Alf or Ganyana, I suspect you know the answer to this question.

The 404 thread that keeps ticking like the Ever Ready battery bunny has inspired me to ask about "the other" classic bolt action caliber, the 9.3 x 62mm.

I am sure this has been discussed in the past year but where is it legal to use the 9.3 x 62mm for all dangerous game, including elephant and buffalo?

And do you have to hand load it to bring it up to 5,300 joules (3,900 ft lbs)???

Im not sure this is possible in a 9.3 x 62mm.

K. Robinsons "A Perfect Shot" says it is legal in Zimbabwae but the older "Ballistics In Perspective," by Mike LaGrange indicates you need a 9.2 or larger and 5,300 joules.

The nosler website indicates 2430 fps with their 286 grain partition. Thats 3,750 ft lbs. Anyone know what the powder and powder charge was for this?

Thanks, Andy

Andy

Hi Andy

The legal minimum power for dangerous game in zim was dropped to 5000kj in 1997to cater for the 9,3x62. On paper the RWS 258grn load made the 5300kj but we all knew that those were just paper balistics. Also, the 9,3x74R is popular with many Eropean hunters, and the guy sitting in the appropriate parks office had shot most of his elephant and buff with a 9,3x62 so... there was change.

Elsewhere? Botswana a 9,3x62 or 74R is legal, and I thinK! it is in South Africa. Both Cartridges are cetrainly legal in Mozambique and the bits of West Africa I have been to.

I load Woodleigh solids with 57.5grns 355 powder to 2380fps for ele and back up on buff and Ken Stuarts 285grn Flat nosed bonded core softs to 2420fps (same load)for initial shots on buff and lion. I have a little leuopold 1-4 scope on qd mounts that is zeroed with this load at 50 yards and the open sights are on at 25.

I load speer 270grn softs ahead of either 56 grns S355 or 53grns of S335 for 2360fps for everything else. Have a Nikkon 1.5-6 on the QD mounts Zeroed for this. On Eland have found the speer bullets a little soft but on everything smaller they are great.

The only time I have felt undergunned is looking for wounded buff in thick Jess- That is what I keep buying a .404 for (and keep selling when the wife want s a new washing machine/gets car stolen/ feels desperate need for some more exquisitely made up gold...)

ppod,

I understand your point. That is a potential problem for which there are two answers: don't let 'em slip up on you or carry the load appropriate to what is liable to hurt you the worst in the magazine and put the special loads on your stock carrier. All the bullets have essentially the same trajectory to 200yds, and the ph isn't gonna let you shoot high value animals at ranges over 200yds or dangerous ones at over 100yds, if that.

I have used the 250BT and believe me it is stout. I knocked down, really, a bushbuck point blank and the exit hole was the size of a dime, and shot from arse to front chest through a red lechewe with one at @ 200yds. We found the jacket in the stomach but the core exited making a wadcutter sized hole just inside the right front leg.

I am hunting plains game as well as lion and leopard, and some of the plains game the size of Florida doe deer and half that size. I have been told by others that shots maybe at excess of 250 yards for antelope. The 250BT at 2600fps lets me zero for 225yds, and be -2/250,-5/275, and -7/300yds. The Partition's trajectory is zero at 200, -2/225,-5/250,-7/275, and -11/300. (How's that for easy to remember!) The energy for both at 300yds is about 3000ft/lbs. 25yds is not much of an edge, but I'll take everything I can get under the circumstances.

I have a 30-338 that is extremely accurate and makes the 300yd shots easily, but if my .375HH broke, I wouldn't want to hunt bufalo with it. On the other hand, if the 9.3 breaks, the 375 antelope load is 260gr Nosler Partitions!

Thanks for your suggestion. Ku-dude