NEW PICTURES!! SCROLL DOWN

Got my 9.3 x 66 back from Jim Kobe today. He does excellent work, fast!

I now have a switch barrel Sako short tang AV in 30-06 and 9.3 x 66.

I still have to rust blue the barrels and get a McMillan stock, but it is ready for testing now .

I'll post pictures tomorrow.

LD

looking forward to the pics and range report!

i'm curious? how is the switch barrel accomplished? like a dakota? i have an AV in .30-06 that i'd like to "versatile-ize"... or, re-chamber to a .30/9.3x66!

Let us know how it shoots! Mine's a tack driver with 250 gr BTips.

Hopefully I will have a Sako 9.3x92 barrel coming from JIMBO. I was thinking of doing the same thing, or perhaps I will just toss the 06 barrel and screw on the 9.3x62.

You switch the barrels with a barrel vice and receiver wrench, then re-zero the scope. It isn't a quick change deal, but it is certainly practical to re-configure for a specific hunt. I wanted to keep the 30-06 capability for a feral donkey hunt in Austalia.

Dr. Lou,
If you decide to pitch your 30-06 barrel, let me know .

Sincerely,
Mr. Mooch

thanks for the explanation. i thought maybe you had a "traveler" type set-up done...

Nailed this group with my 9.3X66 tonight while sighting in my new scope. I had a VXII 1x4x20 on it. Moved to the VXII 2x7x33.

Lawndart, you'll be the first one I call. Lou

8x68S,

What rifle do you have set up in 8x68S?

I picked up an FN Mauser to build one from. It needs a magazine box length of 3.550", so I am looking around to see if I need to open my action and mag in the front and the back, or just in the front.

We demand pictures, of course .

LD

Boiler Room,

Nice group! 286 Partitions, or the 250 grain Ballistic Tip?

LD

Dr. Lou,

Much appreciated!! Since the Sako receivers tend to be straight and true, they make good platforms for the switch barrel set-up.

LD

lawndart:
i don't have an 8x68s yet. i had intended to build one from the 30-06 sako av but my gunsmith and i decided there wasn't enough stock fore end meat to accept the light varmint (#5) shilen barrel i wanted to put on it. so,... the idea of creating a "new" wildcat .30-9.3x66 was the next most interesting path. i'm trying to run down a sako av in a mag chambering for the .30-8x68s as we speak.

quote:

Originally posted by lawndart:
Boiler Room,

Nice group! 286 Partitions, or the 250 grain Ballistic Tip?

LD

Thanks

The 250 gr BTip and H414.

Lawndart:
I,m a fan of the 9,3x62 (have four rifles in that caliber) and am looking in this forum the 9,3x66 questions.
Thinking that you could replace the 9,3x64 with less expensive and easy to do brass, with what cases you make the 9,3x66 brass?.
Is whith teh 30-06?
Thanks
Gtrotz

LawnDart you know about the unwritten rule on this forum huh? The rule that seez we MUST! post pics of the rifles we build.

.

Here are a few pictures of the Sako and its two barrels; one in 30-06, and one (attached) in 9,3 x 66:



Jim Kobe was kind enough to polish both barrels for me. I will take them down to 800 grit this winter (just for something to do), and then bead blast with glass and rust blue:



The front sight is the NECG Universal model. The rear sight is the NECG adjustable single blade style. For fast-paced driven game hunting I will use a fluorescent front fiberoptic site insert with a Sako factory rear peep sight assembly:



This is my favorite iteration of the Sako rifle. It has a short tang, a real Sako trigger and the cool looking slanted bolt shroud:

quote:

Lawndart:
I,m a fan of the 9,3x62 (have four rifles in that caliber) and am looking in this forum the 9,3x66 questions.
Thinking that you could replace the 9,3x64 with less expensive and easy to do brass, with what cases you make the 9,3x66 brass?.
Is whith teh 30-06?
Thanks
Gtrotz

Hi Gtrotz,

You can easily form 9.3 x 66 brass from 30-06 brass. You can buy 30-06 basic brass from Huntingtons reloading supply in Oroville, California.

I will be honest and tell you that you do not gain a whole lot from the 9,3 x 66 Sako over the 9,3 x 62 Mauser. It does get you half way to the performance of the 9,3 x 64 Brenneke.

LD

Now, I just have to order reloading dies from Redding!

LD

FWIW,

Redding dies are in stock, and on their way. They have an odd numbered shell holder. If you make your brass out of 35 Whelen, or 30-06 basic, the standard shell holder will obviously work.

More pictures next week.

LD

PS I know, pretty weak ass excuse to make a thread go BTT.

What kind of velocity are you getting out of this round?

Boilerroom: Was that group at 100yds? Not doubting you.
You need to bring that to shoot some of our godzilla prairie dogs.

I sent some money to REIMER JOHANNSEN GMBH:

www.johannnsen-jagd.de

info@johannsen-jagd.de

They sent this brass to me:





Hey guys and gals,

If you want a 9.3 x 66 Sako, get 200 cases from Johannsen. That will last you for your lifetime.

Dave Kiff at Pacific Tool and Gauge will make you an awesome reamer. I would be happy to rent my reamer for a reasonable fee if you have a smith that will rough the chamber and not wear my finisher out.

There is nothing cosmic about this cartridge; I believe it is a very well balanced design. just a little more oomph than the 9.3 x 62 for our newer bullet designs. Not too much recoil. It will fit in any 30-06 length magazine out there. Decent velocity, etc.

Boileroom has certainly demonstrated that it can be accurate.

Thank you all for indulging me with this rant.

LD

quote:

Originally posted by ALF:
I venture a bet that if Sako were to import and offer the 9.3x66 to the US market and market it well, it would sell and sell well! cause there is one thing US shooters simply cannot resist and that's any implication that one cartridge has a velocity edge on another.

Will it ever displace the 9.3x64 absolutely cause in reality the 9.3x64 is all but dead and lives only in the minds and hearts of nostalgic gun nuts and as those wane so to the demand for cases and ammo. In practical terms outside of Europe the demand for rifles and ammo is minimal.

The question regarding the 9.3x66 is not whether it has any merit or not, it depends solely on how hard Sako ( Beretta ) is prepared to push it in the USA !

Alf if Sako were to import rifles and ammunition into North America they would no doubt sell a few but I don't believe the 9.3x66 will ever be much of a threat to the 9.3x64 or the 9.3x62 .Several other north American calibres of similar power have never sold well. Look at the 358 Win, 35 whelan, 350 Rem Mag and the newer 375 Steyer. Small groups of hunters who USE these calibres know how effective they are but none have ever set any sales records. The 9.3x66 will never match the performance of the 9.3x64 .It does match the performance of the 9.3x62 but the x62 already has a following that x66 will likely never see. As for the 9.3x64 being dead.......hardly my friend. I would say interest is growing. The excellent RWS brass is not difficult to obtain and there is now a couple other companies making cases/ammo in this calibre. It is also quite easy to form cases from 338 or 458 win brass. With the excellent bullets from Swift, Barnes and Nosler that hold together at 9.3x64 velocities I would suggest 9.3x64 owners have never had it so good.Mine is going moose hunting in 4 weeks and the only thing that is likely to end up "dead" is a moose with a 286 gr Partion gone through him ! I'll bet there are more than a few other 9.3x64s that will see some action this fall.

quote:

Originally posted by gtrotz:
Lawndart:
I,m a fan of the 9,3x62 (have four rifles in that caliber) and am looking in this forum the 9,3x66 questions.
Thinking that you could replace the 9,3x64 with less expensive and easy to do brass, with what cases you make the 9,3x66 brass?.
Is whith teh 30-06?
Thanks
Gtrotz

Gtrotz
Deberíamos cambiar experiencias en recargas con los 9,3 Tengo dos por 62 (24" y 18") y uno por 64. Como vos, creo que son muy eficientes para cazar.
Saludos
Hector