9.3x57 Mauser

History

The histories and chronological developments of European medium bore hunting cartridges are vague with exact dates and names of inventors often difficult to determine. My history notes within this section should therefore be considered anecdotal at best.

Cartridges of 9.3mm (.366”) caliber seem to have first appeared in Europe during the mid 1880’s. Professor Freidrich Hebler of Switzerland, a prolific and widely recognized cartridge designer throughout Europe introduced his 9.3x54 Rimmed in 1884. In the same year, the Mauser brothers introduced their 9.3x57 Rimmed cartridge. Strangely in 1888, the Mauser brothers slightly decreased the bullet diameter of their medium bore hunting cartridge, adopting two 9mm (.356”) cartridges, the 9x57 and 9x57 Rimmed. These two 9mm hunting cartridges gained a small following in the German colonies of Africa but interest gradually waned as newer, more powerful cartridges arrived on the continent.

During the 1890’s the Mauser brothers designed another medium bore hunting cartridge, this time increasing the bullet diameter back to 9.3mm. Based on the 8x57 case necked up to 9.3mm, the new 9.3x57 Mauser was the beginning of the establishment of the 9.3mm caliber as the main medium bore hunting caliber of continental Europe.

More than twenty different 9.3mm cartridges evolved during the period 1884 to 1928 however only a few survived, based on their power level, economy and suitability for hunting a broad range of game.

The 9.3x57 Mauser gained a small following but its popularity decreased after 1905 with the release of the more potent 9.3x62.

The Mauser Company built 9.3x57 rifles based on their well established M98 action for a short period of time but soon adopted the 9.3x62 chambering which had received good reports in Africa. Were it not for Swedish hunter’s interest in the 9.3x57 Mauser for use on native Moose, Red deer and Boar, the 9.3x57 might for the most part be unheard of today.

During the early years, ammunition for the 9.3x57 was produced by RWS featuring a 286 grain bullet loaded to 2070fps. Norma loads arrived later, also featuring a 286 grain soft point bullet loaded to 2070fps. Later still, Norma developed the 232 grain Vulcan bullet loaded to 2330fps.

The Swedish rifle manufacturing firm, Husqvarna, produced 9.3x57 caliber sporting rifles for Swedish hunters in three models. The model 46 used the Swedish military derived M94/96 action, while the model 146 and 246 rifle were both built using the Belgian FN M98 commercial action. These rifles were built in large quantities but the 9.3x57 chambering saw most use on the domestic market with few exports.

By the 1950’s, Swedish hunters were becoming more interested in a greater range of cartridges. The 8x57 and 9.3x57 had their share of fans however the 7x57, 7x64 and 9.3x62 had steadily gained popularity. Perhaps the most popular cartridge to rise out of this era was the U.S .30-06 Springfield which Norma had adopted in their ammunition line and made available in a wide variety of loadings suitable for a wide variety of game. As the popularity of the 9.3x57 cartridge and Husqvarna rifles waned in Sweden, large numbers of second hand rifles were traded in to dealers and for a time, would remain in storage.

When a deep economic crisis hit Sweden during the early 1990’s, the Swedish currency depreciated in value considerably, making the price of Swedish firearms attractive to foreign buyers. Based on this demand, Sweden began to export surplus firearms to buyers in 21 countries. The most commonly encountered rifles resulting from these exports were the Carl Gustaf and Husqvarna 6.5x55 military rifles. However, second hand Husqvarna sporting rifles in the calibers 6.5x55, 9.3x57 and 9.3x62 also became a part of these exports.

The mass exports of Husqvarna rifles in the calibers 9.3x57 and 9.3x62 sparked renewed interest in the 9.3mm caliber among hunters worldwide. The peculiar caliber provided hunters with something completely new to experiment with while examples of the model 46, 146 and 246 rifles displayed finely crafted workmanship and classical stock designs which inspired the imagination. While hunters from Europe and Africa have been familiar with and relied on the 9.3mm caliber for hunting a wide variety of game, this bore size now also enjoys a level of special interest among U.S, Australian and N.Z hunters.
 

Performance

Performance of the 9.3x57 is similar to, but cannot be directly compared with the .358 Winchester. The reader is hereby advised to separate theory from practice and fantasy from fact.

While the 9.3x57 is generally suited to larger bodied game which offer plenty of body weight resistance to activate expansion of its long and heavy pills, the majority of hunters who buy these rifles (and indeed the 9.3x62) have no intention whatsoever of hunting heavily bodied medium game. The Husqvarna rifles are generally purchased for reasons of romance without any thought towards or understanding of cartridge performance, beyond the assumption that bigger must be better. Very few 9.3 rifles are actually used on dense bodied game for which its projectiles are generally designed.

U.S bullet manufacturers have for the most part neglected this caliber, offering only heavy controlled expanding bullets which cleave to their energy when used on commonly hunted deer species. Wound channels tend to be acceptable at impact velocities above 1800fps but are not broad. The often quoted statement “I could eat up to the bullet hole” speaks for itself and should not be considered a positive trait. One could say the same of the 5.56 or 7.62 with FMJ loads. The 9.3x57 can be very ‘ho-hum’ with heavy pointed bullets used on light to mid weight deer species. Wounding is not all that dissimilar to the .30-30 Winchester loaded with generic factory ammunition, though the 9.3 has the potential to produce deeper penetration when taking angled shots, as can be expected.

In contrast to the U.S manufactured heavy bullets, light weight European bullets such as the 14.6 gram (225 grain) RWS Twin Core and more especially the 15 gram (232 grain) Norma Vulcan, completely change the nature of the 9.3x57. With Vulkan in particular, it can now be called a true hammer of medium game – again with reference to how this cartridge is actually used (light to mid sized deer), versus fantasy hunts (giant sand worms from space).

Further to these statements, Norma now also utilizes a light but tough bullet for large game, using velocity as a means to enhance wounding. The choice of this bullet weight falls in line with my own research. The case capacity of this cartridge is simply too low to make good use of a very heavy bullet.

A great concern of mine is that in time, manufacturers such as RWS and Norma will discontinue making light but soft projectiles as ignorant do gooders seek to save the world through the banning of lead while at the same time, equally ignorant hunters seek 100% weight retention bullet designs without any understanding of potential negative consequences. With a poorly designed homogenous copper bullet, this cartridge can produce slow killing wounds when used at typically low impact velocities. Having said this, there are now a few manufactures who are exploring new and improved bullet designs such as Cutting Edge. This company produces a projectile called the Raptor, featuring a giant hollow point. This bullet design is capable of transferring energy into medium game as opposed to boasting 100% weight retention which poses the equal risk of high energy retention. A goal of the hunter should be to kill his game, not the hill behind it.

So where does this leave us?

As a deer cartridge, the 9.3x57 can perform exceptionally well when loaded with light weight, fast expanding bullets such as those produced by RWS and Norma. These bullets perform well down to 1800fps. Semi or fully custom bullet designs can also show great merit.

If used on light or lean bodied deer with U.S made heavy (and often core bonded) bullets, wounding is adequate but kills are not generally fast unless the hunter can keep his or her shots well forwards. Kills can be described as clean but without any of the wow factor that one might for whatever reason expect from a ‘big’ bullet. At low impact velocities (anything beyond close ranges) and where shot placement is poor, game may cover considerable ground before expiring. Having said this, the 9.3 bore can produce good free bleeding exit wounds for tracking. But in some instances (rearward shots) and depending on the species, this may not be enough and is certainly not the same as both broad internal wounding coupled with a broad free bleeding exit wound.

On stout bodied game such as wild boar, the 9.3x57 can perform well with most bullets - provided ranges are not pushed too far.1800fps should be considered the limit for adequate wounding regardless of the bullet design used. Large or densely built medium game is where this cartridge comes into its own. Wounds can be wide and killing very fast. But again, the 9.3x57 should never be pushed too far, otherwise it loses its ability to create any form of disproportionate to caliber wounding (see game killing fundamentals section).

On large, heavy bodied game, the 9.3x57 runs into new problems. This cartridge lacks the velocity with heavy bullets to generate both wide wounds and deep penetration. It can excel at one or the other, but generally not both. If for example, it is used with a heavy core bonded bullet, it cannot hope to produce full expansion at such low impact velocities. Woodleigh for example, do not recommend the use of their excellent 250 or 286 grain bullets below 2000fps. These bullets have no trouble with penetration at such low velocities, but cannot be expected to render a wide wound. Norma utilizes a 225 grain Oryx simply to keep weight down and velocity high. In plain terms, in order to produce a wide wound on large bodied game, a medium bore needs velocity. In the case of the 9.3x57, this can mean having to sacrifice some bullet weight.

In all instances, shot placement is the key to success when using the 9.3x57. Shots should be kept well forwards in order to maximize resistance. The Vulcan is the one bullet that offers the greatest flexibility with regards to both shot placement and game weights. This bullet works exceptionally well on light or lean game and works equally well on large bodied deer and antelope. And yes, it sheds weight in order to do this. It may not be the ideal bullet for bovines, but it will get the job done with basic head or neck shots.

As a basic summary of its performance, the 9.3x57 is an able cartridge, but is let down by bullet manufacturers. Further to this, the more folk (including gun writers) wax on about the 9.3 in a romantic manner, the less likely it is that such issues will ever be addressed. Many times I have heard folk state that there is little written about the 9.3 bore with regards to its performance which leads to the question why? The truth is this is a rifle / cartridge combination that many folk buy on a whim, but soon lose interest after witnessing bland results. The owners generally say nothing of this which is certainly far easier than going against a tide of idealists. This is a cartridge that inspires twead clad Gun writers to contact me for collaborative research, but then never reply once they have heard what I have to say.

The Husqvarna rifles currently in circulation often display excellent workmanship and generally sound metallurgy however many produce poor accuracy due to the stocks having warped over time. Owners of these rifles can find themselves in somewhat of a dilemma when confronted with the choice to either retain the rifle in its original configuration or modify the rifle to improve its performance. Bedding with a steel based epoxy resin can help to both preserve the wood and enhance accuracy, but may negatively effect the value of the rifle from a collectors point of view. These rifles can often also be in need of new recoil pads. The receiver of the Husqvarna must be drilled and tapped if a scope is to be fitted, a scoped rifle being vastly superior to open sights for accurate low light shot placement and therefore fast killing. Trigger alterations are also generally required. But again, any modifications may negatively affect the historical value of the rifle. Ultimately, if the rifle is to be used as a primary, modifications may have to be made for the sake of humane killing.
 

Factory ammunition

The Norma ammunition company is currently the only manufacturer to offer factory loaded 9.3x57 ammunition, advertising two loads. While the 232 grain Norma Vulcan bullet was offered for several years, Norma have since discontinued this loading in favor of an FMJ 232 grain practice load rated at 2215fps along with the 232 grain core bonded Oryx bullet. The latter is designed for use on Scandinavian Moose which are generally hunted at very close ranges. In this instance, Norma have used a light bullet weight (relative to the caliber) to keep velocity somewhat high to encourage some form of bullet expansion, while at the same time using a very tough bullet to encourage penetration. Norma advertises this load as producing 2360fps. In older rifles with 24” barrels, expect realistic velocities of 2300fps or slightly less.

The Oryx, regardless of caliber, tends to require a good deal of body weight resistance if it is to perform well and does its best work at impact velocities over 2400fps. Performance wanes at 2200fps and bullet expansion is severely limited below 2000fps. From a muzzle velocity of 2300fps, the 232 grain Oryx breaks 2200fps at around 30 yards and 2000fps at 100 yards. One can therefore easily understand how limited this load is. When used on large bodied game at close ranges, the Oryx behaves as it was designed, rendering both adequate wounding and penetration. If removed from the situation for which it was designed, it can behave quite poorly.

Hand loading

Although Norma produces 9.3x57 ammunition and have agents worldwide, it is uncommon for agents to import and bear the cost of holding 9.3x57 ammunition in stock which may not sell. For all intents and purposes the 9.3x57 is, outside of Europe, a hand loading only proposition. Fortunately, components are readily available and brass can be formed from 8x57 or even .30-06 cases if need be. Like the .358 Winchester, the 9.3x57 performs well when hand loaded with fast burning powders including H4198 (ADI 2207) through to H4895 (ADI 2206H). H4895 is generally the safest powder for this bore with regards to aged rifles. ADI offer load data for the 250 grain bullet weight (45 grains max) which can be interpolated for other bullet weights by adding or removing 1 grain of powder per 10 grains of bullet weight, added or removed.

From the 24” barrel typically found on Husqvarna rifles, top velocities include 2475fps with 225 to 232 grain bullets, 2375fps with 247 to 258 grain bullets and 2200fps with 286 to 293 grain bullets. From a shorter 22” barrel, velocity loss averages around 50fps. The older the rifle, the more one needs to be mindful of possible metallurgic weaknesses in the action. Having said this, low powered slow killing loads need to be avoided for the sake of game animals hunted. The 9.3x57 has a narrow performance window, losing its ability to produce ‘good wounding’ at impact velocities below 2200fps (becoming more pronounced at 2000fps) with tough premium bullets while conventional bullets tend to suffer poor performance below 1800fps. It should therefore be no great leap to understand that the closer one can get to 2400fps with a 225 to 232 grain projectile, the greater the effective fast killing range will be.

Fortunately this case to bore ratio is not conducive to sudden spikes in pressure as a result of human error such as accidentally using fast burn rate powder with slow burn rate data in the 6,5x55. However, there is a high degree of bolt thrust with these bullet weights.

Apart from semi or fully custom projectiles, the most commonly available lightweight projectiles for reloading the 9.3x57 are the RWS 225 grain Twin Core and the Norma 232 grain Vulcan. Alas, both are now becoming harder to obtain.

Suitable projectiles from Norma include the 232 grain Vulcan and the 232 grain Oryx as previously described. And while one could easily skim over the performance of these two projectiles, there is much we can learn from a close investigation.

The Vulcan bullet was as far as I am aware, originally designed to be used on all Scandinavian game up to the size of Moose. Norma invested a great amount of time into the research and development of this bullet, taking a large number of Moose to prove its merit. When the Vulkan was released, Norma was more than happy with its performance. The Vulkan was a basic cup and core design with a rolled in bullet tip and flat meplat. The bullet dumped energy quickly while the tapered jacket helped to arrest expansion to aid penetration. The Vulkan could not perform miracles but it offered a good balance of expansion, energy transfer and penetration. If more penetration was required, one would simply have to use a heavier bullet and or a more potent cartridge. However as time passed, many hunters forgot or simply misunderstood these finer aspects. When the Vulkan shed weight, it was at times accused of having produced bullet blow up or was simply labelled as being too soft. This led to the tougher Oryx design, a bullet which from time to time ends up as the subject line in my email inbox followed by the words pin hole or pencil wounds, after the sender has used this bullet on animals too lean for its tough core bonded design.

The one true weakness of the Vulkan is that it has a low BC, limiting its effective range. One could dope the Vulkan or adopt magnum power for a flat trajectory, but it always suffered quite severe wind drift. This limitation aside, as a general hunting bullet, the Vulkan was and still remains an outstanding bullet design. But its success relies on realistic expectations.

With a BC of .278 and when driven at a moderate 2400fps, the Vulkan breaks 1800fps at around 200 yards. Kills can be quite spectacular when this bullet is used for general bush / woods hunting medium game. One could try to push this a tad further but any shots taken between 200 and 300 yards need to be taken with great care. At 1800fps, the hunter must aim forwards in an attempt to strike major bones while being mindful of wind drift. As for maximum game weights, this depends on one’s expectations. The Vulkan is soft but it will generally reach vitals on very large bodied deer and antelope with cross body and lightly quartering shots. The Vulkan will not always handle heavily raking shots, but it generally produces very violent wounds, allowing for fast follow up shots. To this end, the answer is - it depends on how one intends to use it.

The Oryx (BC .267) as already mentioned has a short effective range. From a muzzle velocity of 2400fps this projectile breaks 2200fps at around 65 yards after which wounds can be somewhat narrow. At this impact velocity, the Oryx is reliant on game body weights over 100kg (220lb) as a means to aid expansion. At 130 yards, the Oryx breaks 2000fps. From this point on, expansion is ‘hit and miss’. The Oryx can certainly penetrate well when used on tough game however the Vulkan has the potential to produce a wider wound once velocity falls away. A bush / woods hunter might be content to use either. But for those who need to be able to shoot across gullies or river flats, the Vulkan can prove to be a better choice.

RWS have been making 9.3 caliber bullets for a very long time. None have very high BC’s yet all produce good expansion when driven at suitable velocities. Of the RWS range, the 225 grain DK (dual core) is an excellent projectile for use in the 9.3x57, though it has some limitations. The DK sheds velocity quickly due to its .266 BC and has a tendency to produce slow kills with rear lung shots as velocity approaches and falls below 2200fps (between 60 and 90 yards depending on muzzle velocity). The DK generally produces good penetration and free bleeding exit wounds on mid to larger bodied deer with an effective range of around 200 yards (1800fps). Expect caliber sized wounds if using this bullet at 300 yards or 1600fps. Those who wish to shoot game at ranges of between 200 and 300 yards are advised to aim forwards and break bone.

For more information on heavy Norma and RWS bullets, please see 9.3x62 text.

Of the U.S made projectiles, there are not a great many options. The Cutting edge 200 grain Raptor bullet is showing promise, though I have yet to personally test this. I have no true understanding of its game weight flexibility or effective fast killing ranges.

Other U.S made bullets include the 250 and 286 grain Barnes TSX and TTSX bullets, the 286 grain Hornady Interlock, the 270 grain Speer, the 250 grain ‘can’t decide if it wants to expand or hold together’ Nosler Accubond and the 286 grain Nosler Partition. Each have merit in their own right yet none are particularly suited to the 9.3x57. The same can be said of the Woodleigh bullet line up. On lean game, the Interlock and Partition will produce expansion at close ranges, but wounding is mild. Any of these bullets can be loaded for use on heavy game but offer nothing in the way of outstanding performance due to the absence of velocity to initiate wide, disproportionate to caliber wounding. Having said this, all are capable of more than acceptable penetration on large bodied game.

The bigger the animal, the wider the wound needs to be and to make a wide wound, a bullet needs velocity. After witnessing what the 9.3 is capable of with either a good bullet or with increased velocity, I am not all that keen to make excuses for mediocre performance.

To really shine on medium game, the 9.3x57 needs a 225 grain SST (or ELD-X). A 225 grain frangible DRT projectile would be equally useful. Even a basic 210 to 225 grain Interlock would suffice, a hollow point Gameking would also be nice. For large game, a wide and blunt nosed 225 grain core bonded design like the .358 caliber 225 grain Woodleigh round nose bullet could produce excellent performance along with some degree of game body weight flexibility thanks to the trauma inducing meplat profile. Any of these bullets could also prove very useful in the now somewhat popular Tikka T3 9.3x62. Sadly none of these bullet options exist for the 9.3 at this time.

For a time, a close friend of mine was swaging down the excellent .375” 225 grain Interlock spire point to 9.3 caliber (9.5mm down to 9.3mm). This was a great deer hunting bullet - performing much like the 225 grain RWS. Unfortunately, Hornady discontinued this bullet some time ago. A swaged down 220 grain .375 Winchester flat point could be an option, though this bullet is somewhat lacking. It has an excellent meplat and can be hard hitting but it does shed velocity very quickly and lacks pizazz once it gets down to and below 2000fps. The .375” 200 grain Sierra flat point is another option for swaging, as is the Winchester Power Point bullet. All of these flat points work much better when driven fast in comparison to the mild .375 Winchester.
 

Closing comments

The 9.3x57 is certainly a very able bore but is under-supported by bullet manufacturers outside of Europe. One could perhaps say that this is no great loss as the 9.3x57 is not all that popular, however the 9.3x62 could also benefit from a wider range of options. As previously suggested, bullets need to be made to suit the reality of how these cartridges are used by the majority, rather than the fantasy of how they could be used. Furthermore, they need to be readily available and not simply dangled in front of the hunters eyes via a foreign website. These are the very same issues that have been faced and overcome with regards to the .358.

Sight height 1.6” (Scope).

Note: Please pay attention to 1800fps velocity cut off points!

Wind drift for all loads roughly 15” at 300 yards.