9.3x62 accurate loads question for the Bear in Alaska

[Buckfever]

Mr. Bear, I am betting you have had enough time to shoot that 9.3x62 you have and you have a couple of sweet accurate Moose loads.  I am going on a hunt in Ontario in 2007 and need to get the CZ worked out this next spring and summer.  Appreciate what ever you can share.

Also need to put a scope on the 9.3XXXXX.  Will be shooting any where from 30 yards out to 200yd.  Any thoughts on size and brands.  Thanks  for any and all help.    Buckfever

[Thebear_78]

well first things first for the scope.  I think you would be hard pressed to go wrong with a good low powered light weight leupold variable.  I would look really hard at the Euro line of leupolds, they are 30mm scopes and are a great value for the money.   Either the 1.25-4 or 2-7, both are very nice I had the 2-7 put on my dads 35 whelen and hed has been extremely happy with it.  The VxII line has both the 1-4x20 and 2-7 in both lightweight and standard scope.  I have used the 2-7 on my loaner truck gun, mauser 06, for years and couldn't find any fault in it, very duravle scope.  The VxIII 1.5-5 and 1.75-6 are also very nice if you are willing to spend the money, I have a lighted 1.5-5 on my lightweight 375 and had another one on a 45/70 encore, very light, very clear and super durable.    All of these scopes are fairly spendy $250+ but very nice durable scopes.  If price is a concern then I would probably get the 2-7 VxI,  you can find them for $175 dollars fairly regularly and they are clear, durable, and light.       Hunting in rough weather and terain has really sold me on good glass,  It rained almost constatnly this hunting season and my leupolds never fogged up on the inside like my buddies nikon did, also I took a couple pretty good spills this year and all my scopes held up except one 3-9 that broke in half when I rolled down a mountain on a 4 wheeler and the leupold service department guy I talked to said "send it in, we'll fix or replace it"   now thats good customer service.   

I'm running late for work and will get into loads later today.....

Good luck.

 

[Thebear_78]

As far as loads go I have pretty much settled on the 286gr Nolser partition for all my 9.3 needs.  It is very accurate and extremely dependable.  I have done a lot of shooting with the 270gr speer also but find it to be too soft for any big game.  It might be ok for deer/hogs and smaller bears but I won't do shoot it at game again.  I shot a moose in the neck with one and it failed to come out the other side.   I saw lots of little bullet particles inside the wound and wouldn't trust it on the moose shoulder.  Some other bullets that I think would work very well are the Barnes TSX in both 250 or 286, I have been using more and more of the TSX bullets lately and have been pretty impressed with them.  The Northfork 250 and 286 should also be very good bullets.  I will probably always shoot 286 or higher wieght bullets because the only advantage of the 250s would be slightly flatter trajectory and the 286 shoot plenty flat out to 300 yards.  I have also heard that the woodlieghs are supposed to be very good bullets too.  For me local availability and perfromance sold me on the noslers.

Some of the powders I have used are H414, H4350, and Re15.   All of these powders have down well with the edge being to the Re15 for accuacy and velosity,  58.0gr of Re15 has been a good load.  For hunting I have settled on the H4350 because of the temperature stability of Hodgdon extreme powders.  WHen the weather can change from 20-60 degrees over the course of a week hunt I'd like my powder to stay as stable as possible.  I have also heard really good things about Ramshot big game powder but haven't had a chance to try it out. 

My hunting load for the 9.3x62 is 286gr partition, 67.0gr of H4350, WLR primers, and COL of 3.225"

[Buckfever]

Thanks Bear!!  You are a great resource for this board!  The ability to actually shoot in the field has it all over anything else.   Love my CZ 550 FS in 9.3x62.  Elmer Keith would be proud of us. 
 One more thing how do you sight the load in at 100yds to get it flat at 200yds.?  What would it then be at 300yds?  I will confirm at the range but this would save a lot of paper.  Thanks very much!!!!!!!!!!!!  Buckfever 

[Thebear_78]

I site my ghost ring right at 50 yards and thats still zero at 100 and about -2 at 150.  My Scout scope is set for 3" high at 100 yards which puts it dead on at 200 yards and only 11" low at 300 yards.   For my 280 yard shot at my moose last year I just aimed high on the shoulder and it dropped right in there for a heart/low lung hit just under the shoulder.  I would have perfered to hit the shoulder to help anchor the moose but you can't beat a heart/low lung shot for short blood trails.     11" low might be quite a bit on a deer or something of that size but a moose is HUGE.  Seriously you can't imagine how big they look if your not accustomed to seeing them.  I would reccomend that you take some time and watch horses with a range finder to help you get the "feel" for judging moose range.  They are so big they always look closer than you think. 

[Buckfever]

Once again ! Thanks  Bear!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1

[Bandito]

Bear_78 you're killin me. I still haven't found a '17 Enfield with the rear sights intact that I could afford. Everyone wants to grind those magnificent peep sights off before they do any other "bubba" or "sporterizing". I'm glad to see you get good use out of the 9.3 Scout. I will either find a donor soon or just get a CZ FS in 9.3. Lots of guys have them and most like them. Good luck and God bless. Bandito

[S.S.]

Bandito..
   Look for a Pattern 14 British Enfield (P14).
(almost the same as a 1917)
If I remember correctly, the sights were the same.

[Thebear_78]

You can't beat the 17s peeps,  they add a little weight to the overall rifle but they are just about undestructable in the feild.  You don't have to worry about them getting nocked out of alignment.  There are a lot of those 17s around if you just keep your eyes open. 

[S.S.]

The last time I was in a  pawn shop in Carrollton Ga., they had two
De-milled P-14's . a hole was drilled through the receiver
and the chamber end of the barrel (one hole through both)
They were made as training rifles and had the 2 red stripes
 around the butt designating this. As far as I know the rest of the rifle was intact.
The Pawn shop was  "Gold Nugget" pawn shop in Carrollton, Georgia.
Don't know the number off hand but information should be able to
get it for you. They may still have them...

[Buckfever]

Bear, does the 67 grns of H4350 have to be compressed when using the 286 grn. Nosler Partition?  Thanks   Buckfever

[Thebear_78]

Yes it is.   I would like to get a lee factory crimp die made up for the 9.3 eventually.  When I load compressed loads I like to use the swirl technigue when chargeing cases by pouring the powder charge into the funnel so that it swirls down like water in a toilet bowl.  THen I tap them a few times to help it all settle in.  This gives you a little room to start your bullet in compressed loads.