Tikka T3 Rebarrel .280 AI or .338-06

[cal30_sniper]

If most of your shooting is no more than 300 yards go with the 9.3x62.

I'm a big fan of the 9.3x62. I've been loading it with 242gr HHT bullets with a labradar measured .545 G1 BC.

At 2700fps over a full case of H4895, it turns the 9.3x62 into something with a lot of legs. The 250gr Accubonds are a really nice bullet also if you're not into the solid copper thing.

 

[AkMtnRunner]

All depends on shooting distance. If sometimes beyond 300, 280 AI or other 7mm or 6.5mm will be ideal. If you like lead bullets, no need to go larger than 6.5.

 

[wmdurway]

Thanks everyone for all of the great feedback!

It sounds like I need to look into an aftermarket bottom metal for increased COAL if I want to shoot the long heavies.

For bullet selection, I’d like to be able to load 160-175gr Accubonds or the 145-160gr LRX monometals.

 

[Pilsner]

If you hand load, don’t overlook the 6.5-06. I like it the best of all of them.

or the 30-338

 

[keystone112]

What are you hunting more often?

Elk, 280 AI.

Moose, 338-06.

Both equally, 30-06.

 

[David Walter]

if you’re going with a custom barrel, why don’t you have it throated to a 280 AI with 180 grain ELDM and you’re done?

 

[David Walter]

The guy who said 9.3 x 62 is probably correct.

Not a long distance shooter, but it’s got that way cool factor, and everyone in elk camp will be asking you about the cartridge.

 

[112Savage]

I have 2x 280AI one is 1-8” 24” and the other is 1-9” 22” of these I would recommend a 22” 1-8” especially if you shoot suppressed. 175ELDX, 175ABLR, 170TA all require 1-8” twist.

I have a 9.3x62 and have used it on elk at 394yds and mule deer at 252yds but for the 0.473” bolt face it’s hard to beat a 280AI unless you load long and a specialized wildcat like the 300 Sherman or others.
338-06 suffers from bullet design. The higher BC bullets are designed for the 338WM velocity window and are harder than necessary for 338-06 velocities.

 

[Snowwolfe]

I practice what I preach. Last month sent a LH Ruger SS Hawkeye 30-06 barreled action off to McGowen for a 9.3x62 tube.
If you’re remotely interested google it. Power wise it is nipping at the heels of the 375 H&H in a standard size action. Any moose hunter should consider having one one of these just for the cool factor alone. Brass is inexpensive and easy to find and so are reloading dies. Bullets are available in a wide range of weights and the cartridge is known to be inherently accurate.

 

[KY_coop]

284 win. I was going to go 280 ai in my tikka til I read about length problems with heavier bullets. I've enjoyed the 284 win. 4831sc gets a 180 eldm up to 2760 from 22" barrel. Got the 162 eldm above 2850.

 

[cal30_sniper]

I practice what I preach. Last month sent a LH Ruger SS Hawkeye 30-06 barreled action off to McGowen for a 9.3x62 tube.
If you’re remotely interested google it. Power wise it is nipping at the heels of the 375 H&H in a standard size action. Any moose hunter should consider having one one of these just for the cool factor alone. Brass is inexpensive and easy to find and so are reloading dies. Bullets are available in a wide range of weights and the cartridge is known to be inherently accurate.

It’s a really good cartridge, but there’s still a good gap between it and 375 H&H. 9.3x338WM is more the H&H equivalent.

With the newer bullets that have come out in 9.3mm in recent years, especially in lighter weights, it really overshadows the .338-06 and .35 Whelen though.

 

[medvedyt]

It’s a really good cartridge, but there’s still a good gap between it and 375 H&H. 9.3x338WM is more the H&H equivalent.

With the newer bullets that have come out in 9.3mm in recent years, especially in lighter weights, it really overshadows the .338-06 and .35 Whelen though.

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The guy who said 9.3 x 62 is probably correct.

Not a long distance shooter, but it’s got that way cool factor, and everyone in elk camp will be asking you about the cartridge.

I'm a big fan of the 9.3x62. I've been loading it with 242gr HHT bullets with a labradar measured .545 G1 BC.

At 2700fps over a full case of H4895, it turns the 9.3x62 into something with a lot of legs. The 250gr Accubonds are a really nice bullet also if you're not into the solid copper thing.

there is a trend here and i can concur i did have now a left handed 9.3x62 in tikka after selling my 375 ruger and zastava 9.3x62 ... im using lapua naturalis and 250gr barnes tsx.

 

[medvedyt]

If most of your shooting is no more than 300 yards go with the 9.3x62.

indeed

 

[rabbithuntr]

With some of the new bullets coming out a fast twist 25/06 ai or 257 ai would be pretty cool.

 

[Dave Thomas]

280ai shooting the 162 eldm or the berger 175 elite hunter will do anything you need it to do.

 

[wmdurway]

Certainly a trend towards the 9.3x62. I considered going that route for awhile until I realized I can buy a factory Tikka chambered in it. Granted it’s only offered in a 20” barrel.

Maybe I need to reconsider it as an option though. It is an impressive cartridge. Is 20” enough barrel or do you all typically keep it in the 22-24” range?

 

[wmdurway]

I have 2x 280AI one is 1-8” 24” and the other is 1-9” 22” of these I would recommend a 22” 1-8” especially if you shoot suppressed. 175ELDX, 175ABLR, 170TA all require 1-8” twist.

I have a 9.3x62 and have used it on elk at 394yds and mule deer at 252yds but for the 0.473” bolt face it’s hard to beat a 280AI unless you load long and a specialized wildcat like the 300 Sherman or others.
338-06 suffers from bullet design. The higher BC bullets are designed for the 338WM velocity window and are harder than necessary for 338-06 velocities.

Thanks 112savage.

Do you notice an appreciable difference in velocity between your 22” and 24” barreled .280 AIs? I like the handiness of a 22” barrel but read a lot of people recommending a minimum of 24” for velocity. Several recommend 26” but I’m not dragging that through the mountains lol.

 

[cal30_sniper]

Certainly a trend towards the 9.3x62. I considered going that route for awhile until I realized I can buy a factory Tikka chambered in it. Granted it’s only offered in a 20” barrel.

Maybe I need to reconsider it as an option though. It is an impressive cartridge. Is 20” enough barrel or do you all typically keep it in the 22-24” range?

My results are in a 24” barrel. For me, in that cartridge, the extra length is worth it for the velocity. It’s a fairly slow cartridge and I feel that every bit helps for extending the range (more concerned with impact velocity than anything).

That being said, I have no experience 9.3x62 in a 20” barrel. It’s a pretty efficient cartridge, so you might not lose too much going to 20”. I’ve been considering a 9.3 build on that length, but was focused on a 9.3-300 WSM, 9.3-338 Win Mag, or 9.3-33 Nosler due to the extra velocity they can provide from the short barrel. The 9.3-33 Nosler looked very promising from a Tikka length action. 9.3-300 WSM seems to be a very efficient cartridge, as does the .358 Sambar (35-300 WSM). The gunsmith I purchased my 9.3-300WSM dies from was really impressed with the cartridge.

Be forewarned that the selection of suppressors that work with calibers bigger than .338 is very limited. In the end, I’m leaning towards none of them being worth the hassle of wildcatting unless you’re really set on something weird or hunting in Iowa.

Now, a .358 Norma Mag on a Tikka action would be worth thinking about. It’s a step above the 9.3x62 in power, and there’s a wide range of weight selection in .358 bullets. Mine REALLY zips with the 196gr Hammer HHTs.

 

[112Savage]

So in my 24” barrel using RL23 and 160AB/BT’s I can get right at 3000fps. This was pushing nosler brass hard and I lost some.
In the 22” barrel I’m running 162’s at 2910fps and 160AB/BT’s at about 2890 with the same load. I will never have another 280AI with a barrel longer than 22”

In 9.3x62
22” zastava 250 AB/TTSX cfe223 2605fps
258 Hammer Hunter cfe223 2589
286 A-frame/oryx/partition BigGame 2505fps

20.5” CZ550 270 hotcore 2480 RS Big Game
(These velocities are well in excess of SAMMI pressure but were printed in Hamdloader magazine and tested to be less than 60K psi. Look for articles by John Barsness). I his my first elk with the 250 accubond at 394yds. That is the best long range combo made unless hammer has updated the 240HH with a tip.
I think both cartridges get useful velocity gains from longer barrels, but it’s always a compromise. Sorry I don’t have more in the 20.5” 9.3x62 my brother and dad have the same CZ550FS and that load shoots well in both, so I didn’t go any farther.

 

[cal30_sniper]

20.5” CZ550 270 hotcore 2480 RS Big Game
(These velocities are well in excess of SAMMI pressure but were printed in Hamdloader magazine and tested to be less than 60K psi. Look for articles by John Barsness). I his my first elk with the 250 accubond at 394yds. That is the best long range combo made unless hammer has updated the 240HH with a tip.

They did update it to a tipped version, and at least from an exterior ballistics perspective it’s REALLY good.

The 9.3mm 242gr HHT measured at .545 G1 BC from my 9.3x62 at 2700fps MV. The 250gr Accubond running around 2650 came out within a few thousandths of the .494 advertised G1 BC on the same day. LabRadar used to measure velocities out to 100yds with a kestrel for atmospherics. Like your loads, these are way over SAAMI, but SAAMI is unnecessarily weak for this cartridge.

The hammer website says the 242HHT was designed for a custom 36 Nosler application and it has a pretty long nose protrusion length (almost an inch). They just barely squeeze into the mag on my Husqvarna 1640 when loaded at 3.380” COAL.