9.3x62

[Hyde Hunter]

I recently picked up a J.P. Sauer Model 100 rifle in 9.3x62. It has a synthetic stock. I’ll post pictures once I get a scope mounted. It will probably be mid next week before I do so. Kinda excited, as this is my 1st rifle in this chambering.

I knew I would pick up this caliber one day! For probably 2 years, I’ve had reloading dies, brass, bullets, and a few boxes of PPU ammo already.

thread the barrel and put a 7 inch suppressor on it, still very light and great to shoot, mine loves 200 gr CEB Raptors 1/2 inch groups. But on this hunt I will use 210 gr CEB Raptors (special order now). In fact I am leaving for Africa tomorrow morning at 1:00 am for Atlanta and this rifle will be taking a bunch of culls and maybe a cow buff or might use my CZ550 in .458.

 

[BlueFlyer]

Stutzen indicated it was above us.

Getting warm now, Remi treed a 5' Goanna (top left corner) last weekend. 9.3X64B was not deployed on the Goanna. If they are out then the Eastern Browns will also be around. No more hunting with our beloved until May.

 

[John A Flaws]

I own two 9.3x62 rifles because it is such a wonder caliber. One is a Ruger M77 Hawkeye, while the second is a Commercial Mauser 98 Type B square bridge. The Mauser is a pre-war rifle manufactured in 1932. I paired the Mauser 9.3 next to an August Schuler Jumbo in one of the photos.

 

[Huvius]

I own two 9.3x62 rifles because it is such a wonder caliber. One is a Ruger M77 Hawkeye, while the second is a Commercial Mauser 98 Type B square bridge. The Mauser is a pre-war rifle manufactured in 1932. I paired the Mauser 9.3 next to an August Schuler Jumbo in one of the photos.

Ah yes…
A Schuler Jumbo and an Oberndorf 9.3.
Such a classic (not English) two gun big game battery could not be improved upon!

 

[Gert Odendaal]

I own two 9.3x62 rifles because it is such a wonder caliber. One is a Ruger M77 Hawkeye, while the second is a Commercial Mauser 98 Type B square bridge. The Mauser is a pre-war rifle manufactured in 1932. I paired the Mauser 9.3 next to an August Schuler Jumbo in one of the photos.

Beautiful rifles for sure

 

[Mizzou100]

I own two 9.3x62 rifles because it is such a wonder caliber. One is a Ruger M77 Hawkeye, while the second is a Commercial Mauser 98 Type B square bridge. The Mauser is a pre-war rifle manufactured in 1932. I paired the Mauser 9.3 next to an August Schuler Jumbo in one of the photos.

Beatiful rifles, the caliber is magic. Shot an elk last week at 120 yards through a thicket...dropped him.

 

[Clodo Ferreira]

I own two 9.3x62 rifles because it is such a wonder caliber. One is a Ruger M77 Hawkeye, while the second is a Commercial Mauser 98 Type B square bridge. The Mauser is a pre-war rifle manufactured in 1932. I paired the Mauser 9.3 next to an August Schuler Jumbo in one of the photos.

Hi John,

An Original pre WWII Mauser Commercial single trigger 9,3x62 has been and is one of my dreams!!!

 

[Mizzou100]

60 grains of Big Game powder

I buy the Buffalo Bore 250 gr barnes tsx, dont load it, and probably never will. The rifle and that cartridge has a "holy" place in my head. It has dropped a monster canadian elk at 160 yards, a 1,900lb eland at 331, a Nyalla at 168, a zebra at 228. None of them took a step, never recovered a bullet. The set up is confidence inspiring..

 

[ldmay375]

I buy the Buffalo Bore 250 gr barnes tsx, dont load it, and probably never will. The rifle and that cartridge has a "holy" place in my head. It has dropped a monster canadian elk at 160 yards, a 1,900lb eland at 331, a Nyalla at 168, a zebra at 228. None of them took a step, never recovered a bullet. The set up is confidence inspiring..

An impressive load with the 250 gr TSX.
His velocities in his rifles:
> 2,640 fps - JP Sauer & Sohn, 23 inch barrel
> 2,645 fps - Emil Kerner & Sohn, 23 inch barrel

 

[Daryl S]

Fair ballistics, just a bit short of Bob Nelson's .35 Whelen loads from a Speer manual. I don't understand it either. Except for the shoulder angle, the 9.3x62 is an Ackley Imp. case.
I still need to experiment with CFE223 in my 9.3x62s, but the cold weather is upon us. With the prevailing winds, just to cold to go shooting much, any more.

 

[ldmay375]

Fair ballistics, just a bit short of Bob Nelson's .35 Whelen loads from a Speer manual. I don't understand it either. Except for the shoulder angle, the 9.3x62 is an Ackley Imp. case.
I still need to experiment with CFE223 in my 9.3x62s, but the cold weather is upon us. With the prevailing winds, just to cold to go shooting much, any more.

From the Buffalo Bore write up on their 9.3x62 loads:

"Each of these loads is full power, but not high pressure, and stays within SAAMI pressure and dimension specs."

From what I located, at a spec'd COL of 3.291" and psi of 57,500, it has room for growth over specs in modern firearms.

 

[Mizzou100]

An impressive load with the 250 gr TSX.
His velocities in his rifles:
> 2,640 fps - JP Sauer & Sohn, 23 inch barrel
> 2,645 fps - Emil Kerner & Sohn, 23 inch barrel

2,621 fps in my ruger alaskan bush with a 20 inch barrel!! Variation over 12 rounds was a mere 7fps.

 

[Daryl S]

That's impressive from a 20"bl.
57,000PSI is the Euro limit. I don't think there is a SAAMI designation for it.
Weird, I googled it and G noted 57,000 for the SAAMI max, with the CIP max being a few less. The KWIK chart I had with all the Euro. & British Express Ctgs. had the 7x57, 8x57 and 9.3x62 all at 57,000 CIP max. & the 6.5x55 at 55,000. Maybe they rounded them?

 

[Daryl S]

Idmay375, you are correct. In any modern action (I would include most 98 actions and big Enfields) anything that could be chambered for the .270 Winchester, could run regular max pressures at 65,000psi same as those two ctgs., on that head size.

 

[ldmay375]

This is where I trailed the Buffalo Bore's SAAMI reference. I had only been aware of the CIP.

SAAMI Rifle Cartridge Catalog | The Ballistic Assistant

www.theballisticassistant.com

With a slightly shorter bullet of the same type and weight when compared to the .358's, loaded to the same COL, with slightly larger diameter, and slightly larger case capacity than the Whelen; loaded to the same psi, I cannot see the 9.3x62 being less capable of equal velocity.

The 2621 fps from the 20" Ruger with Buffalo Bore 250 gr TSX is pretty impressive at the shorter COL. Especially considering Speer #15's top 35 Whelen load with their 250 grain from a 24" at a COL of 3.340" is listed at 2709.

I just picked up one of the 9.3x62 20" Rugers. Currently waiting on dies, bullets (250 gr TTSX and TSX), and brass to arrive. So, I have been researching 250 gr loads a bit the past several days. I will see how it goes, but original thoughts were those bullets at ~2500-2550. Which would serve my intent for the cartridge, at what I expect would be very comfortable below max loads. I certainly have no issue with going for the maximum of a cartridge. But, I have .375's for more.

If in stock, plenty of different bullet weights and types to play with the 9.3x62.

 

[Daryl S]

As case capacities go, Pierce and Barnsness both state a 4gr. increase is supposed to yield a vel. of 100fps increase. That is with non-huge (poor efficiency) case capacities. However, much depends on the powders available and how they perform in that range of case capacities. This is VERY important.
The .35 Whelen is supposed to have a capacity of 65 to 67gr. filled to the case mouth depending on the make of brass. The Ack. Imp. version is noted to hold 72.77gr. of water in R-P brass.
Nosler brass holds more and is listed as, in Ack. Imp. form, holding 76.13gr. The standard 9.3x62 has, as I measured 3 MAKES of them, to the case mouth, 2 fired SAKO cases at 78gr., identical to my slightly oversized .375/06IMP with R-P and Fed. brass. My WW brass holds a couple grains more in my .375.

 

[Daryl S]

In 1905, Otto Bock designed and built the 9.3x62 on the model 98 Mauser action. The original ballistics were a 286gr. bullet, both soft and solid at 2,175fps. Writer and ivory hunter John Taylor wrote in African Rifles and Cartridges that in 1923, the ballistics of that round were raised to 2,340fps(IIRC), which in Taylor's words, was not necessary as it killed just fine with the original ballistics.
This is similar to the .375H&H in that the original ballistics were a 270gr. bullet at 2,600fps and the 300gr. at 2,400fps. What barrel lengths those ballistics were obtained from we likely will never know. Suffice to say that ctg. and rifle gained it's early reputation on the original ballistics, just as the 9.3x62 did.
My M96/M94 Swede in 9.3x57 made 2,170fps with a sized down 300gr. Hornady and 2,300fps with a 270gr. Speer(which BTW & IMHO is too soft a bullet for large game) in my 23.4" bl.
Norma makes wonderful bullets in 9.3mm, in both the Vulcan (thick jacket) and Oryx, the bonded bullet.

 

[ldmay375]

The ideal load for me will probably be the 250 TTSX at ~2520 FPS.
Per paper, it should have nearly the same trajectory and windage as my 20" 416 Ruger's 350 TTSX load.
I think, I will start off with RL 17. But also have on hand Varget, RL-15, 2000-MR.

Once that load is settled on, I may give the lighter CEB Raptors ago.

My first dealings with loading for the 9.3x62. Dies are ordered.
I ordered Norma brass from Raven Rocks Precision. Which I will add, they were very quick getting it shipped. It is up to the USPS now. Sometimes, that is way less than quick getting here.

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

And then he compares it to a downloaded .375 H&H. Regardless of the 300 gr/2400 fps loaded by many companies, you can get 300s up to 2600 fps (per Nosler and Hodgdon). Equating a cartridge with 62 gr volume to one (of larger diameter) to 78-83 gr volume defies physics, assuming similar pressures and barrel length. The 35 Whelen and the 9.3x62 have virtually the same case volume (62.2 vs 62.5 with a 250 gr bullet per Nosler specs) so they should compare well ballistically. Availability of bullets and factory cartridge availability are a different matter. The 35 Whelen, does, however, surpass the .243 for large game. "the Whelen don't need to prove anything either", however Bob consistently disproves that theory by proving its value. It's a good cartridge, and I've admired it for 50 years, but this is getting tiring.

@MauserDuff
I was using 2,400for the 375 with 300s because that was the original cordite load. That load successfully killed thousands of head of game including DG. So I surmise the 9.3 and the Whelen with similar loads and better sd would kill just as effectively.
Bob

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

My cz550 9.3x62.
Good story how I came about this rifle.
A gun show was in town close to my parents home. I went down for the weekend and my father and I went to the gun show Saturday afternoon and I seen this rifle on a table and was very interested in it. After my father and I return my mother hands me a $1000 for my wedding the fallowing month. So here im 5 miles away from a beautiful rifle with a $1000 more then I had when I was at the show.
When I left for home I made a quick stop back at the gun show and bought the rifle not telling no one besides my dad. I looked at it as a wedding gift to myself.

@Hunt27
Hopefully the bride to be and mum saw it that way.
Bob