Blooded the 9.3x62

  • Join our community of outdoor enthusiasts! Subscribe to Field Ethos Magazine to unlock full forum access and connect with fellow adventurers sharing their stories, tips, and experiences.

    If you are already a subscriber, log in here.
Badger_Matt

Badger_Matt

Member
Full disclosure. This was a preserve hunt and I was locked in with my BogPod in a stand roughly the size of my first apartment. That said, the rifle is spooky accurate and I took out the top of the dear girl’s heart. Bang-flop. Quartered and on ice, she’ll become roasts, steaks, Osso Bucco, and sausage in the kitchen tomorrow.
IMG_2512.jpeg
 

Attachments

  • IMG_2515.jpeg
    IMG_2515.jpeg
    9.3 MB · Views: 9
Badger_Matt said:
Full disclosure. This was a preserve hunt and I was locked in with my BogPod in a stand roughly the size of my first apartment. That said, the rifle is spooky accurate and I took out the top of the dear girl’s heart. Bang-flop. Quartered and on ice, she’ll become roasts, steaks, Osso Bucco, and sausage in the kitchen tomorrow.
View attachment 5052
Click to expand...
Well done! First blood is still first blood.
 
Badger_Matt said:
Full disclosure. This was a preserve hunt and I was locked in with my BogPod in a stand roughly the size of my first apartment. That said, the rifle is spooky accurate and I took out the top of the dear girl’s heart. Bang-flop. Quartered and on ice, she’ll become roasts, steaks, Osso Bucco, and sausage in the kitchen tomorrow.
View attachment 5052
Click to expand...
Super cool! Which load were you shooting? Buffalo Bore 210gr SPs?
 
Ron Dan said:
Sorry, my brain was on 300PRC this week. That 286 Spitzer shoots about .7 MOA out of my Exception. Crazy good load for that gun!
Click to expand...
I really need to shoot from a benchrest, but even off my BogPod it’ll group at 1”. I’m still amazed at how little recoil there is. The witch doctors who built the rifle did a great job.
 
How are you liking that rifle so far? I'm newer to the 9.3 cartridge and learning
 
Terry Houin said:
How are you liking that rifle so far? I'm newer to the 9.3 cartridge and learning
Click to expand...
I’ve only sent 20 rounds down range and this 155 lbs hog is her first kill, so I haven’t really put her through her paces yet. That said, I like the rifle a lot so far.
- Accurate
- Low recoil
- Bolt throw is easy and the checkered bolt knob is a nice functional touch
- Shorter barrel is handy in the woods and blinds
- Didn’t think I’d like the removable magazines, but they’re growing on me. Could be a handy way to have two loads available (different bullet types/weights)
- Barrel band swivel keeps the rifle riding lower so not snagging on trees/bushes
- Red recoil pad has that classic old school look and does its job well
- Wood is a higher grade than standard

I did some research and pondering over bourbon before deciding upon a caliber for my next (last?) rifle. I think I’ve shot, maybe, 2-3 big game animals over 250 yds away and this rifle will easily handle anything closer…and further with work. It’s certainly powerful enough for 90% of my hunting and if I go back to Africa for big game, I have a .458 Win Mag.
 
Badger_Matt said:
I really need to shoot from a benchrest, but even off my BogPod it’ll group at 1”. I’m still amazed at how little recoil there is. The witch doctors who built the rifle did a great job.
Click to expand...
I’ve been professionally around guns for two decades and can’t quite tell you why the recoil is so little. I can only say it’s magic.
 
Badger_Matt said:
I’ve only sent 20 rounds down range and this 155 lbs hog is her first kill, so I haven’t really put her through her paces yet. That said, I like the rifle a lot so far.
- Accurate
- Low recoil
- Bolt throw is easy and the checkered bolt knob is a nice functional touch
- Shorter barrel is handy in the woods and blinds
- Didn’t think I’d like the removable magazines, but they’re growing on me. Could be a handy way to have two loads available (different bullet types/weights)
- Barrel band swivel keeps the rifle riding lower so not snagging on trees/bushes
- Red recoil pad has that classic old school look and does its job well
- Wood is a higher grade than standard

I did some research and pondering over bourbon before deciding upon a caliber for my next (last?) rifle. I think I’ve shot, maybe, 2-3 big game animals over 250 yds away and this rifle will easily handle anything closer…and further with work. It’s certainly powerful enough for 90% of my hunting and if I go back to Africa for big game, I have a .458 Win Mag.
Click to expand...
Would love to see you throw up a 60 second review for the rifle.
 
Ron Dan said:
I’ve been professionally around guns for two decades and can’t quite tell you why the recoil is so little. I can only say it’s magic.
Click to expand...
Yes - this is what makes the 9.3 x 62 special. It was designed in 1905 to basically be the German/African farmer's dangerous game cartridge and was intended to be "shootable" out of an "adjusted" K98.

It's at a near perfect balance point of great killing effect (without "overkilling"), accuracy/precision at realistic ranges, and controllability/shootability. Because the 9.3 is often shot in "heavier" sporting/dangerous game style rifle series that are also often designed to shoot cartridges as "heavy" as .416 Rigby, these rifles tend to be very "stout" for the 9.3 - and correspondingly absorb the recoil very well.

If American companies actually made more rifles in this cartridge, it would probably take off like mad.

9.3 x 62 has been killing things in Africa for just as long as the .375 H&H... If several African countries didn't have .375 H&H as the "legal minimum" for dangerous animals (there are exceptions), I think the 9.3 would only increase in popularity with American hunters heading over there.

IMHO, a 9.3 x 62 rifle with a synthetic stock, variable 2-10 quick release optic, good express sights, and a rugged/reliable action is basically the perfect one-gun take-anywhere hunt-anything rifle for North America (and most of Africa).

Once I start rebuilding my personal battery, a 9.3 x 62 (and a .375 H&H) are the first two rifles I am "rebuilding."
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top