Maximum effective/useful range of the 9.3x62

Pine Marten

Well-Known Member
Hello everyone.

This is just a bit of idle curiosity as I play Fantasy League Hunting Adventure, but does anyone here use the 9.3x62 for stalking? On paper, it doesn't appear to be a particularly "long range" round, but it seems to be in the same ball park as many other. Does anyone here use it over long-ish distances in the Highlands perhaps, rather than for typically closer-range woodland stalking?

I'd be interested to see your thoughts and experiences. Thanks.
 
Pine Marten,

I use mine in Africa out to 200 metres. Longest shot I've taken was on a Kudu at 255 metres. It dropped on the spot.

Stan
 
Thanks! How heavy is a kudu, compared to say, an Alaskan moose or an American elk? About the same sort of size I think. How far does the bullet drop at that sort of range? How much do you have to compensate for elevation?
 
A 285gr bullet travelling at 2300fpr with a BC of .3 should drop around 13 inches at 250 meters.

I use mine for boar. I could use if for deer in the UK but stick the more tradition calibres.
 
With a 286grain barnes BTTSX zero'd at 100 it's close to 6" low at 200 and just over 20" low at 300 but, that's a federal factory load.

ATB
Moses
 
Depends how long you're talking but, generally it's not considered an long range cartridge like say a 300winmag would be.

You could always change the zero point to 200 and then you'd be 12" low at 300 and 35" low at 400 and 70" low at 500.

ATB
Moses
 
What sort of length barrel would you need to obtain the best out of it? The reason I ask is that I like to read accounts of hunting in Alaska or the Yukon, and it seems that they quite often take shots at ~300m over barren landscape with little or no cover. Of course they might all be showing off and exaggerating. I suppose though that at 300m on something like a moose, it just means that you'd aim at the top of the hump on its' back to hit it in the heart and lung area. Youd' have to do some serious practice to be confident doing that sort of thing though.
 
Either that or Zero the gun at 300yds! or use a lighter bullet at around 240grains.

Barrel around 21-24"
 
The 9.3x62 is often used with quite short barrels.
Loaded with 286gr Partition that has a bc of .485 or a 250gr accubond with bc of .494 I'd say 300m with some practice should be
no problem. Just use a scope with bdc and check the range.
edi
 
Well zeroing at 300 yds would just shift the problem: it would mean that when shooting at 100 yds, you'd have to aim at the moose's knees or something. I suppose the key would be in the practice: shooting it at lots of different ranges, and of course being able to estimate range reasonably accurately. Or use a rangefinder. What is a "BDC" on a scope by the way?
 
It would not be my choice of a long range round. RWS says about 4 cm high at 100 m , 22cm low at 250 and about 45 cm low at 300m. As game in the 9,3 class mostly has a large vital area compared to a roe, it must be useable to about 300m. Ideal will be large deer , moose, elk, kudu sized game up to about 200/225 m. Thats what it's made for I think.
 
Well zeroing at 300 yds would just shift the problem: it would mean that when shooting at 100 yds, you'd have to aim at the moose's knees or something. I suppose the key would be in the practice: shooting it at lots of different ranges, and of course being able to estimate range reasonably accurately. Or use a rangefinder. What is a "BDC" on a scope by the way?

Bullet drop compensate, target turrets for example. S&B has realy nice turrets on the precision hunter range which are very simple to use.
Just have a little drop chart stuck to the scope.
Much better and safer than judging holdover.
edi
 
I think that Kalahari's tip of stalking up closer may be a winner, but that may not always be possible! So OK, for argument's sake, what calibre would you choose for this? 300 Win Mag looks a likely contender, as does possibly the 338 Rem Mag. I imagine that lots of people must also use the old .270 or .30-06 too, but an Alaskan moose is a huge creature.
 
Personally i'd go for a magnum cause...... I like them.

300 winmag or WSM, 7mm rem mag, 300 rem ultra mag, 7mmSAUM, 300 weatherby mag, etc.....
 
I have used one in Africa as well as a .318 WR and concluded that the trajectory was just a little too loopy for my liking. It killed well but I think you would be better served with a .300 magnum or a .375 Hand H. They are more versatile and are easier to 'get out of'!
 
I think that Kalahari's tip of stalking up closer may be a winner, but that may not always be possible! So OK, for argument's sake, what calibre would you choose for this? 300 Win Mag looks a likely contender, as does possibly the 338 Rem Mag. I imagine that lots of people must also use the old .270 or .30-06 too, but an Alaskan moose is a huge creature.

Sorry, just being cheeky.

David.
 
Sorry, just being cheeky.

David.

That's OK, it's a perfectly sensible response! But most of the articles I read about Alaska and Canada mention these 200-300m shots, and I have no reason to think that they're all poor stalkers. So I suspect that on that sort of sub-arctic tundra, with no cover, sound that carries for miles, and quarry that's accustomed to dodging wolves, it may simply not always be possible.

I really MUST win the Lotto...
 
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