I read quite a bit on this forum about the 9.3 X 62 and how it compares to 375's and 338's. It appears to be a very popular cartridge internationally.
I hear little about the 9.3 X 64 which is much closer to the energy specifications of the 375 H&H. Any particular reason this cartridge does not share the popularity of its smaller brother?

EZ

Wider case than standard, difficult to get ammo, as much recoil as .375hh but not legal for big five in all countrys.

Hard to get emty brass, only some expensive RWS or Hirtenberger.
In Namibia(Windhoek) last year, at Rosenthal's, I got hold of brass from fired SM(Swiss)catr loaded with CDP bullets. Cheap!
This cartr is SUPERB when building a custom M98

M

When this cartridge was introduced it suffered due to bullet performance. Bullets then were not as strong as they are today and this caliber develops high velocity like the .375 which can cause bullet failure. People regarded it as a poor performer but with todays bullets it is just as capable as the .375 H&H. I would go with the 9.3x62 for sentimental reasons only.

eezridr:

The most significant issue witht the 9.3X64 Brenneke cartridge is finding brass. It is hard to find and expensive. If you can find the brass, it's a wonderful cartridge, every bit the equal of the .375 H&H.

Like lal said,most 9.3 cal bullets were made for the 9.3x62 or the 9.3x74R. When pushed to velocity capable in the 9.3x64 case only the better bullets hold together. TSX, Partion, A-Frame and Woodliegh wood all be good places to start. Cases are not as big a problem as many would like to make out. Cases can be made from 338 or 458.If you want factory brass order a couple hundred empty brass from a distributor and you are set. My 9.3x64 is built on a 98 mauser and it is just super.The power of a 375 H&H in an 06 length action and the smooth feeding of a beltless case. If you don't want or need the full throttle loads it is easy to load back to 9.3x62 velocities.

I truly love my 9.3X62, but if you need more "power" go to the .375 H&H. The number 9.3 is not magic. Actually, if I really thought I needed more gun than my 9.3X62 it would be a good excuse for a 404 Jeff.

Buy a stack of RWS cases and you have a great round.
Plenty of great bullets such as North Fork, Swift A Frame, Barns X and Woodleigh.
I doubt any one would question you if you had this calibre for big game in any country.

My 9.3x64 is coming together nicely. It started life as an Argentine 1909.

I bought 9 boxes of RWS brass, and another five by Hulsen Horneber.

For bullets I have already on hand 286 North Fork soft points and flat point solids, Swift 300 softs and Woodleigh 320grain Soft and solid.

I decided to get a barrel with a little more weight and length than the one that I had.

I cannot find a US distributor of Hirtenberger hulsen, so if I need more brass I will get it from Reimar Johannsen. Very easy to do. I cannot wait to get the project done.

Lawndart,
Sounds like your ready for that rifle.
A friend's VZ24 9.3x64B is almost ready (only some final checkering to go). He as a bit over 100 RWS cases and in all honesty how many cases dose one really need?
Here are some photos of his rifle prior to bluing.

Not as much heard about the '64 as not as many guns around.


Re Expensive Brass, I have some RWS and yes, initially it might be higher priced BUT it lasts a hell of alot longer than chepaer brass so the life cost / cost per case over it's life is the same or less than cheaper brass.

And not many people look at that factor IMHO.

It's a great cartridge and will do anything the 375H&H will do.

You are all forgetting the excellent 9.3x66 aka 370 Sako magnum-30.06 case head and 375 like Ballistics

quote:

Originally posted by wombat:
You are all forgetting the excellent 9.3x66 aka 370 Sako magnum-30.06 case head and 375 like Ballistics

In the 9,3 family the x66 is the LEAST excellent one! The 9,3x64 is a sexy round

M

quote:

Originally posted by wombat:
You are all forgetting the excellent 9.3x66 aka 370 Sako magnum-30.06 case head and 375 like Ballistics

Now if you want to talk hard to get cases etc,
then you are talking it with the '66.

quote:

Originally posted by eezridr:
....I hear little about the 9.3 X 64 which is much closer to the energy specifications of the 375 H&H. Any particular reason this cartridge does not share the popularity of its smaller brother?

If not for political issues/world war, the 9,3x64 would most likely be where the 375H&H is today.
Just some bad timing/twist of fate.
It always was,[and now along with 375r], the most intelligent fit in StdM98.
.375hh started behind the 8ball,with outdated case design to accomodate its obsolete power technology....its not by any virtue superior, but mostly luck, that it got to where it is over the 9,3x64 Brenneke.
The smaller 9.3x62 was first loaded with a 18.5-gram (285 gr) bullet at a muzzle velocity of 655 m/s (2,150 ft/s). After WWI, some companies increased the velocity to around 730 m/s (2,400 ft/s).
Easy fit in StdM98, sufficient vel& bullet,lighter to carry and much cheaper to purchase, a major winning combo as compared to obtaining an .375h&h in those times.
Its not unusual these days for guys to dump their 375H&H in preference for an lighter 9,3x62.

I think its still quite popular in Europe. I have used it once on a wildboar.

quote:

Originally posted by reddy375:
I think its still quite popular in Europe. I have used it once on a wildboar.

Not as popular as the '74 and the '62.

Sheer weight of numbers considering how many European gun manufacturers
chamber the 9.3 x 62 yet none chamber the 9.3 x 64 in any large quantity.

It is kind of fun having the best power/weight/bulk size rifle available.

That walnut stick looks very nice. Did it come from Mr. Vardy's shop?

Ozhunter,was the original bottom metal used? I had a piece of steel sweated on the front of the magazine box. Then it was possible to meet the factory specifications for accomodating that cartridge, barely.

The whole issue about the world wide lack of use of this caliber is purely ignorance. The 7x64 and 9.3x62 are more suited to Mittel Europa. No sense dealing with more recoil than you have to.

There is no justification in my mind for using the 375 belted rimless magnum nito express (375H&H) with the 9.3x64 available.

The big change that I had to do midstride was give up the wrong-headed idea of making it into a light weight rifle.

Now I am concentrating on making it perfectly balanced with a 25" cut rifled barrel, rust blue it in the cabinet (after twenty hours of slowww handwork with the files), fitting it into a Sako Hunter stock a la McMillan (after first getting a very straight pattern stock made for this and other projects).

The three position safety, pseudo double square bridges, new bolt handle and Blackburn trigger are timing up nicely as well. There is a rear bridge peep sight that stores in the hand grip, along with a replacement fornt fiber optic sight.

I hope and pray that the various chemotherapy regimens (NOT CANCER, just some very nasty VIRUSES ; Cytomegalovirus for one) have me healthy enough to use this one, and possibly a 404J, also on a 1909. I will likely use the G33/40 for a 257 Roberts.

OK The dreaded 9.3x66. I had some very nice communications with Erkki Kauppi, the guy in charge for ammunition at Sako. He decided that something a little more stout than the 9,3x62 would be a good idea for the larger moosies.

I had Jim Kobe make a switch barrel in 9,3x66 to go with the AV 30-06 I owned. It performed/s exactly as advertised. It gets most of its performance by using the double based N 500 series powders from VV.

End of babbling.

The 9,3x64 Brenneke is a cartridge that outperforms the 375 H&H, and does so out of a standard modelo 98 mauser. That is something to shout about.

LD

LD,
Yes its a piece of walnut from R Vardy with a Buffalo tip VZ24 action and Recknagel bottom metal.

quote:

Recknagel bottom metal

Ouch.

Thank God Hirtenberger brass and ammo isn't generally available in the U.S. RWS is so far superior in my rifles, I don't even consider the "H" stuff to be worth pulling down to use the powder as lawn fertilizer.

Once when Hirtenberger WAS available from Musgrave I made the mistake of buying several case-lots of it...in .308 and .270 Winchester.

After trying both in my rifles, I managed to give away the remaining boxes of .308 as "plinkers". I still have maybe 30 boxes of .270 which I keep stowed in the back of a cabinet simply in case some great disaster leaves me with absolutely nothing else to shoot!

But even then I'll be bloody careful!! I don't think I have ever had more innaccurate factory .270 ammo (3-4 MOA or larger from the bench). It is all loaded HOT, but a least one or two rounds per box are so freaking hot loaded that the primers leak! It is also filthy burning. And when reloading this particular lot, the flash holes are so small they require switching my decapping rod to one intended for the PPC rounds. A general PITA.

Pay the money. Get the good stuff (RWS) to start with.