I'm about to buy a 9.3x62, my first, and need some advice regarding barrel length. Does the 9.3x62 benefit from having a longer barrel?

My dealer has two nice 9.3x62's in his shop. The first is a cz550 full stock. The other is a custom with 25.6" barrel. Both handle about the same due to the contours. Obviously the CZ would be a bit better suited to brush with it's shorter OAL but otherwise they swing, shoulder & point equally well.

I wonder if a longer barrel adds any appreciable velocity gains. Truthfully, I wish I could buy both but that ain't gonna happen. If there are gains to be had from the longer barrel I'm leaning that way since it puts me that much closer to the .375 H&H.

Thanks in advance.

My 2 cents: I have a 57cm barrel on my 9.3 and I´m having difficulty achieving velocity in it. According to my gunsmith it is probably do to the barrel being short.

I find 22.5-24" barrels are good choices. I've never really been a fan of the carbines. A 25.6" barrel would probably get you 2500 fps with a 286 (within safe pressures) which is treading mighty close on the heels of a 375...

I have the CZ-550 Lux with 23.5" barrel. The ballistics achieved with this barrel length pretty much match printed results in reloading manuals.

I haven't done it myself (lopped off 1" of barrel at a time), but a lot of reloading literature states that velocity loss ranges from 25-40 FPS per inch of barrel, and allegedly the better balanced cartridges like the 9.3 x 62 lose velocity at the slower rate, the "overbores" like the 7mm Rem Mag at a faster rate. Of course, this could get argued to death.

Realistically, my rifle can send Nosler 286 grain Partitions at 2450 FPS. Worst case scenario, the full stock CZ would get to 2300 FPS with this same bullet. The downrange differences won't matter a heck of a lot, not nearly as much as portability if crashing through brush or thick timber is a big issue for you. True hunting rifles get carried one hell of a lot more than they get fired.

I think it boils down to what matters more to you--portability or ballistics. The Lux's 23.5" is sort of a mid-point between the two extremes posed by the choices you are listing here, neither "fish nor fowl", I suppose.

In contrast.....I had two bolt rifles in 223, one with 24" barrel and the other with 16.5". Velocity loss is about 275 FPS with the loads that both rifles shot well. The shorter rifle stayed, the longer one got sold. 7.5# is a LOT better to walk around with than 11.5#, when both do 1" at 200 yards.

The standard barrel length for the 9,3x62 in Germany - where this round has its origine - is 60cm(23,6inch). There are some with shorter or longer barrels, but the standard is 60cm.

quote:

Originally posted by cewe:
My 2 cents: I have a 57cm barrel on my 9.3 and I´m having difficulty achieving velocity in it. According to my gunsmith it is probably do to the barrel being short.

Well then a 550 Full Stock is not the rifle to get in that caliber.

They sure look cool though.

...if you lean toward 25,6 " barrel, forget the 9,3 and go for .375 H&H...if you want 9,3x62 go for full stock - as Deputy Al gave you all the numbers just keep in mind that 9,3 benefits (compared to .375 H&H) are mainly in lower chamber pressure & back thrust with bullet velocity around 2300 fps giving you compact, low recoil, light rifle if thats not worth enough just go for .375 H&H...I shoot my 9,3x62 - 19,7 " and I bet that game dont know the difference

quote:

Originally posted by cowboy77845:
They sure look cool though.

Oh, that they do. I love mine in 6.5X55.

Guys,

I had my 9.3x62 Lothar Walter barrel lopped off at 20" when installed. The reasons are that I use it in High Seats (confined spaces) and for Drive Hunts (alot of times in less confined spaces but often in underbrush).

My hunting buddy uses a 19.5" 9.3x62 Tracker barrel on his R93 and he killed 38 Wild Boar and several Red Stags plus took it to RSA for a Plains Game hunt.

Neither of us have had any bullets bounce off the total of @ 75 animals we shot with our "short(er)" 9.3's last year.

Our 9.3 barrel length selection appear to have worked out just fine for us.

I have the CZ 550 FS and get 2400 FPS using 286 gr TSX bullets with Biggame powder. This is 2 grains below max and measured across my chrony. Oh and the bullets didn't bounce off the Dall Sheep I took with it this fall ...8-)

The old ICI/Kynoch velocity standard for the 9.3x62 was 2250 fps with a 286 gr bullet. (Taken from my reprint copy of the 1936 ICI/Kynoch catalog.) That load certainly worked in the old days. I believe the Germans originally loaded the cartridge to around that level then later boosted the velocity a little. (Probably when better powders became available in the 1920s-30s.) I think the currently accepted standard is 2360 fps (720 m/s) with a 286 gr bullet (Norma, Sako, RUAG ammo data). Both RWS and Sellier & Bellot load their 286 gr ammo to 2280 fps (695 m/s)

So, my point is, whether that 286 gr bullet is going 2250 or 2450 fps probably doesn't make much difference. My handloads go 2390 fps in my CZ 550 American with its 23.6" (60 cm) barrel.

-Bob F.

My 9,3x62 has a 20" barrel for drive hunting and shots from the high seat. My smith recommended this size, for in this caliber there is mostly no need for longer barrels.

Burkhard

quote:

Does the 9.3x62 benefit from having a longer barrel?

How much longer?.....longer than what?

Personally a longer barrel might assist some velocity gains with a large chamber but in this round a longer barrel is not likely to be of much gain in performance.

Pick the length that you like personally....forget the velocity thing....if it's velocity you want there is room to build a .366-.378 WBY.....

we spend far too much time worrying about velocity and far too little time building a gun to "fit" us. I like short barrels/......20"-22" and you may like long ones.....get the gun to fit you.....

quote:

Originally posted by vapodog:

quote:

Does the 9.3x62 benefit from having a longer barrel?

How much longer?.....longer than what?

Than the 20" I was comparing it to...

quote:

Originally posted by vapodog:
Personally a longer barrel might assist some velocity gains with a large chamber but in this round a longer barrel is not likely to be of much gain in performance.

Just how much gain over the stubby barrel is what I was trying to assess.

quote:

Originally posted by vapodog:
Pick the length that you like personally....forget the velocity thing....if it's velocity you want there is room to build a .366-.378 WBY.....

we spend far too much time worrying about velocity and far too little time building a gun to "fit" us. I like short barrels/......20"-22" and you may like long ones.....get the gun to fit you.....

You seem to have missed quite a bit of what I wrote. Both guns fit and handle equally well and that is to say very well. Obviously the carbine would be handier in the thick but I don't spend that much time there and to be honest, I've never had a particular problem with longer barrels getting hung up.

My point was to see how much gain a 26" tube would offer over a 20". If it's a mere 50fps then I'll probably go with the FS since it is shorter. If there is a larger gain to be realized then I'll probably lean toward the 26" tube since both rifles handle and balance equally well and while I don't NEED velocity it also doesn't hurt. If velocity alone was the criteria I based my decision on I wouldn't be looking at the 9.3x62.

vapodog

I think there is no need for a 24" barrel lenght

Pole....

Don't get too wrapped up on this velocity thing; i.e., "Beating this Dead(er) than already Dead Horse to Death!" I'm with Burkhard & DFaucett.

Europeans have been killing Big Game with 9.3's for years with short & long barrels. Who cares? If you like the short barrel or the long barrel then buy the one you like. Personallly, I don't think it will make one bit of difference!

When you are standing over your Elk, Whitetail, Pig, or Whatever it isn't gona make one Hill-of Beans whether you killed it with a 20" or 26" barrel!

the 9.3 X 62 will gain approximately 20'/sec per inch over a 20" barrel up to about 22" and 15'/sec for the nest four inches

I'd expect no more than 100'/sec gain by going from a 20" to 26" barrel.

Going through some old posts lately, I read that Atkinson stated he was getting up to 2450fps/320woodleigh, I believe from a 26" tubed 9.3x62.

Buy them both!

That is my answer to life's little conundrums.

lawndart