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Squarebridge, to answer your question directly, I do not think you or the game would notice much difference between a 9x57 and a 9.3x57.

But since I have an ancient tradition of never using a sentence to say something that can be said in a paragraph...

As Daryl points out, the 9.3x57 has available to it many heavy 285-320 grain bullets and it is possible that these may provide some betterment in performance for certain applications. Also as Daryl has stated in the past, the great reputation garnered by the 9.3x62 was done so with loads tossing a 286 grain bullet at just under 2200 fps, and this level of performance or nearly so is quite attainable with a good strong 9.3x57.

I personally would not rechamber a 9.3x57 to 9.3x62 but if I wanted "modern" x62 performance would buy a new rifle in that chambering.

For my purposes; deer, bear and elk at up to 200 yards, I like the 9.3x57. Cases are cheap {Rem 8x57's}, and loading a snap, and killing power more than adequate. Also, from what I am told, heavy-loaded, lightweight 9.3x62's can have VERY severe recoil depending on rifle. I don't think I would want a 6 lb x62 shoving 286's out at 2500 fps. Recoil of my M46 9.3x57 with 285 grain bullets started at 2100 fps is quite mild, curiously so in my opinion.

I agree with Daryl, I would not rechamber a 9.3x57 M46 to 9.3x62. Action length is a smidgen shorter than the 98's and some x62 hand- and factory loads would require shorter-than-standard length to feed thru the mag, and loaded rounds may not eject without hanging up a bit anyhow. With my 96 and 98 9.3x57's, I can load bullets out very long.

I see these rounds really as in two sort-of separate categories of cartridges: the Modern 9.3x62 as a virtual ditto to yesteryear's .375 H&H Mag, and the 9.3x57 as the ditto to yesteryear's 9.3x62. The former benefits from a fairly heavy rifle to tame modern-load recoil, the latter can be made very light indeed and still be very comfortable to shoot.

Both the 9.3x57 and x62 are excellent cartridges and from what I'm told, so is the 9x57!!

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Edited by 9ThreeXFifty7 (08/09/08 06:16 AM)

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