that I have started to plan for a plains game hunt in RSA, it is time to act! I have two main alternatives in mind.

First alternative is a Husqvarna FN 98 action in 9.3x63 and the second alternative is a Sako Finnbear (L61R) in .338 Win (should I find the latter in 375 H&H I will go for it but they are rare). Either rifle would get a new, straight walnut stock of classical pattern, and if I chose the Husqvarna I would install a Winchester-style safety catch.

The advantage of the Sako is the long action which would accommodate a .375 H&H or 300 H&H should I wish to change it to a more "sexy" calibre. The advantage of the .338 over 9.3x62 a is somewhat higher speed but on the other hand it is a slightly less comfortable calibre to shoot, and up to 200 meters I gather the performances of the two are equal in all practical matters? I might add that I load my own ammo.

I have two old Sako-rifles already and swear by them, but it would be fun to have a 98 as well...

Besides Africa, I will use it for moose and wild boar here in Sweden, both which are usually shot on rather short distances.

I guess most practical reasons points towards the 9.3x62, but it would be fun to have a belted magnum... Pure vanity!

I whish I could get both, but we are only allowed to have 6 hunting rifles here in Sweden.

So, what do you say? What aspects have I missed? What other arguments are there to consider?

Regards,
Martin

Thanks everyone, a lot of good imput! I agree that a 9.3x62 in a 98 action is a more classy rifle, but on the other hand the Sako have a long action that can accomodate the .375 H&H should I replace the barrel...

As Christer said, 9.3x62 is a lot more common here in Sweden than the .338 WM, but that also means that brass are available everywhere here... I just had wished for a slightly faster bullet than what the 9,3 can produce but I guss that is mostly a theoretical problem with little relevance in the field...

And indeed the 9.3x62 is a much nicer calibre to shoot, I do tend to dislike rifles with a fast recoil. That must be taken into account...

As for deer, I have a 7mm08 in the shorter Sako AII action, but of course it is nice to be able to shoot a roe with the heavier rifle as well, without destroying too much meat.

JOHAN: When searching the forums for info on the calibers, I saw a post of yours from last year when you said you had a rifle in 9.3x62. Is that a CG-47? Do you still have it?

Regards,
Martin

Marterius,

Buy the 9.3x62

Marterius,

If yu do not have a big bore the 375 will crush anything coming in close like a big boar...If by chance your animal moves with the shot...the 375 will shine and do lethal damage...When trophy fees are in order put him down and the 375 will do just that...

Mike

.375--375--375--375 end of story.

Take the 338 winchester and take the money, that you will not spent on another rifle, and use it for another trophy fee. The 338 Winchester is one of the best plains game cartridges going. But if you really have to, 9.3 x 62 would be my choice. I been trying to get Sako to import rifles so chambered for some time now. They don't listen to me, for some odd reason. Must be a Finnish thing.

9.3 x 62

A Husq FN is far classier than a Sako.

I have to agree with 500 grains. The FN is a classic action with CRF which the Sako does not have. Plus 338's very common. If you can only have 6 rifles go with something unique like the 9.3x62.

M1 Tanker

9,3x62 is as unique in Sweden as 338 are in USA

I guess I should have payed attention to location before giving my opinion. I would still go with the FN just because I like the actions much better than Sako's.

Five years ago I would not ever have believed this, but after using my 9,3x74R, I must say I find it, and of course its ballistic twin the 9,3x62, to be the ideal hunting calibre. It is not too powerful for deer/impala sized game [by too powerful I mean it does not kick the hunter too hard ] and yet it is plenty enough powerful for game the size of moose, eland, big bears and lion. It will also do for buff or elephant with solids and proper shot placement. If you are only allowed 6 rifles at least one of them should be a 9,3x74R scoped double rifle IMHO.
If you must get a bolt rifle I would go with the 9,3x62.

Having both calibers I would love to simply say "take them both", but since you are restricted in guns and there are so close, I would also tend to prefer the 9,3x62 as overall slightly more universal cartridge - you can also shot roe deer with it without too much meat damage - (there the .338 WM factory loads are not ideal). Another benefit for the 9,3 is that you could use it with solids for buff (although at the lower end...)

From the actions - I don't know. From my knowledge the Sako is very accurate & reliable and I personally don't think that CRF is such an issue on a plains-game rifle. I image that since the Sako is the more modern design the firing time is much shorter than in a 98 action (?).

Best regards,

Erik

PS: But the .338WM might be slightly more universal cartridge for African plains game since you can shout with on slightly longer distances...

Take the 9.3x62, I have both a 338 Win and the 9.3 and I prefer the 9.3

Just my thinking

I think you need a long action and a belted magnum cartridge Martin. Any of these calibers is going to "do the job", so you might as well decide based on sex appeal. Should you lose interest in big long cartridges, re-sale of your 375 should be no problem. If it comes to that, you can replace her with something dowdy and sensible. If.

H. C.

By any chance can you get a nice 9.3X64 in Sweden, along with ammo? This shoots as flat as a 338 with heavier bullets and will do anything a 375 H&H will do out of a shorter action. If you handload you can have the mild kicking 9.3X62 anytime you want to load down.

A more dramatic approach, and a solution to your 6 rifle limit, would be to get a Savage in 338 and an Adams and Bennet 375 Taylor barrel. These can be swapped in 10 miniutes, thanks to the Savage lock nut bbl mountig system. These two rounds use the same brass, with the Taylor matching the 9.3X64 and 375 H&H in power and range. Down the road there are about 20 additional barrels in different calibers that can be mounted on the Savage action, and I doubt if they count as "rifles".

For plainsgame in RSA the .338 is by far the best choice of caliver...

The FN is the better action IMO....and a 250 gr. 9.3x62 at 2650 FPS is a lethal combo and works for long shots about like a 30-06 and thats high praise..

The 9.3x62 with 300 gr. Swifts or 320 gr. Woodleighs, the 338 with 300 gr. Woodleighs or whatever can give the 375 a real run for the money, but the 375 is a fine caliber...

Since my primary big game rifles are the 338, 9.3x62, 375 H&H in medium bores, you can see that I have never been able to answer that question, so I solved it by one of each...

You'll have to make your own decision, but I wouldn't let anyone make it for me if I were you, do it yourself.....All you'll get from most is "yeah for the one they have" and the obviously don't know much about the others..as they are all equal...

Martin

If I was allowed only to have six rifles I would make sure one of them was at least a .375 H&H Mag or bigger.

The .375 sets the standard as the one-rifle African safari calibre and so far always has. It is the classic African calibre and you could probably get factory ammo for it if yours goes missing unlike many of these other calibres. It will give a passable performance as a plains rifle, does not kick that much and can used for everything from dik dik to the Big Five (plus moose at home).

get the 9.3x62 and rechamber and open the bolt face to 9.3x64...then you have your FN action and power the same as the .375 H&H.

Martin

The rifle is gone... it was a husqvarna.

What animals do you intend to hunt? Your 7-08 should be fine for some of the smaller animals

Cheers
/ JOHAN

Marterius, You must already own a Blaser as with the limit on the number of rifles you may own that is of course the obvious choice.

I used Sako's 250 X load with very good results, I was unable to recover any bullets, did not differ if it was Eland or Kudu they all went through, the 9.3x62 with a good loadede 250 X or Switf will be so close to the 338 you will not see any difference

Cheers

Flip

Nitro X said it very well. If you can have lots of guns get one first and then the others. If only a few, get a 375. Like salt and pepper, good on almost anything. Good hunting. "D"

Thank you for your input! I can't say I am any closer to a decision, but having teached about human decision-making at University I have no illusions about rationality either.

At leaset there have been no new arguments against any of the calibres such as problems with feeding or problems with handloading.

Seems that I narrowed down the field to a couple of good calibres anyway so I guess that the shape of the rifles I can find will determin a lot. Unless I find a Sako in .375... I guess you are right that when all is said and done, I should have one.
But I don't want any .375, I want an old Sako made in the days when they could still afford a let a skilled man use his tools...

M16: The Blaser is not that popular in Sweden, I guess Swedish hunters are too conservative as a rule... I am at least! There have been some accidents as well, not good for their reputation... And of course they are a bit on the expensive side. Sauer 202 ismore popular, but I don't like it - feels plastic in a sense. I guess I could go for a custom switch-barrel system on my lighter Sako - the kind that is used by bench-rest shooters. The limit here is 6 actions but we can have several barrels for each action.

JOHAN: Why did you sell your 9,3x62? Just want to figure out why you recommend a caliber you just sold! :

Regards,
Martin

It is 1 AM in Sweden now so I ought to go to bed, but since I just returned home from a very nice evening with Cchunter and Sako06, eating a bit and trying to figure out some problems of the higher schools of handloading, I thought I should give you a brief rapport of the day's events.

I have finally bought a .338 WM, a second hand Sako Finnbear. There wea no nice Husqvarna in 9.3x62 to be found in the shop (one of Swedens biggest) since the recent interest for boar in Sweden have made them very popular. This is a nice, clean rifle, nothing fancy but with an action long enough to take a .375 H&H should I ever whish to rebarrel it. I will replace the stock with a straight stock and perhaps add some nice detail like a barrel band swivel.

Cchunter and I had made plans to meet at the store, and also HerrBerg (whom I know from Swedish forums since before my time on AR and whom I have a lot of contact with outside AR) was going to visit this store today since he and wife and daughter was on a holiday trip in these parts of Sweden. I hade a little chat with HerrBerg and met his charming wife but unfortunately they had to leave before Cchunter could arrive.

Finally, for the Swedish members of this forum, I will point you to this very nice CG-47 in 9.3x64 with a after marked bedded stock made by the well know Swedish stock-maker J. Boberg. http://www2.blocket.se/view/2818216.htm?l=0&c=1&city=0 This rifle is a daisy, and I was very, very close on buying it but decided otherwise in the last moment because of the problem to find bras and because I am a Sako nut. JOHAN: Go and get it!

So this was a long post about small things, but since you gave me so many advice I wanted you to know what I decided om .

Regards,
Martin