On a slightly different track, has anyone tried any really light practice loads in 9.3x74. I have done this witha an old 9.3x72 drilling using 100 gr Makarov pistol bullets. There are some good small game bullets such as the Gold Dot which are available and work well if pushed at 1500fps or so. Didn't know if anyone had tried this in 9.3x74. Regulation of course would be an issue, but with a scope and one preferred barrel, it might be a good practice round. I believe this would be preferable to an insert and a FMJ Makarov pistol round. Ignition and the small powder charge are usually the problem.

I don't recall the exact load I worked up for the 9.3x72, but it should be a good starting point. I will dig it out of my notes when I get a chance. I think I used some of the listed 9.3x72 mild loads and substituted the lighter bullet.

Another option of course is to load the 9.3x72 bullet, but these are generally lead for the older guns, and I don't want to shoot lead in a modern barrel and mix with jacketed. I might try some of the thin jacketed 185(or so) bullets from Buffalo Brothers.

Need to correct the post above. It should say Buffalo Arms.

Checked on their list. They don't carry the lead bullet right now, but they do list the 193gr flat point hollow point for $28/50.

For practice, I may be tempted to try swaging 375 bullets. I needed .329 bullets for a military rifle, and bought one of the Lee swaging dies for about $20. It easily resized 338 X bullets to 329 in one pass and they shot great. Given everything from the 38-55 to the 375, there are a lot of 375 bullets out there which could be swaged down for practice ammo. A lot of the thin jacket light bullets sell 25 to 30 cents vs $1 for the premiums. They could really cut down on practice costs.

Always wanted to try as I have a couple of round tins of 193gr RWS soft point flat nose I thought might be nice for small game. Never did find any load data so never tried them. Unusual looking bulets with silver jackets that have a crimp groove and seem to step down just in front of groove. Have no idea what they were designed for.

They're for the 9.3X72R.
------------------------------------------------"Serious rifles have two barrels, everything else just burns gunpowder."

I had some succes with paper-patched .357 cast 170 gn. bullets (Lyman 358429) and a light load of 2400. The bullet diameter is increased from .356 to .369. This very light recoiling load keeps both bbls. of my double into 2-3" at 50 m (about 3x larger than full loads).

Norma has a factory load, or at least the did I have some, with the 193 grain Flat Point bullet.
Velocity is listed at 2887 fps/880m/s.
Energy 3569 ft/lbs, 4840 Joule.
I havenot shot any game with them.