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Andreas - thanks for not putting me in the Looney-bin.

My first .458 2", the one I did the 'bullet' work with, was retired after 15,000 rounds. The first .375/06IMP & recipient of my 'special' bullets, was run for about 3,000, maybe 4,000 rounds, then I re-chamberd to take the 8x68S case, becoming the first 9.5x68, then I sold it to a friend who put many moose in the freezers with it. Keith then sold it to his brother who had it magnaported, ran a LOT of ammo through it, then wanted it turned lighter as it was a McGowen magnum #3 taper. The local 'smith' screwed it up so I ended up with it again- now at least 6 or 7 thousand rounds. I bucked 2" off the breech re-threaded and re-chambered it to take a .350 Rem mag opened to .375, only to find the rifling starting some 2" ahead of the new chamber. It was retired, but I still have it. After all it's trials, it still puts 235's, 270's and 300's into 3" @ 100yards, but the individual groups have grown to 1 1/2" each within that 3". It's tired, but still capable of taking moose and elk to 300yards.

Now, I've built a new .375/06IMP, 'found' my old 9.3x62 and have a new to me 9.3x57 M46 Husky with the M94 action. The Husky is strickly for hunting, but I've already been shooting .375" bullets drawn to .367" in 300gr., 235's, 225's and 220's, as well as 232gr. Normas, 270gr. Speers and 286gr. Privi's. Took a moose with it using a 270gr. Speer @ 2,300fps, 200yard iron sight shot last fall - only hunted one day, back home before dark. That little rifle is now a favourite, of course. Low recoil and good power. It gets 2,175fps with drawn 300gr. and 2,540fps with drawn 225gr., same as 9.3's rifle.

The .35 Whelen can't begin to compare to the 9.3x62, of course, due to the 9.3's "Improved Status" case capacity and greater expansion ratio, however it is much closer to the 9.3x57. The 9.3 M46 won't make 2,600fps with 250gr. bullets and will only make around 2,300fps with 270's - in it's M94 action. In a 98 action which is the M146, it can be improved a measureable amount due to the increased pressure limit of the action, about the same as any .35 Whelen on a Mauser.

So - the real questions are:

Does the increased expansion ratio of the 9.3 make up for it's reduced case capacity compared to the .35 Whelen?

Does the normal long leade and throat of the 9.3x57 help to increase the capacity.

The answer in my opinion is yes as to speed with like weight bullets - BUT - then the question becomes what about bullets, what S ectional Densities? Well, both have heavy bullets now, the 9.3x57 is probably limited to using 300gr. for a BC somewhat over or around .310, while the .35 Whelen's 250gr. Hornady's run arond 305- about equal - and now include the heavy Woodleigh too.

As to speed with like-weight sectional densities, the smaller bore wins that argument, ie: 250gr. .35 vs. 9.3's 300gr. On the other hand, if each was loaded to the same pressure, they would be very close in speed with the same weight bullets, just as when the .338/06 and .35 Whelen compete. If you were to use a 225gr. in the .35, and a 250gr. in the 9.3, the .35 would probably outstrip the larger bore by a hundred fps. maybe more. The game wouldn't know the difference, but it looks impressive on paper.

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Daryl

"a gun without hammers is like a Spaniel without ears" King George V

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