All this talk of the 9.3s got my curiosity up, so I started digging into the 9.3X62. Since this caliber is completely unfamiliar to me, I still have much to learn. That’s where you all come in (hopefully). A couple of years ago I picked up an “oddball” 6.5X55 (Sako) as my first European caliber and have been very pleased with its performance. However, it is my largest caliber, a limitation that I don’t like considering I am starting to plan my first African safari. I posted a while back asking about a good companion rifle to my 6.5, but I focused mainly on the .338WM vs. the .375H&H debate. Now that the 9.3X62 has been brought to my attention, I believe it might be the answer to my search for a good medium bore for a trip to the Dark Continent.

I see that CZ chambers the 550 American in this caliber. Does anyone own this rifle? How do you like it? I have a CZ 527 American that I’m happy with (aside from the bass-ackwards safety and removable mag – features the 550 does not possess). I’ve been very pleased with the 527 as a whole. Great handling, nice fit and finish, and excellent accuracy, all in a very affordable package. So now I’m considering the 550 American.

Here are the pros and cons as I see them of the caliber and the rifle:

Pros:
- the 9.3 is powerful enough for DG (if I ever go back for that), yet recoil is moderate enough for me to shoot frequently (I don’t like heavy kickers)
- it’s not over-powered for use on a lot of NA game
- the stock on the 550 American is of a design I like (not too keen on the hogback of the Magnum version)
- the safety operates the same as my Sako and is similarly located
- the bolt throw and length should also be very similar to my Sako
- ammo seems to be relatively available in Africa

Cons:
- ammo availability in the states (not a big deal as I reload everything anyway, but Wal-Mart won’t have it my ammo doesn’t arrive with the gun)
- component availability, though I understand some of the big players are getting in the game
- the CZ scope mounting system – if it’s like my 527, will it stand up to heavier recoil?
- I couldn’t determine if the 550 American is CRF, a feature I would like to have in the very unlikely event I’ll ever take a trip for DG

Well, what do you all think? Am I on the right track here, or should I stick with something more mainstream like the .338 or .375? Can anybody fill me on the details of the CZ 550 American in general and the 9.3X62 in particular?

The CZ550 is probably the best choice for a CRF shy of an actual mauser 98. This is because the extractor appears to be from a model 98, and probably is. Neither Winchester or Ruger can boast that.
Even when you start nitpicking and finding faults with the CZ, you just can't come up with a better value for your money. They're not showpieces, but they can be turned into such with little effort.
As for the 9.3x62 you can find info 9.3x62

Your 6.5x55 and the 9.3x62......Sounds like a decent two rifle battery to me. At least for plains game.
I need another .308"-.375" bore like I need a hole in the head, but the 9.3x62 has intrigued me for several years now. The CZ550 American will probably be the one I try. I already have a few loaded rds and a box of brass; All the excuse I need to rationalize another purchase.

FN in MT

My CZ 550 American in 9.3x63 arrived Saturday. It is nice little rifle for the money. I just wish I did nor live in Kalifornia or else it would be home with me, I can only dream of it for ten more days.

The people on this forum FORCED me to order a 9.3x62 (it will howver be a long wait getting to Oz)

n regards to CZ rifles for me there the best and I am addicted to them, I own 3 and the 9.3 will be my 4th. I have even begun to like the hogsback on the 550's as I will not have the funds for a couple of years for a stock change on my .375 as I did on my .416.

With the American model you will have the right stock anyway, the mounting sytsym is great and will accept Talley or warne mounts which are near the best in the game as far as doing there job abd value for money goes. You get a sq bridge all steel mauser action at a bragain price. Do not discount the .375 H&H magnum either the hogs back feels really nice on this caliber, but in any even onece you buy your 9.3 American you will get the .416 or .375 any way just because CZ rifles are so great. They all shoot good to, just get it bedded when you get it, those stocks are Turkish walnut as well. They have good mag capacity the 9.3 will hold 5 in the mag and one in the chamber for a 6 shot rifle. Mount with a 1-4 leupold VX11 in warnes or Talley's any you will have a rifle others will envy. I hate push feed rifles as well and these are CRF. I have a push feed rem 22/250 and might one day trade it on a cz 22/250, when spotlighting the push feeds are much more difficult IMHO to operate than the CRF's, I hate how you have to either extract the case fully or push one in fully before the extracter grabs the shell.

Yeah, what everyone said.

I have a CZ550 American in 9.3x62 and I love it! I don't know what more to say about it, I believe it will in effect do anything you ask of it. What I mean by that is, if for some reason you had to be limited to one rifle, I would suggest you give the 9.3x62 a hard look.

I think the "secret" is getting out about this grand old caliber, and I am happy that we are "rediscovering" it.

I've got the 550 lux in 9.3, which has the hogs back stock. I only find the stock a hinderance when shooting from the bench. having siad that, dies are available from RCBS and a few others if you're willing to pony up the $$$$$. I use norma brass, and have good results accuracy wise with it. The extractor is CRF mauseresque, and just to let you know, the sighting system allows for either WARNE rings or CZ's own rings. I have the warnes on mine along with a leupold 3-9 and have had no real problems yet with it due to recoil.

bullets may be a problem, and the cheapest ones available (the ones i load with) are the SPEER 270 grainers. these are probably best limited to North American game and practising, since I have yet to get them to chrony over 2300 and change. For serious use, i do know that nosler makes 286 grainers and i believe hawk makes 320 or 325 grain heads, but there are a whole slew of rounds running from 232 grain normas all the up. (btw, i got my firts box of norma loaded ammo, with 232 grainers with my rifle both of which, the dealer told me were the last in stock).

having said that, i haven't yet killed anything with the rifle yet. I've hunted with it for 2 seasons unsuccessfully during deer season though.
should i manage a hunt and take game with it (and the 270 rns) i'll will post the rsults on one of these here forums.

hope this answers some of your questions.

[ 01-07-2003, 07:04: Message edited by: Curtis_Lemay ]

Curtis,

woodleigh make 3 different weights in 9.3 bullets I think, a 250 gr, 286gr & 320 gr. There about the best in the game IMHO, give them a whirl.

My son and I both own 9.3 x 62's and you can not prize them out of our hands.
I own a custom Husky with Leupold 1.75 to 6 on top and we used it with great results in RSA this past May on Kudu, Blesbok, Black and Blue Wildebeest and Impala.
After returning home I bought son a CZ 550 American in 9.3 x 62 and sent a 2.5 to 8 Leupold to Premier to have the 3A reticule put in. I think this may be the best of all worlds on a rifle like this.
We will return to Africa again and again the battery will be 9.3 x 62 and 30/06.
Yes, I have 338 Win Mag and 416 Rem Mag too but like you see no reason to eat recoil when I can get the same critters on the ground with less punishment to me.
The only negative I can say about the CZ 550 American is that it feels a bit too square on the bottom of the stock to me...I wish it was more like my waist when I was 40 yrs. younger!
Get one...in 9.3 x 62...you will not give it back once you start shooting it.

Great responses guys, thanks! Keep them coming.

Ditto to the above. Well made rifle, great, time proven caliber with lots of history.

Norma's 232 "Oryx" bonded core should work on anything in the lower 48. Nosler offers a 250 grain B-Tip and 286 Partition, Barnes has X's in 250 and 286, and Swift has A-Frames in 250 and 300, in addition to the Woodleigh heavies.

According to Ray Atkinson, who probably has as much "on-game" experience with the 9.3 as anyone I've talked to, the 270 Speers are a little soft at anything over 2300 FPS. Drat, I just got 4 boxes of them for Christmas

R-WEST

For light weight african game and north american game the 250BT from Nosler is the ticket. The Nosler store periodically has them for a little less than you can get them from one of the mail order houses.

forgot to mention the only thing which i found as grievously wrong with my 550 was the follower was plastic. all the other parts were steel, all the bottom metal, trigger/trigger guard, etc. except the follower.

the solution was to chuck the plastic one and grab an extra steel follower for a winchester file the spring a little and install.

other than that, i can't really think of a reason not to but a 9.3, unless of course you really want a .338/.375 mag or perhaps a .416 of some type or larger.

[ 01-08-2003, 02:25: Message edited by: Curtis_Lemay ]

Nah, don't really NEED one of the big boomers, but I'd like something to compliment my 6.5 and provide a viable 2-gun battery for Africa and then general use in the states. I was interested in the .338 because it's relatively common in the states, rifles so chambered are reasonably priced, and it's not totally ridiculous for deer, elk, or wild hogs. The .375 was considered because it could also work when (I should say IF) I make it on a buff/leopard hunt (won't hunt elephant) in the distant future. Based on others' reports though, the 9.3 will meet all of these criteria without beating me up, all while being offered in decent rifle at a good price.

just did a quick look on the redding site, they make dies for the 9.3 as well. it's a series D set.

http://www.redding-reloading.com/PDF%20files/seriesd.pdf

D-R,
I have the CZ550 American in 9.3x62 and agree with everything which has been posted. My expereince is similar to many others with the quality of the rifle and the consistent accuracy it delivers. Took it to Zimbabwe last summer with excellent results on plains game from impala to eland using handloaded 286-gr Nosler Partitions. The rifle has a little over 500 rounds through it and has performed consistenly well (straight out of the box by the way) from the first break-in shot.

Components are readily available from any of the "big" suppliers such as Midsouth, MidwayUSA, Grafs, etc. As mentioned above dies can be found from Redding or RCBS - any one of the above probably have them in stock. I've never had problems finding anything I needed including such arcane parts as a case trimmer pilot for my RCBS trimmer. You may not find them at your corner gunshop but they are not "hard" to find. A search around here at A-R will reveal several good loads - it's where I found my "favorites".

As far as recoil, from the bench it is just a little more stout than my Ruger M77 in .30-06. I notice a greater amount of muzzle jump, but he push on the shoulder is about the same. From field positions, I can't tell much of a difference. The 9.3x62 is a little heavier at 9.25lbs versus 8.5lbs for the .30-06 which probably helps a little (both with Leupold 2.5-8 scope, sling and 4 round in the mag).

The 6.5 and the 9.3 make up a Perfect European Pair that you can take around the world and shoot anything with. I've got a Husky 9.3 that I'm still monkeying with. (Decided to put a Swedish diopter rear peep on her and haven't got the front sight height straightened out, yet.) It is very light and has a laid back round pistol grip that make it handle like a good shotgun. I can see it being a real pocket rocket when I get it finished. Maybe I should consider having the stock duplicated in really good wood and cold rust bluing it while I'm at it. Good way to pass a long, dull summer before hunting season starts.

My father in law gave me a "Battue" in 9.3x62mm as a gift for helping out clearing some property in Chesnee,SC.
I have used it to take feral-pigs,Black-Bear,Moose,and Whitetail.
My father call's it "The Hammer",because it tends to put them down with a whack!
I load 270grain Speer in mine and find it to work so well on such various game sizes and ranges.
I put a Redfield 2 3/4x on mine and have not seen a need for more power.
It makes me a Rifle that I can hunt any-game across North America and not feel like I'm "undergunned" or "overpowered"!

All the 9.3 proponents here have convinced me to join the club; I have a 9.3 barrel ordered from Lothar Walther. I can't wait to get it built.

Todd

I got 100 rounds of the Norma 286 grn. Alaska bullet when I bought my rifle but I am not so sure I like that bullet.
I now have a box of 250 grn Barnes X and 286 Nosler Partition. I am pretty sure I will happy with both of those.
In my limited killing with it I think I like the 286 grn bullet best tho. I will try some of the heavier Woodleigh's before it is all over just so I know what they will do.
From what I have gathered I don't think you will be all that happy with the 232 grn bullet.
Kinda like the great 180 grn in a '06...the 9.3 x 62 seems to be happier with the 286 grn. weight.
I am just mad it took me so damn many years to find this cartridge. I would have liked to had it way back in my earier hunting career. It was there but I was too damn dumb to find it I guess.

Timber Hunter,

what brand is your Battue, my friend has ordered a cz battue and I have ordered the standard American model. Are there advantages, am I missing out, should I change an order the battue tell me all about it, I have been trying to find someone who owned a battue rifle

My old 98 seems to like every load I have tried in it.I barreled it last spring on my switch-barrel rifle and believe it`s there to stay.I`ve shot everything from 90gr Makarov bullets to 300gr btsp`s,from 5gr red dot to 59gr rl-15.it shoots them all,the lite loads at 25-50 yds are on with my 200 yd setting for the heavies.the Mak 90gr fmjrn is nice for plinking and the occaisional squirrel that pops up while sitting for deer.5gr red dot is quiet enough so as not to scare all else in the area also.I don`t know what I`d do IF I ever had to part with this rifle,it`s part of the family now.

DesertRam.. This is somewhat redundant, but I may as well climb on the bandwagon with eveyone else...

I bought my CZ 550 in 9.3 x 62 as replacement for my .338 WM as my " elk/moose/anything in grizzly country" rifle....I wanted a cartridge that would handle heavier bullets and kick less than the .338 but would still be capable of relatively long shots ( 250 to 300 yards)....At first I was looking for a .35 Whelen but became interested in the 9.3 x 62 after reading about it on this forum.. I like classic cartridges and it's history appealed to me, along with the fact that it is something different...When I mention the fact that I shoot a 9.3 x 62, I'm generally greeted by blank stares..Other than a few of us gun nuts who read these forums, it's still relatively unknown in the states...

When I recieved the rifle, I was favorably impressed by the fit and finish, considering the fact that I had paid $450 for it from the dealers shelf in Arizona to my home in NY...

I was even MORE impressed when I started working up loads for it....It shot evrything I tried quite well, and I'm getting VARMINT RIFLE acuracy from it's favored load with the Barnes 250 X bullet...The last two 100 yard groups I shot with it measured .5 " center to center...

So far I have only killed three animals with it, two Alaska caribou and a whitetail buck, but all three of them traveled a VERY short distance..STRAIGHT DOWN...No tracking required...Meat damage was minimal.....I'm going to take it hog hunting in Georgia next month, so hopefully I'll get a chance to see how performs on the porkers..

I'm getting closer to being convinced, but I find conflicting reports on the use of the 9.3 on DG. Is it or is it not legal for use on buffalo? If I ever do hunt DG, it will be buffalo and maybe leopard. No elephants in my future. This cartridge really sounds like fun, but I want to make sure I don't have to repeat this buying process for the next trip.

Would I be neglecting myself and my Africa trip by shooting the 9.3 and 6.5 while skipping over the .300 mags? From what I gather, the 9.3 isn't a particularly flat shooting cartridge when compared to a .300WM, but will this be a true hinderance? Looks like a lot of fellas are taking shots at plains game out to ~350 yards. I'm a little concerned that my proposed two rifle battery might not quite be up to this task. Comments?

I have a Tikka Battue.
The quarter-rib rear-sight and shorter barrel are a preference that has grown on me!
The gun just plain fit's!
Whether still-hunting a Minnesota ceder-swamp or waiting in a ground-blind in South Carolina or waiting for the dog's to push game in North Carolina or sitting on a ridgeline in Montana,I have yet to want more from a rifle/cartridge!

I hunt brushy country and I use irons much more than a scope. I don't like rifles that kick, but I wanted a elk, boar and bear rifle that hit harder than my 30-06. With these things in mind, I bought a 550 American in 9.3x62. I don't care for CZ rings, so my gunsmith put an Ashley Remington backup sight/scope base on the bridge and a Weaver base on the receiver ring. Then he cut the barrel to 22" and put on a PMS banded front sight. I added a 4x Leupold with a Premier 4a reticle in Weaver rings. On the first day at the range, the S&B 286 RN factory load shot into .17", and the 270 Speer and 250 Nosler both shot sub-MOA groups over RL-15.

The 250 Nosler BT has a BC of .494 and does 2,550 with a mild load in my rifle. This is what Army sharpshooters get with 308 M-118 Special Ball in a 24" barrel, and they do nice long range work. I'd like to zero the 286 Partition and the 286 Woodleigh solid at 100-120 yards, then tune the 250 BT to hit +3" for a long-range load. Rignt how, the 250 BT hits about 5" higher than the heavier bullets at 100 yards, but tinkering at the loading bench may fix that.

I think the 550/9.3x62 combination is a winner. My rifle is accurate, powerful, has a non-folding peep sight and the scope mounting system returns to zero. Finding bullets is kind of a drag, but that situation improves almost daily. Brass is expensive, but a hundred cases made from 30-06 brass will last until you can afford (or find) Norma, Lapua or RWS cases. The 550's fit and finish equal those of a M-70 Supergrade, and the bore finish matches that of a couple of Lilja barrels I've owned. The 9.3x62 has an strong reputation on medium to large game. With gunsmithing, my rifle cost less than $1,000, though I might drop another $600 for McMillan AHR stock. The more I use the 9.3x62 Mauser, the less enthusiasm I can muster for other rounds, though I will probably get a matching 550 in 30-06 for sentimental reasons.

You mentioned the 300 magnums. Few things shoot as flat, but they need a long barrel to do it and more weight to keep the recoil down. For most of us a 270 would do just as well. We can debate ethics until the cows come home, but most folks don't hit as well at any range with a 300 as they do with a less-powerful rifle with cheaper ammo that they shoot all the time. The 300 is a superb tool for a master shot, and I doubt that most of us give up anything by using and enjoying other cartridges.

It sounds to me like you have a good combination in mind. Hope this hepls, Okie John.

Whether the 9.3 is legal for buff depends on which country you're planning one hunting. Ray Atkinson's clients have taken a good number in Tanzania, so there's one place you can go. I'd suspect that Zimbabwe, Zambia, Namibia and Mozambique are okay (Heck, Mozambique is so disorganized that no one will ever know what you shot the buffalo with!). I don't know about RSA. Generally the old workhorse was made legal all over Southern Africa because so many local hunters had used it successfully for so many generations that the game folks simply couldn't justify saying "no."

So would it be safe to assume that if (hopefully a big if) I got to Africa and my ammo did not that I could locate some without too much trouble? Seems like this caliber is relatively common over there.

ksduckhunter, I like your B-plex idea, but I don't see it in 2-7X, which is what I would like a rifle of this caliber. May have to move up to the 3-9X. Does anyone know off the top of their head of a scope in the lower power range that is equipped with a ballistic plex-type reticle?

[ 01-09-2003, 19:05: Message edited by: DesertRam ]

DesertRam,

Every gun store in Africa has a lot of 9.3x62 ammunition, often including good stuff like RWS or PMP Pro-Amm. Very common and well-respected there.

Joel Slate
Slate & Associates, LLC
www.slatesafaris.com

7mm Rem Mag Page www.slatesafaris.com/7mm.htm