Anyone familiar with Norma 232gr Oryx and 232gr vulcan bullets and how they compare in performance? I read normas discription and sounds like the oryx is the tougher of the 2

I want to try one of these in my 9.3x57. I bought 200 prvi 285s and want to try a lighter bullet

I dont have a 9,3 myself but both the vulkan and oryx are successfully used for moose and boar here in sweden in 9,3*57. Oryx is bonded and tougher but that is not needed in 9,3*57.
If you need tough use 285gr oryx.

GSP7, how about a 230 grn from GSC Their HV should liven up your investment as well as straighten out it's trajectory.

I have and continue to use these bullets in my 9.3x62.

The vulkan is a conventional bullet with a protected point (folded over jacket) It will kill every deer that walked this earth and did very well on my moose calf. It seems to open pretty well as none of my deer (up to 150lb weight) went more than a few steps (and most none). It is still made.

The 232gr oryx was discontinued for a while but I have since heard that it has been relisted. It looks pretty identical but is bonded and has a conventional flat point. Weight retention is held to be excellent. I have shot 2 adult moose bulls with them without incident. All took more than one shot but that's merely because they don't react to being shot and because I am unused to shooting moving targets and couldn't swear that I had shot well.

The 3rd bull showed that at a MV of 2,600fps the 232gr Oryx will overexpand on a raking shot on really large game. This would only be on really really big animals at unwise angles and is likely to be even less of a problem with a 9.3x57.

I would say that either would be THE bullet for normal hunting with a 9.3x57.

.366 - I looked at the GSC site and these bullets are quite interesting. Was wondering if you have shot animals with them and some possible results? I noticed they have a USA dealer, so you do save a little on freight. I think their price was around $75.00 per 50

I'll be using my 9.3 X 62 in Namibia for plains game up to Kudu and Zebra and for Leopard. My thoughts were to stay with the 250 gr. or less for this adventure and save the 285 gr. stuff for moose, bear, elk etc. Any thought on what's best for the Leopard? I have two scopes, so could use two different loads for the cat and the plains game. Thanks

Larry Sellers

quote:

Originally posted by .366torque:
GSP7, how about a 230 grn from GSC Their HV should liven up your investment as well as straighten out it's trajectory.

I shot a medium sized leopard at 40yds broadside thru the heart/lung area with a 9.3x62 factory loaded Norma 232gr Vulcan bullet from a 20†barrel. It killed the leopard, but even though the bullet didn't hit bone it completely disintegrated and did not exit the animal. I don't think that is particularily good performance and I wouldn't use this bullet again. There are a lot of good .366 bullets available. Next time I'll use a 286gr Nosler Partition.

Thanks for the comment Chris. Do you think the 232 gr Oryx bonded bullet would have produced better results? Did you shoot anything else besides the Leopard with your 9.3 X 62 on the trip?

Larry Sellers

quote:

Originally posted by Chris01:
I shot a medium sized leopard at 40yds broadside thru the heart/lung area with a 9.3x62 factory loaded Norma 232gr Vulcan bullet from a 20†barrel. It killed the leopard, but even though the bullet didn't hit bone it completely disintegrated and did not exit the animal. I don't think that is particularily good performance and I wouldn't use this bullet again. There are a lot of good .366 bullets available. Next time I'll use a 286gr Nosler Partition.

Larry, the only animal I shot with the 9.3x62 was the leopard. I borrowed the rifle because we were hunting at night without artificial light and it had a better scope for this purpose (Zeiss 3x12-56mm) than my rifle. I used my 30-06 with 180gr bullets for plains game. I’ve used the same 30-06 on several African trips to shoot PG and it works great.

I don’t know if the Norma 232gr Oryx bullets would be better or not. I have a CZ550 FS 9.3x62 that I’m planning to bring on the next African hunt. I’ll be using 286gr Nosler Partition bullets if I hunt PG and leopard.

There are a lot of good .366cal bullets available. Do a search in the African Hunting Forum and you’ll find plenty of information from people that have more experienced with this caliber than me. All I know is I wouldn’t use the Norma 232gr Vulcans again.

quote:

Originally posted by Larry Sellers:
.366 - I looked at the GSC site and these bullets are quite interesting. Was wondering if you have shot animals with them and some possible results?

I wish!! We Canadians are usually on the outside looking in! We can't even get North Fork bullets.

North Fork bullets make a 250 grain offering that should work well at the velocities you would have. Too bad that the 250gr Nosler Ballistic tip has been discontinued. That would have been a good choice at 9.3x57 velocities I think. Between the 2 choices though, the Oryx would get my nod because it bonded, expands well at low velocity, and has a great reputation for accuracy.

Well I just bought 2 packs of factory Norma 232g Vulcans as an experiment, now only to be told they are next to useless!
Damn, better hold my breath and have a wingman with me for the next piggie I shoot (pretty embarassing with the biggish 9,3x62 cartridge, eh)!

I used the 232gr Oryx's on pronghorn and mule deer this past year and they work very well. The one I did recover, raking shot at 200yds, clipped the rear leg went through the guts, through the lungs, through two ribs, broke the off side shoulder but did not penitrate it and "skidded" up under the hide towards the neck. Recovered bullet weighted 221gr. and was .70 in dia. a perfect little mushroom. The exit hole on the antelope was the size of a half dollar. Muzzel velocity was 2650fps. Yep, both animals were DRT. I did this just for a test my regular deer and antelope rifles are a 270 and a CZ in 7.62x39.

On the down side this load hits a bit over 4 inches higher than my 286gr Nosler Partition load, so I will probably not use it regularly. It could be loaded down however to have the same POI as the 286gr and as such would be a good lighter recoiling round.

The 285gr. Prvi bullets from Graf's have the same POI as the Noslers and so I use them for practice and would consider them more than good for smaller stuff, maybe better since they are not as tough a bullet.

The Noslers are the hammer of Thor on elk and I will use them this year in Africa.

HunterM - Thanks for the info on the 232 Oryx. What muzzle velocity are you getting from you Nosler Partition .286 gr load? Any idea how much you would have to take off the 232"s to equal the .286 Noz POA?

Larry Sellers

quote:

Originally posted by HunterMontana:
I used the 232gr Oryx's on pronghorn and mule deer this past year and they work very well. The one I did recover, raking shot at 200yds, clipped the rear leg went through the guts, through the lungs, through two ribs, broke the off side shoulder but did not penitrate it and "skidded" up under the hide towards the neck. Recovered bullet weighted 221gr. and was .70 in dia. a perfect little mushroom. The exit hole on the antelope was the size of a half dollar. Muzzel velocity was 2650fps. Yep, both animals were DRT. I did this just for a test my regular deer and antelope rifles are a 270 and a CZ in 7.62x39.

On the down side this load hits a bit over 4 inches higher than my 286gr Nosler Partition load, so I will probably not use it regularly. It could be loaded down however to have the same POI as the 286gr and as such would be a good lighter recoiling round.

The 285gr. Prvi bullets from Graf's have the same POI as the Noslers and so I use them for practice and would consider them more than good for smaller stuff, maybe better since they are not as tough a bullet.

The Noslers are the hammer of Thor on elk and I will use them this year in Africa.

If I may ask, what load are you using in your X62? You caould save me time and $$$ with some suggestions. Yes, I'm an adult, and yes, I DO have a little common sense.

regards,

Rich
DRSS

Re the 286 Nosler Partition, a typical exit (on whitetail at 80 +- yards):

Larry
I get about 2425 out of the Nosler Partitions. As far as getting the 232 down to the same POA as the 286gr, I would have to experiment. My computer program says that a decrease of only 100fps, down to 2550fps, could do it but I very much doubt it. POA or POI changes have far more variables than just muzzle velocity, barrel time, recoil effects, brand and type of powder (loading dencity whatever) could also have an effect. Part of the difference may be that the 232gr load was developed with Varget, since I could not get enough R-15 or Big Game into the 9.3x62 case to get 2650 with a 232gr bullet. Granted that my sample of only two animals shot at about 175 and 200 yds isn't much to go on, but I think that the 232 Norma Oryx would preform better at lower velocity since it expanded like mad at the above mentioned ranges.

Reloading data: Ah, so Idaho you want to blow up your rifle! OK, but I'm warning you these loads will get you killed, ruin your credit rating and cause ED drugs to have just the opposite effect.

Graf cases and Federal 210 primers on all loads.
286gr. Nosler Partition
65gr. Big Game
2425fps
groups around 1.5 inches @ 100
This load is actually from John Barsness and an article in Rifle so it might be assumed to be safe.

285gr. Prvi from Graf's
59gr. Reloader 15
2350fps
around 2 inches @ 100
I've seen this load just about everywhere including here on the AR forum, no deaths reported or rumours of lawsuits so it must work.

232gr. Norma Oryx
63.5gr Varget
2650gr
around 2 inches @ 100
Pretty much pulled this load out of my ass and every time I pull the trigger on this one I have a great sence of relief that I'm still alive.

On the great impact photo of the 286gr at 80 yds. Yep, 286gr Noslers at speed are a force to behold. No sence using a cape buffalo load on whitetail. I think my 270 is a bit over the top for meat hunting and prefer my CZ in 7.62x39. I don't end up giving half the deer to the neighbors dog when I screw up the shot placement.

I know this sounds like a hijack on this thread but no one mentioned the Norma Alaska bullet in 286 grain?
I just ordered some of these to see how they'll work in my up coming 9.3x62 project.
I must be completely insane as I have already ordered brass, bullets, dies and I'm sure I'll have loaded shells before I even get all the parts together on my Mauser 98, 9.3x62!

I have done a bit of development with the 9.3x62, and settled on Varget as the powder of choice. I regularly get 2600fps with 250BT's, 2500fps with 270gr Speers, and right at 2400fps with 286gr Partitions and Woodleighs. These loads exceed SAAMI and CIP standards. They are probably in the 270Win pressure range. I have fired over eight loads through five cases with these loads with each weight bullet, sectioned a case and found no indications of a thinning of the case in the web or loosening of the primer pockets IN MY RIFLE!

Regarding the Partitions, they are a stout bullet. They will upset; however, they will fully penetrate eland and zebra when shot from the side. The Partition will shoot an orxy end to end.

The 250BT are no more, it seems. Alas! However, they were a hell of a good bullet. A nice balance of frangible and hold together. I am considering the 232 Oryx as a substitute for the 250BT.

The 286 Woodleigh RNSP performed quite well on a large white tail doe I took last year. Exit hole about the size of a quarter which is about the size of the exit hole for the Partition on Zebra.

You 63.5gr Varget load for 232gr is in the zone of my load for the 250BT. Try shooting five of your loads in five cases, then section a case. If its OK, try three more loadings in the four remaining cases and section another one. If it is reloadable 8 times, it ought to be OK IMHO. Kudude