9.3x74r for buffalo?

[csmcclain]

Okay, so I have heard of plenty of people using 9.3x62 for buffalo without complaints, but my outfitter said they don’t have good luck with hunters using 9.3s, but I could if I wanted to. I was considering getting a 9.3x74r and using Woodleighs or A-Frames. This was especially appealing because I could shoot hundreds of PPU rounds for basically nothing and become extremely familiar with the gun.

Anyone have thoughts on this? I know it’s adequate, but should I just avoid it for the sake of the outfitter’s preference? I was really wanting the excuse to buy a combination gun Should I get a .375 or .458 instead and call it good?

 

[Andrew62]

I googled the paragraph below, I’ve taken many buffalo with a 375H&H, but I have no personal experience with the 9.3x74R.

Craig Boddington has hunted buffalo with the 9.3x74R cartridge, particularly in double rifles, and found it adequate. While not as powerful as the .375 H&H, the 9.3x74R is considered effective for buffalo within its range. Boddington has used it to take buffalo cleanly with a single shot.

 

[grand veneur]

Okay, so I have heard of plenty of people using 9.3x62 for buffalo without complaints, but my outfitter said they don’t have good luck with hunters using 9.3s, but I could if I wanted to. I was considering getting a 9.3x74r and using Woodleighs or A-Frames. This was especially appealing because I could shoot hundreds of PPU rounds for basically nothing and become extremely familiar with the gun.

Anyone have thoughts on this? I know it’s adequate, but should I just avoid it for the sake of the outfitter’s preference? I was really wanting the excuse to buy a combination gun Should I get a .375 or .458 instead and call it good?

Well-known topic on the Forum.

The cartridge 9,3x74R is ballistically similar to the cartridge 9,3x62, so what one can do, the other can do too. You can certainly shot buffalo with it if you know the limitations of such marginal cartridges for buffalo hunting. I shot three buffalo with it by using a FMJ bullet to ensure a deep penetration. However, the cartridge is by far not my first choice for buffalo hunting.

 

[Major Bonkers]

It'll be fine, until something goes wrong.

The truth is it's an inadequate round for buffalo.

To my way of thinking, you stand a good chance of wounding the animal instead of killing it outright (undesirable in itself), and then someone is going to have to put themselves at risk following it up.

 

[Nhoro]

9,3 x 74 and the 9,3 x62 are not legal in Zimbabwe for buffalo, elephant and hippo. I am not sure about other countries. Having said that, both are capable cartridges but if something goes wrong ie you wound a buffalo and it escapes or worse injures someone, you will be in trouble with the authorities( read that as 3rd officials who will take great pleasure in harassing you and your wallet will likely be emptied. So 375 h&h is the minimum in Zim.

 

[gcbailey]

I REALLY wanted to take my 9.3x74R to Africa. My guide said I could, but he would prefer something bigger As it happened, I also bought a 450/400 and took that instead. I am glad I did. One shot from the 450/400 killed the Cape Buffalo but it took 5 to kill the lion. All well placed shots. I absolutely love the 9.3, but if things went south, that isn't the gun I want in my hands (neither is the 375 H&H for that matter.

 

[Hunter-Habib]

It's not a Cape buffalo stopper, by any means. But if your initial shot is placed correctly, then a 286Gr Swift A Frame fired from a 9.3x74mmR will absolutely kill a Cape buffalo very cleanly. A friend of mine has shot five buffalo in Cameroon with this caliber. Three of these animals were felled with a single shot.

 

[Hunter-Habib]

9,3 x 74 and the 9,3 x62 are not legal in Zimbabwe for buffalo, elephant and hippo. I am not sure about other countries. Having said that, both are capable cartridges but if something goes wrong ie you wound a buffalo and it escapes or worse injures someone, you will be in trouble with the authorities( read that as 3rd officials who will take great pleasure in harassing you and your wallet will likely be emptied. So 375 h&h is the minimum in Zim.

I was under the impression that they were legal if the ammunition met a particular energy requirement (typically obtainable mostly through hot hand loads or custom loads) ?

 

[Sarg]

9,3 x 74 and the 9,3 x62 are not legal in Zimbabwe for buffalo, elephant and hippo. I am not sure about other countries. Having said that, both are capable cartridges but if something goes wrong ie you wound a buffalo and it escapes or worse injures someone, you will be in trouble with the authorities( read that as 3rd officials who will take great pleasure in harassing you and your wallet will likely be emptied. So 375 h&h is the minimum in Zim.

Gee I’m pretty sure that is not correct, unless they changed the laws again in Zim ?

9.3 is minimum there, helped by Don Heath “Ganayana”

I have had many hunters shooting both Cape & Water Buffalo with 9.3x74R Doubles, some were absolutely disastrous hunts & others were darn near Bang Flops
Biggest problem is bullets, too many Pig & Deer bullets made & Dip Shits using them !

Shoot a good bullet with either .375 or 9.3 in the same good spot & animals will die the same !

 

[Dave303]

I could be wrong but I think 375 is minimum in SA as well.

 

[BeeMaa]

...my outfitter said they don’t have good luck with hunters using 9.3s, but I could if I wanted to.

Your answer was given by your outfitter, but you will need to read between the lines.

Sometimes it can be easy to hear the argument that you already agree with to make your decision, instead of LISTENING to the sound advice of a professional.

Your PH was trying to be polite and not discourage you from using whatever you want. What he really doesn't want is for you to have to pass on a buffalo of a lifetime because he has to take into consideration the limitations of the cartridge you decided to bring.

 

[txtrout75218]

In talking with my PH early this week about Capes, he said that every once in a while someone will want to use something less than their required 375 H&H min for Capes. While they may every once and a while allow a hunt with something that doesn't mean that limit, the client most likely will not actually have a shot on a buff... Their point is while it might work, the more marginal the cartilage, therefore the danger you put yourself and the PH in. Most PH's really don't want their life put in jeopardy by a client.

So basically he said on trying to use less than the minimum required cartridges, may work, it may not be worth the hassle to try and convince the Outfitter/PH, etc. .

 

[Challer]

I have set of 9.3 barrels for my Blaser BBF 97s. It’s soft on recoil and but harder to find ammo. Because they don’t make 375 barrels and the gun handles perfectly, it’s tempting, but it’s just not right for thick skinned game IMO.

 

[csmcclain]

Your answer was given by your outfitter, but you will need to read between the lines.

Sometimes it can be easy to hear the argument that you already agree with to make your decision, instead of LISTENING to the sound advice of a professional.

Your PH was trying to be polite and not discourage you from using whatever you want. What he really doesn't want is for you to have to pass on a buffalo of a lifetime because he has to take into consideration the limitations of the cartridge you decided to bring.

Fully aware of all this, and I have read between the lines, hence coming here. The problem lies in the fact that listening to the sound advice from hundreds of other professionals say it’s fine, and still hundreds more say that a proper buffalo cartridge starts with 4 or 5. What I’m trying to say is that any PH or outfitter is only a sample of one.

My other point is that I would rather have a gun I have shot hundreds of rounds though, as opposed to a something I’m less familiar with. The worst option, in my opinion, would be me using a camp gun that I’m unfamiliar with, especially given the common issue of short-stroking magnum-length cartridges (especially under pressure).

As stated, I’m not dead-set on the round… I haven’t even bought a DG gun. I’m here to use the general feeling of hundreds of experienced people (I’m a statistics person and will never use a sample of 1) to guide the decision on this. So far, I’m mostly persuaded away from using it, if anything.

This begs the question, what to get…

 

[csmcclain]

It'll be fine, until something goes wrong.

The truth is it's an inadequate round for buffalo.

To my way of thinking, you stand a good chance of wounding the animal instead of killing it outright (undesirable in itself), and then someone is going to have to put themselves at risk following it up.

What would you recommend as a minimum? Are .375 HH or Ruger that much ballistically superior to the 9.3? Or would you go higher than even those?

 

[BeeMaa]

Fully aware of all this, and I have read between the lines, hence coming here. The problem lies in the fact that listening to the sound advice from hundreds of other professionals say it’s fine, and still hundreds more say that a proper buffalo cartridge starts with 4 or 5. What I’m trying to say is that any PH or outfitter is only a sample of one.

My other point is that I would rather have a gun I have shot hundreds of rounds though, as opposed to a something I’m less familiar with. The worst option, in my opinion, would be me using a camp gun that I’m unfamiliar with, especially given the common issue of short-stroking magnum-length cartridges (especially under pressure).

As stated, I’m not dead-set on the round… I haven’t even bought a DG gun. I’m here to use the general feeling of hundreds of experienced people (I’m a statistics person and will never use a sample of 1) to guide the decision on this. So far, I’m mostly persuaded away from using it, if anything.

This begs the question, what to get…

You should use the largest caliber that you can comfortably and accurately shoot.

Personally, I stepped down from a 416RM to a 375H&H because the larger was right at my recoil tolerance level. I shot them both well (meaning accurately), but my follow up shot with the 375H&H was much quicker and of course much easier to handle. Plus, the rifle is lighter, which I see as a big advantage.

If I were able to, it would be a 458LOTT...but I'm not man enough for it.

 

[Sarg]

I could be wrong but I think 375 is minimum in SA as well.

This is also not fully correct, depends on land ownership & which province, been a long time since I got my license in Limpopo but .375 wasn’t “legal” requirement others were the same, it was however “recommended” as a minimum.

As said, 286gr - 300gr Swift A & Barnes TSX will work a treat, I’d prefer something larger if I had a choice, more so if chasing Ele - Rhino - Hippo !

Hell this year I was carrying a 7x64mm for Forest Buffalo, that rifle had killed tens of them, unfortunately I didn’t get a real good long look at one.

 

[skydiver386]

As others have already said, the cartridge is below the legal minimum in many areas.

With that aside I believe the real problem with the cartridge is that most bullets in the factory loaded ammo are inadequate for such an animal. Those bullets are often built with Deer, Moose, Stag and large Boar in mind, so their construction is suited to that particular bone structure, etc. A Cape Buffalo, Hippo and other dangerous African game is in an entirely different league.

A hot hand loaded and heavy weight Barnes X, Swift A-Frame, etc. might change things a bit, but if it were me, I'd feel far more confident with something more powerful.

 

[Mountaineer]

I totally agree you need to take a gun you can practice with and hunt with a bunch before hunting DG with it. I have a 458 win mag in a double. I’m a hand loader, so I have developed light loads for practicing/hunting state side or plains game and then buffalo loads.

 

[csmcclain]

I totally agree you need to take a gun you can practice with and hunt with a bunch before hunting DG with it. I have a 458 win mag in a double. I’m a hand loader, so I have developed light loads for practicing/hunting state side or plains game and then buffalo loads.

I haven't gotten into reloading yet. It's another thing, that requires time to do it and space for the gear... the same way I regard turkey hunting...