I am building a 9.3x62 on a Brno VZ24 action and I am going to use a Pac-Nor barrel. I am building this rifle for my father, to try and entice him a little more for a trip to Namibia in 2010.

I am trying to decide what contour to use?

i would pick the contour that gave the rifle a reasonable balance and made it weigh 8lb with a 24" barrel.

but that's just my personal preferances.

I might go a little lighter.

My 9,3x74R double weighs 7 1/4 lbs with out scope.

I would build the stock like a between the wars English sporter, ie minimal wood, to weigh about 7 to 7 1/4, lbs without scope, pushing the scoped weight to @8.5 lbs.

I've somehow ended up with three 9.3x62's and have promised my wife that there'll be no more unless I find an original Mauser for under a grand

The first one has a synthetic stock, 24" #3 Douglas barrel and weighs in at a bit over eight pounds with scope. I added a pound and a half of lead shot / epoxy mix to the stock to tame the recoil of a 286gr bullet at 2,400 fps before I fired it. It's a pussy cat.

My iron sight only Husqvarna Model 146 rechambered to x62 is around 7# and my latest a peep sighted VZ24 with a 23" #3 Douglas barrel and Boyd's JRS stock is just shy of 7 pounds.

They are all comfortable to shoot and seem to point equally well to me. The Husky has a plastic buttplate and I don't think twice about shooting 15 - 20 rounds in a session. It has a heavier barrel than a #3 but is scantily clad in walnut, like N E 450 No2 describes.

My 4 yr old CZ 550 American w/ Talley rings and Leupold VXII 2-7x33 is just a skootch under 9 lbs. To me, the balance is just fine and I could go 30-40 rounds at the bench w/ nary a blink; 286 gr Partitions @ 2500 fps. By then the copper fouling throws accuracy into the toilet.

My VZ24 with a 9,3x62 23.5"bbl. from Sportersexpress.com with a Hogue syn. stock is a hefty carry. You might want to consider a thin tube and carry it out to 26". I can't get 2500fps out of mine with 286gr. Noslers so if that is a concern go longer-believe Ray uses long tubed shooters.

Sounds like you are building the same 9.3x62mm I had done several years ago, see below >

22 inch Pac Nor #4 contour barrel $142.00

It was a VZ-24 action with crest. All metalwork was done by Jim Wasmundt, Wasmundt's Gun Shop, Fossil, OR. I stocked it with a Claro Walnut Royal gunstock. It is finished in sandblast blue grey, shoots very nicely, and took my Nyala, Waterbuck, and an Impala last year, after languishing in the safe for years. The 9.3x62mm is a little much for Texas Whitetail Deer, but on the money in Africa!

LLS

Hi Jason, and here is a PS, my 9.3x62mm VZ-24 will be visiting Namibia in 2010 too!!

LLS

I just finished one 2 mo ago, VZ24 action, Lothar Walther 23.61" #720 barrel, http://www.lothar-walther.de/html/1.php, and Boyds walnut stock with a Limbsaver recoil pad.

I sent the bolt off to "Bent Bolts", http://www.mosinnagant.net/Boltman/Boltman.html,along with a longer handle for him to "fix".

Installed a Bold trigger w/safety and the cheapest bolt shroud I could find at Midway, an American Rifle Works without safety cutout, an extended floor plate release and front and rear sight bases. I also purchased a grinding wheel from Brownells to contour the receiver and made my own Mauser receiver mounting jig.

I did everything on the cheap because the rifle will be a P/U queen or rack Wally, so I didn't do much polishing and camo painted it with Brownells Aluma-hyde and other epoxy based spray paints.

Total weight including a Leupold 3-9 is 8.9 lbs.

Other than a bit of futzing with the receiver contouring, the stock work and minor grinding/filing fitting the bolt shroud, it was basically screw on the barrel, install the trigger and go shooting.

I took me about 2 months to complete the project waiting for the bolt and various other "out of stock" parts to come in, plus shaping the stock, bedding, painting etc. Actual work time would have been closer to 2 weeks if all the parts had arrived when I ordered them and I didn't have other projects going at the same time.

It shoots very well 1" or less with 270g and 286g bullets, handles very well and balances right on the front of the floor plate and I don't feel undergunned in the least.

I thought about putting a muzzle brake on it due to the recoil calculations but after shooting it found there wasn't any problem...recoil is subjective and overblown in many cases anyway.

I don't consider the caliber a long range shooter due to the low initial velocity...up to 250 yds would be acceptable...but it's forte is reakky 125 yds or less I think.

I built the 9.3x62 at the same time as doing a 375H&H, not that I needed anymore heavy calibers, but because of nostalgia...I always wanted both calibers since I was a pup and finally got around to building them. They will probably get one Elk apiece, the odd 'yote and squirrels during the off seasons and spend the rest of my life in the rack or P/U while out driving around picture taking.

Good luck on your project.

I have a cz 550 Lux it did wear a 2-7x33 leupy in fixed warnes but I recently mounted a Meopta 3-10x50 with German #1 Reticle in Talley QD's and Like it much more that scope is bright. I have been shooting speer 270 gr in it and while for thin skin there great I wanted a slightly tougher bullet and a little flatter trajectory so I have some woodleigh 250 gr PP's to load up.

I had a 9,3x62 built on a Vz-24 action. Used a 24" Shilen barrel that tapers from 1.2" to 0.85" 6" from receiver, then to 0.70" at muzzle.

Weighs in at 8 3/4 Lbs with 4X scope. Everyone that shoots it likes the balance - And so do I!