I was zeroing one of mine today...



3-shot group was first, then I clicked it left and shot the 5-shot group, then clicked it back right a tad for the last two shots, which delivered just the zero I wanted...

Oh and a semi-decent group from my 250-3000 as well...

Everything I shoot in my CZ seems to go 3/4 to 1 in at 100. I've really only used two powders, Ramshot Big Game and RL15, doesn't seem to make a bit of difference, except the Ramshot will allow a bit more speed. One thing I have noticed is that different weight bullets really change impact in the 9.3x62 at least in mine. 250's at 2600 and 286's at 2450 impact about five inches apart at 100 yards. Is this common in the 9.3x62 in your rifles?

Nice group. Minute of anything on four legs!

& the bullet weight was....

Since I have a number of 9.3x62s, I have each allocated to a particular bullet weight - this one does the 250 gr. (Nosler 250s here w/H414). In the few instances where I have shot 250s and 286 from the safe rifle, there was an impact difference of about 2", IIRC. I wonder of twist affects how consistent the point of impact is across bullet weights and styles. Hmmm... perhaps that would make an interesting thread...

My CZ 550 put 270-gr. Speers and 286-gr. Partitions into the same group at 100 yards over the same charge of H4895. I don't remember what it was, but MV from a 22" barrel was right at 2,300 fps. The Speer failed on bone a couple of times, so I practiced with it and hunted with the Nosler. 250-gr. BT's hit about five inches high, but the Partition/Speer combo was so useful that I abandoned the BT before trying enough powders to find out whether I could get the POI's closer together. Okie John.

My 9.3x62 does the same thing with Varget and the Speer/Nosler combo. I just leave the powder measure and dies set the same way and use the Speer 270gr's for practice. The two different bullets brands will group within 1.5" of each other at 100yds.

All mine have shot very well indeed, but I only use Lothar Walther barrels and they all seem to shoot little tiny groups.

My CZ550 American has a 23.6" barrel (60cm) with a 9.5:1 twist, according to the manufacturer, and will shoot the 270gr and 286gr loads within an inch of each other when loaded to 2450 and 2350fps respectfully. However, the 250gr BT load at 2600fps shoots at least 5 inches higher than either of the other two loads (using IMR4895), but can be dropped to within 3 inches of the other two by reducing the load to just 2550fps. By regulating the velocity, the loads become more useful without necessarily making them less "lethal". (By-the-way, the CZ will shoot into an inch with 3 shots with most loads I've tried.) I just traded for a 550FS in a 6.5x55 and it is a "shooter" as well. "9.3x62", nice groups and good shooting! Regards - Mags

All my 9.3x62s have been 12" (mostly) and 14" twist... the 9.5" CZ twist seems really fast...

I have one of the CZ 550 Americans in 9.3x62. Unless I'm mistaken, I believe the twist rate is 1-14".

-Bob F.

Bob F. - I was quoting the twist of the 9.3x62 they publish in their literature and have not measured mine. I'll check it out. Mags

The post on the CZ twist got me more curious (even before I measured it) because I could not find the twist rate in my "owners" booklet. I called CZ's customer service in Kansas City, KS (their web site is down until Thursday). BTW the number is 913-321-1811. The rep, Jason, confirmed that the twist on their 9.3x62 rifles is indeed 9.5:1. He said, "the rifle was designed to handle the trditional 286gr and heavier bullets". He said that the twist of all their rifle calibers are listed in their catalog. He also said that the twist available in the U.S. market is the same as for the European market. This fast twist should make a lot of people happy, now if they would also chamber a .35 Whelen with this faster twist maybe it would make that caliber more popular as well . Mags

Mags,

Yep, you're right.

I found a reference at:
http://www.cz-usa.com/data/product/common/CZUSA%20Catalog%202005.pdf

But, since the CZ web site is down, it's kind of hard to view the file!! (NOTE: The above link currently does NOT work.) I did a search through Google, found this link (above), and then used the Google option to look at their cached version of the file.

Sure enough, here's what was listed:

rates of twist
9.3X62
1:9.5"
1:241mm

But, I'm going to check my documentation that came with my rifle when I get home after work. I could have sworn it said 1-14". But, just to add to the confusion, I also found this posted on another forum:

---------------
Date Posted: 02/29/2004 10:07 PM
Deputy Al

Apparently, CZ may be changing the 1-14" twist rate to something faster in order to accomodate heavier bullets--some 320 grain behemoth.

link: 9.3x62 Lux
---------------

I wonder if CZ did change the twist rate? Notice that the source for the 1-9.5" I quoted is from the 2005 catalog file. This matches the information that Mags got when he spoke with CZ USA. The post from "Deputy Al" is from early 2004. Hmmmmm....... May be worth a little more investigation. It might of interest to know if there are 9.3x62 CZ rifles out there with 1-14" twists and also 1-9.5" twists.

-Bob F.

Well, like Mags, I couldn't find the twist rate listed in my CZ owner's manual. But, I've now had a chance to measure the twist rate of my CZ 550 American in 9.3x62. The twist rate of my rifle is 1-14"! So, it seems that CZ has indeed changed the twist rate for their 9.3x62 rifles. Looks like we may have an interesting situation here.

I purchased my rifle in August of 2004. Of course, there is no way to know how long it sat in a warehouse before I bought it. But, it's probably a fair guess that it was manufactured at least a few months before I bought it. I do know that my gunsmith/dealer ordered it through JSC (his distributor) and that JSC got it directly from CZ USA. (My gunsmith told me that his account rep said that JSC got it directly from CZ USA.) So, since CZ is listing the twist rate as 1-9.5" in their 2005 catalog, my guess is that the change occurred some time in late 2004 or early 2005.

So, it looks like we CZ 9.3x62 shooters may be dealing with rifles with two different twist rates. Or, it could be that the 1-9.5" twist rate listed in their 2005 catalog is just a misprint and that the person at CZ USA that Mags spoke with was just repeating the printed reference information that he had available. After all, CZ has mistakenly described the .450 Rigby cartridge in their Safari Classics catalog so it's not beyond the realm of possibility that the twist rate of 1-9.5" is just a mistake in their 2005 catalog. (They got the original .450 Nitro Express flanged cartridge confused with the more recent .450 Rigby Rimless Magnum.)

Maybe some one on here will have some more detailed knowledge about all of this.

-Bob F.

I just noticed that the CZ web site is now back online. http://www.cz-usa.com/

-Bob F.

I found the mfg date on the 9.3 I got the other day on the barrel and receiver. Look with a magnifying glass because the lettering is very very faint to the left of the ?pressure stamp on the bolt side of the receiver in front of the ejection port and again on the barrel in about the same place a little more to the right. My 9.3 was inspected and I assume built in 2002 according to the stamp and I'll be interested to see what the twist rate actually is.
Ron

Your 9.3 is performing at the same level that mine is. Isn't this a wonderful round.

Hey, stupid me, I just remembered you "nom de post." Kudude

Felt recoil in my LW 9.3 seems a lot more than
my same weight .35 Whelen Imp. 2600 FPS 250 bullet.
With 286 Grain full loads it is a handfull!
Needs a better recoil pad and rifle is light
but surprised me! Accuracy is great with any
load.

All my 9.3x62s have had a 1x14 twist, and I am not about to change, If it ain't broke, don't go fix'en it... They shoot anything from a Barnes X 250 gr. to a 320 gr. Woodleigh..I have used the 320 gr. Woodleigh on game a good deal and I would not recommend a faster twist, it works perfect in the 1x14 twist on game, it may come apart with a faster twist..I have owned half a dozen 9.3x62s and two 9.3x64 all with Lothar Walther 1x14 twist barrels....

I pretty much settled on the 286 gr. Nosler and the 320 gr. Woodleigh in my long 26" tubes..The 320 needs to be driven at about 2350 to 2400 FPS..It will lay low an elk in the Idaho black timber from any angle, and not too shabby on a Cape Buffalo if need be.