9.3x62 at distance

10 August 2008, 04:22

gerryb

9.3x62 at distance

i have a new 9.3x62 and was thinking about taking it to maisiland as might light rifle in 2009. i am concerned about longer shats on fringed eared oryx, grants. lesser kudu and gerenuk. just looking for experience i have always taken a 7 mag or 300 weath but would like to be a little more traditinal if its not going to hamper me on those species, i will have a big bore 416 rigby also

10 August 2008, 04:35

vapodog

You can muster 2,500 fps with a number of very excellent 250 grain bullets in the 9.3 X 62.

It's enough power for larger plains game and has a trajectory to 300 yards to handle the job as well! If push comes to shove it will double for cape buffalo too.....something to consider!!!

10 August 2008, 06:30

Jeff Sullivan

I am not a long distance shooter, but my Blaser R-93 with a 9.3x62 Attache' barrel will consistently do groups of 1.5" at 200 yards with hand loaded 250 gr Accubonds.

10 August 2008, 08:27

N E 450 No2

gerryb

I have taken quite a bit of game with my 9,3x74R double with 286gr bullets at slightly less than 2250fps, including a coyote at 261 yards and a kudu at a little over 300 yards.

With a 9,3x62 bolt rifle you have the advantage of loading to a higher velocity with 286gr bullet, say a 286gr Nosler Partition, or to even higher velocity with say a 250 Swift A Frame, and not worry about regulation.

For the game you have listed the 250 Swift would be a good choice.

10 August 2008, 11:02

BFaucett

I thought this might be of interest.

-Bob F.

10 August 2008, 17:42

ozhunter

Yes, with 250grn Swift-A or Barns-x bullets at over 2500fps you should be able to cover most situations in Massailand including Buffalo if needed down to the small gazelle and antelope with minimal trophy damage.

11 August 2008, 01:44

Warrior

Trajectory with a 250 Barnes-TSX bullet, zeroed at 180 yds:

Range(yd)--V(fps)--Path to LOS(in)
0 -----------2,500 --- -1.5
50 ---------2,400 --- 0.98
100 -------2,302 --- 1.95
150 -------2,206 --- 1.26
200 -------2,113 --- -1.21
250 -------2,021 --- -5.58
300 -------1,932 --- -11.93

Good out to 223 yds when it will be 3" below line-of-sight doing 2071 fps.
Max should be 250 yds, to ensure that premium bullets will expand fully.

Warrior

12 August 2008, 22:12

Atkinson

Use a 26 inch tube, long throat your rifle and magazind and you can get 2700 FPS with a 250 gr. Barnes X or GS Customs..Might even get it with just a 26 inch tube if you get a fast barrel..Mine will do that. I usually shoot the 286 gr. Nosler at 2550 FPS and it shoots plenty flat for me...

But your trying to make a silk purse out of a sows ear for distance shooting..Stick with the 300 magnums and 200 gr. Noslers for long range shooting.

12 August 2008, 22:35

Paolo9,5x73

quote:
Originally posted by gerryb:
i have a new 9.3x62 and was thinking about taking it to maisiland as might light rifle in 2009. i am concerned about longer shats on fringed eared oryx, grants. lesser kudu and gerenuk. just looking for experience i have always taken a 7 mag or 300 weath but would like to be a little more traditinal if its not going to hamper me on those species, i will have a big bore 416 rigby also

Only SxS guys shooting .450 kal or > should need second rifle. A .416 Remington with 350gr Swift-A-Frame soft point sighted 2.5" high at 100 yards will hit poa at 200yrds and will be about 5" low at 300-yards. Your rifle is chambered for that garganuan Rigby case, so it should be at least as good as RM. The 9.3x62 is good only for "pansies" like myself who have particularly tender jaw und shoulder.

13 August 2008, 03:14

grizz007

my ballistic software notes that when I zero'd in my 9,3x62 with a 250 TSX 3" high at 100yds it is dead on at 210 yds and 3" low at 250yds. My shots avg. 2468fps with RL15-doubt with my Lyman rear peep I will shoot out to 300yds-YMMV

13 August 2008, 05:30

GSSP

My CZ550 American will push the Nosler 286 gr Partition to 2490 fps using Ramshot Big Game. At my nominal shooting altitude of 5500' elev and a 3" max height in trajectory, my zero is 217 yds and at 250 yds, 3" low. My scope is the Leupold VXII 2-7x33 w/ the LR reticle. It has two extra dots below the cross hair. The first dot is "on" at 290 yds with the 2nd dot hitting @ 365 yds. But, I have to have a rock solid rest, calm motionless animal and time to calm my hear rate to shoot that far. And FYI, the bullet impact velocity @ that last range is over 2000 fps. Nosler wants 1800-1900 fps or more at impact to insure bullet expansion.

13 August 2008, 06:45

kudude

My preference in the 9.3x62 is Varget which I have found to be an excellent all round powder for 250BT, 270Speer, 286 Nosler Partitions, and 286 Woodleigh softs and solids.

With 250BT's at 2600fps, zeroed for 225yds, it will be -2"@250; -4"@275; and -7"@300yds. Velocity at 300 is 2100fps and energy is 2460ftlbs.

I truly believe that the 9.3x62 is the go-anywhere, do-anything rifle. Kudude

13 August 2008, 06:50

grizz007

GSSP, sounds like a sure fire recipe for Grizz

13 August 2008, 17:40

GSSP

quote:
GSSP, sounds like a sure fire recipe for Grizz

Yeah, Baby!!! Be in Nome on 6 Sept. Got a date w/ Ursus Arctos Horribilis.

13 August 2008, 18:15

arend

i am going to try the 220 grain lapua naturalis long range.
(lapua)

I hope i recieve them this week.

arend

16 August 2008, 05:02

jstevens

I've shot coyotes as far as 300 yards with the 9.3x62 and a 286 partition at just under 2500 fps. They don't drop all that much if you sight in 2.5 in. high at 100. This load will definitely flatten a coyote, too.

16 August 2008, 11:32

MileHighShooter

Great post! A lot of good ideas for when my 9.3 is finished.

The Accubonds seem like a good combo

19 August 2008, 08:16

MCA man

I have arthritis in my neck which prevents me from using anything heavier than the 9.3x62mm (Which also required 3 years of chiropractic therapy to let me progress to the 9.3). I was very depressed when taking my custom 9.3x62 to Africa when I saw the marginal performance at 300 yards, meaning that the ballistics seemed to fall out the bottom past 260 yards. Now I am working with 260 grain Accubonds to get that 300 yard backup range and power, and a pair of 9.3x62s, one custom and one CZ550. One of them is going to Africa in 2010! Oh, and after seeing what the 258 grain H-Mantles did to game in Africa, I am positive that the 9.3 is more than adequate for coyote culling! Lets keep the 9.3mm cartridges rolling!!

19 August 2008, 16:38

505ED

I'm like Jeff S. I'm not a long range shooter, but everything that I've shot with the 9.3 died in a hurry. I'm going to try it out on Nilgai in the spring. Mine is a R93 with a 19.5 in tracker barrel, very handy!

Try the X bullet!

Ed

19 August 2008, 19:11

GSSP

I've really taken a shine to my CZ 550 in 9.3x62. With the 286 gr Nosler Partition, all of the powders tested, H4350, Varget, H4895, Rel 15, Big Game, H414 have shot groups of 1.5" or better. The two best for accuracy were the H4895 and Varget at around .75 MOA. Big Game was not far behind with sub MOA groups but where it shined was the velocity at 2500 fps. Another nice thing about Big Game is it runs through my Harrell's powder meter like water. I loved how quickly I was able to put together 50 rounds this am before needing to head out to work.

Ed,
I was reluctant to try the 286 gr TSX for fear it might not open up on my Alaska Grizzly next month. Besides I found a supply of the Noslers for $31-$33 a box.

MCA man,

Really!? What's your load made of? What's your zero?
With my 214 yd zero, 3" high at 121 yds, MPBR of 251 yds, I'm set! With my Leupold VXII 2-7x33 w/ the LR reticle (two extra dots) the first dot is on at 285 yds (6.7" below line of sight). The second dot hits @ 358 yds (18.1" drop). This is with standard sea level baro, temp, 40% humidity, etc.

I love it!

19 August 2008, 21:53

I'm putting together a 9.3x62 with a Yugoslavian M24b action and 20" bbl w/1-12 twist. So what kind of velocities can I expect using 250gr to 286gr bullets? Ed,I see your R93 has a 19.5"bbl. what velocities are you getting?

til later

19 August 2008, 22:26

GarBy

In 2006 I took a CZ in 9.3x62 and a Merkel 470 double as my choice of tools. Although most of my shots at PG were 150 yds and under, my Kudu was shot at a lasered 252 yds up the side of a mountain. Dead Kudu. The only load I took was 286 gr Partitions at about 2420 fps. They worked fine.

Gary
DRSS
NRA Lifer
SCI
DSC

19 August 2008, 23:15

MCA man

quote:
Originally posted by GSSP:
I've really taken a shine to my CZ 550 in 9.3x62. With the 286 gr Nosler Partition, all of the powders tested, H4350, Varget, H4895, Rel 15, Big Game, H414 have shot groups of 1.5" or better. The two best for accuracy were the H4895 and Varget at around .75 MOA. Big Game was not far behind with sub MOA groups but where it shined was the velocity at 2500 fps. Another nice thing about Big Game is it runs through my Harrell's powder meter like water. I loved how quickly I was able to put together 50 rounds this am before needing to head out to work.

Ed,
I was reluctant to try the 286 gr TSX for fear it might not open up on my Alaska Grizzly next month. Besides I found a supply of the Noslers for $31-$33 a box.

MCA man,

Really!? What's your load made of? What's your zero?
With my 214 yd zero, 3" high at 121 yds, MPBR of 251 yds, I'm set! With my Leupold VXII 2-7x33 w/ the LR reticle (two extra dots) the first dot is on at 285 yds (6.7" below line of sight). The second dot hits @ 358 yds (18.1" drop). This is with standard sea level baro, temp, 40% humidity, etc.

I love it!

Howdy. My load is 58.0 grains of RL-15, 258 grain RWS H-mantle bullet and RWS brass. Chrony says they are moving at 2475 fps from a 23 inch PacNor barrel. Sight setting , zeroed 2.5 Inches high at 100 yards, computed at 3 inches low at 200 and 5 low at 250 yards. Performed perfectly on shots taken at 25 yards (heavy underbrush) 150 yards and 100 yards, for Nyala, Waterbuck and Impala.

MCA man
(used to be sierra2 until I was lost in the recent site problems)

19 August 2008, 23:18

MCA man

quote:
Originally posted by EP:
I'm putting together a 9.3x62 with a Yugoslavian M24b action and 20" bbl w/1-12 twist. So what kind of velocities can I expect using 250gr to 286gr bullets? Ed,I see your R93 has a 19.5"bbl. what velocities are you getting?

til later

Howdy, I am getting 2475 fps out of a 23 inch barrel with 158 grain RWS H-Mantles.

MCA man