Thread: My 9.3x62...

Originally Posted by Dicko

Carson, John, James..
I've got a couple of lighter 9.3's in a finnlight and a 20" R8 and understand your observations. I don't really like recoil and a .300WM is about where i stop having fun when shooting over the bench.
However, you do need to spend some time at the bench, working up loads and sighting in.
Some years back i read a good book by Warren Page, The Accurate rifle. In this book Warren writes about; the bench rest, table technique and dedicates a chapter to "testing hard kickers". As you would be aware he was a gun writer and shooting rifles in all calibers, case configurations and shapes was part of his vocation.

His key points on this matter (big calibres on the bench) are...
Your shooting positing should be more facing forward and higher, shoulders parallel with target and front of the bench, the front rest should be set higher, this also makes rear higher, and allows / forces the more upright position, you may need extra support under the rear bag and front rest. Trigger hand pulling butt back in firmly to shoulder, I also like to hold the rifle forend to compliment this rearward pressure and control but not fight the lifting/pivoting forces.
The higher rifle position allows the rifle to pivot upwards reducing the recoil forces coming directly back at you.
You may now this already know all this.
Lastly, use of the Sissy bag (small bag between the but and shoulder or folded up piece of towel under tee shirt)

Other 9.3 bits.
Norma still make the 232 gn projectiles, i see it in there factory offerings. I have a box of a 100 i picked up last year but were from an estate i think.
The europeans really like the 232's for deer, boar, moose according to a Finnish hunting mate.
Woodleigh do a 232 PP but as they are still getting back to full production i only see their 250 RN available with limited searching. ($90/50).
Using 250 gn pills at factory velocities makes for a significant reduction in recoil as compared to 286's at full noise i.e driven by 58/59 grains of 2208.
250's on 56/57 or less gns of 2208 are pleasant to shoot.
Factory loaded 250/255s like Geco is similiarly ok.

Dicko, that was a good post, and same conclusion I have come to, I have to change my bench techinque. I would like to try standing like the used to do when regulating doubles.

I have got a decent load for this rifle, my standard load is PPU 286g shooting between an inch and 1.5 inch for three shots if I hold my mouth right, and thats good enough.

Like Tentman, I have taken the rifle out during the roar twice and managed to not shoot anything with it except a rabbit so far.


Hell with it, I am going out next week for a trip to Fiordland, I may as well take the nine-three and see if I can make something of it....