9.3x62mm vs. .375 H&H Mag

[sgt_zim]

sgt_zim - I noticed in GRT with the latest nightly build that the default case volume setting for the 9.3x62mm is 78 gr. H2O. However, in the Swift II manual it's stated as "about" 75 gr. H2O. Regardless which brass is used, that is still quite a difference in case capacity.

Which in your opinion, is likely more correct?

TIA

Pretty sure I measured my Norma brass, once fired, at 76. I'd have to dig out my notes.

 

[112Savage]

Pretty sure I measured my Norma brass, once fired, at 76. I'd have to dig out my notes.

I’ve measured both Privi brass and Lapua brass at 76gr on fired cases. My dies reshape the shoulder consistently more than I would like so (0.452”->0.445”)it decreases capacity when I FL size, but even so, you can fit 67gr of RL17 into the case with a 285gr Norma Alaska. Also 66gr of RS Big Game is easy to fit under a 286gr Partition.

 

[oldfart009]

I was able to make a trip to Africa in 2012 where I used my .35 Whelen on 4 of the 8 animals I took. The PH I was with toted a Husqvarna 9.3x62. We compared the merits of the 2 cartridges and at the time a .35 made more sense for me due to the availability of bullets. The 9.3 seems to have taken off a bit since then and sometimes I think about grabbing one.

A few years before that I was able to talk to Chub Eastman, who wrote for some magazines on hunting cartridges. When my .35 Whelen came up, he immediately asked if I’d ever thought about the 9.3x62. At the time I had never heard of it but he had apparently seen how capable it was over in Africa.

I have all the guns I’ll ever need but you guys keep talking about the 9.3 and I may dip into my daughters inheritance!!!

 

[sgt_zim]

64.5 gr H-4350. Very, very accurate and no pressure signs. However It’s heavily compressed, which I don’t like. I am working up loads with RL-17 to see if I can duplicate the performance without the compression.

Keep us updated on how the RL17 LD goes.

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

I was able to make a trip to Africa in 2012 where I used my .35 Whelen on 4 of the 8 animals I took. The PH I was with toted a Husqvarna 9.3x62. We compared the merits of the 2 cartridges and at the time a .35 made more sense for me due to the availability of bullets. The 9.3 seems to have taken off a bit since then and sometimes I think about grabbing one.

A few years before that I was able to talk to Chub Eastman, who wrote for some magazines on hunting cartridges. When my .35 Whelen came up, he immediately asked if I’d ever thought about the 9.3x62. At the time I had never heard of it but he had apparently seen how capable it was over in Africa.

I have all the guns I’ll ever need but you guys keep talking about the 9.3 and I may dip into my daughters inheritance!!!

@oldfart009
How did the Whelen go in Africa and what load did you use.
Bob

 

[oldfart009]

225 accubond

 

[sgt_zim]

I emailed Hornady yesterday about LD for 9.3 WRT MAP.

Their response was they use the SAAMI spec of 57500 PSI.

Probably only relevant for those with QL or GRT, but that's what they use. I think it's a safe bet that the rest of them use that number as well.

 

[PARA45]

I was able to make a trip to Africa in 2012 where I used my .35 Whelen on 4 of the 8 animals I took. The PH I was with toted a Husqvarna 9.3x62. We compared the merits of the 2 cartridges and at the time a .35 made more sense for me due to the availability of bullets. The 9.3 seems to have taken off a bit since then and sometimes I think about grabbing one.

A few years before that I was able to talk to Chub Eastman, who wrote for some magazines on hunting cartridges. When my .35 Whelen came up, he immediately asked if I’d ever thought about the 9.3x62. At the time I had never heard of it but he had apparently seen how capable it was over in Africa.

I have all the guns I’ll ever need but you guys keep talking about the 9.3 and I may dip into my daughters inheritance!!!

@oldfart009, it's your money and you worked hard for it, get yourself a 9.3 and call it a day.

 

[Cam Moon]

I have an "extra" 9.3X62 that maybe I should sell. But I live in Alberta Canada.

 

[Mopani]

Contrary to popular belief that .375 H& H is the minimum calibre for class A game in Zimbabwe (elephant, buffalo and hippo) the 9.3 is perfectly legal without having to over-load it and the current RWS 293 grain TUG load safely meets the minimum energy requirements. More and more people are re-discovering that the 9.3 is a great allround rifle. For the man who occasionally gets to shoot a buffalo or elephant, and spends most of his time hunting kudu, eland, etc, the 9.3 makes an awful lot of sense.



The recoil is not excessive, nor the meat damage so severe as to make it an unreasonable choice for game as small as impala, so its owner might as well use it on everything. This makes a great deal more sense than doing most of your hunting with a small or medium bore rifle, and then having to change to a different rifle, often with a longer bolt throw for that once every two or three year buffalo hunt. Beware of the hunter who only uses one rifle; he usually knows it intimately, where it shoots at longer ranges and generally is not the originator of stuff-ups and wounded game. Loaded with good bullets the 9.3 will give the same terminal performances as a .375 and do it without the sharper recoil/ longer action/ greater weight of its modern replacement. With regard to bullet choice, when I first obtained my 9.3 I had a choice of RWSTUG’s or pre WWII Kynoch solids for buffalo hunting. Not trusting the old Kynoch ammo I stuck to the new RWS stuff and have been very impressed.



In summary then, the 9.3 is a bit of an overkill on dassies, and a bit short on horsepower for a Tyrannosaurus, but on everything inbetween it is as perfectly adequate today as it was in 1905.



– Hunter's Guide to Classic African Cartridges von Charlie Haley and Dr. Don 'Ganyana' Heath .

Hunter's Guide to Classic African Cartridges (The Hunter's Guide Series Book 2)

Quote shared via Kindle: "In summary then, the 9.3 is a bit of an overkill on dassies, and a bit short on horsepower for a Tyrannosaurus, but on everything inbetween it is as perfectly adequate today as it was in 1905."

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[rookhawk]

My 11 year old hunts dangerous game with a 375HH. In addition to making the gun a reasonably heavy 10.5lbs scoped, we loaded it to effectively match the 9.3x62 ballistics. It worked wonderfully for all the large plains game and for a trophy croc. We won’t hesitate to use the same setup for anything including elephant.

67gr of 4895 with a nosler 260gr soft or solid at 2400fps is pretty much turning a 375HH into a 9.3x62. It’s a very controllable weapon, even in the hands of a 100lb experienced hunter.

 

[Nhoro]

GRT seems to be a bit off on pressures, though.

I use GRT as well. I was reloading for my 458 Lott with an experienced reloader. GRT was way off on velocity as compered to the Labradar. So I submitted my actual measured velocities to them through the reporting mechanism in the app. And the next update adjusted the pressures and velocities. So the less common calibres (bigger) don't have a lot of data and they obviously are cautious. GRT was predicting much higher pressures and about 170 fps higher velocity, and predicting my loads were way over pressure. But actual results were nicely rounded primers and no pressure signs.

 

[Milan]

I have an "extra" 9.3X62 that maybe I should sell. But I live in Alberta Canada.

Hmmm. Same here. I have a "project" Husquarna 98 that will never see being worked on. Was gonna put it into a stock I had from another trade. Now would just prefer it went to someone else. But keeping mu other 9.3. Great round for Alberta bush IMO.

 

[Cam Moon]

@Milan Is that because there's no such thing as too many? LOL

 

[Milan]

@Milan Is that because there's no such thing as too many? LOL

It's more because of lack of discipline....

 

[Cam Moon]

What I often say......
It's only an auction if you're trying to quit.

 

[Cam Moon]

What I often say......
It's only an auction if you're trying to quit.

Actually, I NEVER say that.... but apparently the autocorrect on my phone didn't know that. Addiction...Not auction!
It's only an addiction if you're trying to quit!

 

[Milan]

What I often say......
It's only an auction if you're trying to quit.

Who says I want to quit? I would just like to get it under control.

 

[dougfinn]

Hmmm. Same here. I have a "project" Husquarna 98 that will never see being worked on. Was gonna put it into a stock I had from another trade. Now would just prefer it went to someone else. But keeping mu other 9.3. Great round for Alberta bush IMO.

I’m in the exact same boat. One is being cleaned up for hunting and the other is a sportier with a military M98 action with the stripper clip guide and thumb notch. Thought about building into something custom, but might just put it away while it goes up in value, and then I’ll sell it. Maybe.

 

[geoff rath]

I keep thinkin' along the lines of; what do we have in the gunroom/safe? Is/are they suitable for what we're hunting? Is it accurate enough? can we shot it well enough? do the bullets perform? ( a rare thing, these days)
If I could go back to Afrika, the temptation would be take the biggest/baddest rifle I had for everything. At the moment it's a 9.3X64, but a 416 of some sort is in the wind ....