9,3*62 african experience, anyone??

[Herbert]

Hello all you hunters!! I´m a swedish hunter and this will be my first topic on this forum :grin:

My question is if there any of you who had used the 9,3x62 mauser on any hunt in africa? I also would like to hear from you who´s got experience from hunts in u.s. or canada. especialy if u used the 250grs BT.

In Sweden the 9,3 are very very popular especialy on beer, wild boar and our swedish moose. The bullets the most of us use are: Norma oryx 286grs, Lapua mega 286grs, Barnes X (we´re waiting for the TSX to come), woodleigh weldcore 286 & 320grs and not to be forgotten the Nosler Partition.

I myself are going to use Lapua and Nosler BT 250grs, the one developed for plains game.

I hope anyone of you kan give me some of of your stories.

 

[Anonymous]

I second that, let's hear some stories please. I got a FN Belgium Mauser action that might get a 9.3 barreled to it.

 

[NOSLER]

Our former sales manager Chub Eastman is in love with that cartridge. In fact he has giving african game hell with it....

He is going back in a week for another safari with it and he is writing a story for Sports Afield about it.

Nothing but great things with both the BT and Partition loads. Those are really sturdy bullets and the 9.3 is becoming a favorite of our guys around here.

 

[BFaucett]

I have no hunting experience with it yet but I wll be taking my 9.3x62 to South Africa this coming August (I leave on the 20th) for a plains game hunt. I will be hunting in the northern Limpopo Province up near the Limpopo River. (About halfway between Swartwater and Alldays). This is bushveld country where the ranges will be fairly close; usually about 50 to 150 yards. (I have been to the same place twice before so I know what to expect.)

My rifle is a CZ 550 American with a Leupold 1-4x VX-II scope. My hunting buddy Todd, that is going with me on the same trip, will also be using a 9.3x62. (His rifle is also a CZ 550 American with a Leupold 1-4x VX-II scope.) Two guys from Texas in the same camp both using 9.3x62 rifles has got to be some kind of a first in South Africa!!! :wink: (Most Americans have never even heard of the cartridge much less used one.)

I'm using 58.0 grs of RL-15 in Graf cases with a WLR primer. The bullet is a 286 gr Woodleigh round nose. COL is 3.29 inches. Muzzle velocity is an average of 2390 fps. (BTW: the 286 gr Nosler Partition with 57.0 grs of RL-15 goes 2355 fps average in my rifle and shoots great. I haven't tried it yet with 58.0 grs of RL-15.)

For those forum readers that may not be familiar with the cartridge, here's a nice online article about the 9.3x62 from African Hunter magazine:
The 9.3 x 62 Mauser
http://www.african-hunter.com/the_9_3_x_62_mauser.htm

It's good to hear that the 9.3x62 is getting some attention at Nosler. The more I shoot the cartridge, the more I like it. When I get back from my trip, I will report on my results using the 9.3x62.

I'm looking forward to Mr. Eastman's article in Sports Afield. Thanks for passing that info along!

Now if we could just get Nosler to bring out a 250 gr AccuBond, then life would be grand!

-Bob F.

 

[BFaucett]

I got back last Friday (Sept 2, 2005) from my hunt in South Africa. I thought I would share a few pics.

My friend Todd Johnson and I hunted with Game Trackers Africa http://www.gametrackersafrica.com/ at the Mabelingwane Game Ranch in the northern part of the Limpopo Province. The terrain is mainly thick bushveld with a few open areas. We hunted from August 23 to August 30. Our PHs were Pieter Diedericks (owner of Game Trackers Africa) and Ivor van Wyk.

My friend Todd used a CZ 550 American in 9.3x62. I also used a CZ 550 American in 9.3x62. Plus, I took along my Remington Model 700 Classic in 8x57JS. We used handloads in both of the 9.3x62 rifles and my 8x57. The 9.3x62 load consisted of the 286 gr Woodleigh RN at approximately 2390 fps. My 8x57 load used the 220 gr Woodleigh RN at approximately 2400 fps. (Loads were chronographed.) Both loads performed flawlessly. BTW: Our PHs told us that we were the first Americans they had hosted that brought rifles in 9.3x62. They were very pleased with our choices.

Neither Todd or myself are big on playing the trophy score game for inches. We were just after nice, representative animals. Even so, we did end up taking some nice ones.

My Impala (not measured) (8x57 used):

My first Kudu (not measured) (9.3x62 used):

My Warthog (not measured) (9.3x62 used):

My Gemsbok (field measurement 36") (9.3x62 used):

My second Kudu (field measurement of 54.5" right horn, 56" left horn) (9.3x62 used):

My friend Todd's Gemsbok (field measurement 36.5") (used 9.3x62):

My friend Todd's Kudu (field measurement 53") (used 9.3x62):

I'm already suffering from Post Safari Depression! We all know the only cure!!.....

-Bob F.

(Edited to change links for the photos due to server and domain name change.)

 

[drducati]

In Sept of 2002 a friend and I both hunted in the Limpopo area of RSA with the 9.3. We both took other rifles but ended up shooting everything with the 9.3. I used factory duplication loads of N201 and my friend used 56 gr of IMR 4895 wtih the 286 gr Partition. Everything we shot was a one shot kill: impala, bushbuck, wart hog, zebra, steinbok, Kudu, Hartebeeste and leopard.
Our PH was unfamiliar with the cartridge but he was very impressed. He said he wouldn't be afraid to take anything but elephant with it.
The shot on the wart hog entered the thoracic inlet and traversed the entire pig ending up in the inside thigh. The Kudu took a shot through the hip, pelvis and the entire length ending up under the shoulder blade.
I asked the PH, "What do you think of the killing power?". He said "How much deader than dead do you want?". I think that says it.
It is an ideal "one rifle" African choice.