Q: Reloading for 9.3x62

[BigUglyMan]

And I forgot to mention that IMR 4350 doesn't compress worth a damn! RL15 is much more acommodating!

 

[Mauser98]

Not nice to tease Ted!

The Barnes manual listed 51 grains of RL15 as max. There's a ton of space left in the case and I wonder if this isn't one of Barnes patented manual goofs. I decided to try 58.8 gr as that is Nosler's listed max with a 286 Partition. My logic to this being safe being that in my exerience the Nosler bullet will spike pressure due to the "tough part" in the middle where the belt is. Thus, if that data is safe with a Nosler bullet it should pose no problems with the Barnes. Undertake this sort of experiment at your own peril understanding that it is not a practice endorsed by any company.

I also learned today that my rifle has a rather generous chamber as well. Time to locate a neck sizing die as even by backing the die off to neck size only still squeezes the body some.

I've got some test loads to try tomorrow - 3 @ 52 gr RL15 with partially sized necks, 3 @ 52 gr with full sized necks but not touching the shoulder, 3 @ 52 gr with the bullets set out just short of the lands (3.520" - trying to build pressure) and 3 @ 58.5 gr in FL sized cases (trying to get them all fireformed) seated at 3.282" same as the first two loads. This is the max length that will feed through the magazine - another reason I'm sour on teh Barnes bullet.

I would have bought some Hornadys today but todbartell wouldn't answer the phone at Omineca. I think they have call display!

Oh well...off to the range I go.

Whoa. 51 grains of RL15 behind a 286 bullet is a very mild load. It has to be a manual error. Virtually all the literature I've read shows a max load of RL15/286 gr to be 58-59 gr. Also, I would guess that with your over-size chamber, your max load may be a bit higher.

Here's a chart I found on-line that may be of interest.

Currently I'm shooting two 9.3X62's. One has a Bevan King barrel and the other has a Heym barrel. Both were cut with the same reamer and both are 21".

In the King rifle, I'm using 59 gr of RL15 behind all my different 286 gr bullet(Prvi Partizan, Hornady, Nosler Pt). Velocities are around 2350 fps. Max COL is 3.295"(constrained by mag length)

In the Heym, my max load with RL15 is 58 gr with the NP and 59 gr with the others. Velocities are around 2400 fps. This rifle has a long mag box so I'm able to load closer to the lands. This may(or not) explain the difference in velocities.

In both rifle, I've also had good performance using Varget with the 286 gr bullets.

I have experimented with H4350 and 286 gr Prvi bullets. A max load of 67 gr gave me 2399 fps. I had a heck of a time getting that much powder in the case. I pressed the case up against a running electric motor while pouring the powder. The vibration settled the powder enough but the load was compressed when the bullets were seated. Accuracy was so-so.