While at the deer lease this weekend I gave my 9.3x74R a work out. I was trying out some factory Sellier and Bellot 286gr. Sp. Day one I shot a Turkey at about 40 yards, Hit where the neck and body join. No meat damage. Day 2 shot 2 skunks and a raccoon [both big pests in this part of the country]. Placed a deer carcass in one of our pig "holes" near the river [deer shot by other member of lease]. Day 3 got to pig hole before daylight. As the sun came up I thought I saw the deer carcass moving, but in low light through binos some times your eyes play tricks on you. As it got lighter I definetely saw movement and an animal begain to take shape on the carcass. It turned out to be a big Bobcat. I had to wait several more minutes for there to be enough light to shoot, I was about 25 to 30 yards away and above him. Finally I was able to shoot, one shot through the shoulder did the trick,he never moved, 2.5x8 Leupold heavy duplex on 6x. I went and got the bobcat and brought it back to where I was setting, 15 min later 6 big Tom turkeys came by but as I had already taken 1 eariler I did not shoot. I sat there for about another hour, then begain stalking along the river looking for pigs.I had gone about 3/4 of a mile when I heard a couple of pigs squeel a couple of hundred yards behind me. I snuck back and closer to the river and saw several pigs feeding in an open area with some trees near the river. At least 3 were "shooters", around 175 to maybe one bigger white pig at @225lbs. The wind was blowing strong in my favor so I began my stalk heading toward a spot that would intersect their feeding route. I got to within about 20 to 22yards, they were in a small depression, I stood up to try and get a look at them. I had to wait for about 5 min untill a black pig came into fullview. She saw me and "squared" up facing me directly. I raised my double [ironsights] and placed them under her chin slightly to the right[ my right] and fired. She reacted to the shot, and to my suprise turned to my right and took off. She was out of sight in the depression too quick for me to get a second shot. I ran the direction she was running and managed to get a second shot at about 35 yards. I zigged when she zagged and the shot struck right of the spine near the rear of her back, but did not enter the vitals. I reloaded the right bbl only and fired another round but I zagged when she zigged and missed. I reloaded both bbls and continued to chase after her running among the other pigs, boy were they suprised. She headed for the river and was in it by the time I had positioned myself for another shot. I was afraid to shoot her in the water as the current was pretty strong and she might be hard to recover. I waited till she made shore and fired the right bbl., too much lead, hit in front of her, cut back the lead and hit her in the spine with the left bbl. Range about 50 yards. She was down but not out, I crossed the river [knee deep] and put another round in her head. Looks like my first shot entered the chest against the ribcage and exited in front of the ham without doing much damage. The "guts" were not busted open and the lungs looked fine. The spine shots did not ruin much meat either. Based on prior experience if my first shot would have been more centered she would have gone right down, my second shot would have knocked her down if it had been an inch or two lower. Having a bolt action would not have helped me shoot any faster early on, but if I had a bolt action she would have gotten away after she crossed the river as my first shot missed by the time I worked the bolt she would have made the trees and given me no time for a second shot. An inch here and inch there, in the real world shooting offhand and at running game all your shots are not going to be perfect, but I have found the double to be the best tool for the job when your shooting up close.

I think a BAR in .30-06 would have done the trick on the piggy as well or better than a double. But then, doubles are cooler .

What rifle where you shooting?

ksduckhunter It was a 9.3x74R Chapuis

well there you go.

good on you and good story telling!!!

thanks

jameister

N E 450 No2... Have you looked at the construction of that SB 9.3X74R soft point? I have at one time owned that caliber and shot a number of animals with it, though never tried that factory load. Do you reload your 9.3?
Take care
smallfry

Nice story thanks

NE 450 No2, how does the S&B regulate in your Chapuis? I have a Merkel 9.3X74R and the S&B factory regulates very well in it, but I haven't shot any game with it. How did the S&B bullets hold up on the ones you recovered, if you did recover any?

MacD37 I did not recover any. On the Bobcat it expanded but did not show any signs of excessive fragmentation. Shot hit on shoulder and exited through back next to spine, left a 2"x3" tear in the hide, more caused by the angle of the cat when struck. Same on the hog she was hit 3 timse but none were good solid hits through the heart lung area but the bullets did not seem to fragment badly. Sadly I am out of the S&B, but if I see some more I will try another box. They shot OK, hit slightly right of most other loads at 50 and 100 yds with the scope. At 25 with iron sights they hit center, as most near everything does in this rifle
So far the best "factory" loads so far have been Superiors 286 Woodleigh soft and solid, 286 Nosler partition, 286 Barnes solid won't do that again, and the 300gr. Swift A frame.
Those loads shoot and regulate good, real good. The Woodleigh softs gave me my best 100 yard groups ever, I really should buy a couple of hundred of them and call it good.

NE 450 No2, I'm glad to hear this about the S&B, as I have six boxes of it, and it shoots pritty well in my rifle. I haven't loaded anything up for this rifle, as time hasn't allowed any shooting breaks lately. I want to use some of the Partitions if I can find a load that will work with them, but my Africa stuff will most likely be Woodliegh. Maybe after the holidays I will get on it for the spring Bear season!

I have use them in 8 x 57 and they worked pretty well, so they should work well in the 9.3x62