PPU 9.3X62 285gr jsp factory load

[jcs271]

I recently picked up one of the new Ruger Alaskan Bush rifles in 9.3x62.

It is proving to be an exceptional rifle. I bought a couple of boxes of PPU 285 grain and they shot very well, which is wonderful because they are readily available and currently priced way below any of the other factory loads.

I then went ahead and bought a case of 200 just to have a good supply on hand.

While I certainly understand these are not premium loads for Dangerous Game.
All of my hunting here in the mountains would be shots taken at under a hundred yards. I'm thinking this 285gr soft point bullet would be just fine for my local deer, elk, black bear, Etc.

Does anybody have any actual experience of taking medium sized game with this specific bullet/load?

Thanks for any insight.

 

[Art Lambart II]

I have the same question about this PPU loading, i'll be following with intrest.

 

[MS 9x56]

I recently picked up one of the new Ruger Alaskan Bush rifles in 9.3x62.

View attachment 735525

It is proving to be an exceptional rifle. I bought a couple of boxes of PPU 285 grain and they shot very well, which is wonderful because they are readily available and currently priced way below any of the other factory loads.

View attachment 735524

I then went ahead and bought a case of 200 just to have a good supply on hand.

While I certainly understand these are not premium loads for Dangerous Game.
All of my hunting here in the mountains would be shots taken at under a hundred yards. I'm thinking this 285gr soft point bullet would be just fine for my local deer, elk, black bear, Etc.

Does anybody have any actual experience of taking medium sized game with this specific bullet/load?

Thanks for any insight.

I have shot a lot of deer and hogs with them and only ever recovered one. From the ground after it went thru the deer, they the 6” sapling behind the deer and buried itself in the ground behind the tree (a crab apple tree). Never had to shoot any twice and blood trails were short.

 

[MS 9x56]

Save your empties as PPU is some very good brass for reloading.

 

[One Day...]

I am also using this load extensively.

I initially bought them for inexpensive training purpose. Like all other PPU loads I have used (.223 Rem, .270 Win, .308 Win, .300 Win, etc.) they are just as accurate as any other factory load, typically around MOA -- and noticeably sub MOA for their match ammo -- and indeed half the price or less. In addition, the brass is good quality and reloads well.

Something great purely random is that in my Blaser R8 barrel they group exactly at 50 yards, and close enough at 100 yards, with the (now discontinued) Barnes 286 gr TSX factory load.

I have used them for African light PG with great satisfaction. The reasoning is that at their moderate velocity (they clock 2,250 fps in my barrel), traditional cup & core construction is just fine and will not blow apart. Like MS 9x56, I have not recovered any of them, but then again I would expect anything 285 gr to punch in & out on Impala and such at "bush range" (50 to 150 yards).

I do not plan to use them on Buffalo, this is what the 286 gr TSX or AFrame (if you can find any) are for, but I too am interested to see if anyone has experience with them on heavy PG e.g. Wildebeest, Kudu, Sable, and such.

 

[Graham Hunter]

I have shot 2 Moose with this ammo. 1st Moose about 100yds. Behind the shoulder and went to the opposite shoulder and recovered under the hide. Staggered about 15yds and stopped. I shot the 2nd shot in the neck so he wouldn't make it to the water. Dropped and dead. 2nd shot took out the spine and went right through. The 1st shot was recovered and had a lot of expansion but was stil all intac. Moose #2 was about 175 yds. Shot behind the shoulder and went right through. Ran 40 yds stopped and fell over. Wound channel was was as expected. Bullet seems a little soft but for anything but DG I would use it.

 

[jcs271]

Thanks guys, this is exactly the type of actual field use I am looking for.

 

[rifletuner]

PPU ammo is quite popular in Australia and I know a few guys that use the 9.3x62 factory loads for sambar hunting and are very happy with it. Personally I have only used the 9.3x62 brass for handloads using Woodeligh bullets. The brass has been fine.

PPU ammo hasnt been exporting any ammo or components since mid 2025. It caught the Aussie importer a bit unaware, so PPU ammo and components have been getting very difficult to find here. We have been told it may be a few years before its readily available again, but who knows for sure?

If it is "readily available and currently priced way below any of the other factory loads" I would suggest buying up while stocks are still available in the US.

 

[MS 9x56]

Lately I have loaded Nosler accubonds in 250 grain. These are my 2-300 rounds. Nosler partitions in285 grain for beards and moose if I can get a tag. I have also used 232 grain Norma’s. For deer and coyote. Norma 286 grain for beards. The 9.3x62 is very easy to reload for and not fussy as most rifles are very accurate with most loads. Enjoy.

 

[Hunter-Habib]

I've been very pleased with Prvi Partizan 7x57mm Mauser 173Gr soft points. I've very satisfactorily used them on:
-Muntjac
-Axis
-Sambar
-Boar
-Eland
-Serow
-Kudu
-Wildebeest
-Sable
-Zebra
-Impala
-Bush buck
-Reed Buck
-Springbok
-African leopard
-African saltwater crocodile

Recently, however... There have been some very disconcerting reports of Prvi Partizan 9.3x62mm Mauser 285Gr soft points. Please see below.

 

[coreydb]

I use 250gr on whitetail deer and hogs. You'll never go wrong with your kit and 286gr.

 

[jcs271]

Wow the verdigris on those casings looks pretty substantial, I'd be curious to know what they came into contact with to cause that level of oxidation (moisture in cardboard boxes?). Thanks for posting, It's a cautionary tale not to use any ammo that does not look perfect.

 

[jcs271]

Anybody else with actual field experience?

 

[BFaucett]

Anybody else with actual field experience?

I have no experience with the PPU 9.3x62 ammo but just be aware that the factory spec muzzle velocity is a little on the low side. (I do own a CZ 550 American chambered in 9.2x62.)

690 meters per second = 2263 feet per second

4398 Joules = 3243 ft/lbs

Source: https://www.prvipartizan.com/search_rb.php?id=A-330


Cheers! Bob F.

 

[jcs271]

You are correct, thanks for posting that.

And it certainly explains the very pleasant recoil. And to their credit, Target Sports website did list this as a 2265 fps load.

I think it will serve me well for my intended purposes.

 

[mark-hunter]

Does anybody have any actual experience of taking medium sized game with this specific bullet/load?

My friends hunt with those, me not. They do not complain.

I use PPU soft points as training rounds for my 375 HH. Reasonable accuracy, to make meaningful training.

General consensus is it is good value for money invested, in budget ammo world. The reason they use it, cheap bullets.
And those who used it on dangerous game would not recommend it for that purpose (but of all the DG calibers in the World, (PPU produce only 375 H&H, so it is not to worry too much)

Good or not, will depend on bullet velocity, and 9.3 is low velocity round. (which means minimum to none fragmentation)
So, it will work on soft skinned medium game.
I would not use it in something like 300 win mag, but for 9.3, why not?

Considering the accuracy achieved in training with Sellier & Bellot (another brand I use for training but not for hunting, because it is cheap), PPU is better choice. (S&B used for training in 308 win and 30-06)
Another reputation PPU has, is dirty residues. But for bolt action this is not a big deal. To be considered for semi autos

PPU premium bullet line is "Grom", (Thunder) basically it is a quasi monolithic expansion type bullet (lead tip only to initiate expansion), and they perform well. You may take a look at those as well, if available.

Reloaders claim PPU brass is better quality then S&B.

 

[R eight]

I’ve shot a few pigs with it. I’d happily use it on large deer including moose.

It’s very accurate ammunition in my rifles. Only issues are it’s loaded with a very dirty powder.

I have used close on 1000 rounds of it through 3 different rifles. No issues. It’s cheaper than reloading for it. However, I know of a couple of instances where brass has split.

 

[MS 9x56]

I have no experience with the PPU 9.3x62 ammo but just be aware that the factory spec muzzle velocity is a little on the low side. (I do own a CZ 550 American chambered in 9.2x62.)


View attachment 736213

 

[Miletic]

I recently picked up one of the new Ruger Alaskan Bush rifles in 9.3x62.

View attachment 735525

It is proving to be an exceptional rifle. I bought a couple of boxes of PPU 285 grain and they shot very well, which is wonderful because they are readily available and currently priced way below any of the other factory loads.

View attachment 735524

I then went ahead and bought a case of 200 just to have a good supply on hand.

While I certainly understand these are not premium loads for Dangerous Game.
All of my hunting here in the mountains would be shots taken at under a hundred yards. I'm thinking this 285gr soft point bullet would be just fine for my local deer, elk, black bear, Etc.

Does anybody have any actual experience of taking medium sized game with this specific bullet/load?

Thanks for any insight.

Greetings. The rifle looks nice in the picture. I see that you also have optics for shooting at short distances. I live in Serbia, where PPU is produced. 80% of our hunters use bass PPU. It is of solid quality and errors are rare. Of course, it is not a premium brand, but it works perfectly in most hunts. 9.3x62 is mainly used in our country and in the surrounding area (Hungary, Romania, Croatia, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Macedonia) in driving hunts for wild boars. It is most often used in Browning BAR and Benelli Argo rifles. PPU SP 285gr effectively kills all wild boars and old boars (approx. 200-300kg) without any problems. I have personally used it, and many times I have watched pigs fall while hunting. In Bosnia, it is often used to hunt bears (approx. 300 kg), which it kills on the spot. European red stag (cervus elaphus l. approx. 300 kg) is also efficiently and without any problems. I also loaded that caliber, the PPU has excellent cartridges, and I had a lot of questions about that caliber from other hunters. I write a book about reloading and described 9.3x62. I also worked as a journalist for a hunting magazine that was exported to 6 countries, so the people around me trust me a lot. For the animals you mentioned, I responsibly claim that it will work perfectly. Recommendation: check on all LOT boxes, because the places of hits on the targets can differ significantly. There may still be differences in grain hardness between series, it may oscillate (harder/softer), but this is not so significant in a bullet weighing around 300 gr. I Wish you good hunt!!!

 

[jcs271]

Thanks for the replies. I think this load will work perfectly for my local medium/big game. While its still nicely priced, I went ahead and ordered two more cases (from the same manufacturing lot) which should last me to retirement.

Good hunting. JCS