a bullet. Assuming everything else is equal, a bullet with a higher s.d. will penetrate deeper and shoot farther than a bullet with a lower s.d.
So let’s compare the two using data as loaded by Norma for the 9.3X62.
Bullet Weight Velocity S.D. Energy (Ft-Lbs)
350 Rigby Magnum 225 gr 2,600 0.251 3,380
9.3x62 Mauser 232 gr 2,632 0.247 3,543
I suspect that if 'Pondoro' Taylor had ever had the opportunity to use this 232 grain load of the 9.3X62, he would have been very favorably impressed.
The 9.3X62 Mauser is widely used in Europe for hunting moose and similar large game. It possesses slightly more power than the .35 Whelen, even in that cartridge’s "Improved" forms, and has a better shoulder for proper headspacing than the .35 Whelen's rather marginal one. While the 9.3X62’s power is ample for anything on earth, its recoil is relatively mild - midway between that of the 30-06 and the .375 H&H Magnum. I recommend it highly for hunting the larger North American animals such as elk, the big bears and moose, while it also can be used with complete confidence as a general purpose Asian or African rifle. African professional hunter and writer Ganyana in 'Stopping Power Revisited' says the following - "I suspect that the reason many new hunters buy cannons is that they fail to realize just how easy it is to kill even the toughest game with a well-placed bullet.....My personal choice is the 9.3X62."
The 9.3X62 is loaded by factories to a maximum of about 50,000 p.s.i. The .375 H&H Magnum maximum is 62,000 p.s.i. and the .270 Winchester 65,000 ps.i., so the 9.3X62 Mauser case obviously can stand higher-pressure handloads. The .375 gained its tremendous reputation in double rifles with 26 inch barrels producing around 3800 ft-lbs. Using selected handloads with the 9.3X62 with 286 grain bullets, velocities a little above 2400 ft/sec in 24 inch barrels are safely obtained, resulting in right around 3800 ft-lbs of energy. For larger game like Cape Buffalo, this equals the famed .375 H&H Flanged with significantly less recoil while for smaller game, factory loads provide all of the power needed. The relatively low velocity of the 9.3X62 Mauser opens it to criticism from those shooters who delight in long range shooting. However, it has been shown numerous times that almost all game, both in the U.S. and in Africa, is killed within about 250 yards, so for hunters, this criticism is absolutely groundless. Factory 286 grain loads are about 4 inches low at 250 yards if sighted in 3 inches high at 100 yards, good handloads using RL-15 or Norma 203-B, going 2450 ft/sec, are 3 inches low at 250 yards, 9 inches low at 300 yards. Pressures seem reasonable - extraction is one finger, I reloaded the same 5 cases and after 6 reloadings there was no measurable increase, by micrometer, in case length. Of course, work up slowly, what works safely for my rifle may not work in yours, and remember, if you want magnum performance (and recoil), then get a magnum like the 9.3X64 Brenneke.
The Czech CZ550, with a classic controlled-feed Mauser action, good safety and fine trigger, currently can be had at a bargain-price in this caliber, considering its quality. It also has a 'set trigger' capability familiar to muzzleloaders. This is useful when waiting for an animal to move a few inches in thick brush to give you a killing shot. The Tikka, considerably more expensive and NOT a controlled-feed action, is also currently available in 9.3x62 Mauser.
Other acceptable ‘all around cartridges' for large North America game -
The .35 Whelen
The .338 Winchester Magnum
