I�m a new member to this forum, and I�m writing from Portugal.

I just got a Sauer 202 Stutzen rifle in 9.3x62mm, barrel length 51cm, weight 3.250 Kg without scope, overall length 1.025 m. I mounted a Swarovsky 1.25-4x24mm scope on Talley detachable rings.

I will use this rifle to hunt wild boars and red stags in driven hunts, the hunters are posted and shoot the animals, on the run, as they are driven by large numbers of dogs.
The shooting can be at as little as 10 meters to about 150 m, depending on the terrain, and the animals can weight, something between 50 and 200 Kg.
In this kind of hunting we need a caliber/bullet combination that has the authority to stop the animal in its tracks, this is not very easy, since the animals are in full alert and pumped on adrenaline by the presence of the dogs.

I�ve used a Browning BAR in 300 Wm and a Steyer Mannlicher, bolt action rifle, in the same caliber, with Norma plastic Point 180 gr., Nosler Partition 180 gr., Winchester Silvertip 220gr, but found out that it lacked stopping power, some of the animals I shot didn�t react to the shot, and just kept on running,
I lost one boar, which I�m sure I shot in the lung area with a 180gr Nosler partition from the BAR, found a blood trail for some time but then it stopped, and even with the help of the dogs we could not find the boar.

I need to select factory loaded ammo to use, since I don�t handload, and was thinking of having a 286 gr. bullet, Norma Plastic Point � RWS TM (soft point round nose) to use on the short shots, max. 50m in thick terrain, with iron sights, and a 250 gr. ?? to use with the rifle scope for the �long shots�, over 50 meters up to 150m.

What is your opinion ? Please let me know about bullet performance on this size of animal ?

Nsiro

I would recommend the RWS T mantel ammo, they open rapidly and make a mean mess of the insides, do a bit of meat damage but not that much more than other bullets, I shot a Kudu cow with one and it was the only time I saw a bullet rock an animal, I don't know of to explain it but when the bullet hit her you can see her move, she did not drop but went another 20 yards and then dropped. I only shot another Eland cow with this ammo, the animal was hit behind the shoulder and she went maybe 50 Yards, there was an awfully big hole entry side, and her lungs was all messed up very badly. So it you want stopping power I will go with the T mantels, our local Gun goeroe Dr. Lucas Potgieter was very fond of them in his 9.3x62, he said it was very effective on lions.

I have not tried Norma's Plastic Point but their Alaska works fine, should a couple of Kudu with it and had no problems, I would not recommend Lapau they where kind of slow and did not expand rapidly, I would use them only on large game, I don't mean they are good, I just did not see the explosive kills that I have seen with some of the other bullets. The Sako 250 Grain X is also very good, have used it on a lot of Kudu and always penetrated and did a good job, should work well with longer shots. Another bullet I think you should look into is the new 250 G Swift loaded by Norma it should work very well at the longer range, velocity is suppose to be 2625 fps, I have not tried that one. The Norma 232 g Vulcan also works very well and it's velocity is good for that longer shots, I shot a Very Large Eland Cow 236 KG Slaughtered weight with it, I hit it behind the shoulder and recovered it just in front of the back leg, That is about that, another one if you can get hold of is PMP's 286 g Proam, it expanded very violently in my 9.3x62, it blew fist size holes thought very small buck like duiker, I remember one Duiker I shot which lost its ribcage after a shot from the PMP's, not a good choice if you like meat and the animal is small, but they penetrate well so will work on large animals

Ring my bell if you need more information

Cheers

Flip

Thank you Flip for your reply.

Here in Portugal we have some trouble with ammo availability, we must even get a license from the Plice just to buy a box of ammo. There is also the problem of not being able to found all the bullets that are listed in the manufacturer�s catalogues.

At the moment this are the options I have on my local gun shop :

RWS - TUG � 290 gr
KS � 270 gr
TM � 285 gr

Norma � Plastic Point 285 gr. (18.5g)

Geco � TM Round Nose 270 gr. (16 g)

Do you think the lighter bullets will loose less velocity in the short barrel ? or can I expect the same amount of loss on the light and heavy bullets.
The data from the factories is for 60 cm barrels and mine has only 51 cm.
Don�t you feel that the Swift A-frame loaded by Norma could not open well at lower velocities?

No doubt they will all work well, it took a big bull moose, an extreme angle shot and a 232gr bullet for my 9.3x62 to give less than stellar performance. The plastic point is the fastest expanding Norma bullet.

Whatever you use I would suggest you stick with just the one bullet to avoid complications with lead distance etc.

Nsiro,

Bem-vindo ao forum e parab�ns pela escolha do calibre!.
H� j� v�rios anos que venho usando calibres 9,3 (x62 e 74R) em montaria e espera, e tamb�m em �frica, e os resultados que tenho obtido com os v�rios tipos de pontas RWS (em 286 e 293), Lapua Mega (285) e mesmo S&B SPCE (285), t�m sido �ptimos.
O facto de carregar as minhas muni��es permite-me obter a muni��o mais indicada para cada arma e utiliza��o pretendida.

B.Martins

Man I did not know they have such tuff laws overthere, okay here is my advice.

The Tug is suppose to be a very good bullet in the 9.3x62, I have read about a guy who shot over 80 buf with them and spoke very highly of them, but since you will mostly shoot smaller animals if would think twice about using them, they might not expand that much, can be wrong, I have never tried them, they are extremly expensive in Namiba, I bought 1 box of T mantel ammo in 1994 and it cost me twice what Norma cost at the same time, I could not get norma that is the reason I bought the T mantel.

KS Have not seen them used or heard of somebody who have used them over here, from what I have read in other calibers they seem a bit tuff for small antilope, good for large stuff though, I once read that a guy who tested ammo in 9.3x64 tested it and it performed much better than most other, so I would not use it if I where you, of course it will kill but I think there is better bullets for small game.

Tm I like this bullet if you want to stop the animal in an hurry, the only side effect is meat damage and the velocity is very slow, only about 2500, and in your short barrel it might be even slower, fine for close shots but it longer shots happen you might be in trouble.

Norma Plastic Point This bullet is suppose to be very good, the guy who owned my rifle before me used them and was very happy with them, and I have read in Magnum Magazine (Local South African Hunting paper)of Gregor Woods who used it in his 9.3 to shoot a Mountain Zebra, it hit the animal just infront of the back leg and came out just behind the front shoulder, he spoke very highly of it. I once read in the same magazine that shot this ammo in a very short barreld gun and it still gave 2360 fps, so I think this is the one you should use, it should perform well even at longer range. I have used their Alaska 286 grain bullet to shoot a wounded Kudu at about 350 M, I held over it's back, the bullet expanded and killed the animal in short order.

Geco � TM Round Nose 270 gr I have never heard or seen somebody use this round so don't know how effective it is.

I don't think you would lose that much velocity, the 9.3x62 seems to be able to use very short barrels, I think you would lose about the same velocity in both light and heavy bullets

In your short barrel it might not be a good idea for the swift bullets, they have been known not to expand that much at lower velocity, and might not expand well at long range on small animals, I think the 232 grain Vulcun will be a better bet, I wished you could get a good 250 grain Nosler balistic and about 2600 fps, that should be the ideal one for your hunting. I hope to try mine soon on game.

Cheers

Flip

Woodleigh projectiles are great and they come in 250 gr, 286gr & 320 gr weights.

If it becomes available to you, the Lapua 18.5 g ammunition is quite accurate. The Scandinavian hunters seemed to think it works well on moose and I assume it would on boars. It uses a Lapua Mega bullet which appears to be a bonded bullet.

I will let you know how it does in Namibia next week.

Thank you all for your answers

Think I will try the RWS TM and The Norma Plastic Point to see how they shoot in my rifle, and stick with one of them for the next season.

You won't make a mistake with any of the 9.3x62 bullets, the T m and Norma make a good combination, I would be happy to use them. I don't think the Mega is bonded, Magnum Magazine did test and it did not perform that good, it will do a grate job on large game, I have shot a few Kudu's with it and had no broblems, all where 1 shot kills

Cheers

Flip

Hi there!

I use a CZ 550 Full stocked rifle, so barrel is also slightly over 20".

Lapua 286 grs Mega is AWFULLY accurate!! 3 shots under an inch! Mild recoil. I choose this bullet, as its blunt and seems to be a bonded bullet, so for close distances ( wood ) and eventually hard game, meaning big boars.

There is a lead free bullet from Lapua, which should be good for wood hunting distances ( < 200m ).

For my Red Stag hunt this year I already ordered Winchesters with 286 Partitions, as they have the greatest retaining energy at distance, as I eventually will have to shoot at 300 m. Sako loads the Partition, too!

For your needs: the RWS DK ( double core ): its an improved KS, looks similar, but an internal divider blocks blow up, which was occasionally a problem with the KS.

For longer range this bullet is too light, too low on SD!!

They should have made it in 250 ( 247 ) grs, to replace the KS!

South African ( PMP? ) ammo is available through Kettner at reasonable prices, don�t overlook Sellier and Bellots 286 grs JRN. Usually S & B are very accurate and cheap, but I really like their 180 grs RN in the good ole �06. Shoots like hell and simply drops them. Of course short range only.

Also there is Blasers 286 grs CDP, a Nosler clone.

Just my 0.02, good shootin, Hermann

Winchesters with 286 Partitions! Evidently they are only made & distributed to the European market? Sure wish that Winchester sold them here.

So to be more accurate it is Norma brass powder & bullets
in a Winchester box?

Humbarger

Norma makes Winchester's brass and most ammo in the metric calibers. Yes, it's norma brass and powder. The bullet is made in Oregon

Cheers
/ JOHAN

Nsiro
Welcome to the forum. For shooting running game, which may present less than ideal angles, I recommend the RWS TUG 19,0g [293grains].
Based on my use of this bullet in my 9,3x74R it will penetrate to the vitals on the game you mentioned from ANY angle. The 286grain Nolser Partition would be my second choice.

Do not discount the speer 270 gr bullet for hogs, deer etc. It's fine as long as the game is not big and nasty, also the 9.3x62's speeds help maintain bullet integrity as well. This bullet does expand readily so use it on smaller game and it is great. It shoots well to.

Lapua anything is good stuff...It is my favorite 9.3x62 brass and the bullets are excellent..I have never shot any factory ammo in my 9.3x62s......