(.333 member)

13/04/11 07:09 AM

9.3x62 with 20, 21, 22 Inch Barrel

By some stroke of luck this post is very similar to the question about a 338 WM with a 21-inch barrel.

The 9.3x62 barrel I'm having made for my takedown will have bases for a forward-mounted "scout" scope. I've gotten to be a big, big fan of that setup for hog hunting in brushy creek bottoms...the combination of fast sighting, easy carrying, and easier access to top off the magazine is very welcomed in most of the places I chase pigs.

For hunting those same areas I also like to have a short barrel length that allows me to point a rifle any direction without smacking trees, and to drop the barrel straight down without sticking the muzzle in the mud. The 358 WCF Ruger Frontier and .45-70 lever guns I normally use work great in this respect.

Along those lines I requested a 20-inch barrel for the 9.3x62 assembly. The 'smith recommended 22-inches, which is probably where I'd be if I wasn't trying to make this one barrel work in several circumstances (the scout scope will be in QD rings, and I have a 1.5-6x in QD rings that I can mount "conventionally").

CZ's 550 FS has a 20.5-inch barrel and I haven't heard of or read any complaints...am I handicapping myself or the 9.3x62 round by going with this length? Is another 1 or 2 inches of barrel going to make any real-world difference?

(.400 member)

13/04/11 07:39 AM

Re: 9.3x62 with 20, 21, 22 Inch Barrel

It depends at what range you are engaging the boar. Less than 100 yards and it won't make one zot of difference.

(.333 member)

13/04/11 08:18 AM

Re: 9.3x62 with 20, 21, 22 Inch Barrel

Thanks Tophet. Most of the pigs I shoot are closer to 25 yards, with some rare shots to 75. I figure neither the pigs or I will notice any difference there. Just wondering if there's any appreciable performance drop at 200 - 250 yards with a slightly shorter barrel. My suspiscion is that our NitroExpress crowd is going to say "NO"...

(.275 member)

13/04/11 10:18 AM

Re: 9.3x62 with 20, 21, 22 Inch Barrel

I have a Tikka T3 Battue in 9.3x62 with a 20" barrel,and I love it. There are quite a few of the Battue Lites around too. Never heard anybody complain about them or the barrel being too short.

(.400 member)

13/04/11 10:21 AM

Re: 9.3x62 with 20, 21, 22 Inch Barrel

I have shot African game (Kudu x3) in excess of 200 yards with my 25" barrelled 9.3x62 and 286 Woodleigh PPSN's. You will find that projectile profile will have more effect at 9.3 velocitys than minor gains or loss in velocity due to barrel length.

I have found the 250 Nosler Accubond can be driven flat enough for effective use out to 300 yards and will try to use some on Camels in June.

For ranges less than 100 yards I would use a Woodleigh Bonded 286 RNSP or conventional Lapua 285 RNSP on small soft skinned game for maximum expansion and 'thump'.

(.400 member)

13/04/11 10:57 AM

Re: 9.3x62 with 20, 21, 22 Inch Barrel

I agree with tophet1.

(.333 member)

13/04/11 01:25 PM

Re: 9.3x62 with 20, 21, 22 Inch Barrel

Thanks gents. I figured a 2-inch shorter barrel wouldn't make much difference, but it's nice to get confirmation from those of you with experience. And I only have one situation in mind where a shot of 200 yards or more may be necessary- if I ever draw a Utah Henry Mountains bison tag- so I'm probably guilty of over-thinking this to begin with.

At some point I want to try out the various Woodleighs, including the heavy 320-grain RNSP, as well as the 300-grain Swift A-frame. I've got 10 boxes of 286-grain Barnes (the old X bullets, bought cheap so a store could make room for TSX's) that I'll try too; gunmaker says I need to run 100 rounds of standard lead/copper bullets through the barrel before shooting any monometals so I've also got 5 boxes of Prvi factory loads that I'll burn up first.

(.333 member)

13/04/11 01:30 PM

Re: 9.3x62 with 20, 21, 22 Inch Barrel

Quote:

I have found the 250 Nosler Accubond can be driven flat enough for effective use out to 300 yards and will try to use some on Camels in June.

I'm looking forward to hearing your report on the 9.3 Accubond vs. camels. I've used the 225-grain 0.358" on pigs and wasn't overwhelmed with the performance...cheaper Hornady 250-grain RNSP have done better for me. I've wondered if my batch was substandard, or if they don't like the 358 Winchester velocities, because everyone seems to rave about Accubond performance.

(.400 member)

18/05/11 09:52 PM

Re: 9.3x62 with 20, 21, 22 Inch Barrel

I like barrels to be around 22 to 24" for balance,handling, velocity and muzzle blast issues.

Administrator

(.700 member)

19/05/11 01:15 AM

Re: 9.3x62 with 20, 21, 22 Inch Barrel

Quote:

By some stroke of luck this post is very similar to the question about a 338 WM with a 21-inch barrel.

I never understand it when "magnum" chamberings/calibres have short barrels. Smarter would be to choose a normal performance cartridge with a short barrel. Or a larger calibre size.

I "magnum" needs a good 25 or 26 inches.

Depends on what the cartridge is though.

JMO.

Not commenting on the 9.3 with a shorter barrel though as it is not a "magnum" chambering. I think there are battue rifles in this sort of barrel length made in Europe.

(.450 member)

19/05/11 01:44 AM

Re: 9.3x62 with 20, 21, 22 Inch Barrel

Mine has a 19 inch bbl.

Handles great. There is velocity loss from a 25 for sure, but if your shots are under 100 yards on pigs you'll like the stubby tube. You will still get performance similar to or in excess of a 24-inch barreled 9.3x57 with upper-end loads, and that is a compliment.

(.416 member)

19/05/11 08:04 PM

Re: 9.3x62 with 20, 21, 22 Inch Barrel

I am very fond of my 9,3x62 with it's 18.5" barrel. It has no problem shooting whatever I want out to 200 meters. It all depends on what you want to do with it. A 9,3x62 isn't a longrange sheep gun anyway, so you might as well optimize it for your practical uses.

(.300 member)

20/05/11 02:10 PM

Re: 9.3x62 with 20, 21, 22 Inch Barrel

Given the number of 18.5 inch barrels in this chambering being turned out in Germany I suspect the cartridge performs fine at tracker barrel and or stutzen length

Quote:

I have found the 250 Nosler Accubond can be driven flat enough for effective use out to 300 yards and will try to use some on Camels in June.

Tophet, care to share your load for the 250g Accubond?

(.400 member)

20/05/11 03:45 PM

Re: 9.3x62 with 20, 21, 22 Inch Barrel

The 250 Accubond load creates higher pressure than my normal loads and I only use new, unfired Lapua brass. Unfortunately nothing else provides the same accuracy. PM sent.

(.333 member)

17/08/11 05:08 AM

Re: 9.3x62 with 20, 21, 22 Inch Barrel

A brief update on this.

When I originally posed the question, my rifle was in Empire Rifles' shop and I thought I had a "new barrel" project underway 12 months after it was supposed to be started. I'll spare everyone the details, but Empire wasn't in a position to complete my project and after expending more effort than should have been necessary, the rifle was returned to me this June.

Now it has been cut to 20-inches and is headed to Danny Pedersen's shop in Arizona for re-boring & rechambering (what I should have done in the first place). Instead of Talley bases the local 'smith is fitting a Ruger #1 rib on the barrel so we can mount the Scout scope. H&H-style flip-up night sight will sit in an NECG banded front sight base.

Once everything is assembled & Cerakoted I think it will actually turn out better than if Empire had done it.

(.700 member)

17/08/11 05:40 AM

Re: 9.3x62 with 20, 21, 22 Inch Barrel

I like barrels of 25 to 26" - Yes, they are long but my .375/.06IMp likes it's 26" tube. The 9.3x57 does OK with it's roughly 24" barrel.

For a short gun, I have a 22" in 9.3x62. That one feels like and handles like a carbine. I really don't need a shorter barrel than that for any of my hunting. The short barrel delivers very good speeds as well.

Note the 9.3x62 has a CIP mean average pressure of 57,000PSI (49,000Copper crusher units). It also has a capacity of 78.0gr. (factory Styer Rifle, factory SAKO ammo) Compared to the .35 whelen's ballistics (virtually same pressure listed) which many people are want to compare it, the .35 Whelen has a capacity of about 65-67gr. There is a difference of over 10% and there can be a respectable difference in terminal ballitics if the shooter so desires. BLC2 delivers performance in this round, that seemingly is not posible with any other powder - at lower pressures than CIP specs. Hodgdon's manual lists loads for BLC2.

Suffice to say, with a 250gr. bullet, you could safely start at 65.0gr. and go from there - carefully. Another long range hunting bullet would be the 225gr. Hornady, sized down to .366". It has a .062" jacket and penetrates very well on deer-type game. I would not worry about going after moose or elk with it, either.

H4895 should be a good powder for either the 250gr.Nosler or the 225gr. sized down.

I would expect just about 2,700fps from the 250gr. BLC2 is probably too slow in this round for the 225gr. - might hve to go to H4895 - start at 54.0gr. The 9.3x62 case will surprise you. It is almost identical to an improved '06 case in shape, with the shoulder shoved forward a bit for greater capacity.

(.450 member)

17/08/11 10:50 AM

Re: 9.3x62 with 20, 21, 22 Inch Barrel

I should update, too...

Mine, well...

One more mod...

Thanks for a miserable job of fitting the front sight base, CZ, as I shot it loose the other day and found the screws stripped. So, I ordered a Ruger .45-70 front sight BAND and slipped it on, then chopped the barrel once more to what is now 18-inches.

Gotta get it to the g-smith to fit and reblue, then maybe bear in September.

(.700 member)

18/08/11 01:27 AM

Re: 9.3x62 with 20, 21, 22 Inch Barrel

Why not leave it long? Kinda cool looking with the banded front sight an inch behind the muzzle - a bolt action AR - HA!

(.450 member)

18/08/11 02:13 AM

Re: 9.3x62 with 20, 21, 22 Inch Barrel

Quote:

Why not leave it long? Kinda cool looking with the banded front sight an inch behind the muzzle - a bolt action AR - HA!

I was going to but it had two botched screw holes showing...

(.700 member)

18/08/11 03:40 AM

Re: 9.3x62 with 20, 21, 22 Inch Barrel

ahah!
been there

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