CZ 550 Am 9.3x62

[steve4102]

I have a CZ 550 Am in 9.3x62 that is truly amazing.  It is the most accurate out of the box rifle I have ever seen.  My CZ 550 will shoot one holers all day long with just about any powder bullet combo I feed it.  Thanks CZ!

[sontez]

AWESOME SHOOTING!!!!!!!!!!!! I was considering purchasing the same rifle/cartridge combo you've got. Eventually bought the 550FS in 6.5x55.............fell in love with the looks and how it felt on the shoulder. Still might buy the 9.3x62 though. Could you tell me about the recoil? I'm a smaller guy, about 5'6" and 140 lbs. I can handle the recoil of a .30-06 (have one), and a 7mm Rem mag just fine, but I've never shot anything bigger than those. I also do a lot of 12 gauge shotgun shooting as well, 100-150 rounds of 12 gauge in an afternoon doesn't bother me either, but I don't want something that has excessive amounts of recoil. Do you think the 9.3x62 is something I might be able to handle comfortably? I don't NEED this caliber.........I just like shooting stuff that not everybody else does.

[undiplomat]

Sontez,
I never fired a 9.3x62, but I did find a recoil calculator on the internet.

It's right here;
www.handloads.com/calc/recoil.asp

I punched in the numbers for the 9.3x62 load assuming a rifle weighing in at 8.05 lbs. [a 7.3 lbs. CZ American with a .75 lb. scope].
The 9.3x62 load produces about 39.3 ft/lbs of free recoil energy and 17.7 fps of free recoil velocity.

For comparison, a 180 gr 30-06 at 2800 fps with a 58.5 gr powder charge produces about 23.9 ft/lbs. free recoil energy and 13.8 fps free recoil velocity.

And a .270 Win. 130gr bullet and 62 gr powder charge at 3070 fps gives 18.8 ft/lbs free recoil energy and 12.3 fps free recoil velocity. out of the same weight rifle.

So for what it's worth, the 9.3x62 give a full two times the recoil energy of a typical .270 Win. load, and it gives a lot more recoil than a 30-06.

[steve4102]

The recoil of the 9.3 is different than the recoil of a 30-06 or a 270.  The recoil of my  30-06 Rem is a very fast and sharp snap.  The 9.3 is more of a heavy push than a snap.  My 30-06 and 7MM Mag will do more punishment to my shoulder than the 9.3.  The 9.3 will push me back more and maybe surprise me a bit, but the 30-06 and 7Mag will give me more aches and pains at the end of the day.  
  I am not that big either, I am about 5' 9" and 170 pounds.  I have a couple of young hunters that shoot with me, one 15 and one 17 and they both shoot the 9.3 with no problems.  Just make sure you are ready for the heavy push so as not to get "Scope Eye" with your first shot.(I did, once only once).

[sontez]

I'd like to thank you for the reply............Looks like I'll be able to handle the 9.3x62 after all!!  However, my wallet doesn't thank you.............Now I've got to start saving up for a 550 American in 9.3x62, brass, dies, powder, bullets........

When I get the 9.3x62 it'll be used on elk here in Montana, so I curious about the effective range with this caliber. I realize it's probably not going to be a long range shooter, but what can I expect out of it? I don't believe in taking really long shots just to brag about it later on. I'd rather stalk up on something and take a shot at a sensible distance. At what distance would the 9.3x62 still be in it's element....200, 250 yards?

[mstarling]

I bought a 9,3X62 American a couple of years ago used from a member of another board.  (I hate to tell you what I paid for it!)  Had a little bit of wear on the finish, but shot well with 286 Noslers at 2425 fps (about 1 moa).

Went to RSA last summer.  Was going to take a .338 WM and a .375 as they shared the same scope and mounts.  The Sunday before we left the .338 started to screw up.  We traced it to the scope and it was too late to get it repaired, so I took the 9,3x62 with a 2.5-8 Leupold and a CZ550 Lux Safari Mag in .416 Rigby (for which I had two scopes.)

Turns out to have been a GREAT solution to the problem.  The 9,3 performed just beautifully!  Took Impala, Warthog, Blue Wildebeast, Kudu, and Zebra with it.  All were one shot drops except the Kudu (who had obviously not read "the perfect shot.")  All rounds passed through (286 gr Noslers on Norma cases at 2425 fps).  Very, very, effective caliber.  Amazing to see a Zebra just collapse on his knees at the shot!

These rifles are light, handy and easy to carry.  They work like the hammer of Thor in real life.  I got the deal of a life time on the rifle ... and it will be a darned dark day when I part with it!

mike

[steve4102]

Load Data
~~~~~~~~~

Name: .366 Cal, Nosler #44750 Part, 286 grn
Ballistic Coeff: 0.482
Bullet Weight: 286
Velocity: 2450
Target Distance: 180
Scope Height: 1.500
Temperature: 70
Altitude: 500

Ballistic Data
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
  Range  Elevation  Velocity   Energy     ETA         Drop    
  0 yds   -1.50 in  2450 fps  3812 fpe  0.000 sec    0.00 in  -
 25 yds   -0.05 in  2407 fps  3680 fpe  0.031 sec    0.18 in  
 50 yds    1.03 in  2365 fps  3552 fpe  0.062 sec    0.74 in  
 75 yds    1.72 in  2323 fps  3428 fpe  0.094 sec    1.68 in  
100 yds    2.00 in  2282 fps  3307 fpe  0.127 sec    3.03 in  
125 yds    1.86 in  2241 fps  3189 fpe  0.160 sec    4.81 in  
150 yds    1.29 in  2201 fps  3075 fpe  0.194 sec    7.02 in  
175 yds    0.26 in  2161 fps  2964 fpe  0.229 sec    9.68 in  
200 yds   -1.23 in  2121 fps  2856 fpe  0.264 sec   12.81 in  
225 yds   -3.19 in  2081 fps  2751 fpe  0.299 sec   16.40 in  
250 yds   -5.63 in  2043 fps  2649 fpe  0.336 sec   20.48 in  
275 yds   -8.57 in  2004 fps  2550 fpe  0.372 sec   25.05 in  
300 yds  -12.10 in  1966 fps  2454 fpe  0.410 sec   30.22 in  
325 yds  -16.08 in  1928 fps  2360 fpe  0.448 sec   35.83 in  
350 yds  -20.69 in  1891 fps  2270 fpe  0.487 sec   42.08 in  
375 yds  -25.95 in  1854 fps  2182 fpe  0.527 sec   48.97 in  


  Hope this helps.

[sontez]

mstarling,

Great stuff to know, thanks!! Erases any second thoughts about using it on elk!  One of these days I'd like to go to New Mexico on an Oryx hunt (sadly, I can't afford the real trip to Africa anytime in the near future )  At what distances were you shooting?

[sontez]

steve4102,

You are a wealth of information........THANKS!!!!!!! I assume the Noslers you are using are Partitions?