Shot a coyote at @ 35yards with the Chapuis, iron sights,this last weekend. The bullet hit in the right shoulder exiting the rear of the left shoulder. The coyote went right down. The exit wound was 4"x3", the wound showing signs of severe bullet fragmentation. This confirms my earlier results on wild pigs, and the info I have recieved from our European friends on AR that this bullet is not to be trusted to give deep penetration on big animals, or to hold up when bone is struck. The search continues for a suitable factory load. I think I will use some 286gr. Woodleighs for a few weekends and report on them, they have worked well in the past, but I would like a few more kills with them to evaluate. I have ample data on the 285 Hawk.035jkt. and on the 286 Nosler Partitions. I have yet to recover a 9.3 Nosler Partition, so I will carry some of them so if a deer or pig gives me a full frontal shot I will see if I can recover one of them.

NE 450 No2 , what NT load regulates best in your Chapuis? I just ordered some 286 gr Nosler Partitions, and 100 rds of new Norma brass for the 9.3X74R double, and will be working up a regulating load, as soon as they come in!

[ 12-05-2002, 04:37: Message edited by: MacD37 ]

HI!
Maybe you should try the new Norma Oryx 286grains?
It's a bit harder bullet then the Alaska bullet.

Have anybody try'ed the Oryx bullet this autum?

I use the Alaska my self, in my Husquarna 9,3x57.
Have only good experience with that bullet in 630 V/0.

Hva146, Norway

N E 450 No2, I've shot a carload of Wild Boar, Roedeer, Red Deer and foxes with the 286 Alaska in 9,3x74R. They all showed large holes (but, isn't the caliber meant for that ?)with little venison damage-haematoma (I never ate fox, so I really can't vouch for the latter, though ). Never did I recover a bullet as they all went through. Although I use Blaser 286 CDP nowadays (for the sole reason I still possess a "comfortable" amount of free, left-over, testing ammo ), I wouldn't hesitate to go back to Alaska's, come the day my ammo supply runs dry.

MacD37 I started with 63gr. of IMR4831,gave 2137fps. 64gr. gave 2185fps.,and 65gr gave 2218fps. 63gr. gave good groups but 65 was almost as good so I use that. In fact I use 65gr. of IMR4831 with the 286 Woodleigh and the 285 Hawk.035jkt. With the 270 Speer my best load has been with 59gr. of RL-15 for 2390fps. The Speer load shoots real good.
The OAL of the Nosler Partitions is 3.795, so as you can tell I do not crimp my 9.3 loads.
All of the above in Norma brass and Federal 215 primers. Hope that helps let me know how your loading goes.

[ 12-06-2002, 03:48: Message edited by: N E 450 No2 ]

Andre thanks for the info. The Norma Alaska's have killed well, but I prefer a bullet that I can count on not to fragment on the bones of a big animal. That is one reason I "test" so many different bullets on pigs and other game here in Texas, so when I go some where else after BIG big game I know I have a bullet I can depend on. The reverse is also true, when I am using one of my big rifles on smaller big game I want a bullet that will expand, and still give adequate penetration.
So far my most effective bullet in the 9.3x74R on Pigs has been the 285 Hawk with the .035jkt. They expand to about the size of a quarter, and are usually stopped by the hide on the far side. On one frontal shot, he had his head down, through the neck penetrated to the rear flank. The pig went straight down.

Perhaps we are forgetting that the Brenneke TUG bullet was just about developed for the 9.3 way back when. The front end may mushroom or fragment, but like the NP, the caboose just goes right through to the far side. The TUG is available through old western scrounger or through Iron Cross gunsmith.

At any rate, I am envious of your skill and time to spend shooting. I just loaded up a batch of woodleighs, lapua Mega, and had poor performance with teh NP in my Merkel Double. Whereas the other bullets tested converged at some speed, the Noslers did not cross, but rather went more wild. I have just received some 250 Ballistic Tips that I will still try for accuracy.

Arent these doubles fun? They make predicting or understanding a woman seem easy by comparison. Think I will start a thread on that one!!

My Valmet is regulated for 286gr Nosler partition and 54.6gr Norma 201. It shoots to the same point of impact as factory ammo (RWS). Ouickload says it's a 49000# load but it doesn't seem excessive. Brass shows no signs after 3 loads.