Shooting a 286-grain bullet, either Swift A-Frame, Nosler Partition, or another stoutly constructed bullet of that weight, What is your favorite load of Hodgdon, Vihta Vouri, IMR, Norma, Ramshot, or accurate powders. I'm looking for a good combination of accuracy, as well as velocity (doesn't everyone hope for that).

Thank you in advance for your submissions.

I worked up a load of a 286 Partition over a Nosler max load of RL15 (66.0 grains). MOA in my ratty old rifle.

Thanks for the load info Z-man. It seems like RL-15 is The powder for the 9.3x64, as well as the .375 H&H, the .416 Remington Magnum, and others I forget.

To be fair, it is the only powder I've tried in the 64. I had it on hand, started with the min and worked up to max. Book says it is supposed to be good for 2600 fps but I haven't verified.

My calibrated shoulderometer says it hits plenty hard enough and I can't argue with the accuracy.

I keep a lot of RL15 on hand because it seems to work really well in SO many cartridges I shoot. I really like it in my 416 Ruger (Poor man's .404!) too.

65gr H4895 is what I ended up with for 286gr TSX and banded solids.

Thanks for that info SDhunter. This cartridge is what the .375 H&H could have been.

How do the banded solids shoot for you? Same POI as the TSX bullets?

It is interesting how the RL-15/Norma N203-B works so well in midrange smaller cartridges, and also in the heavier hitters. I always try to keep three pounds on hand in my Bat-Cave.

Soo....39 grains of H4895 will give you a good reduced power load for the kids to try. 60% rule and all.

The solids shoot about 1.5 inches high and 3/4 inch right.

Have never messed around with reduced loads in this cartridge. But I probably should try some with 286gr Hornady's. Make one heck of a deer load.

A my problem children !

Two of them and when they were young they were a real problem cause brass was in short supply and then there was a problem with lack of proper burn rate powders for this cartridge in SA.

So what we did was to use duplex loads, mixing two Somchem powders in a quest to at least match RWS's loads. For a time we could get Norma powders N205 worked well and for a short period we could get Rotweill powders and original RWS bullets ( sold in little green plastic pill boxes ( 25 per box)

Coming to Canada they grew up so to speak and now I can and do top RWS's loads

IMR 4350 75 gr on a 286 gr bullet @2700 and H4895 69 gr on a 250 gr barnes @ 2800 fps)

If I remember correctly, the TSX's are running approx. 2550 and the solids 2580.

Behind the 286 Nosler, 74gr IMR4350 got me to 2630fps and .75" groups. At that point, I was happy and didn't do any more load work with that bullet. 25" barrel, Federal LR primer and Jamison brass.

One note that I wrote down was not to use magnum primers. I got a lot of velocity(pressure) variation with them and settled on the standard large rifle primer.

Jeremy

As already mentioned RL 15 is a very good powder. For the 286 and 300 gr bullets I've found IMR 4007 and RL17 to be better. Unfortunatly 4007 is a discontinued powder. IMR 4320 and RL15 are very good with 250 gr bullets. The newer RL16 powder should also be very good but I have not been able to find any locally so I have done no testing with it.

Thank you gentlemen. Those loads are going into my 9.3x64 notebook. I may try some Norma URP in the 286-grain loads. I can actually get H4350 in the Boise area, ONE pound per trip to the powder store.

If IMR 4350 works, the new 4451 should work just fine also.

What do you think?

4451 should be suitable. Keep in mind that the various 4350's are a tad slow burning for this cartridge, so you are running a compressed load above 72-73 grains. Some folks don't like compressed loads.

Jeremy

quote:

Some folks don't like compressed loads.

Some people like to crunch numbers, others like to crunch heads. I like to crunch log shaped powder granules. I'll add IMR 4451 to my list of second tier powders. Thank you

Early on testing with me was mostly with 4350 and 4320 and I got about the same results as later loads with RL-15 best I recall..

Whatever I used back then and later on, I never could beat the 9.3x62 by more than 100 FPS at best, all things equal, got more recoil, and just decided the 9.3x62 was a better choice for me, as back then 9.3x64 brass was hard to come by and a pain to build.

67-68grs of Vith N150

M

I only shoot one bullet out of my 9.3x64, the Woodleigh 320gn round nose soft nose. I use RWS brass (probably is no other, but just to be sure) Federal 210 primers and 60gns of Hodgdon Varget (ADI 2208). In my rifle, that load is doing 2280fps. A number of people told me this bullet would be too heavy on anything but fairly large game, however they have performed very well in my experience on medium sized sows. I would be pretty confident using this rifle/load on most things within 200 yards.

"I hear the train a-comin',"

I shot the 320 gr. Woodleighs in my 9.3x64 and 9.3x62, the 64 at 2350 FPS in a 23 inch barrel and right at 2400 FPS in a 26 inch barrel. I got this with RL-15 in both guns, I could have gotten a bit more in the 64 but that load killed so good, I couldn't see messing with something that doesn't need fixing..I like both calibers real well..I settled on the 62 back then as brass for the 64 was all but impossible to find short of Bertram, that only lasted a couple of handloads..Even 62 was hard to come buy until Horneber showed up at Huntingtons..

Today the 9.3x62 would probably be a better choice it appears as brass is available for both, but there is considerable difference in recoil between the two and the killing results are exactly the same..

If you intend to use the 9.3x62 with the 320 gr bullets then I suggest you use a 26 inch barrel, that little extra makes a difference in this caliber on buffalo it seems to me, otherwise use the good 300 gr. Swift.

I thought RWS discontinued 9.3x64 some time ago?? and 9.3x62 is hard to come by in RWS..That sure is good brass..

Today I use PPU 9.3x62 brass from Midway or about anywhere, and its the best brass Ive ever used and lasts forever and cost the same as 30-06 brass, how can you beat that. 9.3x64 is somewhat more trouble to find good brass..I have found RL-17 gives me up to 75 to 100 FPS more velocity than RL-15, so in the future I will be using RL-17 in the 9.3x62 to come very close to duplicating my old 9.3x64 loadings.

My main problem with the 9.3x64 is it recoils as much as a .375 H&H and based on that I personally prefer the 375 H&H. Ive always been a big 375 fan also, so that's at least part of my decision making.