Gents,

Can anybody recommend any starting loads for the 9.3x62mm and who is likely to stock the components...I am thinking Reloading Solutions here, but have not spoken to them yet..

I am looking for a cheap and cheerful practice load and a little later on, a "hunting load" based around a premium bullet of some sort. This will be for the larger deer species and medium to large plains game, and possibly for European boar too.
I am posting here, hoping to get recommendations of components which are readily available in the UK.

Also any thoughts of dies ect?

Regards,

Pete

Here is what worked for me - but these loads might not be safe in your gun so start low:



9.3 x 62 light load: 54.0 grains IMR4064, 270 grain speer, F210



9.3 x 62 hunting load: 59.5 grains Reloader 15, 286 grain nosler partition



9.3 x 62 moose load: 55.0 grains Reloader 15, 320 grain Woodleigh round nose



9.3 x 62 plinking load: 26.0 grains IMR4198 with 238 grain cast lead



Redding makes some fabulous dies.





Enjoy!

I don't know what components are readily available in the UK but here in OZ we have the wonderfull woodliegh bullets nosler speer barnes norma lapua and RWS my first loads were made up to fireform 30/06 brass they used 51gr of AR 2208 (hodgdon Varget) with speer 270gr bullets this was a nice very mild load that was nice to shoot and reasonable cheap to shoot I now use 232gr Norma Vulkan bullets for shooting our smaller feral animals 60gr of AR 2208 gets an easy 2600fps which is very mild in recoil but hits things hard
I have just started loading the 286gr woodlieghs with 55gr of AR 2208 these are clocking 2400fps these are going to be my big game loads I have also used the nosler ballistic tips but haven't quite settled on a load for them yet I have driven them at 2600fps with reasonable accuracy but not as good as the norma's (best group has been 5/8" at 100 for 5 shots)

I've been using 250 grains bullets (Barnes X or Nosler Ballistic Tip) for a couple of years now and together with Norma 203B or Vihtavouri N-540 I can get Sub MOA groups at 2600 fps.

The effect on game has been exellent for me as well.



Henrik

500grains,
What mould are you using for your 238 gn cast bullets ? I happen to have an ancient but unused Lyman 366408 mould I'd like to give a try, but I don't know the weight it throws.

I've just worked up a load in my Blaser with 22" barrel with 286-grain Nosler Partitions. I've settled on 57 grains of IMR 4895 for an average velocity of 2335 fps and variation of plus or minus 25 fps. It does half-inch groups at 100 yards and I've zeroed at 2.5" high at that distance for an approximate 200-yards point blank range.

I also picked up some Woodleigh 250-grain round-nose bullets, but I haven't gotten around to working up a load with them. Both the Partition and the Woodleigh would be a good medium to heavy game bullet.

The Hornady 270-grain spitzer soft-point would be a good inexpensive practice bullet.

Pete,

although not a load, but I would suggest to start with the GECO 16,5g cartridge - quite cheap, very good accuracy, good round-nosed bullet which is sufficient for nearly all European game (I shot red deer, roe deer and wild boar with it). The cartridge comes from RWS and the brass is supposed to be good - so it would be a good basis for reloading.

Best regards & have a lot of fun with your 9,3x62 - it's a great cartridge

Erik

Pete,

You need to be aware that brass may need a bit of pre-ordering if you are not to have the potential for a long wait.

RSD do generaly carry it but there is no guarentee and the shipment times for Lapua can be long if you just miss one.

I do have the details of a reputable source of factory once fired should you need it.

I would not reccomend RWS brass in 9.3 as it is terribly thin necked and has trouble holding onto those heavy bullets under recoil. Lapua is fantastic and cheaper.

Norma 232gr Vulkans are great for deer, lesser in recoil and very accurate with VVN135 for around 2,600fps. Cheapest is the 270gr speer which also works well on deer.

I have a set of barely used redding 9.3x62 dies for sale if you want (I also have a set of lee dies custom made for my chamber)

1894,



I would be very interested in the Redding dies, drop me a PM with what you want for them.



I guessed getting brass maybe a problem but I am in desperate rush as yet. Last Thursday, North Wales Police told me that my FAC was due for signing tomorrow, Tuesday,( yeah right!) when the civvie Firearms officer comes back off leave but until I actually get the Variation signed, I am not ordering my rifle. Call me cynical, but I have heard too many horror stories about variations ect to trust the Police. Once its is signed, I will also start pursuing brass and components.



Another potential problem occured to me today, in that my press may not be tall enough for the 9.3x62mm. Its an old castiron RCBS model with a handle and lever arrangement quite unlike the present Rockchucker. The O frame is 75mm deep by 95mm tall and I know the modern Rockchuckers are quite a bit bigger than that...I need to dig out my reloading manual and check the cartridge over all length. As it is used in standard length actions, i am hoping that my press will be ok...



Regards,



Pete

I usuallyuse these loads:

286 grs bullets Vithavuori Oy N135 56 grs max
N140 57 grs max
N540 57 grs max
293 grs bullets Vithavuori Oy N135 54 grs max

I use Vithavuori Oy powders because are easy to find in Italy. I tested all the max loads and I did not find Over pressure signs on primers.

bye

Pete, If your press will handle 270 or 30-06 it will load 9.3x62. I feel sorry for England when I hear some of your gun-owner horror stories.....DJ

DJ,

I guess we are used to the red tape to a degree. Usually most problems can be worked out with the local Firearms Lisencing Dept, but the mojor problem is that things can drag on time wise.

The good news about the UK is that i can hunt deer 365 days a year and not have to bother with tags or draws! Plus we have 5 species of deer plus some feral goat and a growing population of wild boar! Not bad for an small island witha population of over 54 million people squeezed in!

Regards,

Pete

1894,

Below is a picture of my existing press and it looks to be about half the size of the new Rock Chucker



Its been ok for .223Rem and .308Win but I am not sure it will be upto handling the 9.3x62mm, but I guess I will see.

The other goodnews is that my ticket came back all ok and I have finally ordered the CZ550 American! Can't wait for it to come in!

Regards,

Pete

Pete,



Your press looks like the press I used for about 30 years. I bought it in 1974 and I just recently sold it to a friend. Anyway, if it's the same press, mine handled .30-06, 9.3x62 length (2.5 inch / 63mm approximate) cartridges just fine. I even loaded .375 H&H length (2.8 inch) cartridges on it. Yours may have a smaller opening than mine did but it sure looks like the same press that I had. What does it say on the frame opposite to the side that has RCBS on it? Just curious....



In an earlier post, you said that the opening was 95mm tall. Let's see now... Metric system for a Yank... Okay...divide by 42, multiply by pi, add 5 tons, subtract 3 gallons and the magic answer is 3.74 inches. Yep, your press should handle the 9.3x62 case just fine.



-Bob F.

Pete,
I've got the same press and reload 9,3x62 on it. It's called Reloader special or 5 or something. I use RCBS Standard dies. No problem with those. Once and again I also do some crimping with the Lee factory crimp die. Since this die extends into the frame opening I have to unscrew the die a bit, insert a cartridge, screw the die in, crimp, unscrew the die a bit (about two turns),and so on.
I for myself see no reason to buy a bigger and expensive press to reload the 9,3x62.

Have fun
Ronron

Pete,
It is enough, I reload 9.3x62 with a Lee Hand press without big troubles.
bye

Bob,

As moderator of the European forum I have to give you an offical warning for using "imperial" weights and measures...heck do you guys call them "imperial" or is that too "British"? And were those British or American gallons you were refering too? And we won't even get into shoe sizies!

With regards, my press it has "RS" stamped on the other side of the frame to "RCBS"...The consenses on the relaoding forum is that its an old RCBS Junior but I take it that RS could stand for "Reloader Special"???

Regards,

Pete

To everybody else,

Thanks for your imput. I never ceases what a great bunch of people we get on the European Forum in particular and AR in general and i wish to thank everybody for taking the time and trouble to help, not just this thread, but on all of them,

Thanks again,

Pete