Putting a little zip in the 9.3X72R????

[barnes-450]

This may or may not have been kicked around on our site but I didn't see it!! What would keep you from taking the old 9.3X72R and kicking it up a notch or two???? I have been looking at a double rifle in this caliber (I know what you are thinking WHY!) and it crossed my mind why not build this puppy up to a 286gn Norma spitzer at say 2200 MV??? It has plenty of case capacity and in a double rifle or cape gun for that matter why wouldn't it be practical???? Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated.

[NVcurmudgeon]

Changing ballistics on a double rifle is very likely to lead to neither barrel shooting to the sights. "Regulating" the two barrels to shoot together is a large part of the horrendous cost of a double. Not only do double rifles recoil up and back, but the barrels recoil in opposite directions in windage. In "African Rifles and Cartridges," John Taylor describes how he learned this. He shot a big double rifle from a rest on his gunbearer's shoulder. The rifle recoiled to the side hitting the unfortunate gunbearer upside the head.

[trooperdan]

Can you imagine the muzzle blast from that rifle with it so close to the gun bearers face?? I bet you can still ID who used to be a gun bearer... he is the guy saying "Huh"? all of the time!!

[barnes-450]

Hi NVcurmudgeon and trooperdan,
NV, you are exactly right I hadn't even thought of the regulated barrels. O.K. then how about that cape gun or combo, with the strong action. Has anyone tried to load the 9.3X72R up to a practical hunting load???? trooperdan, "WHAT!!!!!!" Take care and God bless.

cordell

[onceabull]

Barnes-450: I'd wager that George Hoenig & assoc. will built you a beautiful round action double 9.3x72 and regulate it for any load you could reasonable call for..I've had the opportunity to handle a couple of these at local shows,and believe me,get one and you are select company..!! Onceabull

[BruceB]

The obvious solution to scratching this particular itch is to rebore or re-barrel a nice Ruger #1. It's much easier than most alternatives, and less expensive in the bargain.

I seem to remember that Elmer Keith and his pals came up with a wildcat .338 on the 9.3x72R case...or was it the 74R??? Hmmmm....I do believe it was called the .338x74R. Anyway, these days we have plenty of fine 9.3mm jacketed bullets, and a mould is only a computer-click away, so I'd be inclined to go with one of the big 9.3 cases and the original bore diameter. I'd probably opt for the newer 74mm case, though.

If my cast .416 softnoses work on critters as I hope they will, a similar boolit in a 9.3 at nearly full power would be a fine hunting load, too. I'm getting attached to the idea that the over-.30 bores are where I want to be if using cast boolits for hunting, where increased bullet weight can maybe compensate for the necessarily-slower speeds for the cast bullets in .30-and-under high-velocity-type cartridges. 9.3mm would seem to be a prime candidate.