Interesting stuff.

Bramble, FWIW you are running your x62 at exactly 100 fps more than I run my x57 and the 286/2100 loads have worked very well for me on deer, bear and elk {and coyotes and ground squirrels, too!

}.

I've seen the pix of yours and you obviously do very well with it! I agree 100% with your whole post.

Along those lines, I think a light MS 9.5 would be a delight for our country here. I spent the day today hiking, skiing and grunting over a whole bunch of country and a lot of elevation looking for bear sign and I spent a bit of time mulling over Naki's and ChrisPer's 9.5 Mannlichers...

Naki, when I test bullets, one of the things I find is that if the construction type is identical the longer ones normally penetrate deeper, but if the construction is different, the "harder" bullet goes deeper. Meaning, a .375/270 MIGHT penetrate deeper than a .366/285 depending on velocity and bullet construction. I have a hunch, but do not know, that the old vintage 9.5/270's were very thin jacketed, and if so, that might explain their supposed lack of penetration.