9,3 mm 258 gr RWS H-Mantel

[Clodo Ferreira]

Hello,

A few days ago I got some old 25 bullet boxes of 9,3 mm 258 gr H-Mantel. By the way, RWS always made only one weight H-Mantel in the calibers they offered this bullet.
I have used, a lot, the 7 mm H-Mantel version, 173 gr, with almost unmatched performance in wild boars and Red Deer from 7x57 and 7x64 rifles.
Have any of you used this 258 9,3 mm H-Mantel? Y don´t think it would differ in performance in the same, or bigger, game animals. Will try them in the 9,3x62 the next coming Red Deer rutting season!

CF

 

[Scrumbag]

Great bullets by reputation! Do you have load data?

 

[Clodo Ferreira]

Hello Scrumbag,

I have some. With R15 and W748. Do you have any to share? Thank you!

CF

 

[Scrumbag]

Clodo, I will send you some by PM.

Best wishes,

Scrummy

 

[Scrumbag]

CF, you should now have it. Let me know if it comes through or not.

Scrummy

 

[Clodo Ferreira]

Thank you very much, Srumbag! When I said I had some with R15 and W 748, I was referring loads I developed myself. With various 250 gr bullets.
Best Regards!

CF

 

[Scrumbag]

Thank you very much, Srumbag! When I said I had some with R15 and W 748, I was referring loads I developed myself. With various 250 gr bullets.
Best Regards!

CF

My pleasure my friend. Happy loading and shooting!

 

[Clodo Ferreira]

Thank you again! And it is my pleasure too!

Best!

CF

 

[Scrumbag]

Thank you again! And it is my pleasure too!

Best!

CF

Do let us know how you get on. I'm currently investigating a load for a 9.3x62 and Nosler 250gr Accubond with RS52 powder I think. Should get the accubond into 2500 fps and isn't a very "hot" powder so kind to my older barrel

 

[Clodo Ferreira]

Well, Scrumbag, I started my loads development based in other´s works, published in reloading books and magazines.

My components:
Rifle: BRNO ZKK 600 with 60 cm barrel length
Cases NORMA and RWS as my main ones. Also tried SAKO and Remington. The NORMA, SAKO and Remington have roughly the same capacity and behavior. The RWS I have are the last ones with big letters, noticeable heavier than the older ones, or the lots with smaller letters. I use 1 gr less powder with them for the same velocity.
Primers: with the three lighter (N, S, and R) I use CCI 250. With the RWS I use WLR primers, the ones with blue containers. That´s because the CCI 250 are too tight in the primer housing of my RWS cases. As that WLR primers are slightly smaller in diameter, they are a perfect match for the RWS cases.
The bullets I tried were:
Barnes TTSX and TSX
Hornady GMX
Nosler Accubond
Also tried a box of 50 of Sierra 250 grs .375" sized to .366".
Being the BRNO ZKK magazine length almost 89 mm, plus the loooong C.I.P. standard 9,3x62 free bore, I use a much longer non standard OAL for my cartridges with those bullets. Anyway, the maximum OAL I use is determined by the full contact of the case neck with the bullet. The rather short neck of the 9,3x62, less than 1 caliber, needs all that full contact with the bullet, for my like.

With R15 my final load for all bullets is 62 grs for around 2600 p/s. I tried 63 grs for around 2650 without any issue but feel more confortable with the first one.
With W748 I use the same 62 grs load for, practically, the same velocity and, presumably, similar pressures.

As Forrest Gump used to say "that's all I have to say about it"...
Best!

CF

 

[Clodo Ferreira]

Ah, and about the H-Mantel 258 grs I will start with 59 or 60 grs of either of this powder. With the goal to reach a load for the same safe maximum velocity as with the 250s I tried.

CF

 

[Scrumbag]

CF, that sounds good. I wish you the best of luck and let us know what works.

Scrummy

 

[Rabbit366]

Hello,

A few days ago I got some old 25 bullet boxes of 9,3 mm 258 gr H-Mantel. By the way, RWS always made only one weight H-Mantel in the calibers they offered this bullet.
I have used, a lot, the 7 mm H-Mantel version, 173 gr, with almost unmatched performance in wild boars and Red Deer from 7x57 and 7x64 rifles.
Have any of you used this 258 9,3 mm H-Mantel? Y don´t think it would differ in performance in the same, or bigger, game animals. Will try them in the 9,3x62 the next coming Red Deer rutting season!

CF

 

[Rabbit366]

Good morning
I have used the 9.3 h-mantel in a custom caliber that runs 3100 fps. It by far is one of the most devastating rounds I have ever shot. It breaks bone and shreads internals. i have had elk run a few yards but they just didn’t realize they were dead!! Looking for some ballistic data if you have any would be greatly appreciated. Thanks

 

[MS 9x56]

I have always wanted to try the H mantel bullets but have never found any in USA. Anyone know where they may be purchased in US, either loaded or as component bullets?

 

[Foxi]

A -German- development in the 30ies
This bullet had passed its zenith in the 80s at the latest.
I don't know any hunter who still shoots it, if it were still available.
It was considered very

precise
effective
fragmentation grenade.

H- stands for hollow point, sometimes covered, sometimes open.
It was a hollow point copper bullet with different cores
Too expensive to produce to compete in the market.
The modified version is today the SPEED TIP PROFESSIONAL bullet by RWS.

Hope it helps a little for understanding,but Im no bullet-enigneur,just a simple hunter since over 40 years.
Foxi

 

[Foxi]

 

[medvedhunting]

the h mantel was forbidden to use in our hunting association in france for driven ones. the reason is of course huge fragmentation that can baddly hit a dog.

 

[K95]

Back in the 80’s I used a lot of German gear, I guess I started my big game hunting with help from the importer here in Australia . Dieter introduced me to things like Mauser 66 rifles , Zeiss scopes and puma knives, all high quality products along with RWS ammunition. Calibers then we’re the 5.6 x57 7x64, 8x68, and the 9.3 x 62. These were loaded with cone points,
H -mantels, Tigs, and Tugs. I hunted all over the world with these bullets. I can honestly say I have never lost or had to track an animal with these projectiles, but I found them all a bit soft and fragmental. One of these bullets in the chest cavity of your animal never stepped out of its tracks. The problem was lack of penetration on large game. They’re great for what they were designed for, hunting European game . Even the Tug bullet which is the toughest, on recovery will have lost its entire frontal section. I remember shooting a very large Alaskan moose with H - mantels in the 8 x 68 three times before he fell over. It never took a step after the first shot, I just didn’t want to take any chances knowing how soft they were. On butchering the moose there was no substantial remains of any of the three bullets, just .fragments of lead and jackets. A Tug would have performed better, but my experience is they are similar to a Nosler partition loosing up to 45 % of its original weight.

 

[medvedhunting]

i used tug on roe deer in 9.3 and they did not expand ... on a side note with moose there is a big problem when you shoot them most of the time they re not getting the memo they are dead and thus you shoot more and more but not needed ...