Shot my 9.3 Husky yesterday that DCPD rechambered from X57. 65 gr. Big Game gave me 2550 FPS avg. with a 286 gr. Prvi recorded on my new Garmin (very nice machine!) Knocked me around a bit shooting 30 rd. off a bench!

Hip

Yep, that's getting close to 375 H&H levels.

Great caliber! fpr anything that walks crawls or swims!

That is impressive velocity, Hipshoot. I seem to have no trouble getting to 2400fps with 286-grain bullets but am considering dropping the load fractionally, just in case I'm overdoing it but can't read pressure signs properly.

Part of my reasoning comes from finding that Winchester factory rounds give about 150fps less than that in my Zastava.

quote:

Originally posted by Hipshoot:
Shot my 9.3 Husky yesterday that DCPD rechambered from X57. 65 gr. Big Game gave me 2550 FPS avg. with a 286 gr. Prvi recorded on my new Garmin (very nice machine!) Knocked me around a bit shooting 30 rd. off a bench!

Hip

Nice. What length barrel? my 25" does almost that with 63 Gr of Big Game. I do not load long, even though I could.

Man, that's stout. I have a 9.3x57 Husky on a M98 that I converted a # of years ago to x62; light rifle, I backed my 286gr Woodleigh down from 2,430 fps to 2,370 fps and it still kicks!

Can't imagine 2,550 in my rifle! I have 300 gr Aframe load that I'm targeting 2,300 fps.

How much do you gain by going to the 62 versus a hot loaded 57?

Any problems feeding the longer round?

about 300 fps in my experience

that sounds like the John Barnsness load. I've shot that load, got 2,550 fps with the same 286 partition. I personally was getting .85" 100 yard groups. Super duper load.

IIRC, that load just barely makes the Zim legal power for Buff.

You aren't supposed to load that hot in those rickety Spanish 92s!

great caliber. i reached 2493fps with varget and oryx bullet in a zastava with 22.5 inches barrel. needs to try the big game powder i have somewhere.

Baxter, It is the original Husky bbl 23 5/8?

When it was an X57 I loaded it up with I4064 and got just over 2400FPS. with no pressure signs. I had 9 reloads on the formed 8x57 brass when I had it rechambered.

DPCD---I don't load it hot, I just pull the trigger harder. The harder I pull the more velocity I get!

No feeding problems DM!

rnovi--Yeah that was a grain or 2 lighter then the Barsness load.

I do a lot of listening and reading then what I think is crap I eject from my tiny brain!

Hip

P.S. It is a M98 action not a M96!

200 fps more than anything else out there?

Member .458 Only has done a lot of load development with the 9.3x62 and has worked up some real thumper loads. If he sees this maybe he will post them....or I believe he has some of them posted on his blog.

quote:

Originally posted by Skyline:
Member .458 Only has done a lot of load development with the 9.3x62 and has worked up some real thumper loads. If he sees this maybe he will post them....or I believe he has some of them posted on his blog.

Read this just in time! From my Tikka T3 Lite, I've easily been getting over 2600 fps from the 286 Partition using RL-17, +2700 from the 250 AccuBond and +2400 from the 320gr Woodleigh PP. Brass is Hornady, WLRM primers at 3.37" COL (constrained by the clip magazine). Very accurate loads. I couldn't come near those using RL-15. Being low on Hornady cases, and no prospects of finding more in the near future, I purchased "what they had", being Lapua that is thicker and heavier, so had to cut the load by a couple of grains. Then, getting low on RL-17, I've bought some Big Game, but haven't tried it yet in the 9.3 x 62 but have done so in my .375 H&H - and frankly it's no better than CFE-223 (which uses 6 grains less in the .375 for basically the same deal, and less recoil) which I've also yet to try in my 9.3 x 62. CFE-223 is also best in my .35 Whelen with 225s. But RL-17 is also best for the heavies in .35 Whelen and .375 H&H as well as the 9.3 x 62. But I'll give Big Game a try in the 9.3 x 62, hopefully not in the too distant future. Also, it should give decent results for 300s in the .375 H&H.

Bob
www.bigbores.ca

quote:

Originally posted by Hipshoot:
Baxter, It is the original Husky bbl 23 5/8?

When it was an X57 I loaded it up with I4064 and got just over 2400FPS. with no pressure signs. I had 9 reloads on the formed 8x57 brass when I had it rechambered.

DPCD---I don't load it hot, I just pull the trigger harder. The harder I pull the more velocity I get!

No feeding problems DM!

rnovi--Yeah that was a grain or 2 lighter then the Barsness load.

I do a lot of listening and reading then what I think is crap I eject from my tiny brain!

Hip

P.S. It is a M98 action not a M96!

I used that load when I went on a Bison hunt. That 286 Partition zipped right through it and just kept right on going. That load is a straight up wicked one.

My confidence in that load is very high indeed.

Can't recall if I have tried R 17 in my 9,3 but have in my 8mm/06 AI aswell as the Big Game and both shot well.

Hard to find either powder now a days!

Hip

Anyone try powder-coated hardcasts in the 9.3?

I'm wondering what kind of velocity and penetration cast bullets would get, compared to
the jacketed solids.

Should be quite a bit cheaper, at least.

Ive had no problems shooting 458s loads in my 9.3x62s or my 35 Whelen.

I can get 2500 plus a bit with 286 gr bullets, and 2650 to 2700 with 250 gr bullets and with a number of powders, I favor RL-17,RL-15, H-414,CFE 223, H-380,.Its a very versatile caliber and nobody can tell the difference on game shot between it and the 375 H&H. So much so that I tended to load my 375 at 2500 with a 300 gr bullet and my 9.3x62 at 2500 with a 286 gr, bullet, both worked well. The 9,3x62 like the 7x57 and 8x57 is typically down loaded in the USA due to a total lack of reasoning..and only applies to the 98 Mausers not the 92 and its ilk.

Shot 63 gr. R17 286 gr. Prvi the other day and got mid 2450 fps.

Had no printed data for R17 so just took a stab.

Hip

The Privi factory shot well in the one he did for me.

QL says

RL-17 - 63
286 Hornady interlocks (no Privi in QL)
51K at 2507fps

Ive shot up to 64 and 65 RL-17 and that was in a ruger 77 9,3x62 It was hot max but safe in that gun, and hard on brass, however my hunting load was settled with 63 grs and just a tad beyond 2650. CFE-223 is a dandy 9,3x62 powder as is H380.

Best load DATA came out of Pierre Van der Walts African Dangerous Game Cartridges. in my tests.

Mine is 62.6 gr of RL18 and yields right around 2650.

It’s been a very forgiving caliber to load for.

Its the best caliber ever on a 06 size case or thereabout, by far better than the 35 Whelen another caliber Im fond of. I might add that I idont recommend the use of 30-06 brass in the 9.3x62, that's a ridicules practice IMO..If you must then chamber to the 9.3/06.

Despite loading to get only about 2350fps with 286gr bullets, and seeing light between shell-holder and die when FL resizing, I had my first head separation in 40 years of reloading on Monday.

Though excess headspace would seem the obvious reason, I wonder if the minimal dimensions of Winchester brass may have some part in it.

IIRC the 9.3x62 is a fractionally rebated cartridge, with a body head of .476" but rim of only .470. The new Winchester brass I've checked only measures .465 on both head and rim. Once fired, however, it expands to the full .476" ahead of the web in my Zastava.

Does anyone make brass with a bigger head?

That is hot. I have not used Big Game, so went thru my QL routine for a new powder.
Using Quickload, matched Hodgdon load
Load data for 338 winmag (usable case capacity
is only 3 grains more than the 9.3x62).
Then using that data fit, QL with the Priv
Bullet and 23.625” barrel, gave 2506 gps and 59.8kpsi vs CIP max avg. pressure 56.6kpsi
But still well below the PK pressure of 65kpsi

quote:

Originally posted by sambarman338:
Despite loading to get only about 2350fps with 286gr bullets, and seeing light between shell-holder and die when FL resizing, I had my first head separation in 40 years of reloading on Monday.

Though excess headspace would seem the obvious reason, I wonder if the minimal dimensions of Winchester brass may have some part in it.

IIRC the 9.3x62 is a fractionally rebated cartridge, with a body head of .476" but rim of only .470. The new Winchester brass I've checked only measures .465 on both head and rim. Once fired, however, it expands to the full .476" ahead of the web in my Zastava.

Does anyone make brass with a bigger head?

can you check if the dimensions of your winchester brass are more similar to a 30-06 than a real 9.3x62 brass. i encountered few issues in the past with the hornady and remington 9.3x62 stamped brass in my zastava, never an issue with prvi and lapua and norma brass but the big reason is maybe that rifle is a left hand action ...

Thanks medved,
I've been measuring my .30-06 and 35 Whelen ammo, too, and found that both Winchester and Remington were about .467" across the rim and head, so it seems they like to make all this stuff about .005 less than the nominal dimensions for the respective calibres.

I measured the rim to shoulder lengths of the Winchester 9.3 x62 unfired factory cases, though, and found they were about .002" longer than on Nosler's drawing, so it would seem they are up to spec. in that regard.

I then put a 12 thou shim behind an unfired cartridge and was disturbed to find I could close the bolt, albeit with some difficulty.

Pulling the bullets from the rest of the batch of the head separation showed there is indeed a groove inside near the web, so I guess excess headspace is the problem.
Though I only partially FL resize and have tested the cases afterwards for tight fit in the rifle, it would appear they are ruined on the first firing.

So, it looks like I will either have to get the headspace tightened or neck up new cases and add a bump in front of the shoulder before firing them. At least this rifle has no open sights to complicate a tightening.

Factory ammo is for one shot only; ammo factories do not want you to reload and do not care what happens to the brass on the first firing.
It is a miracle anything fits correctly. But I could set your barrel back easily to make it fit the ammo.

Thanks dpcd,
With luck I'll find someone over here who can do the job. Meanwhile, I'm hoping some once-reloaded cases will get me through a deer hunt next week. Do many heads separate on the first reload?

I could use the factory Winchesters but they only make about 2200fps and shoot four inches lower.

Or, I could take something else like the Sako .338 with its formidable Hensoldt - but being into time-on I now find it a bit heavy to carry far around the hills.

quote:

Originally posted by sambarman338:
Thanks dpcd,
With luck I'll find someone over here who can do the job. Meanwhile, I'm hoping some once-reloaded cases will get me through a deer hunt next week. Do many heads separate on the first reload?

I could use the factory Winchesters but they only make about 2200fps and shoot four inches lower.

Or, I could take something else like the Sako .338 with its formidable Hensoldt - but being into time-on I now find it a bit heavy to carry far around the hills.

What's wrong with your 270WSM, I'd be taking that rather than risk problems with ammo for your 9.3x62.
Two of my sons and a couple of mates went tahr hunting for a long weekend a couple of weeks ago, 4WDing up an East coast river and camping in a hut. Saw no animals up there but shot 2 bull tahr, a nanny, a big red stag and 4 yearling red hinds on the way out. One bull, the stag and 3 hinds taken with my 7mmWSM that the youngest son now uses. I'd given him Winchester ammo with the 160gr Accubond which chronographs at 3000fps out of the 22" barrel to use this time instead of the usual Federal 140gr TBT ammo. Again he said the WSM shoots beautifully and just knocks animals flat.
Your 270WSM would do the same

Well, Eagle, I took that .270 fallow hunting early in the year but came on a sambar instead. I hit it hard enough in the visible neck to know I had definitely connected - but it took off and I followed the tracks (no blood) a few hundred yards until they disappeared in a creek on dark. That was the first time in 50 years deer hunting that I know I hit one that got away. For the record, I spent another couple of hours looking for it next morning to no avail.

Obviously, I missed a vital part but am sure that had I used the 9.3 or .338 it would at least have left a blood trail.

Maybe I'll borrow my son's .35 Whelen pump. It is not only light and makes a biggish hole but is fast to cycle.

Your dealing with one separation, and that could be for a number of reasons, cut your load a grain or two and proceed. If you get another separation or indication of pressure the fire form your remaining brass. cutting a thread or two and setting the headspace is an option, but in some cases can mess up your inletting. Another option is buying a new oversize barrel and copy it. If it were me, Id simply fireform my brass and neck size on a hunting rifle, but not a varmint or target rifle that gets fired a lot.

Therein lies the probllem of neck shots you can miss all the small vitals and wound the animal and not get any amount of blood, and its not uncommon and caliber may or may not leave a blood trail and/or result more in starvation and shock or infection. Ive seen this more than a few times with head and neck shots..

Thanks Ray, you might have a point with that neck-shot matter.

So, you don't think a few thou could just be taken off the face and Nock's form to fix the headspace? The calibre would have to be restamped with that, of course, as the present one would disappear beneath the wood.

If one uses 06 brass to form 9.3x62 brass you get a bulge on one side of the head of the case when fired or rather fireformed and follow up reloads squeeze it back down over working the brass and you get head separations as a result, why some can't understand this I will never understand and btw PPU 9,3x62 brass is as available and as cheap as o6 brass..

Thanks again, Ray.

So you think the smallness of my Winchester brass may be a factor in that head separation, too?

I was thinking their .30-06 brass, being two thou bigger, might actually limit the expansion a bit. One problem with it and .35 Whelen brass is getting correct headspace considering the longer neck, of course.

One idea I had for new 9.3 brass was to insert an 8mm Dynabolt and add a ferule between the case mouth and the activating nut. Once snugged up, I would give the nut another turn or two, hopefully creating a bump in front of the shoulder without first having to size up the entire neck.

I'm now thinking of getting 100 new PPU cases, taking some with the rifle to a gunsmith and asking him to fix it to work with them - without need of that Dynabolt.

on that one i agree with Ray get some real brass made for the 9.3x62 like PPU-PRVI or better the Lapua one.

You CANNOT (should not) use standard Mauser .473 head brass to make the 9.3x62; it was not developed by Mauser and therefore has a larger OD. Bock didn't get the word, and no one reloaded back then anyway, so it didn't matter.
If you want to use standard .473 brass, I will have a reamer made for that; a 9.3 Whelen, or whatever you want to call it.
Not sure where to get dies....
Do not even try to make 9.3 brass from 30-06, etc.

Phil...completely agree with you and Ray. I don't know about the situation with reloading supplies down in Aus, but getting 9.3x62 brass has never been easier here in Canada. Even with the damned shortages we are experiencing both PPU and Lapua brass are still not to hard to find. I even saw some Nosler brass a couple of weeks ago, but the price was ridiculous...like all Nosler brass.