After much prodding from friends who use the 9.3x62 I decided to give it a shot. Literally.
An upcoming trip to South Africa provided some incentive to get a rifle set up.
I located a Ruger African and shot it a bit to make sure everything was mechanically fit. I prefer a slightly shorter LOP than the factory stock and decided to send it off to my good friends at Wilson Combat to have their in house riflesmith install a Decelerator pad, glass bed, and do a trigger job. I also had the metal coated with black Armor Tuff.
Now that the rifle fits me better and is ready to go I topped it off with a Leopold V6 2-12 scope with Warne rings.
My hunt will be a general bag Plains Game hunt with Eland on the list. Im planning on using Barnes 286 TSX bullets and am comparing Varget and RL15 loads to settle on a final load for the trip. My PH suggested to bring a few solids for small cats and such. Half the fun of planning a hunt is the prep.

Sounds like a nice rig!
Post a picture of it.....
If you have any issues finding the right load with those powders then try Ramshot Big Game, it works fantastic in the 9.3.
Good luck with yours and on your hunt.

Thanks! I'll try to post a pic of the rifle. I'm not the most computer savvy.

quote:

I'm not the most computer savvy.

Rob,

Computer savy is secondary, but you obviously know how to get a rifle sorted out!



Sounds like you've got a sweet shooter with your Ruger.

The Barnes' are super for their terminal performance, just note that particular monometal will take up alot of case capacity in the 9.3x62; so Varget may be the way forward.

There's alot of powders that work in the 9.3x62 although RL-15 & Ramshot Big Game appear to be real velocity enhancers in this cartridge.

IMR-4320, H-4895, VVN-140, Varget, RL-15, IMR-4064, and even H-4350 & IMR-4350 will produce outstanding results but the last two are a tad slow on the velocity.

We've taken 9.3x62's to RSA several times and it's an outstanding cartridge.

Have fun on your Safari.

Thanks Gerry,
The 9.3x62 is something I've wanted to explore for a long time. I have several other suitable rifles and have made three prior hunts to RSA and am looking forward to using it as my general purpose rifle.

Rob:

I would like to make a suggestion. The 286 TSX bullets are really long and take up a lot of case capacity. In my 9,3X62 Blaser, I dropped down to the 250 grain TSX bullets and they seem to work very well. With most Barnes bullets, I drop down in bullet weight. They will shoot a little flatter but still give you plenty of penetration.

If you want a 286 grain bullet, I would suggest the Woodleigh PP. At the modest velocity of the 9,3, they work perfectly.

I agree with the posters above. RL 15 and Varget work great with the 250 TSX but with the 286 grain bullets, my go-to powder is Ramshot Big Game.

There is a bunch of load data at RealGuns that was developed in the Ruger.

The 285gr Oryx from Norma does very well on plains game.

Unfortunately I picked the wrong time to explore different powders. I have a good supply of Varget and RL-15 but I can't find Big Game anywhere. If anyone happens to see any on a shelf please let me know or sees a distributor with any give me a shout.

Here are some loads. PM me with email & I'll send you more articles etc.

I have found Nosler 250 gr Accubonds and TSX 250 grs very good gor flat shooting. You can push them to 2700 fps max in a modern rifle. The 286 gr bullet go max 2500 fps.

Varget is by far the best powder in my 100+ year old Simson M98. The old Balistic Tip 250s (now replaced by the Accubond) gave 3/4" groups & the TSX was an easy 1". Even an off hand rapid reload group of 5 shots at 50 meters was just 2.5" with 286 gr Lapuas.

Good luck with your hunt.

The North Fork bullet would be a heck of a good alternative as well.

I've used Varget and Nosler Partitions in my 9.3x62 on both trips to RSA, none of the animals has lodged a complaint so far.

The 9.3mm worked well with cup and core bullets and some primitive smokeless powders 100 years ago. IMHO you'll have to work on it make a bad decision with the modern stuff.

Just find a good load and enjoy shooting it.

Thanks for the information. This data is way different than the Barnes manual. I'm not getting anywhere near these velocities.

Remember the original published loads are low pressure 46000 PSI loads suitable for M96 Huskey mod 46 rifles.

I put my first 9.3x62 together in 2000 for a plains game hunt in 2002. I used the 250 gr X (the original) loaded to 2640 fps and took all manner of critters including eland. Today I would use the 250 gr TSX and not look back.

I am an avid 9.3x62 fan, but its not a long range rifle and never was intended to be..I think a 3X or 4X or a small 1.5x5X Leupold is more suited to a 9.3x62..I actually use the 3X Leupold on my present rifle, and its perfect.

Rl-15 is the powder of choice according to my chronograph with all bullet weights and remember most reloading info in the USA is very down loaded for early rifles I suppose, much like the 7x57...Its no trick to get 2700 FPS with a 250 gr. bullet, 2500 FPS with a 286 and 2400 FPS with a 300 or 320 gr. bullet. Most Africans do his with their local powders. I like a 26 inch barrel in this caliber but a 24 is fine..my present take down 7x57 9.3x62 switch barrel gun has 20 inch barrels and suffers some (about 100 FPS) in the velocity corridor, but still works fine on game...

That said the 300 H&H with hot loaded 200 gr. Noslers would be my choice for So. Africa where ranges can be quit long where I have hunted there..So. Africa is a good place to have a two gun battery. The 9.3x62 is really at home in most of Zimbabwe and Tanzania. Just my opine.

quote:

am an avid 9.3x62 fan, but its not a long range rifle and never was intended to be

I'd disagree here Ray....while I'll take your word on it that it wasn't intended to be....it mirrors the .35 Whelen and that (IMO) is most definitely a long range weapon.

I wouldn't hesitate to use the 9.3 X 62 to a full 300 yards (if that qualifies as long range) and I wouldn't hesitate to take the shot on fairly large game at that range.....my .35 Whelen toppled a nice bull elk at 301 yards with a single shot and I didn't have to aim over the animal to do it.....if the .35 Whelen can do it then so can the 9.3 X 62.....sister cartridges!

Vapodog,
Were not that far apart...I consider long range beyond 400 yards...

I would not hesitate to shoot big game at 300 or even perhaps up to 400 yards with a 9.3x62 with the right load and under ideal circumstances and depending on the animal I was hunting.

I would call the 9.3x62 a good 300-350 yard gun..

That said I have made some really long shots in South Africas mountain country at PH Phillip Prices' suggestion..I find the 270s or 300's to be ideal for most folks and they seem to give a slight edge..It was just an afterthought btw, I'm sure the 9.3x62 will surfice.

quote:

I would call the 9.3x62 a good 300-350 yard gun..

Yup.....and I'd agree fully....

I'm shocked barnes hasn't released a 200 grain 9.3 TTSX. They have gone light in every other caliber. Seems like you could push it to 3,000 or more fps.

My 350 Rem mag likes 200 TTSX and it will go right about 3,000 fps with TAC. Barnes even has a 180 TTSX in 35 caliber.

Light bullet in big bores are a walking complication IMO....They are so impressive at short range as to trjectory and killing effect on light animals, but they die on the vine real fast, and lose velocity fast..and the larger the bore the faster they die.

I do belive that you must use a happy medium weight with the monolithics and in a 9.3x62 that is 250 grs., and at 2700 FPS it will shoot nearly as flat as a 180 gr. 30-06 I suspect. otherwise use a different caliber with a smaller bore.

The 9.3x62 was designed to shoot 286 gr. to 300 gr. conventional bullets, so it handles 250 gr. monolithics very well indeed. However, after years of use, I'll stick with the 286 gr. Nosler partition, 300 gr. Swift, and even the 320 gr. Woodleigh.

But to each his own, its a choice.

R.H. are we still waiting for a picture of the rifle? I have a Husky Model 46(AN?) Actually two of them. One each in X57 and X62. I'm going to try the Varget loads with the Prvi 285 gr. But I have the typical stock crack at the back of the action on both guns.

I would definatly glass bed those rifles with the cracked tang, as they will split lengthwise in time with a caliber that generates the recoil of a 9.3x62...BTW, my chrongraph proved RL-15 to be the powder of choice in the 9.3x62..great caliber.

I've sent pics to my son who will post them for me. I'm very happy with the package.

Rob,

It's good you like your package and it will be nice to see the photos.

I took my 1st, 2nd and 3rd Kudu and an Eland with my 9.3x62.

The 1st Kudu was approx. 260 yards with a premium bonded projectile. Due to my sight in, there was about a foot of hold over to get the 286 grain PPSN projectile through both lungs. He ran 30 yards and piled up. The projectile passed through and the skinners could show me nothing but a pencil hole. We assume there was not enough velocity with resistance for the projectile to open. Kudu aren't that tough IMO.

While others here are comfortable to use their rifles at 300 yards, I will not repeat that shot again. For me the 9.3x62 is a 150 yard thumper with a RNSP projectile. While the versatile 9.3x62 will do the job, lighter projectiles and longer ranges are trying to achieve something better suited to other cartridges.

Get close to that Eland and he won't know what hit him. Good luck and straight shooting.

I think (thought) RL-15 WAS the powder of choice... but NOW it is far outclassed by its big brother (who is younger)RL-17, which easily adds 100 fps more smash with any of the usual weight bullets, and does it without excessive pressure!

I WAS a disbeliever, but personal experience have proven this to be true. It's a tad faster than IMR4350 and slightly slower than Big Game.

In my T3 it's used behind the 286 Nos Partition. With the 286 Partition you can use a lot more of it than with the Barnes TSX's, even the 250, because it is longer than the 286 NP. But the COL in my rifle is 3.37". That too makes a huge difference.

Long range? 400 yards easy, and even 500 on game the size of moose, etc. It outclasses the .375 H&H shooting the 300 NP at any rang past 250 yards when each are leaving the muzzle around the 2500+ fps mark. Check it out from ballistics tables.

Bob

www.bigbores.ca

Here's the first pic. One is in .338WM, the other in 9.3x62. More as Dad sends them to me.

Thanks for posting the pics Matt!

As an update, we are back from our hunt. I was 100% satisfied with the rifle, scope,and bullet performance. I took game from Cape Buffalo to Steinbuck with it. The VX-6 is awesome and the red dot helped make several difficult shots much easier. The Barnes TSX bullets performed like textbook. I am very impressed with the 9.3x62 caliber. This just became my favorite rifle.

I took a 9.3x62 for my frist trip to Africa...I could not think of a better bushveld round out there. I used a 286 grain TSX, and it dropped everything in its tracks.

458 Only, I picked up a pound of RL 17 a few month's ago but haven't tried it in my 9.3x62 yet. What can you tell me about the temperature sensitivity of this powder? I will use my 9.3 in temps from 90+ degrees (summer hog hunts) down to the low teens on CO elk hunts. I've been using Ram Shot Big Game which works pretty well, but will not overlook a powder if it can provide more velocity while maintaining accuracy. I use 286gr Nosler Partitions for elk and 286gr Hornady SP's for deer and hogs.

quote:

Originally posted by Atkinson:
I am an avid 9.3x62 fan, but its not a long range rifle and never was intended to be..

Ray, sorry I have to disagree with you too. If one would consider a 168 gr Accubond from a 308 Win @ 2650 fps then a 250 Accubond will stand shoulder to shoulder with it at 2650 fps and bit more as the 9.3 Accubonds BC is .494 and the 168 Accubond is .475. It's going to drop less, deflect due to wind less and hit harder. The technology is there to place an ethical shot at distances much farther than your stated 400 yd max. The ethical distance is, IMO, up to the shooters ability, his rifles potential and the manufacturers stated minimum expansion velocity.

Alan

quote:

Originally posted by Biggs300:
458 Only, I picked up a pound of RL 17 a few month's ago but haven't tried it in my 9.3x62 yet. What can you tell me about the temperature sensitivity of this powder? I will use my 9.3 in temps from 90+ degrees (summer hog hunts) down to the low teens on CO elk hunts. I've been using Ram Shot Big Game which works pretty well, but will not overlook a powder if it can provide more velocity while maintaining accuracy. I use 286gr Nosler Partitions for elk and 286gr Hornady SP's for deer and hogs.

My experience with reloaded 17 and 9.3 is that it will give silly 10% increase but no consistency of speed hence the group opens up

Has anyone out there tried Norma's American PH loaded with the 232 gr Oryx in the 9.3 x 62?

Norma does not make African PH in 9,3x62.
See the link below;

http://www.norma.cc/sv/Produkter/Jakt/

The whole idea with the African PH is heavy-for-caliber bullets. The 232grs is a light-for-caliber 9,3 bullet.

M

Metric,

My post asked about American PH, not African PH.

And yes they do load it in 9.3 x 62

http://www.norma-usa.com/index...yx-232&catid=19:amph

Although, with the Oryx's poor ballistic coefficient, the 250 Accubond hits harder and flies flatter.

Man, I would love to post some pics showing off my Ruger Express converted from 30-06 to 9.3X62
If someone would be so kind as pm me their email & post for me, I can send them from my phone, but it still seems I'm too computer shtupid to post my own pics..

The 250 TSX and 3031/4895/4064 covers the waterfront unless Elephant of Buffs are on your list.

quote:

Originally posted by nasdaq:
The 250 TSX and 3031/4895/4064 covers the waterfront unless Elephant of Buffs are on your list.

YOU SORRY BASTARD, LARRY ROOT!!!! GET YOUR ASS OFF AND STAY OFF!!!