[9.3x57]

Well, Daryl, I finally got to try out the resized Hornady on deer.

Rifle is Husqvarna M146 topped with Leupold 3x9 w/ 4A reticle.

9.3x57 caliber.

Load uses the Hornady 225 grain, .375 caliber Spire Point sized down to fit my specific rifle. Thus it is .368 diameter. Muzzle velocity is 2540 fps. Rifle is sighted dead on at 200 yards.

Deer was shot at about 90 yards as it ran away from me at a very slight angle in thick, dark timber.

Deer was large bodied for around here. Gutted, it weighed 180 lbs.

Bullet was tucked up behind ribs on left side. It did not hit but broke two ribs, then passed thru the full rumen, thru the lungs, then broke two ribs just to the side of the sternum and lodged in the muscles surrounding the throat!

Total penetration was 28 inches and I am impressed.

If any of you remember the old "Gut Shot Test" media, this was a carbon copy of the theoretical angle that the theoretical test was supposed to theoretically represent. Theoretically.

Here's the deer:

Lungs:

Total penetration {bullet is lodged at the tip of the machete}:

Next post will include the recovered bullet...

 

[9.3x57]

The Bullet...

I have nothing but praise for this bullet.

Recovered weight was 198 grains for a total of 88% retained weight.

Smallest measured diameter was .73 inch. Largest was .77 inch. That makes it a virtual circle.

At a start speed of 2540 fps and with the aerodynamics of the Spire Point, AND with the penetration AND expansion seen here, AND with the relative cheapness of the bullet, this bullet has got to rank as one of the very best options available for deer in the 9.3x57.

Here it is:

 

[Woodbeef]

Nice one there Sir.

 

[9.3x57]

Thanks:

Here's the previous posts regarding this Hornady 225 bullet {Resized}:

http://forums.gunboards.com/showthread.php?t=50481&highlight=hornady

http://forums.gunboards.com/showthread.php?t=49260&highlight=hornady

 

[LarrysGrip]

Handcrafting superb ammo

is an art and you sure excel. Swell shot, peerless performance and fantastic fare. The girls must be proud, too. Thanks for the journey and data.

Your friend,

 

[Daryl S]

Good post, Larry. Although I most certainly agree and follow your philosophy on this, I lack the abiltiy to put it into such perfect prose. Excellent!

LeeSpeed - nice buck! Good body weight and size on that 3 point. Ahhh, whitetail - best eating deer there is. Save the fat for patch lube -tried out and 1:1 with olive oil should work great.

The bullet- Wonderful! If could not have been better. Had that little sucker been angled just slightly differently, it might have exited and we'd not be able to see it's true - stopped shape. That's has to be "THE" bullet. Next year, I will plan on putting one into a moose calf. About the size of a really big deer, maybe 350 pounds dressed, it should tax the bullet a bit more, not much - I'm sure it will be perfect for them as well.

Hows that left leg doing? Looks OK from here.

 

[Northman]

Once again, congrats Lee.

I like the concept, looks like it's succesful. I used those same bullets in a Sako .375 I used to own. They really made a mess at those velocities, but they worked. Now that the elections over, I guess I better reconsider reloading more ammo.....

This sure is the place to come for good info.

Best,
Northy

 

[LarrysGrip]

horde components

Yes make more ammo. I always learn a lot from LeeSpeed on crafting ammo for game or targets.

 

[Woodbeef]

Hmmmm..................now that you mentioned it Daryl. It kinda looks like there's a big chip missing from 9.3x57's left knee.

 

[9.3x57]

"Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes, Knees & Toes..."

Thanks Fellows.

Larry, this Hornady 225 project has been alot of fun.

Daryl, thanks for the encouragement about this bullet. It has turned out to be a real winner as you "hunched" and now makes me wonder again about the 270 Hornady. But for the 9.3x57, it has GOT to be a winner!! I have another one to go, and hope for equal results.

Northy: I have always wondered about the bullet for my .375, and frankly, been skeptical about it in that caliber due to the high velocities. But man, in the 9.3x57, it seems to be a "Premium"!

As for the knee, it bugs me. Not much pain but makes me nauseous at times. I'm as careful with it as a bomb disposer spitting on a burning fuse.

 

[Northman]

Northy: I have always wondered about the bullet for my .375, and frankly, been skeptical about it in that caliber due to the high velocities. But man, in the 9.3x57, it seems to be a "Premium"!

Welp, my experience is that they are as good as any Hornady bullet, which is pretty damn good in my humble opinion. It's just that they do mushrom violently on white tail. This is NOT an "Eat up to the hole" bullet in the 375!

Now the 270's! THAT's a bullet. When I finaly settled on a load, it was the 270 spire points, and the cool thing was that at 25 yards the Round nosers printed so damn close that you could swap them in for hunting in the thick stuff without monkeying with the scope. Although to be honest, 270 grn bullets in a 375 don't really require need any extra help up close when your hunting white tail and down in the size range.

I've owned 2 375's. The first was a Whitworth Express Rifle. BEAUTIFUL gun. KICKED the livin' crap right out of me. Just built ALL wrong for my body. Hated to part with it, but got where I dreaded pulling the trigger. Got myself a Remington BDL in 338 right after that.... and THAT was WORSE! I actualy started to get a flinch when I was shooting. Then all of a sudden, what should appear at my local shop, but a Sako! No idea where it came from, but what a joy to shoot. Way more comfortable than either of the previous gones. Made a 375 feel like an '06, at least for me.
Put a lotta rounds through that gun. Could print one hole groups with a magnum, what a concept! Sadly, hard economic times eventualy forced me to let her go. (sigh) I miss that rifle.

But, I finaly was able to pick up a 9.3 x62 in a CZ, and eventualy got my first Huskys in 9.3. Perfect caliber for up here. Would love to see what 270s in a x57 or x62 do. Your 225s remind me a great deal of the 230 Power Protected Cavity bullets that Norma loads. Those are smokers in the x62. Noticably flatten trajectory.

Since Mr. Obama has inspired me, I'm digging out my old reloading equipment. You guys are definetly my one-stop-shop for reloading info on metric calibers. And I love your quest for adapting economical loads that perform. SHOW ME MORE!

PS What's with the knee, Lee. Had knee surgery last year myself. Stunk for a bit, but am glad I did it. Impressed your getting around so well.

Best to all,
Northy

 

[9.3x57]

Northy:

My .375 is a SAKO. Excellent rifle!! And legal to speak of around here, too!

Knee is a machete cut to the bone.

I shot a zebra and impala with the 270 Horn spire Point in South Africa years ago. It is a killer. Then I shot a big semi-wild steer with one, my first attempt at sizing in the 9.3x57. It was shaped like a banana but the critter was running at 70 yards or so and inside the 5-7 MOA accuracy of the mishapen bullet.

Now I have the sizing down, maybe that's next year's bullet?

Anyway, I got full pen on that steer, first side to side, then thru the neck.

I need to test it in my media sized down for the x57.

 

[Northman]

Y'OUCH!

...so what's the machete look like...?????

Dug through my stuff last night, I have x62 dies and x74R dies, will need x57 dies. Found some 270 Hornadys too. I've got a pretty varied and interesting supply of 9.3 bullets. Got a decent stash of 4064. Doubt I still have any of my old records, couldn't find'em anyway. My hunting buddy'll have all that info I hope.

Is Hornady releasing their new 285grn. 9.3 bullet that they put into the 9.3x74R cartridges? Bet that might be a good'un.

As an aside... I also found my daughters box full of old VHSs. So, last night after chores I cracked a cold one in celebration of the New World Order and watched some Lion King re-runs.

"Hakuna M'Tatah!" mates......

Best,
Northy

 

[9.3x57]

Is Hornady releasing their new 285grn. 9.3 bullet that they put into the 9.3x74R cartridges? Bet that might be a good'un.

I bet it is pretty good, too. It is pointed tho and that would definitely make me want to test it at x57 velocities to check on opening. It SHOULD work fine tho, as x74R velocities really arent that much higher than what the x57 can produce, and Hornady would be mentally challenged to make the bullet too "hard" if for the most part it is going to be shot at something like 2200 fps muzzle speed which from what I read is common enough with many x74R loads.

The x57 should get 2100 fps easy.

Yes, it is for sale as a component bullet.

{The end of the machete is in the carcass pic above}.

Daryl, I wonder what the 220 Hornady would have done on that angled shot...?

Also, northman, my rifle has a .369 groove depth, and standard 9.3 bullets are as a result a bit undersize. With the Lee dies the .375 bullets can be sized to fit both groove depth and neck tolerance.

My 46 has a tighter bore and 9.3's are right on for it.

 

[Northman]

{The end of the machete is in the carcass pic above}.

quote]


You're a tolerant man Lee. That thing would just be touching down in Siberia now if it'd been me!

Well, the spire point is what got me to wondering about using it in a x62. It really looks alot like the 270grn. 375. I bought a box of the ammo for my double, but haven't shot any yet. They were reasonably priced compared to other 74R rounds, but not cheap. I can't see why x74Rs are always more expensive than the same loads in x62, but that seems to be the case in my experience. Probably just cause the 74R is supposed to be sexy and the x62 is kind of an also ran, even though the balistics are usualy identical, except for pressures as you noted. Anyway, where I was going with the spire points.... they look funny in the 74R! Lucky for me looks aren't everything or I wouldn't be married for almost 2 decades now. Just made me wonder if that might be an indication that they planned to load other 9.3 rounds as well. Hope so. But sounds like I better look into picking some up. Maybe Midway stocks'em....

Best,
Northy

 

[Daryl S]

Leespeed- I doubt the 220 would have made it to the diaphram - but you never know. I got wonderful penetration on the 2 moose I shot with it from my wife's .375 M94. But then, I was starting them out at only 1,940fps.

 

[foudufoot]

Great post Lee, as usual. I curious about how far that deer went (I would guess not far) and what happened to your knee. Was it surgery or self inflicted? Best, Dan

 

[sbhva]

Northman;

I seem to recall that Hornady was going to load the x62 along with the x74R, or maybe I just imagined it ......

 

[Northman]

oooooooooo...... I hope so. Cheap brass too! Well... OK...cheap is relative..........

 

[9.3x57]

Great post Lee, as usual. I curious about how far that deer went (I would guess not far) and what happened to your knee. Was it surgery or self inflicted? Best, Dan

You are right. It went 16 paces, facing opposite the direction it was running. Probably dead before the bullet stopped moving.

Self-inflicted. Machete glanced off a dry pine bough and stuck in my knee. Cut the bursa in half and cut a notch in the patella.