What experience on dangerous game, i.e. large bears, does anyone have with this cartridge? L:)ooking for opinions as I may look further at this in a CZ. Thank you.

Here's a little history on this cartridge Darrel. It's one I've been looking at also in one of the CZ 550 full stock rifles. If it wasn't for the 8mm Rem mag sitting in the safe for elk I probably would have one right now.

The 9.3x62mm Mauser is an 'all-around firearms cartridge' suitable for hunting larger species of animals in Africa, Europe, or North America. It was introduced by Otto Bock (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Otto_Bock) in 1905. At 2400 ft/sec (731.52 m/s), its 286 grain (18.53g) standard load balances recoil (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Recoil) and power for effective use at up to about 250 yards (228.6 m). The CIP Maximum Average Pressure (MAP) for the 9.3x62mm is 3900 bar (56 500 PSI)
History and first use

The 9.3x62mm was developed around 1905 by Berlin gunmaker Otto Bock, who designed it to fit into the Model 1898 Mauser (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mauser) bolt-action (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bolt-action) rifle. African hunters and settlers often chose military rifles for their reliability and low cost, but governments fearful of colonial rebellions often banned them and their ammunition. The 9.3x62mm was never a military cartridge and never had this problem. Mausers in 9.3x62mm were inexpensive and reliable, so their popularity in Africa grew quickly.

The 9.3x62 was first loaded with a 286 grain (18.5 g) bullet at a muzzle velocity (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muzzle_velocity) of 2,150 ft/s (655 m/s). After World War I (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_War_I) some companies increased the velocity to around 2,400 ft/s (730 m/s), and brought out lighter bullets. Rifles set up for the original load must have their sights readjusted to shoot the newer load to point of aim. Adding to the confusion, loads at both velocities are available today. Several European firms load 9.3x62mm Mauser ammunition, including Lapua, Norma (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Norma_%28company%29) and RWS, PPU (Prvi Partizan)as well as PMP of South Africa, and it is widely available in Africa.
Also in England, KYNOCH (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kynoch) (the Imperial Metal Industries (Kynoch) Limited, Birmingham 6, England), the well known cartridge manufacturer, produced ammunition, referring to the 9.3x62mm as the '9.3 mm Mauser'. Typically it was loaded as 'a Metal Covered Soft Nose Bullet. 285 grains (18.4g) with the base marked simply KYNOCH 9.3 mm. This is no longer listed by them.



The 9.3x62mm is popular in Europe, especially Scandinavia. The rugged, inexpensive CZ 550 rifle became available in 9.3x62mm in North America in 2002, and both are gaining a strong following there.



The 9.3x62mm is ideal for eland (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eland_%28genus%29), zebra (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zebra), giraffe (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Giraffe) and wildebeest (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wildebeest), and most who hunt in Africa consider it a viable all-around cartridge comparable to the .338 Winchester Magnum (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/.338_Winchester_Magnum), the .375 H&H Magnum (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/.375_H%26H_Magnum) and the .404 Jeffery (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/.404_Jeffery). The 9.3x62mm has taken cleanly every dangerous species on the continent, and is the minimum legal cartridge for "big 5 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Big_Five_game)" in many African countries. The 9.3x62mm is considered adequate for European and North American game that may become dangerous, such as feral hogs and the great bears (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bear). Sambar hunters in Australia are turning to the 9.3X62, the deer hunter's favourite rifle has changed due to the Howard (Federal) Government's ban on self-loading rifles (1994), a great many Sambar hunters were well catered for by the various makes of self-loading rifles that were available in 30.06 and like calibres, when the self-loaders were banned there was a buy-back and suddenly thousands of deer hunters were looking for bolt action rifles that delivered one shot knockdown power on Sambar deer, the 9.3X62 calibre has proven to be well up to that task and now rifle manufacturers are including the calibre in their standard model lineup (Sako is a good example) and most gunshops carry factory loads in packets of 20 rounds although the price is still high at about $35.00 Aus per 20 compared to 30.06 at about $25.00 Aus per 20.

Well, Bob really answered this one, but if you have a pile of older magazines and books, Finn Aagarde was a real fan of this cartridge, and felt it adequate for cape buffalo, lions and such. John Barsness, another reasonable gun writer, has also written quite a bit on the 9.3 X 62.

If you own a .35 Whelen, or a .338-06, it would be tough to argue for one, but if you don't, and you are not inclined to the beating from a .375 H&H or .338 Winchester, or the even bigger blasters, it's a great class of cartridges. Adequate punch, with way less kick in a lighter rifle. And the CZ's are incredibly nice per dollar.

would it be feasible to convert a BAR, or a Remington 750 to 9.3x62?

I have heard of some old timers who have converted their 1895 Winchesters to 9.3, but I've never heard of this type of platform for the 9.3.... If this were feasible, that would make one heck of a good Alaskan Bear gun..... The head on a 9.3 is .473 right? and it is the same lenght as a 30'06 right?

what kind of CUP pressure are we talking about here?

The head on a 9.3 is .473 right?

Actually, it's not, it's .476, and that looks like a heck of a bulge at the base.

'06 cases are usable by several accounts, but non-ideal.

H&K SLB 2000 is a nice 9.3x62.
Would be alright for a good camp defence gun.

Any know the velocity difference between a 20 inch (CZ550FS) 22inch (Sako/Tikka) and a 24 inch ( CZ American) in 9.3x62 mauser? I really like the CZ550FS but concerned the shorter barrel may drop velocity too much?

You can roughly figure 25 to 30 fps loss per inch loss of barrel length.

I could get intrigued by this cartridge if I didn't already have the American "equivalent," the .35 Whelen. (Save the flame jobs...I concede that the 9.3 has better numbers on paper. Significant difference in the field is debatable.)

A CZ in the full stock version would be sweet in heavy timber. My eyes pretty much demand a scope. Once you put a scope on a Mannlicher-style rifle you might as well get the benefit of an extra couple inches from a standard configuration.

If I had to do it all over again I'd still buy the Whelen for hunting in North America. My Rem. 700 Classic has acquitted itself with honor on antelope, deer, elk, and mountain lion (MV=2400 fps., 250 gr. Speer Spitzers). If I lived and hunted in Europe, Africa or Asian I'd go with the 9.3 without a doubt.

Here in Sweden the 9.3 is very common and a popular choice for large game like brown bear and wild boar. They kick hard but most shooters can learn to handle them without problem and they are easier to shoot accuratly then the HH 375 for most people.

A well placed shot of the 9.3 will drop any animal on this earth.

The CZ 550 is a huge seller here for the 9.3 and represents excellent value for money.

Hi Darreljwick, several years a go I put togheter this 9.3x62. I was offered a new Lothar Walther barrel mauser tread, chambered for this cartridge, as it happen I also had few mauser actions on reserve so I went to work...a seasoned block of bubinga wood and at the time this became my evening winter project. To date I did not had the opportunity to take a game with it, only lot of shooting at the range, I like the feeling, is much more pleasent to shoot than the .375 H&H,( less brutal, at one point I did own a ZKK 602 in that caliber ) frankly I would compare the recoil as a .300WM.
I shoot 286 grain Norma behaind 52.0 grain of IMR 3031, no idea of the fps, but zero at 100 yrds the drop is 6" at 200 and at 50yrds I am 3/4 inch high.
A fellow that I know shoot a bull moose about 75 yrds away with the same combination, bullet/cartridge and told me that He drop it on his track.

Roberto, very nice job on that rifle. How was bubinga to work with? Lots of it at local wood store.

I have experience with the 9.3X74R (74R), which is comparable to the 9.3X62. I also have a .375H&H and I can tell you they compare nicely what one will do, the other will do just as well. On Elk, (Wapiti for those of you in Europe) I can not tell the difference. My '74R is in a WWII German Luftwaffe Drilling drought back as a war prize by an Uncle. I loaned it out to a friend who used it to harvest a Buffalo on his fathers ranch he told me it killed a large bull in one clean shot, he thought it did a better job then his .338 Winchester. He used cartridges I hand loaded using the Brenneke TUG bullet.
http://www.brenneke.de/brenneke_engl/web/start.html
The only dangerous game we have in Wyoming are Grizzly Bears which are protected, and Black Bear which I don't consider a proper test when compared with the dangerous game of Africa. But with the proper bullets the 9.3X62 will do anything the .375H&H will do.

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The 9.3x74R is available now in the Ruger No.1 The two that I shot were quite accurate, and fun to shoot!

9.3X74R in a Ruger No.1 what a sweet combination that would be. My .378H&H is in a No1 Tropical Rifle. It would be very interesting to see what you could do handloading the '74R in such a strong action. Hmmmm :)

Hello FLUPTON, bubinga is a very dense wood and quite hard to work compare to walnut, If you hever work with maple, bubinga is a little harder, I cut the outer shape with a friend ribbon shaw, after I use a belt sander with corser grain to reduce and shaping and all the rest by hand with cisel and sand paper, magazine pit and barrel channel corser work I use a press drill with rauter type file and milling type table to advance or forward the stock. From start to finish it take about 160 hrs of work. Out of this about 20 hrs are for the oil finish and powder stone polish.
Some bobinga are nicer, with more courly patterns as this 8x64
that I made before the 9.3 .
This is my hobby....other wise if I had to do this for living either I became faster or I starve!!! I will post the curly bubinga after since use quick reply and It wont take my picture. So long Roberto.

Hi FLUPTON here is the other bubinga curl pattern...

Exotic wood are so beautiful one of my favorite wood is Brazilian Rosewood. It is unfortunate so many of these woods grow in rain forests and because of this they are getting increasing hard to get. Here is a link to an outfit that is a source for such woods and has photo's of them.

http://www.woodfinder.com/

Here a brazilian rosewood custom stock on a Brno ZG47 rechambered to a 8mm x 338 Win.Mag.

brazilian rosewood.....sorry I forgot the attachement!

I tried to bring out some of the details of the Rosewood Stock on your Rifle, your photo is a little on the dark side I adjusted the contrast and brightness with photo shop to bring out some of the details . very nice figure and color I love the dark red look Rosewood has.

A wood that would be interesting to make a stock out of is Lignum Vitae, also known as Ironwood. I ran into this wood when I was stationed in Naval Station at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. This wood is so dense that if you cleaned the bark off of a piece of it and suspend it with a piece of rope and hit is with a mallet the wood rings like a bell. This is the same wood used to make marimbas.. See below for an example of Lignum Vitae.

Just got a Tikka Stainless in camo stock in 9.3x62mm I AM IN LOVE!