The Accurate Reloading Forums THE ACCURATE RELOADING.COM FORUMS Hunting African Big Game Hunting What is the effective range of a 9.3x62 with a 286gr bullet?Go | New | Find | Notify | Tools | Reply | |
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I have heard many talk about having to make longer shots on some PG (300 yards +) and it got me wondering I plan to bring my Husky 9.3 when I finally go to Namibia or RSA. I am under the impression the 9.3x62 is caliber good up to about 250 yds with good accuracy and not much further. ( That is with an inderstanding of the ballistics and drop of the cartridge.) What are your experiences and opinions? I am not a proponent of long range hunting and I have other calibers that can certainly handle the range, but i want to use a classic rifle & caliber. Lance Lance Larson Studio lancelarsonstudio.com | ||
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I've taken a waterbuff at 100 yards without problem. A friend of mine shot last march two red stags at 200 and 250 yards each with a 35 whelan (very similar) with heavy bullets, so I think you can be confident with your 9,3x62. L | |||
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There's a 6" gong at 300yards on the local range that hates it when I bring the 9.3x62.  | |||
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The longest shot I've made with the 9.3x62 was a 270 yard coyote, that was with a 286 grain at 2475 fps. He is still dead. I hunted Namibia, and never took a shot over 200 yards, with the exception of a 298 yard springbuck. After hunting there my idea of perfect was a 9.3x62 or a .338-06. It will shoot plenty well to 300 yards. A shot not taken is always a miss | |||
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The cartridge has the accuracy, it has the power and penetration, just learn the trajectory of the chosen bullet weight out to your maximum personal range and go for it, just like most other cartridges. | |||
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I know the 286-grain load is the classic but if it is strictly for plains game you could consider the 250-grain North Fork for a bit more range. It gives pretty good penetration in my limited experience (two animals). I don't know that it gives a major difference in trajectory, but it does stretch it a bit. | |||
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I used my 375 H&H with 260 Nosler's for two exceptionally long shots at 310 (warthog) and 360 yards (blesbok). Everything else was under 210 yards. My PH had a custom rifle in 9.3 x 62 and claimed it was the ultimate Namibian round. I wouldn't hesitate to use it for anything I encountered, and just use your normal hunting judgement and ethics. | |||
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As Charles Helm has indicated, all though the 286gr bullets are great, one is not restricted to this weight in ths 9.3x62. For a lighter and flater shooting bullet I use the 258grn RWS H-Mantle with good results and have some 250grn SwiftAframe's to try as well. | |||
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Have alook at the GsCustomHV230gn she pumps@2800. It really gives the 9.3 some down range ballistic advantage. there was some good writing on it on the GS custom website,PM you when I find it again. | |||
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I am always curious about the desire/need fro a 300 yds gun in nambia or rsa...I don't know wabouth other but given the ethical and financial issues of wounding a game animal in africa....I stuggle with taking a shot beyond 200 yds Mike Never under estimate the internet community's ability to reply to your post with their personal rant about their tangentially related, single occurrence issue.  What I have learned on AR, since 2001: 1. The proper answer to: Where is the best place in town to get a steak dinner? is…You should go to Mel's Diner and get the fried chicken. 2. Big game animals can tell the difference between .015 of an inch in diameter, 15 grains of bullet weight, and 150 fps. 3. There is a difference in the performance of two identical projectiles launched at the same velocity if they came from different cartridges. 4. While a double rifle is the perfect DGR, every 375HH bolt gun needs to be modified to carry at least 5 down. 5. While a floor plate and detachable box magazine both use a mechanical latch, only the floor plate latch is reliable. Disregard the fact that every modern military rifle uses a detachable box magazine. 6. The Remington 700 is unreliable regardless of the fact it is the basis of the USMC M40 sniper rifle for 40+ years with no changes to the receiver or extractor and is the choice of more military and law enforcement sniper units than any other rifle. 7. PF actions are not suitable for a DGR and it is irrelevant that the M1, M14, M16, & AK47 which were designed for hunting men that can shoot back are all PF actions. 8. 95 deg F in Africa is different than 95 deg F in TX or CA and that is why you must worry about ammunition temperature in Africa (even though most safaris take place in winter) but not in TX or in CA. 9. The size of a ding in a gun's finish doesn't matter, what matters is whether it’s a safe ding or not. 10. 1 in a row is a trend, 2 in a row is statistically significant, and 3 in a row is an irrefutable fact. 11. Never buy a WSM or RCM cartridge for a safari rifle or your go to rifle in the USA because if they lose your ammo you can't find replacement ammo but don't worry 280 Rem, 338-06, 35 Whelen, and all Weatherby cartridges abound in Africa and back country stores. 12. A well hit animal can run 75 yds. in the open and suddenly drop with no initial blood trail, but the one I shot from 200 yds. away that ran 10 yds. and disappeared into a thicket and was not found was lost because the bullet penciled thru. I am 100% certain of this even though I have no physical evidence. 13. A 300 Win Mag is a 500 yard elk cartridge but a 308 Win is not a 300 yard elk cartridge even though the same bullet is travelling at the same velocity at those respective distances. | |||
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Mike I'm like you, when a wound means a tropy fee, I'm a lot more likely to not take a long shot. It just makes you a lot more careful. A shot not taken is always a miss | |||
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Riodot, I used my 9.3x62 in Namibia, the longest shot I've done was around between 200 and 250 meters, but I had occasion to test the rifle, at 300 meteres and 400 meters. With my loads, using 286 grs Nosler Partition bullets and the rifle zeroed at 200 meters, I had a 30cm of bullet fall at 300 meters and 80cm at 400 meters. Enough to hunt of course, it has been an interesting test but I agree with Mike. bye Stefano Waidmannsheil | |||
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First let me say the 9.3x62 is my favorite cartridge on this planet. That said, after a recent plains game hunt in RSA I would not make that my selection. We hunted mountain reedbuck and I thought I was sheep hunting. You can take some long shots at those critters! The same can be said for rhebuck. We are talking small bodied animals and a flat trjectory is needed. It seemed the gun of choice I encountered with the locals was a 270 Winchester. I hear everyone saying they would not take a shot longer than 200 yards or 250 yards but when the animal is 375 yards away and your PH says "he's a monster" my resolution melts pretty quickly. It seeems everytime I take something else I wish I had my 300 Win. | |||
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Maybe I should plan on my 300 Wby and 9.3x62 combo and not the 9.3x62 and 375 H&H combo I was considering. Damn! I don't know! It's so difficult to choose a combo for the first trip. You want it all to go of without a hitch. But thats the fun of all the planning!!! Lance Lance Larson Studio lancelarsonstudio.com | |||
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I'm going to RSA and Zim in late August this year. I'm taking my 470 double for my buff and my CZ 9.3x62 for PG. I have a great 286 Part load for it and I'm currently playing with the 250 Barnes TSX loads at about 2600fps. I have a Weatherby UL in 338-06 but wanted to take my game with the "classic" calibers...so hence the 9.3 gets the nod. I wouldn't hesitate out to 250 yds....beyond that....I'm not sure. I've taken mulie and antelope in the states at 300 yds...but that was with a .280....if I can't get them at 250 or less...I guess I'll have to pass. Gary B. | |||
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I took my Black Wildebeest at 300 yrds with 286 Norma Alaska / 9.3 x 62...don't like the bullet design but it got the job done. It also took several other critters including Kudu but not at that distance. Every large critter has an 8" pie plate on it so just go for it and stop getting ulcers! You can borrow money but you can not borrow time. Go hunting with your family. | |||
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Here's my two cents. I have taken a dozen African plains game animals ranging in size from Impala to Zebra and all with North Fork 250gr bullets. I did not feel that the 286gr bullet was necessary. If I were concentrating on Eland or even buffalo in a pinch I would use 286gr bullets. For a two gun combo from light to heavy plains game I can't imagine anything better than an 06 with the 9.3. You could even load a few solids for the 9.3 if there is a danger from thick skined game, e.g. buffalo, elephant,hippo, but by and large the 9.3X62 is quite a round. I do not however consider it to be much beyond a 250 yd round. | |||
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The Accurate Reloading Forums THE ACCURATE RELOADING.COM FORUMS Hunting African Big Game Hunting What is the effective range of a 9.3x62 with a 286gr bullet?
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