9.3X62 for Cape Buffalo?

I bought a Rigby Highland Stalker in 9.3x62 for my wife’s first buffalo hunt. We had a proper hunt in the Zambezi valley. She killed her buff with a single shot the morning of the 4th day. It’s a great rifle in a classic caliber. I am amazed at how much less recoil it has vs my .375.
 
IMG_0692.JPG


A pic of the Rigby with its’ first buff.
 
I also have shot some buffalos with a similar cartridge , in this case the 9,3x74R cartridge and FMJ bullets.

With a adequate bullet and a perfect first shot placement it was not a problem.

But if something goes wrong , and the more you hunt the greater the risk , i would rather have something bigger.

I am new to the forum and don't want to shock anyone , but that's why i have shot all my buffalos in recent years with the cartridge 460WM. Surely you are as client assisted by a PH overgunned with it , but when you are alone it's a good backup.

IMHO cartridges caliber 416 are ideal for buffalo hunting.
 
I also have shot some buffalos with a similar cartridge , in this case the 9,3x74R cartridge and FMJ bullets.

With a adequate bullet and a perfect first shot placement it was not a problem.

But if something goes wrong , and the more you hunt the greater the risk , i would rather have something bigger.

I am new to the forum and don't want to shock anyone , but that's why i have shot all my buffalos in recent years with the cartridge 460WM. Surely you are as client assisted by a PH overgunned with it , but when you are alone it's a good backup.

IMHO cartridges caliber 416 are ideal for buffalo hunting.

I don’t disagree. Personally I use a .458 Lott as did my PH on this hunt. However, the 9.3x62 was a much better choice for my wife and worked very well. As noted, she did have two .458 Lott’s backing her up which proved unnecessary.
 
I also have shot some buffalos with a similar cartridge , in this case the 9,3x74R cartridge and FMJ bullets.

With a adequate bullet and a perfect first shot placement it was not a problem.

But if something goes wrong , and the more you hunt the greater the risk , i would rather have something bigger.

I am new to the forum and don't want to shock anyone , but that's why i have shot all my buffalos in recent years with the cartridge 460WM. Surely you are as client assisted by a PH overgunned with it , but when you are alone it's a good backup.

IMHO cartridges caliber 416 are ideal for buffalo hunting.
Nice to meet you , Kurpfalzjager :) I wholeheartedly agree with you. I use the .375 HH Magnum on Australian Water Buffalo myself. The ones l killed till now was done with a Winchester Model 70 . The ones in the future will be killed by my .375 HH Magnum BRNO ZKK - 602 . I used 300 grain Kynoch Round nosed full patch solids . In the future , l will use Swift A frames. I made an observation similar to yours. Being backed by a PH with heavy artillery ( or in my case , a childhood friend carrying a .470 Nitro Express Double Rifle ) is certainly reassuring when you're going after these Bovines with anything less than a .400 .
If l was going after these things alone , l would opt for a .505 Gibbs loaded with 600 grain Woodleigh FMJ Round nosed solids ( from Norma ) .
Your choice , the .460 Weatherby is a fascinating one. Is yours a Weatherby Mark V ? I used to have great admiration for this weapon , but alongside jamming , l found that Factory .460 Weatherby Ammunition , loaded with 500 grain Hornady Meplat Full metal Jacket solids , tended to shatter quite a few times instead of penetrating well.
Do you handload ? I would imagine a 500 grain Cutting Edge Monolithic meplat brass Solid would work nicely on Buffalo without the problem of shattering.
 
OT, but personally I think any 500grn quality bonded bullet will have a hard time staying intact at the .460Weatherby velocities +2600FPS when encountering heavy bone on buffalo (I wouldn't think of mentioning Hornady DGX in the same sentence as DG )

The 9.3 though is a capable & lovely caliber when used sensibly. It probably shouldn't be considered a charge stopping caliber but neither a .375 imo
No disrespect to either of the calibers (or more to the followers) but I'm sure anyone would feel a little more confident with an accurate .400 and up in the hands when after wounded DG in the thick stuff.
 
With a "Bockbüchsflinte" 12/70-9,3x74R i shot Water Buffalos in Malaysia. It is not the first choice for a Buffalo hunt , but there was nothing else. Otherwise i also have shot Buffalos in Africa with other cartridges.

My rifle caliber 460WM is a old one built in the seventies on a Brevex Mauser action.

I tried to use factory loads , but that was not ideal by hot climate. I use only handloads , earlier the classic 500gr Interbond or FMJ bullets from Hornady. The 500gr Interbond bullet was not bad , but it worked irregularly , sometimes i had a exit hole , sometimes not. In the recent years i switched to the 500gr PP bullet from Woodleigh.

Don't forget that in all cases , also with big bores , you need a perfect shot placement that everything goes well. The difference is that you have power reserves when something goes wrong.
 
With a "Bockbüchsflinte" 12/70-9,3x74R i shot Water Buffalos in Malaysia. It is not the first choice for a Buffalo hunt , but there was nothing else. Otherwise i also have shot Buffalos in Africa with other cartridges.

My rifle caliber 460WM is a old one built in the seventies on a Brevex Mauser action.

I tried to use factory loads , but that was not ideal by hot climate. I use only handloads , earlier the classic 500gr Interbond or FMJ bullets from Hornady. The 500gr Interbond bullet was not bad , but it worked irregularly , sometimes i had a exit hole , sometimes not. In the recent years i switched to the 500gr PP bullet from Woodleigh.

Don't forget that in all cases , also with big bores , you need a perfect shot placement that everything goes well. The difference is that you have power reserves when something goes wrong.
Ooo , Brevex actions are so sought after. If l ever have a .460 Weatherby Magnum again , l will opt for one built on a BRNO ZKK - 602 action loaded with 500 grain Cutting Edge Monolithic meplat brass Solids :)
 
OT, but personally I think any 500grn quality bonded bullet will have a hard time staying intact at the .460Weatherby velocities +2600FPS when encountering heavy bone on buffalo (I wouldn't think of mentioning Hornady DGX in the same sentence as DG )

The 9.3 though is a capable & lovely caliber when used sensibly. It probably shouldn't be considered a charge stopping caliber but neither a .375 imo
No disrespect to either of the calibers (or more to the followers) but I'm sure anyone would feel a little more confident with an accurate .400 and up in the hands when after wounded DG in the thick stuff.
I agree with your observations :) So sad to see Hornady bullets deteriorate in quality so much. As a kid , Hornady was all l grew up near .
 
OT, but personally I think any 500grn quality bonded bullet will have a hard time staying intact at the .460Weatherby velocities +2600FPS when encountering heavy bone on buffalo (I wouldn't think of mentioning Hornady DGX in the same sentence as DG )

The 9.3 though is a capable & lovely caliber when used sensibly. It probably shouldn't be considered a charge stopping caliber but neither a .375 imo
No disrespect to either of the calibers (or more to the followers) but I'm sure anyone would feel a little more confident with an accurate .400 and up in the hands when after wounded DG in the thick stuff.
I think the same as you Jaws.
 
OT, but personally I think any 500grn quality bonded bullet will have a hard time staying intact at the .460Weatherby velocities +2600FPS when encountering heavy bone on buffalo (I wouldn't think of mentioning Hornady DGX in the same sentence as DG )

The 9.3 though is a capable & lovely caliber when used sensibly. It probably shouldn't be considered a charge stopping caliber but neither a .375 imo
No disrespect to either of the calibers (or more to the followers) but I'm sure anyone would feel a little more confident with an accurate .400 and up in the hands when after wounded DG in the thick stuff.

Sensibly is the correct word, though it applies to any caliber, and hunting in general, IMO. Having a big 400 or 500 is only effective IF the hunter can handle it, and lets be honest in saying that many people can't. 9.3x62, 375 H&H, 458 Lott, 460 Weatherby, etc. are all fine calibers that have all taken a lot of game in Africa, and worldwide, but the correct choice is the one the hunter can handle effectively, most importantly on the first shot.

I've not been to Africa yet, going this coming February, however I've hunted big browns and they are high up on the ladder of nasty DG. Can't think of anything I'd rather not have to face than a pissed off big brown. Have used a 338 win mag for bear hunts and never felt under-gunned, dropped each with one shot. Next bear trip, however, my Mauser M12 Max 9.3x62 is going to be my choice as I've quickly become very efficient with this rifle. It's a dream to carry, carries a big punch with a 286-300 grain bullet at the distances I'm shooting, is very accurate, is quicker than my 338 win mag to cycle follow up shots, carries 5+1 rounds, and doesn't kick the crap out of me when fired. I'm going to be buying a Blaser 375 H&H for DG hunting in Africa, but only so I'm "legal" per their laws, but if I could use my 9.3 I wouldn't hesitate to do so (.366 vs .375 caliber isn't enough to worry about IMO with quality ammo).

Now I know some are going to start with the bigger is better thing, and while I appreciate that to a certain degree, let's look at this in context. I'm not hunting solo, don't even do that in the States, or anywhere else for that matter. In Africa I'm hunting with a Professional Hunter (PH) who is well versed/practiced in stopping caliber/power rifles, is carrying one as my back up, and knows his shot placements. My 9.3x62, or the upcoming 375 H&H, is plenty of rifle for me as the client as either will drop buffs or big cats, if I'm proficient with them, and the PH has a stopping power rifle ready in the event I make an ass of myself and take bad shots. I'll probably hunt Africa 2-4 times during my lifetime, if I'm lucky, so see no sensible/practical reason to invest the money nor the time required to become proficient with one of these big bore rifles, that's the PH's job. The 9.3x62 and the 375 H&H are useful anywhere, the big bores not as much. No disrespect at all to those that want to invest their money and time in the big bores, they are really cool after all, but don't see the big bores as a necessity within the context of how most folks are going to hunt in Africa.
 
Sensibly is the correct word, though it applies to any caliber, and hunting in general, IMO. Having a big 400 or 500 is only effective IF the hunter can handle it, and lets be honest in saying that many people can't. 9.3x62, 375 H&H, 458 Lott, 460 Weatherby, etc. are all fine calibers that have all taken a lot of game in Africa, and worldwide, but the correct choice is the one the hunter can handle effectively, most importantly on the first shot.

I've not been to Africa yet, going this coming February, however I've hunted big browns and they are high up on the ladder of nasty DG. Can't think of anything I'd rather not have to face than a pissed off big brown. Have used a 338 win mag for bear hunts and never felt under-gunned, dropped each with one shot. Next bear trip, however, my Mauser M12 Max 9.3x62 is going to be my choice as I've quickly become very efficient with this rifle. It's a dream to carry, carries a big punch with a 286-300 grain bullet at the distances I'm shooting, is very accurate, is quicker than my 338 win mag to cycle follow up shots, carries 5+1 rounds, and doesn't kick the crap out of me when fired. I'm going to be buying a Blaser 375 H&H for DG hunting in Africa, but only so I'm "legal" per their laws, but if I could use my 9.3 I wouldn't hesitate to do so (.366 vs .375 caliber isn't enough to worry about IMO with quality ammo).

Now I know some are going to start with the bigger is better thing, and while I appreciate that to a certain degree, let's look at this in context. I'm not hunting solo, don't even do that in the States, or anywhere else for that matter. In Africa I'm hunting with a Professional Hunter (PH) who is well versed/practiced in stopping caliber/power rifles, is carrying one as my back up, and knows his shot placements. My 9.3x62, or the upcoming 375 H&H, is plenty of rifle for me as the client as either will drop buffs or big cats, if I'm proficient with them, and the PH has a stopping power rifle ready in the event I make an ass of myself and take bad shots. I'll probably hunt Africa 2-4 times during my lifetime, if I'm lucky, so see no sensible/practical reason to invest the money nor the time required to become proficient with one of these big bore rifles, that's the PH's job. The 9.3x62 and the 375 H&H are useful anywhere, the big bores not as much. No disrespect at all to those that want to invest their money and time in the big bores, they are really cool after all, but don't see the big bores as a necessity within the context of how most folks are going to hunt in Africa.
Fastrig, I'm not sure where you are planning to hunt, but I wouldn't run out and buy a .375 without checking with your PH on the 9.3x62 first. It is legal in some countries for buffalo and cats. My 9.3x62 is firing a 286 gr Swift A-Frame at 2450 fps. My .375 H&H is firing a 300 gr Swift A-Frame at 2550 fps. I struggle to believe that a buffalo is going to notice any difference. As stated earlier, the 9.3x62 worked extremely well on my wife's buffalo. If I had a 9.3 and was buying a second rifle for buffalo I would probably make a bigger step up than a .375, but there may be other factors influencing your decision. Have fun planning your trip!
 
Fastrig, I'm not sure where you are planning to hunt, but I wouldn't run out and buy a .375 without checking with your PH on the 9.3x62 first. It is legal in some countries for buffalo and cats. My 9.3x62 is firing a 286 gr Swift A-Frame at 2450 fps. My .375 H&H is firing a 300 gr Swift A-Frame at 2550 fps. I struggle to believe that a buffalo is going to notice any difference. As stated earlier, the 9.3x62 worked extremely well on my wife's buffalo. If I had a 9.3 and was buying a second rifle for buffalo I would probably make a bigger step up than a .375, but there may be other factors influencing your decision. Have fun planning your trip!

Thanks, and I will definitely do that. I originality bought the 9.3x62 as a bush gun for Africa but the more I use it the more I'm convinced it's one of the best all-arounder rifles out there for pretty much any hunting I do (check the Optics section later this weekend as I just re-scoped it and will be posting pictures). Red Legs gave me a lot of advice about committing to the big bores, 404J is where I was going, as his experience was that the 375 H&H was more than enough for anything I'd be going after, and he's 100% correct after I thought it all through. The 9.3x62 and 375 H&H are so close to each other that I normally wouldn't even consider getting the 375 H&H but I want to hunt SA and a couple of other countries and know the 375 H&H is legal in all of them where the 9.3x62 is not. It's also a good excuse to get the Blaser R8 I'm itching for :) Will probably us the 9.3x62 with its laminate stock for Alaska and the 375 H&H with a wood stock for Africa, and flip a coin on which to take for everything else :) Now I'm trying to decide which of my other bolt rifles to keep, if any outside of my dad's 30-06, and which to sell.....wife will like it if I clear out a few, LOL.
 
My goodness.....that rifle....

I have some pretty nice rifles but the Rigby has quickly become a favorite. It weighs just under 8 pounds bare but is very easy to shoot. It is shooting close to 1/2 moa with 286 gr A-Frames at 2450 fps.

In addition to the buff my wife took, I used it to harvest eland, nyala and warthog. The eland was a 300 yd shot off sticks, which took out the top of the heart.

I find the 9.3x62 very interesting. It reminds me of the 7x57, far more terminal performance than the felt recoil would lead you to expect.
 
I have some pretty nice rifles but the Rigby has quickly become a favorite. It weighs just under 8 pounds bare but is very easy to shoot. It is shooting close to 1/2 moa with 286 gr A-Frames at 2450 fps.

In addition to the buff my wife took, I used it to harvest eland, nyala and warthog. The eland was a 300 yd shot off sticks, which took out the top of the heart.

I find the 9.3x62 very interesting. It reminds me of the 7x57, far more terminal performance than the felt recoil would lead you to expect.
Nice rifle and I agree with 7x57 and 9.3x62 as punching more than recoil would let us believe.
 
when I load my 9.3x64 to 9.3x62 levels it is clearly more shootable than when I load it flat out.
when I load it flat out, it has proven equal to the 375 shooting side by side on camels.
so I can have the ballistics of either a x62 or a 375.
the only difference I can tell is in point blank range and killing power further out.
equal to 375 loads do take the emphatic death thing further out than the x 62 loads.
I would suggest that if you are shooting out to 250 yds, the x62 will do as good a job as the 375 out to that range, but the 375 will still do that job in killing power out to 300.
I have never shot african buffalo, but I would not hesitate to use a 9.3 x 62 with 286 gn swifts.
that next level down in recoil from the 9.3X64/375 is noticeable, and when you are tired and flies are in your eyes the recoil reduction just makes finer shooting easier. (and sighting in too)
here in the oz desert, flatter trajectory is a big asset at times, and stalking up really close can sometimes be hard in the sandhills.
out in the open like that the 375 will have a point blank edge on the x62 if you need it.
in fact if I were hunting less than 150 yds all the time, the x 62 might have an advantage over the 375 where legal for buff.
bruce.
 
when I load my 9.3x64 to 9.3x62 levels it is clearly more shootable than when I load it flat out.
when I load it flat out, it has proven equal to the 375 shooting side by side on camels.
so I can have the ballistics of either a x62 or a 375.
the only difference I can tell is in point blank range and killing power further out.
equal to 375 loads do take the emphatic death thing further out than the x 62 loads.
I would suggest that if you are shooting out to 250 yds, the x62 will do as good a job as the 375 out to that range, but the 375 will still do that job in killing power out to 300.
I have never shot african buffalo, but I would not hesitate to use a 9.3 x 62 with 286 gn swifts.
that next level down in recoil from the 9.3X64/375 is noticeable, and when you are tired and flies are in your eyes the recoil reduction just makes finer shooting easier. (and sighting in too)
here in the oz desert, flatter trajectory is a big asset at times, and stalking up really close can sometimes be hard in the sandhills.
out in the open like that the 375 will have a point blank edge on the x62 if you need it.
in fact if I were hunting less than 150 yds all the time, the x 62 might have an advantage over the 375 where legal for buff.
bruce.
I agree with you "bruce moulds".
 
9,3 x62 is very good for dangerous game. I use cartridges from RWS with bullet TUG Brenneke 19g ( 293 gr ) and 5200J energy.
Witold
Witold what rifle are you shooting these from?What is the sighting system? My eyes have a hard time making out v notch so I had my V widened out to an express sight. My eyes have an easier time centering that.
 
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