Anyone use a 9.3x62 in Alaska?

[RevJim]

 Just curious. I am trying to gather up info from actual users of this round. I know its kinda offbeat, but there are more rifles/cartridges available now than when I first played with it, back in the mid '90s.

[Thebear_78]

Count me in.   I have a rebarreled P17 enfield in 9.3x62 with 2.5x scout scope.  So far I have only killed one alaskan animal with it.  Small bull moose at 280yrds.  I'm shooting 286gr partitions at 2450fps.  Very good accuracy and performance on game has been excellent.

[Dand]

I believe 2 guys I know have them but I don't know if they've shot anything with them here.  I've looked at it and I'm sure it would be a fine cartridge for Alaska use. Probably won't find ammo in the villages but very possibly in Anchorage or Fairbanks.  If you want I can try to find out if they've killed anything.  The 35 Whelen is plenty popular here so I have no doubt the 9.3 would work fine.

[RevJim]

 Sweet. Sure, ask your friends for me, I want to hear about their experiences and what ammo they used. I've used a 35 whelen Improved for years, but always with the Barnes x bullets. Only X bullet I will load for this 9.3x62 later is the 250X, for our elk country. Although, I put the Whelen in a ltwt synthetic stock for the mountains and normally haul it up there. With two new knees, and older/fatter, I don't hump those hils as well as I used to, ha.

[Dand]

RevJim - I've been busy with Christmas shopping and haven't stopped here for a few days to see your reply.  I just fired off an email to the guys and it may take a while to get an answer - if any.  I don't correspond with them much.  Even invited them to reply direct here.  We'll see.  It might not be the best gun for picking caribou or sheep off at 350 + yards but I don't hunt that way myself.  For the typical 50 to 250 yard shot I think it would be dandy and a decent choice along the bear streams - from what I've read of it.  I use a 30-06 or mostly a 300 win mag for all my hunting but I have looked and looked at the 338-06, 35 Wh. and a little time at the 9.3x62 - they all seem to be good for up here and maybe in a shorter barreled gun than my 300.


HOpe we get some replies.
Merry Christmas

[Dand]

RevJim, my good friend replied right away:


I have not shot any animals with my 9.3x62.  I don’t know why is would not be as effective as the .35 Whelen, the 338-06 or even the .338 Win mag. Not as flat shooting as the .338 mag but within it’s range a moose would not know the difference. My thoughts anyway. The guy on the forum is correct, the interest in the round has expanded the bullets available for it. Hornady now with the 286 grain and Nosler added the 250 grain Accubond to the 286 grain partition they already had.  I see Remington and Federal now have factory loads for it.  I started out loading with the 270 grain Speers when I first had my left-hand Rem700 rebarrled. I ever get drawn for Delta bison that will be the gun I take.

--------end

I'll editorialize a bit here and say that the 338 win is a tip top choice for Alaska, more than needed in a lot of cases but nice in brown bear country and top contender for the 1 gun guy. So you could add the 9.3 to that for work within 200 yds.  After my bison hunt at Delta last year, I'd want to be sure I felt good shooting to 250 - 300 yds with whatever I took.  I was not expecting the fields to be so big.  My first 2 opportunities were at 250 and 350-375 yds - but the animals ran before we could get positive ID or before I could get a steady hold. I see my other contact must have a new email address as my message bounced back. I'll try to track him down.

I think he may have Africa experience with it.

edit - hmm had to do some clean up to get this readable again - don't know what happened.

[RevJim]

 Thanks Dan, I appreciate it.

[Drilling Man]

  I've used the 9.3x74R quite a bit, mostly with bullets i've made myself.  Anyway the 74R pushes the same bullet as the 62 at the same velocity...
 
  It's been a pretty good big game round for me.  For common bullets i like the 286NP's best, but the 270 speers work pretty good on smaller big game too.
 
  VERY hard to beat the 286NP as an all around bullet for everything in Alaska.
 
  DM

[Dand]

RevJim I made contact w my other 9.3x62 shooter friend today.  He's taken 2 moose w his.  The first was a long shot using 250 barnes and it worked much better than expected. He didn't want to say how far but it must have been quite a distance. Apparently a hunting partner wounded the moose so my friend took a long Hail Mary (not his normal style) and down went the moose - not a real big one.  Then a couple years ago he took a 65 in big moose at about 180-200 yards quartering towards him.  It was a DRT feet in the air kill.  Very impressive he says.  Turns out the 286 Nosler Part did well, took out the top of the lungs and nicked the spine - hence the total instant collapse.  He loves the 286 Nosler Part as he gets cloverleaf groups.  Doesn't know the twist but the barrel is 24 inch custom barreled Ruger 77.  He says he gets great performance with Rx15 and Varget.  Thinks he's right at 2400 fps - we'll have to chrono his loads this spring.  He really likes Barnes bullets and uses them in a lot of his guns but the 286 Nos. Part is the right medicine for this gun. Within its range he figures its as good as any and better than most as a 1 gun for Alaska.  He leans to the big bullet moderate velocity school. A bit much gun and not the longest range for sheep or goat.  But it will work and might be good for the tough goats. Plenty for big moose probably bear too. He's done a bit of African shooting too but didn't mention if he's used this gun there - doubt it or he'd have said so. 


If I had a bunch of spare $$ I think I have myself talked into getting one.


so there you go - hope it helps.

[RevJim]

 Thanks Dan, it helps alot. I have been impressed with Light Mediums ever since my first trip to south Africa, back in the mid '90's. My very first recollection of even hearing of a 9.3x62 way back in the late '70s. I read an article somewhere where a one armed man ( no, not the guy who killed The Fugitive's wife, ha) was going brown bear hunting in Alaska. A gunsmith rebarreled/converted a Model 742 Remington to 9.3x62. It was a n interesting read. Then or course, Elmer Keith wrote existensively on the similar 35 Whelen. And later in life Gary Sitton's write up on a 35 Whelen Ackley Imrpoved won me over! I do believe the Ackley Improved and the 9.3x62 are twins ballistically. I really, really like the Barnes for thick skinned animals in these calibers. I've shot some big animals with light calibers/barnes but they were moning very fast ( 300 Win, etc) and they work. The Partitions, well, you can't "beat them", might equal, but not best them. Thanks.

[Dand]

Funny thing, I just realized both of my friends are lefty shooters. I'm left handed but shoot right. But maybe our interest in odd-ball cartridges is that we're a bit odd ourselves?

[RevJim]

 Well, if you read back in the Old Testament "all" the tribe of Benjamin were "Lefties"! I guess you come form good stock? ha Myself, I think you guys are wierd! lol, just kiddin.

[jfo4]

I just picked up one last week...a Sako Black Bear.


I'm still working up loads and spending range time.


Paul Shoemaker seems to be fond of the cartridge.


Great Northern Guns in Anchorage is stocking the ammo FYI


J.O. in Kodiak

[RevJim]

 I've read alot of Phil Shoemaker's writings, very sensible. I like how this Ruger feels in my hands, slightly muzzle heavy, which I like. It seems the 285-286gr bullets get the best out of this round. I'm sure the 250gr can extend range a bit, but that's what I use my 35 WAI and the Barnes 200 TTSX for. I just bought a bunch of the Hornady 286 sp bullets to try later, very nice looking bullet too. I am also going to use Ramshots Big Game powder behind it and a Federal 215M primer. However, for my boar hunt, I'm still going to use the Lapua 285 Mega factory load, just for grins.

[RevJim]

 Well, I've changed my mind! I am going to use the Banres Vortex 286 tsx factory loads on this big hog. I want to be able to shoot plumb through his shoulders and those big gristle plates and out the other side. Only two bullets I've done that with on similar tough animals have been the Barnes X/xbt and the Winchester Fail Safes ( a Barnes wannabe,ha) factory loads as I want to try them out and just don't have time to develop a handload with them or any other as yet. So, I would shoot a Cape Buffalo with this 286 tsx load, why not a big boar? ha