9.3x62 OAL??

25 June 2003, 06:41

bill smith

9.3x62 OAL??

just for reference purposes.....what is the overall length you are using for this cartridge loaded with the 286 grain roundnose bullets such as the Lapua Mega?

Lapua recommends 2.291. however other references, for instance Ken Water's Pet Loads, shows 2.250.

those of you who use this heavier bullet.....what is your preference??

also, what OAL are some of you using for lighter bullets such as the Nosler Ballistic tip @ 250 grains?? i load mine to the 2.290 inches shown in the Nosler manual, but the entire cannelure is then exposed.

25 June 2003, 07:31

ricciardelli

The OAL of any cartridge is totally determined by your firearm (chamber and magazine dimensions).

25 June 2003, 09:57

bill smith

i have heard this before and it has always raised a question in my mind. it is my opinion that the magazine and chamber determine the longest OAL which can be "loaded" into the rifle.

however, if i understand your point, you are saying that bullet weight and profile play no part in the decision of OAL. it sounds like you are saying that the 232 grain Norma cartridge would be loaded to the same OAL as the 286 grain Lapua cartridge based on the fact that they both will be fired from the same chamber. in reality the factory ammunition is about 0.160 inches difference in length.

i agree that the maximum length cartridge that can be chambered in any rifle is dependent upon the rifle's characteristics. but i do not agree that that length should then necessarily be the OAL of the cartridges i am loading.

25 June 2003, 22:37

1894

quote:

however, if i understand your point, you are saying that bullet weight and profile play no part in the decision of OAL. it sounds like you are saying that the 232 grain Norma cartridge would be loaded to the same OAL as the 286 grain Lapua cartridge based on the fact that they both will be fired from the same chamber. in reality the factory ammunition is about 0.160 inches difference in length.

[/QB]

Well it's probably rather a dangerous thing to do but what I think Ricciardelli is saying is that your COL is a function of:-

What will fit in the magazine (loads from, feeds from and doesn't shorten under recoil)
What will fit in the throat
What will shoot (subdivided into accuracy and velocity)

However here are some tips based on personal and initialy frustrating experience.

My own 9.3x62 has a standard mauser mag box and a long throat. As I wish to feed from the mag and retain a semblance of bullet point shape on the remaining rounds after recoil I load short. Another advantage of this is that bullets without cannelures don't shorten COL under recoil.

I would strongly reccomend that you ignore trying to get close to the lands and instead use the cannelure or load short enough that the bottom round in the mag is the same COL after the 3 above have been fired. Some 9.3x62 brass is rather thin necked (eg RWS) and holding on to a 286gr bullet can be hard.

It seems to have bugger all effect on accuracy - most accurate load (232gr Oryx or Vulkan) is furthest away from lands.