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Perhaps I can add my two cents as way of mediation.

I've hunted on both sides of the Atlantic, and spent a fair amount of time talking with European hunters, shooters, gun store owners, etc. I also know many American hunters who shoot 9.3s.

My crude observation leads me to the opinion that Europeans in the past 10 years or so tend to undervalue the 9.3x74r and the 9.3x62 and Americans tend to overvalue them.

I'll explain. I think the tendency in Europe comes from these being "old" calibers that have been around for about 100 years and people have used successfully on big game for all that time. Now in the past 30 years or so as big game hunting as expanded (at the expense of small game, similar to the changes in US with the demise of upland hunting, and the rise of deer hunting) many European hunters have become more and more interested in "new cartridges" in particular magnums and others. When I talking with my French hunting buddies I get amazed at how much they love the 300WM for all sorts of hunting: driven roe deer and boar, stalking, etc. I personally don't care for the cartridge. Another funny one is the 35 Whelan, a fairly popular cartridge in France in the past few years, where its rather obscure" (to put it charitably) here in the US. I've heard many European "magnum" users talk rather disparagingly about the 9.3s as too old, slow, and having a highly arched trajectory. Much like here in the US many "classic" cartridges get slammed for being, well old: 30-06, 270, 375 etc. New and sexy has to best right? Its funny when I with my European hunting buddies because I'm always looking at or carrying old European double guns and drillings, while they are all carrying or buying brand new "short magnum, synthetic stocked," bolt action rifles and wearing the latest camo from the Cabelas catalogue

So the poor old 9.3s "drop too fast and are no good for shooting past 150 meters," etc is now often heard. I think these comments sometimes go too far. Sure are the 9.3s ideal long range hunting rounds for shots beyond 400m? No, but how many people actually need rifles that can do that kind of shooting, or are actually capable to consistently make those shots? For example, I think for European style driven hunts the 9.3s are a better choice than a 300WM, less recoil, heavier bullet, etc. Why put up with that much recoil for a flat shooting gun when you are shooting animals less than 91m?

On the other side of the pond, many savvy American shooters escaped the "magumitise" in the past 10 years or so and have "discovered" these classic European hunting cartridges like the 9.3s. This combined with a wide variety of good and rather inexpensive rifles (both doubles and CZs and company for the 9.3x62) has made them very chic in the past couple of years. I should know I use both as my main rifles. So while these are excellent cartridges, perhaps we go too far in praising them as "perfect dangerous game cartridges." Again, what’s “new and sexy” has to be the best, right? I have NO experience dangerous game hunting other than black bears, and I don't really count them. So what I think is just my limited opinion, but I think an ideal dangerous game round would be larger: 450, 416, 500 etc. BUT, I think the 9.3s can get the job done if needed. So not ideal, but certainly capable.

So perhaps we can all meet in the middle somewhere? (Now I feel I should get out my guitar and sing some hippie song...

, "come on people now, love on your brother…")

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In regards to action he should devote himself to hunting...
-Machiavelli

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