Lucky me! My dad is sending me a set of Redding dies so I can get up and running. I hope they are as good as their reputation and price would indicate.
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Lucky me! My dad is sending me a set of Redding dies so I can get up and running. I hope they are as good as their reputation and price would indicate.
My CZ-550 Lux in 9.3 x 62 wears a Leup 2x-7x. I would be just as happy with a fixed 4X, it isn't a varmint rifle.
For castings I've been running a 270 grain flatnose Mountain Molds GC design to about 1750-1800 FPS atop 23.0 grains of Alliant 2400. Accuracy at 100 yards is a reliable 1.25"-1.5"/five shot groups. Recoil at that velocity isn't bad at all.
Single-best jacketed bullet fuel seems to be IMR-4320.
Owing to its good work with J-words at higher speeds, I have put up some cast boolit loads with the 270 grain GC boolit starting at 46.0 of IMR-4320, and working upward from there. 50.0 grains gives about 2075-2100 FPS, and accuracy holds for 3-4 shots using Alox/beeswax lube before things fall apart. I have assembled a lot of ammo using Lars' Carnauba Red bullet lube, but have yet to run them for grouping. My impression is that at higher performance levels Alox/BW lube breaks down somehow. At 2000 FPS, the recoil increases noticeably; 286 grain Partitions at 2475 FPS are "exhilarating". 250s at 2625 kick significantly less and shoot a lot flatter. In fact, the 9.3/250 spitzer trajectory runs VERY close to that of the 30-06/180 grain spitzer, assuming similar velocities. The difference is that the 9.3 provides half-again more striking energy than the 30-06 does at any given range.
Last but not least......you CAN adapt the 9.3 x 62 to varmint strafing. Just use Hornady 9mm Makarov XTP bullets (.365"), and extrapolate some loads with your favorite medium-speed rifle powder. I got those pistol slugs running close to 3000 FPS, and DID THEY EVER tear the daylights out of jackrabbits. These loads also did a great job of final fire-forming of some 35 Whelen cases I used for my first lot of brass in 2002.
Thanks for all the info. I was sure hoping you would weigh in on this :)
I've got a 9mak hp mould and lots of jacketed too. Who'd have thought something like this could be turned into an "everything" rifle?
I'm going to have to check out the Zeiss offerings. I have been looking at the Leupold vx3 1.5-5x offering, which is $399 at Midway so the Zeiss is is the same cost bracket.
I just held a no.1 in 9.3x62 this weekend at the local gun shop. I'm envious.
I know this is not a cast load but when your shoulder gets tired try reduced loads from Chuck Hawks. I have used it both the the 9.3x74R and 9.3x62. Can't wait to try some of the cast loads from this thread.
9.3x74R - 270 grain Speer Semi-SP bullet, 25.0 grains of SR 4759
powder, CCI 200 primer, RWS case. COL 3.665". MV 1537 fps in 24" barrel. (Based
on the Speer Reloading Manual No. 13.)
Beautiful rifle and a great caliber you got there!
That caliber is very popular here in Sweden. I shoot the shorter 9.3x57 in a Husqvarna 96 and it's my favorite for moose and pigs.
Drops them where they stand!
Nice selection of jacketed bullets and casting makes it even more versatile, I guess!
And once fired norma brass available at the closest range brassbucket too! :-)
I am using a Leupold 2-7X on mine. It's a solid 250yd rifle, and not too much magnification or weight. The NOE 280gr is deadly at 1980fps.
Rich
Fishman and I did shoot a few rounds of PRVI ammo through the #1, and it was "exhilarating" to say the least! The ammo was a bit disappointing in that we had a bad primer in one of the 10 or so that we shot up. Not what you would want in a hairy situation. I am looking forward to Fishman's cast bullet solutions for this rifle.
Yep, tons of fun. Even the two shooters we had that were inexperienced with big bores took a second shot each. Shootability and fun all together! I'm sure the .35 Whelen would be very similar :)
Thanks to all for the continuing load suggestions. I'm going to cast up some NOE this weekend!