9.3x57 Cast Load Data Needed

[todd]

ALWAYS appreciate your posts, Todd.

You have and DO some very interesting, very useful and very down to earth (practical) things and share some very useful experiences. That you accomplish this against the absence of advantages the rest of us take for granted is inspiring.

I always love to read your posts.

Thanks!!!

You should have heard the booing when I bought the 6.5CM in 2008. I wanted something different and to hunt deer with. I expected that I got ignored cartridge, much like 30TC. I didn't know that 6.5CM would be so successful. I had the 15", 16 1/4" and the 23" MGM barrels in 6.5CM in TC Encore. I killed alot of deer with that gun. 2014 or 2015 is when I got bored with it. I got a 500 Linebaugh, 20 Vartarg and 444 Marlin in 23" MGM barrels.

 

[10x]

I have been shooting 200 grain cast bullets with Gas check sized to 0.367" (any larger will not chamber easily in my rifle) and have had success with loads using 5744, WC735. (H335 data - 5%) and IMR 4065. I use GRT (Gordon's Reloading tool) to get starting loads and to compare pressure curves and max pressures for various powders. My cast bullet load is 14.5 grains of Unique behind this bullet, or 15.5 grains of AL5 (Obsolete Alcan shotgun powder)
Case capacity of the 9.3x57 is slightly larger than the 358 Winchester. When I first started working up loads i used 358 Winchester data and worked powder loads to 358 Winchester velocities with no signs of pressure (flat primers or sticky extraction). I have several Husqvarna L46 rifles plus a 9.3x57 in a FN Mauser 98. Velocities were confirmed with a first generation Labradar Chronograph.
Brass was formed from 7x57, 8x57, 270 win, and 30/06 so i have brass with different case capacities.
Just a note, the fellow who wrote GRT has passed and the software has not been (to my knowledge) updated. There is a learning curve but it is not too difficult to modify GRT To handle a 200 grain cast gas check bullet in 9.3x57.

There is a great deal of information in this thread - you may have to join to see it.

Handloading the 9.3x57

Reposted from the old Boards: houstonfrank Thankyou, Lee Speed. Netsew, I see by your profile that your are a resident of Wis. May I presume that you want to use your 9.3x57 on those big fine deer that live back there? If so, you might consider contacting Hawk bullets (www.hawkbullets.com) to...

www.gunboards.com

 

[Oldgunnut]

Can I ask why you would want to use a 200 grain 9.3mm bullet, which has a sectional density of 0.213, the same as a 140 grain .308 bullet? A 9.3mm bullet with a sectional density the same as that of a 0.308" 180 grain bullet would weigh 255 grains in 9.3, as offered by RWS & Lapua. The long-standard 9.3 mm bullet weighs 285-286 grains, which has a sectional density of 0.305, the same as a 203 gr. 0.308" bullet or a 300 grain bullet in .375".
IMNSHO, a bullet measuring 0.366" is not a varmint bullet; it is meant as a heavy game and, in some cases, as a stopper.
I have been shooting rifles chambered for 9.3x57, 9.3x62 & 9.3x74R for a lot of years & have designed 2 bullets for my 9.3 rifles, a 285 gr. & a 350 grain. I had Tom at Accurate Moulds build the moulds for me.

Bullet Design Details | Accurate Molds

accuratemolds.com

Bullet Design Details | Accurate Molds

accuratemolds.com

I designed both of these bullets for hunting, hence their ~70% meplats. Where I hunt in the Canadian Shield, most shots are 35-50 yds. & you cannot see farther than 75 yds. in the Black Spruce.
The 350 grain bullet in the 9.3x74R or 9.3x62 will do everything a .360 #2 N.E. or a .400/350 Rigby will do & 90% of what a .450/400 Jeffery will do.
Like you, I use WC735 [presume you are also a resident of The Great White North]. I have also used IMR4320, RL15 & Varget in cast bullet loads for the 285 gr. bullet & WC735 & WC760(SL) for the 350 grain bullet.
Remember, with their 1:14" twist, at least in Husqvarna's rifles, you can drive these cast bullets to almost the same velocities as jacketed bullets.
Granted, you will want to replace the factory bakelite butt-plates with a decent recoil pad.
Get rid of your Heinz-57 assortment of brass & buy 200 PPU 8x57 brass [253.4 gr. H2O], unless you can find 200 Metallwerken 9.3x57 brass [263.7 gr. H2O] or Gevelot 8x57 brass [262.1 gr.] & be done with it. These had more, sometimes up to 10 grs. more, case capacity than norma, Norma Re, old LAPUA 9.3x57, R-P 8x57, W-W Super 8x57 & a lot more than re-formed .270 or .30-06 brass, or even Barnes .35 Whelen brass necked down & shortened.

 

[TXTad]

Can I ask why you would want to use a 200 grain 9.3mm bullet, which has a sectional density of 0.213, the same as a 140 grain .308 bullet? A 9.3mm bullet with a sectional density the same as that of a 0.308" 180 grain bullet would weigh 255 grains in 9.3, as offered by RWS & Lapua. The long-standard 9.3 mm bullet weighs 285-286 grains, which has a sectional density of 0.305, the same as a 203 gr. 0.308" bullet or a 300 grain bullet in .375".
IMNSHO, a bullet measuring 0.366" is not a varmint bullet; it is meant as a heavy game and, in some cases, as a stopper.
I have been shooting rifles chambered for 9.3x57, 9.3x62 & 9.3x74R for a lot of years & have designed 2 bullets for my 9.3 rifles, a 285 gr. & a 350 grain. I had Tom at Accurate Moulds build the moulds for me.

Bullet Design Details | Accurate Molds

accuratemolds.com

Bullet Design Details | Accurate Molds

accuratemolds.com

I designed both of these bullets for hunting, hence their ~70% meplats. Where I hunt in the Canadian Shield, most shots are 35-50 yds. & you cannot see farther than 75 yds. in the Black Spruce.
The 350 grain bullet in the 9.3x74R or 9.3x62 will do everything a .360 #2 N.E. or a .400/350 Rigby will do & 90% of what a .450/400 Jeffery will do.
Like you, I use WC735 [presume you are also a resident of The Great White North]. I have also used IMR4320, RL15 & Varget in cast bullet loads for the 285 gr. bullet & WC735 & WC760(SL) for the 350 grain bullet.
Remember, with their 1:14" twist, at least in Husqvarna's rifles, you can drive these cast bullets to almost the same velocities as jacketed bullets.
Granted, you will want to replace the factory bakelite butt-plates with a decent recoil pad.
Get rid of your Heinz-57 assortment of brass & buy 200 PPU 8x57 brass [253.4 gr. H2O], unless you can find 200 Metallwerken 9.3x57 brass [263.7 gr. H2O] or Gevelot 8x57 brass [262.1 gr.] & be done with it. These had more, sometimes up to 10 grs. more, case capacity than norma, Norma Re, old LAPUA 9.3x57, R-P 8x57, W-W Super 8x57 & a lot more than re-formed .270 or .30-06 brass, or even Barnes .35 Whelen brass necked down & shortened.

I've been eyeing both of those bullets, but mostly the 286H. I don't know that I could realistically use the 355. How much twist does it need to stabilize?

Right now my 9.3x62 gets loaded with 270gr speers.

If *I had* 200 gr bullets, I might use them on my most likely target, which would be a Texas whitetail at less than 200 yards. I bet they'd do just fine in that application.

 

[Oldgunnut]

TXTad: Not sure, but both are stabilised in the 1:14" twist of my Husqvarna 9.3x57 [all 6 of them] & in my 1:14" twist Husqvarna 649 [9.3x62].

 

[10x]

Can I ask why you would want to use a 200 grain 9.3mm bullet, which has a sectional density of 0.213, the same as a 140 grain .308 bullet? A 9.3mm bullet with a sectional density the same as that of a 0.308" 180 grain bullet would weigh 255 grains in 9.3, as offered by RWS & Lapua. The long-standard 9.3 mm bullet weighs 285-286 grains, which has a sectional density of 0.305, the same as a 203 gr. 0.308" bullet or a 300 grain bullet in .375".
IMNSHO, a bullet measuring 0.366" is not a varmint bullet; it is meant as a heavy game and, in some cases, as a stopper.
I have been shooting rifles chambered for 9.3x57, 9.3x62 & 9.3x74R for a lot of years & have designed 2 bullets for my 9.3 rifles, a 285 gr. & a 350 grain. I had Tom at Accurate Moulds build the moulds for me.

Bullet Design Details | Accurate Molds

accuratemolds.com

Bullet Design Details | Accurate Molds

accuratemolds.com

I designed both of these bullets for hunting, hence their ~70% meplats. Where I hunt in the Canadian Shield, most shots are 35-50 yds. & you cannot see farther than 75 yds. in the Black Spruce.
The 350 grain bullet in the 9.3x74R or 9.3x62 will do everything a .360 #2 N.E. or a .400/350 Rigby will do & 90% of what a .450/400 Jeffery will do.
Like you, I use WC735 [presume you are also a resident of The Great White North]. I have also used IMR4320, RL15 & Varget in cast bullet loads for the 285 gr. bullet & WC735 & WC760(SL) for the 350 grain bullet.
Remember, with their 1:14" twist, at least in Husqvarna's rifles, you can drive these cast bullets to almost the same velocities as jacketed bullets.
Granted, you will want to replace the factory bakelite butt-plates with a decent recoil pad.
Get rid of your Heinz-57 assortment of brass & buy 200 PPU 8x57 brass [253.4 gr. H2O], unless you can find 200 Metallwerken 9.3x57 brass [263.7 gr. H2O] or Gevelot 8x57 brass [262.1 gr.] & be done with it. These had more, sometimes up to 10 grs. more, case capacity than norma, Norma Re, old LAPUA 9.3x57, R-P 8x57, W-W Super 8x57 & a lot more than re-formed .270 or .30-06 brass, or even Barnes .35 Whelen brass necked down & shortened.

I live in Northern Alberta. Most shots on Moose and mule deer are under 100 yards, I will not take a shot at a game animal over 200 yards, no mater which bullet or caliber I am using. A cast 200 grain bullet, with gas check, and powder coat can be be driven p to 2400 fps with the alloy I use in my L46 Husqvarna. This bullet at this velocity will harvest mule deer, whitetail, elk, and moose at ranges out to 200 yards and is just as effective as a 285 grain bullet. With less recoil. A Moose, elk, or deer, or bear shot through the lungs with a 200 grain, 9.3mm bullet dies quickly despite the 200 grain bullet having a sectional density of 0.213 . The bullet does the job out to 200 yards
I use the same cast 200 grain bullet in my 9.3x62 at the roughly the same velocity as the 9.3x57. The 9.3x5 uses less powder to get the same velocity.
I started out shooting cast 285 grain from NOE and Accurate molds but I happen to like the little bit extra velocity that the 200 grain cast will allow. As for the Heinz 57 assortment of brass, I work up loads with specific brands of brass with specific cast bullets. Once a load is settled on, that case head stamp is always used with the same bullet, and same powder load.
8x57 Brass is extremely hard to get in Canada and when I got the 9.3x57 there was none in stock of any of the dealers I have 200 8x57 Geveot brass that i got at a gun show that i converted and i have several batches of 9.3x57 (at least 300 per headstamp) of converted 270 win, 25/06, and 30/06
I also have about 200 9.3x57 Norma brass. Converting cartridge brass has allowed me to use the very fine Husqvarna rifles when 9.3 brass is almost impossible to find. I don't mind a smaller volume case. that means i can burn less powder to get the results i want. I do weigh my cases, keep them in brand and caliber batches, and weigh cases, sorting out light or heavy (plus or minus 1.5 grains). Modern brass is very consistent, even when converted from another caliber. I am limited to 0.367" cast bullets as 0.368" diameter require that i thin the case neck.

In the past 15 years (or more ) of loading for this round I have never had a loose primer pocket, split neck (necks get annealed every 5th reload) or case head separation. Or sticky case extraction. I like shooting cast bullets and also use the 200 grain (hard cast alloy) cast bullet for small game, coyotes and wolves.

I shoot the 9.3x57 because I like the caliber and L46 better than my 358 Winchester M-88 with which I also like using a 200 grain cast bullet.

On a sad note, the mule deer population took a dive this winter with 4 feet of snow, then a week of melting and a few days of rain to put an ice crust on the 2 feet of snow that didn't melt. However the whitetail population seems to be coping well and the moose are doing better than every. So are the wolves. I may be attempting to use the 9.3x57 to thin out a wolf pack after the pelts are prime next November.

 

[RicinYakima]

Thin the wolf pack, you will be glad you did.

 

[10x]

Thin the wolf pack, you will be glad you did.

Easier said than done. A few years back i had a city dude hunting with me. I left him in a blind and he had a fawn bleat call, He would use that every few minutes. Three wolves boiled out of the tree line about 300 yards away, headed for his blind on the dead run. He took a shot at about 130 yards. If he would have waited it would have been under 20 yards. and he would not have missed.
He mentioned that three wolves running flat out towards him when he had never seen a wolf before was the most frightening experience he had. And he was a 20 year RMCP officer. He claimed they were twice as big as any dog he had ever seen. That was in 2019 and that wolf pack is still there, thinning the moose and whitetail population.