The.375 H & H Magnum cartridge is well-known among hunters in North America. Still, the. 9.3x62mm Mauser cartridge is less widely used. The 9.3x62mm has certain benefits over the .375 Holland & Holland Magnum that North American hunters should note.
The 9.3×62, a caliber developed for bolt-action rifles, was amongst the initial mid-size calibers. In the early 1900s, African German hunters readily adopted this cartridge.
Hunters commonly use the 9.3x62mm cartridge despite its similar ballistics to other ammunition. This article will examine the 9.3x62mm Mauser rifle cartridge, an excellent choice for hunting large animals. Consider utilizing this cartridge for your upcoming hunt.
The 9.3x62mm Mauser cartridge is an excellent choice for hunting big game, such as elk, moose, and bear. The cartridge has enough power to take down these animals with one shot. It also has a flat trajectory, which makes it easier to shoot accurately at longer distances.
9.3×62mm History
1905 saw the introduction of the 9.3x62mm Mauser cartridge, which changed the hunting and shooting worlds forever. The cartridge was designed by Otto Bock and incorporated two significant advances in firearm technology in the early 20th Century: the introduction of smokeless powder and the Mauser 98 rifle.
Hunters used to primarily use single-shot or double-barreled black powder firearms, but that has changed.
Huntsmen hunting dangerous game typically used large caliber rifles that discharged heavy bullets. Elephant hunters often carried 4, 6, or 8-bore rifles that could shoot 1″ diameter bullets of up to 1,750 grains (4 ounces) in weight.
The rifles created an immense amount of smoke. They had significant recoil, yet they had slow-moving bullets that didn’t penetrate much. Furthermore, they took a while to reload.
Big game hunters were eager to utilize the 9.3x62mm Mauser, which featured more advanced smokeless powder and could fire at much higher velocities than other firearms.
The significantly higher velocities resulted in the use of smaller-diameter bullets. This resulted in higher sectional density bullets, which Penetrated more reliably than the older, big-bore lead bullets.
The innovative Mauser 98 rifle, with its revolutionary design that improved reliability and performance, was made even better by the 9.3×62 cartridge designed by Bock. As with previous models, hunters could fire five shots at a time instead of one or two.
It is easy to see why the 9.3x62mm Mauser was so in demand among hunters, given that it was more effective than the day’s standard big game hunting cartridges. Furthermore, this ammunition could be fired from a trusty and economical rifle–allowing users to fire twice as much ammo without loading up again. So, it is no surprise that many were drawn to the 9.3×62 with enthusiasm.
Germans living in Africa were drawn to the 9.3×62 cartridge because it could take down thick-skinned animals such as buffalo and elephants with low recoil.
Hunters often chose the nine-point-three-by-sixty-two cartridge for its great versatility and exceptional performance. It is no surprise that this cartridge became so popular..
Performance
The 9.3×62 cartridge is an excellent choice for hunting large game. It has a higher velocity than the.35 Whelen AI and is more powerful than the.3006 size cartridges. The 9.3mm bullet is slightly larger than the 9.09mm in diameter, which gives it a greater stopping power when used on large game animals like Kudu, Blue Wilde beest, Elk, Moose, and Brown bears.
A hunter looking for more power when hunting deer in the bush or woods might want to consider a wider bore.’ This hunter needs a gun with more power to make up for any shot placement errors that might happen when hunting in an area with many trees and plants. There are limited bullet choices for this size when hunting smaller deer. A straightforward Interlock or Pro-hunter 250-grain round nose bullet could handle punch and penetration issues – if such a bullet existed. You must choose your bullets carefully if you want a powerful rifle to take down big game.
In simple terms, although the 9.3 is suitable for hunting large animals, most bullet manufacturers have yet to acknowledge how often this cartridge is used by hunters. The .358 bore is much smaller than the 9.3 bore.
This cartridge is most effective when loaded with either a light 225-232 grain bullet of soft construction or a heavy round nose bullet. We may see the hydrostatic shock and good mechanical and hydraulic wounding above 2200fps. Results can, at times, be described as spectacular. These bullet styles work well at impact velocities of 1800fps or below. This style and weight of the bullet are not standard in 9.3 bores. Many hunters need to be made aware of the potential of this bore as a deer hunting cartridge.
The 9.3×62 is especially effective on mid-sized to large game. Red deer, Sambar, Elk, Kudu, and so forth. This gun is also effective against wild pigs of all sizes. The 9.3’s velocity is relatively low and only performs well within a small range (between 1800 and whatever fps the shooter can get).
The 9.3 caliber bullets expand when they meet enough resistance from the animals. If the ranges are not too far, the impact velocities are high enough to cause mechanical and hydraulic wounding.
The large, heavy bullets fired from a 9.3 caliber gun are very good at penetrating deeply. Still, they won’t cause extensive wounds needed to bring down big game. The 9.3×62’s impact velocities are not high enough to create large wounds compared to the vital organs of large animals.’ The 9.3 can be effective if used properly. Shooting at the head and neck region usually results in the best outcome.
Several solid bullets are being developed for maximum penetration. Although you may be tempted to use these for follow-up shots or shots to the central nervous system, I would advise against it. The wounding will be limited if the solid is not designed to produce hydraulic wounding via a truly flat or concave tip. The advice I read stated that the hunter should aim dead center at the brisket to prevent a bullet from glancing off the ribs when taking a frontal chest shot. If a center brisket shot is taken with a solid, the bullet may pass between the lungs while also missing the heart, which would do little to no internal damage. At its best, the solid will poke a hole through the liver. Shooting heavy game in the chest with a solid bullet is the same as shooting medium game in the chest with a full metal jacket military load. Use round-nose solids and aim for the CNS if you wish to use round-nose solids.
The 9.3 caliber rifle is best used with a rifle with some weight. This will also help to improve accuracy. The increasingly popular rifles from Tikka have a design that is close to insane. With a thin barrel, small forend, and concise magazine (which could be a problem if using monolithic solids). A gun with a scope should have a flat top, a wide front end for shooting without support, and a thick barrel.
9.3x62mm Mauser Rifles & Ammo
One advantage of the 9.3x62mm over a .375 H&H is the lower price of rifles chambered since the cartridge can fit in a standard-length action. Several rifle manufacturers charge in 9.3x62mm, such as Sako, Steyr, Tikka, and CZ.
You can also purchase a current production Mauser rifle that uses cartridges.
CZ produces one of the least expensive yet still excellent quality examples with the Model 550 American, which has a starting price of $850 MSRP. The Winchester Model 70 in .375 H&H has an MSRP of $1419, while the Remington Model 700 has an MSRP of $1450.
The 9.3x62mm also has a large selection of high-quality ammunition available. Several companies, including Nosler, Hornady, Lapua, Norma, Federal, Barnes, Remington, Sellier & Bellot, Woodleigh, Swift, A-Square, and Prvi Partizan, manufacture ammunition for the 9.3×62 rifle.
The most popular bullet weights are 285-grain and 286-grain bullets.
Although some companies sell high premium grade 9.3mm bullets, hand-loaders should still be able to make a great performing handload.
The German company RWS produces high-quality 9.3mm bullets and ammunition, which are difficult to obtain and very costly in the United States. The manufacturers have various bullets. Those that expand quickly and are for hunting white-tailed deer, to those that expand slowly and are for hunting thick-skinned animals like elephants and cape buffalo.
Although it may not be the best choice for following up a wounded buffalo or elephant in heavy cover, the cartridge is still a good option. Many professional hunters choose to use rifles that shoot .416 Rigby, .458 Win Mag, .458 Lott, or .470 Nitro Express bullets when hunting animals that could be dangerous.
Captain Hunter is a seasoned hunting mentor with over 20 years of experience in the field. His passion began as a young man on trips with his father and grandfather in the Colorado mountains. Today, he shares his unmatched skills in survival, tracking, and marksmanship through his website CaptainHunter.com. When he's not volunteering with youth hunting programs, you can find Captain Hunter providing expert hunting tips, gear reviews, and answers to your most pressing questions. His decades of experience make him the trusted guide to help any outdoorsman master the sport.