I think the shooting community needs a US made lightweight 9.3mm bullet in the range of 225-235 grains, spitzer. This would be for hunting smaller stuff than the 286s and even 270s are made for. Flatter shooting, lighter recoil. Like the 375 comes with 225/230s, all the way up to 300 grain; this would make the 9.3 more versatile. I want to start a lobbying initiative to the US bullet companies to make us one. (Please don't tell me to use Norma 232 grain; I have not seen a Norma bullet in ages) We need a US maker to do this. Back when I started shooting 9.3s, all we could get was 250 grain Speers; those were too light for big game and too heavy for small but I shot a lot of them in the 70s and 80s. What do you think? If you agree, please tell Hornady, Sierra, and Speer that there they are missing out on potentially millions of sales. Well, thousands. Hundreds? I know, small demand and all.....
Hell, all Speer has to do is squeeze down the .375, 235 grain and maybe point it up a bit. I have a die for this but it is better if they do it.

There are 232gr bullets for the 9.3, but probably not by an American company, if that's what you're driving at.

Hawk bullets makes both 200 and 235 gr. 9.3 bullets

dpcd

I have killed a lot of game with a 9,3x74R double rifle.
I guess I am lucky because my double shoots a lot of different bullets good enough to hunt with.

I will say that up front, my favorite bullets are the 286gr Woodleigh Soft, 286gr Nosler Partition, and the 286gr Woodleigh Solid.
I have taken small stuff, like beaver, coyotes, civit cat, jackel, caracel,turkeys,guiena foul, baboon, deer, impala, on to bigger stuff like several zebra, kudu, a couple of big black bear, giraffe, cape buff and elephant.

I have also taken several deer, pigs, and coyote with the 232 Vulcan. It is a most excellent bullet.

I have also taken deer, pigs,[including a 330 lb pig at 12 yards], and coyotes with the 270 Speer. It too has performed perfectly.

I have also killed deer with the 293gr TUG, and plan to try it out on some pigs in the future, it looks like a great bullet as well.

However most double rifle shooters will need to standardize on one bullet weight, I think that 285/286 is the best way to go.

But for a bolt rifle, a lighter 9,3 bullet would help with longer range shots, ie better trajectory and higher down range velocity, which is what a bullet wants for good expansion.

I think around 250gr with a good BC would work.

Woodleigh has a 250gr SPRN and a 250 pointed bullet. For a scoped bolt rifle the pointed bullet is the way to go.
Swift has a 250gr A Frame, that should be a great bullet.
Barnes made a 250gr X bullet.

Hawk would probably make you a 250 or a 225 gr bullet. I have used their 286 gr bullet with the .035 jkt, on deer pigs, impala and baboon and it is a great bullet.

And I will again mention the Speer 270gr 9,3 bullet. For the price it is a very good performing bullet.

IF I did not so much 375 H&H "stuff" I would definately have a 9,3x62 bolt rifle ...

I believe that Cutting Edge Bullets has a 210gn Safari Raptor !

I have killed a lot of stuff with 9.3 doubles as well; I have owned 3 of them. I am talking about more, the 9.3x62 as the doubles were not regulated for a light bullet.
I want a US made, popularly priced (no $2 a piece lathe turned bullets), hunting bullet. No need for fancy custom bullets for shooting deer with.

dpcd

Have you actually shot any game with the 270 Speer? I know it is not as light as you would have it, but it is a pretty good bullet.

I would not hesitate to use it for anything in the lower 48...

If you,re talking about a light, fairly inexpensive non boutique bullet made by one of the bigger makers, I,m all for it. 210-235 grains, cheap enough for practice and plinking, or small, non kevlar coated blacktail deer would be pretty handy. For some odd reason, the idea of overgrown Sierra 30-30 type, flatpoint bullets has a strange appeal... Along with spitzers.

quote:

Originally posted by Paul Truccolo:
I believe that Cutting Edge Bullets has a 210gn Safari Raptor !

+1

9.3x62 with light bullets is called a 30-06.
I have 3 9.3s

Mark

quote:

Originally posted by Mark Clark:
9.3x62 with light bullets is called a 30-06.
I have 3 9.3s

Mark

Exactly.

But if you can't afford more than one rifle and have to make the 9.3 do everything, there are 232 grain bonded and thin nose projjies from Norma and the 258 H-Mantel from RWS. All work very well.

Or just by an '06.

Naw , man, it's called a 35 Whelen....

Irregardless, there are plenty of gas checked cast bullets in 9.3 to any weight you desire.

Jacketed .375 cal can be swaged down or swage up .358" bullets. Both have been done with successful results on game.

It's relatively easy to make your own jacketed bullets, Dave Corbin will be glad to set you up, and by buying enough you could probably talk some bullet maker into doing a run...Hawk will do special runs. Look around an you might find a local person to do your bidding.

Lots of ways to make a light weight "deer/light game" non-fancy 9.3 cal bullet. Nip off "a short piece of nose" from a heavier bullet and get a nice flat nosed unit.

I've got it in the back of my mind to look into a 9.3 and 375 mold after I get these 50 cals sorted out.

If a bullet maker could be convinced there is a market for a lighter 9.3, I'll bet they would come out with one. Hornady has a 250 GMX available right now...wouldn't take much nose shaving to get it down to 230-235.

Interested??? Check this out.

http://forums.gunboards.com/sh...aging-375-s-to-9-3mm.

You can get what you want...it only takes effort in some direction.

From Hawk website, http://www.hawkbullets.com/Pricelist.htm
200 grains x .030 RT
235 grains x .035 RT
250 grains x .030 RT
250 grains x .035 RT
285 grains x .035 RT
285 grains x .050 RT
320 grains x .030 RT

Not interested in paying 82 cents each for round nose hawks, nor $2 for lathe turned brass bullets.
As for suggesting Normas; please tell me where to get them; I have not seen those for years.
I have not used the 270 Speer but have killed one bear with the older, 250 grainer.
I already know that the heavier 9.3s work fine, but that is not the point.
I guess only one person agrees with me so my campaign is off to a slow start.
I have made .366s from .375s, back when we could not get any real 9.3s so I can personally make all I want, but I was trying to help out the community at large, and I thought more people would want a lightweight, non premium deer bullet, for their bolt action 9.3, which are becoming more popular.
Buy an '06? Please; that is not the point at all.

I'm in. Sounds like a great idea. Money usually talks. If a bunch of us got together and pooled our money, then we might be able to place an order with Hornady or Speer. I doubt another company besides these two would be even remotely interested. Hawk bullets are bonded core. I wonder if they would be interested in a bulk order of reasonably priced non-bonded bullets?

dpcd

So again I ask, what advantage would a cheap 250 gr bullet have over the cheap 270 Speer???

Have you contacted Speer to see if they have any of their older 250gr bullets in stock???

Or if they would make you some???

However, in the 9,3x62, with a 270 Speer, WITH ITS VERY LOW COST, with a BC of .361, and a SD. of .288 with a velocity of @ 2550 to 2580, WHAT IS NOT TO LIKE...

They regulated at 2320fps in my 9,3x74R, and killed deer and pigs like a death ray...

Please read my OP; I am not asking for a 250 grainer; as you point out, too close to the 270. I want a flatter shooting, faster, 225-230 grain, (like Norma makes but no one can get). Just like the choices we have for the 375H&H, a 235 for deer and 270s and 300s for bigger stuff.
( I actually still have some Speer 250s left over from the 1970s, and they are great.)
As for "just get a 30-06"; you all have to realize that I am a product of Elmer Kieth's writings; Thirty Calibers and below are strictly pest guns. To me and Elmer.
So now, I have two votes.....

Right now the Major Manufacturers can't keep up with the demand for their most popular bullets, and many, like Hornady, are only producing the big sellers. This would be a bad time to try to get that done.

Got to plant the seed at some point.

All true. Even though I know the realities of it, I still like the 9.3mm.

NONAGONAGIN Larry is that you???

GS Custom has a 230grain HV.

so why not shoot the Impala 180gr bullets if you want to make the cartridge into a 30-378Wby...?

Personally, I,d like to see a 9.3 version of the Sierra .375 grain flat nose. Reasonable price, light bullet in case you want to shoot something light. Or let a kid work his way into a bigger caliber.. Flat nose does,nt bother me in a lighter bullet, don,t think you,re going to make it into a long distance screamer with light for caliber bullets..

I don't get the 30-378 comment; sorry. It's me.
This is certainly not an original concept; Norma has been making a 232 grainer for quite a long time; problem is that I have not been able to find them and they are not reasonably priced anyway.
All I want is a US maker to produce a 9.3 deer bullet. period. Flat nose would work but for best feeding, I would not want that.

If you want a jacketed bullet for under $.80 I think you are screwed! Those days are long gone. Buy yourself a bump up die and make your own from 358 diameter bullets. Still going to cost you whatever the bullet costs plus your time.

I tried some of the Norma factory loads in the 232gr, and they wern't as accurate as other loads with heavier bullets.

I have used the Swift, Barnes, and Nosler 250 gr bullets and all have been very satisfactory. I don't know which I like better. Several years ago I bought several hundered Noslet ballistic tip 250grs and they are really great for hog and deer hunting. I think the accubonds are just as good/accurate or better but cost a lot more.

Of course the 250gr Barnes is in a special class. I would use it on large bear, given the need or chance.

I see no need for bullets lighter than 250gr in 9.3mm, and apparently it's not just me. Thus the lack of availablility.

If you need more speed, get a 9.3x64, or a 9.3 wildcat, or a 338 WM.

KB

So here,s a goofy question.. How tough is it to size a smaller ( 200 grain) .375 bullet down to .366? Could you run one through say a Lee or Saeco sizing die for cast bullets and expect decent results?
I,ve looked at molds, keep thinking I ought to get into casting, has,nt happened yet. In the meantime, its quicker and easier to buy bullets.
I,ve thought about getting .375 cast, or 38/55 cast, and sizing those down, not sure I,d get good results doing that..

I can get Speer 270s for $21 per 50 so yes, we should be able to get 235s for the same price, so the Eighty cent comment is lost on me.
Yes, I have a swaging die, and I can and have swaged down 375s to .366; used to do it all the time in the late 70s and 80s, when we could not get 9.3 bullets at all. I only used them in double rifles but I never tested them at 100 yards as I didn't shoot anything that far with a double.
I just broke out my last 2 boxes of 250 grain Speers from way back and am loading them today. I know that 20 grains of bullet less is nothing...but it is a historic weight. Oh, well...case is closed, for me.

dcpd

Just use the cheap, and very good Speer 270gr 9,3 bullet.

Just do not tell any body...

Just load the 250 gr X, TSX, TTSX and be done with it. I started with the original X in 2002 and it flattened critters from springbuck to eland with aplomb.

Just curious - lighter for caliber bullets may start faster but, they also shed their velocity quicker, don't carry momentum down range as well as their heavier counterparts due to a loss of energy.

Isn't this why mid weight premiums fit the bill so well for non-DG game in 9.3, 375, etc.? I am thinking of the Accubond ini both 9.3 and 375 for example. They are extrememly streamlined bullets with a high G1 BC and offer a good SD number. They can be started off at pretty high speeds yet, even if they are begun a tad more sedately they are pretty efficient bullets in flight which should enable them to maintain good downrange energy and thus good downrange momentum upon striking game.

Then again, how many of us will shoot game at ranges with these calibers on a regular basis where we would actually benefit in a large meaningful way from these flight characteristics?

In the end, I'd wager with a 9.3 or a 375 in hand I could shoot 286 or 300 grain Noslers to name a premium at 2400 fps and handle 95% of all my shooting situations in my hunting career.

You are right about velocity loss thing. I thought that if the light bullet concept was valid for the 375 H&H, it would also be useful for the 9.3mm.

I believe fellow forum member Ray Atkinson said once there are really no bad bullets in 375 for deer hunting. I suspect the same could be said for the 9.3.

I have a pile of 250 gr Sierra Game Kings for my 375 I want to load up. Inexpensive? Yup. good in-flight characteristics? Yup. Good enough for most non-DG game? I imagine so.

On the other hand, GS Customs makes some light 9.3 stuff and you should be able to find a fair amount of info on that score.

My late FIL used a 270 gr Speer on his NM Oryx hunt and they were awful. Then again, so was his shooting! That is one bullet in 9.3 I would not use. Fortunately, we also have a bunch of inherited 250 ABs he had loaded up. I would like to get some help pulling one of the loaded rounds apart to see if I can tell what kind of primer it is and if someone can tell me which powder he used. He also seated the bullets out rather than seating them to the cannelure.

GS Customs? No, as I said, I can't and won't pay two dollars for a 9,3 mm bullet. I only use them for bears, hogs and deer. Don't need nothing fancy for those uses.

I made the same points earlier; are there bad deer bullets in these calibers? Not really, but the beauty of these mediums is their utility. When running at moderate velocity standard cup n core bullets can be used to excellent effect. I am partial to RN designs but am intrigued by the Accubond.

I am surprised at the negative comments about the Speer 270gr bullet.

I have killed a few deer and a few pigs, including one of my biggest pigs ever, around a 330 pound boar. I could not weigh it as I shot it at 12 yards, quarting away in some thick cover. Could not get a vehicle to it, so the wife and I butchered it on the ground like an elk, and carried the meat out on foot to the cooler in the Pathfinder. It was ond great tasting pig by the way.

I recovered the Speer bullet, it had penetrated the gristle plate, into the vitals and was stopped against the gristle plate on the off side, perfectly expanded. The Boar dropped to the shot, but did scrabble around a little so I ran up and believe it or not, shot it in the head with another 270gr Speer bullet from my 44 Magnum. How wierd is that?

The velocities in my 9,3x74R double rifle with that bullet was 2490 fps.

While I will admit I would use the 270 Speer bullet for all deer and pigs, and even black bear and elk, I would most likely use a 286gr Woodleigh Soft or 286gr Nosler Partition for elk and bear.

Also I have had excellent results using 286 grain bullets in my 9,3 double for ALL game from beaver to bear to [cape] buff, from coyote to caracal to civit cat, from African antelope, to zebra, and with 286gr Woodleigh Solids on wild turkey, giraffe and elephant.

Doing a lot of plinking I would consider the price of the bullets, However for hunting I NEVER consider the price of the bullet...

quote:

Originally posted by N E 450 No2:
I am surprised at the negative comments about the Speer 270gr bullet.

Maybe I need to go back and carefully re-read every post, but I don't recall any negative comments about the Spear 270 grainer. The man just wants what he wants- that being an inexpensive 235 grain 9.3mm bullet. Don't know why everyone has to try to convince him to buy the gold plated bullets, or the heavier bullets. He wants cheap 235 grainers from a major manufacturer. How hard is that to understand??!!

How a/b 'hollow pointing' 35g out of the 'cheap' Speer ? Instant 235g. Or, a little less removal for a 250g ?