Douglas tells me they don't make a 9.3 barrel....Is this something new? and Pac Nor does not list one in my catalog, but its and oldie for sure....

Pac-nor:
http://www.pac-nor.com/barrels/

Douglas:
http://www.benchrest.com/douglas/chamberings.html

I've kind of given up on Douglas. The last few times I've called to ask them a question about their barrels they had no idea what they were talking about. They weren't even aware that they were making remington contours.

I've had good douglas barrels and not so good douglas barrels (as measured by fouling and accuracy). Every pac-nor I've had has been a real shooter and has been good on fouling. Plus, a pac-nor is cheaper! In fact, I think Chris at pac-nor is a 9.3x62 fan himself, if I recall correctly.

My CZ-550 in 9.3 x 62 (bought new Dec. 2002) has a 1-14" twist or its metric equivalent. I have heard that a faster twist was getting used in more recent CZ's, possibly to better service heavier bullets than the 286-293 grainers that are kind of a standard in this caliber.

FWIW, the 1-14" twist does VERY good work with all bullet weights from 250 grains to 286 grains, including cast bullets. It would be difficult to imagine a critter in North America that couldn't be harvested effectively with Nosler .366"/286 grain Partitions at 2350 FPS (or 2450 FPS, if your rifle can do so safely, as mine does). Switch to/supplement with solids, and it has a decent reputation in Africa, too.

I won't be going to Africa, so the 270 grain cast bullets, 270 Speers, and 286 Noslers are about all I will need.

E-mail reply from Mike Eagelshield, gunsmith at CZ when I asked about the 1 in 9.5" twist:

"Actually the twist rate of the 9.3 x 62mm is 1 in 254mm (9.906").Must be a miss print."

That still seems terribly fast to me. Why change what has worked for so long? I don't think Ray can blame the bean counters either