Most of my hunting is done on a shoe string and all of my guns were pretty 2nd hand.
Good shooters, mind you, but really nothing to look at.
I got a LOT of money for Christmas last year but the wife told me I'd have to spend it on a project car that's nearly done.
But we managed to shift our completely ####e Nissan Patrol and there's plenty of dosh to finish the car.
So instead I can spend the dollars on a new rifle like I wanted in the first place.
I'm getting a Tikka T3 Lite Stainless in 9.3x62 for a few reasons.
Firstly it's a good all round cartridge that can take down anything including water buffalo.
Secondly I shoot Big Game Rifle competition from time to time and 9.3x62 fits into the Nitro Class One category.
Thirdly because the T3s have good a good rep here in Oz, MOA or less out of the box, and heaps of guys have used them successfully in all sorts of chamberings.
One mate has a 30-06 he uses for sambar deer hunting that is sub MOA, my mates 223 was sub MOA out of the box and another fellow I know has used his 9.3x62 Battue Lite model on numerous buffs to great effect.
He can't tell the difference between it and his 375 H&H as far as killing power and the recoil is less.
But lastly, because I'm not fond of magnums and 9.3x62 is a classic cartridge designed by Otto Bock in 1904 for white farmers in German colonies in Africa.
It was high powered, capable on plains game and dangerous game, could be chambered in a standard Mauser action and didn't cost the earth or have the accuracy problems a lot of siginificantly more expensive doubles in Nitro Express rounds did.
So I figure if it was good enough for African hunters it's good enough for me.
Is anyone else using a Tikka or another rifle in this cal?
What sort of loads are you using and have you found projectiles equally expensive?
Good shooters, mind you, but really nothing to look at.
I got a LOT of money for Christmas last year but the wife told me I'd have to spend it on a project car that's nearly done.
But we managed to shift our completely ####e Nissan Patrol and there's plenty of dosh to finish the car.
So instead I can spend the dollars on a new rifle like I wanted in the first place.
I'm getting a Tikka T3 Lite Stainless in 9.3x62 for a few reasons.
Firstly it's a good all round cartridge that can take down anything including water buffalo.
Secondly I shoot Big Game Rifle competition from time to time and 9.3x62 fits into the Nitro Class One category.
Thirdly because the T3s have good a good rep here in Oz, MOA or less out of the box, and heaps of guys have used them successfully in all sorts of chamberings.
One mate has a 30-06 he uses for sambar deer hunting that is sub MOA, my mates 223 was sub MOA out of the box and another fellow I know has used his 9.3x62 Battue Lite model on numerous buffs to great effect.
He can't tell the difference between it and his 375 H&H as far as killing power and the recoil is less.
But lastly, because I'm not fond of magnums and 9.3x62 is a classic cartridge designed by Otto Bock in 1904 for white farmers in German colonies in Africa.
It was high powered, capable on plains game and dangerous game, could be chambered in a standard Mauser action and didn't cost the earth or have the accuracy problems a lot of siginificantly more expensive doubles in Nitro Express rounds did.
So I figure if it was good enough for African hunters it's good enough for me.
Is anyone else using a Tikka or another rifle in this cal?
What sort of loads are you using and have you found projectiles equally expensive?
