9.3 x 62 Journal Digital Edition

By Hendrik van der Schÿff and Marisca Barnes

The list of contributors to the 9.3 Journal, reads like an All-Star movie cast. Larry Schuknecht introduces us to Herr Bock and cartridge guru and author of several books and countless magazine articles, Pierre van der Walt, is synonymous with the 9.3 Journal. The reader gets to hunt with famous Dr. Kevin "Doctari" Robertson and his Brno 9.3x62 in the Zimbabwean hunting concessions while former editor of African Outfitter Magazine, Dr. Mauritz Coetsee introduce the reader to both the 9.3x74 as well as the 9.3x62. Don "Ganyana" Heath has his last say on an angry elephant he had to put down using his 9.3x62 and a single Norma Mono solid. Frequent contributor to the Hatari Times magazine, Dr. Lucas Potgieter, hunts buffalo shoulder to shoulder with a 9.3x62 wielding Rhodesian farmer while Namibian farmer, Hercules Botha sort out a problem bull elephant on his farm.

This is a celebration of the 9.3 X 62 Mauser – that old, grand old work horse that covered generations of hunting years and still does. Its adherents are diehards who refuse to budge from the classic, old-style rifle. It is great for African plains game or deer hunting in America, with its superb accuracy and light recoil. The variety of game animals and settings makes this one of the most interesting cartridges ever produced.

This book is a must for all serious enthusiast who own or shoot the 9.3 x 62 Mauser Cartridge, and will become an important reference for the avid hunter of big game around the world who want to hunt with bullet to stop a charge! It is a full-colour book with over 600 pages of information and data on cartridge development, ballistics, handloading recipes, articles, interviews, technical information and much, much more.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Hendrik van der Schÿff
• Release date: Dec 18, 2021
• ISBN: 9780473605803

Book preview

9.3X62 Mauser Journal

3rd Complete Revised Edition 2021

This book is published for recreational reading purposes for those who enjoy the outdoors in the way that hunting, and stalking provides.

Copyright: Hendrik Van Der Schyff 2007/2013/2021 Published in New Zealand 2021

ISBN: 978-0-473-60581-0

ISBN: 978-0-473-60582-7

ISBN: 978-0-473-60580-3

ISBN: 978-0-473-62225-1

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This book and its contents are copyright.

Except for the purposes of fair review, no part of this book might be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or otherwise, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without written permission from the publisher, Hendrik Van Der Schyff ([e-mail]).

Contributors

Every endeavour is made to acknowledge any and every contribution placed in the 9.3X62 Mauser Journal however minute, because I feel really privileged to use it here. No contributor, or no company or manufacturer has paid, or has been paid for any mention or placement of material, product, or component relevant to their opinions or manufacture.

Front Cover and Logo design by: Marisca Barnes ([e-mail])

Preamble

All cartridges can kill prey. Despite our killing power philosophies, the truth is that virtually all cartridges in existence can kill everything that roams our pressurized plant. It is simply so that powerful cartridges mostly kill big things better than small cartridges, but in final objective analysis all big cartridges kill all big species more or less equally well.

So why is it then that there exist a rare few cartridges that instil admiration amongst hunters totally disproportionate to the rest of the world´s cartridges and their relative position in the ranking of killing power politics? I believe it is a combination of things. Cartridges are not only about killing power. Cartridges are about balance in usage, effect, ownership and romance.

Romance in particular because which real hunter´s life is not dominated by romance? The romance of doing unusual things in unusual places. The romance of pitting yourself against nature. The romance of a campfire and the romance of courting a woman, marrying her and sharing a life.

Take my son for instance. I cajoled him into obtaining his professional hunter´s qualification at the age of 14. Being a minor, authorities would not issue him a licence, but it was good schooling. When he passed the exam, I had a custom left-handed .400 H&H Belted Magnum rifle built for him as a gift. He used that extensively – then one day in Botswana circumstances forced him to use my custom Brno ZG-47 chambered for the 9.3X62mm. That was 13 years ago and the last time he picked the .400 over the 9.3 – now his favourite.

The 9.3mm cartridges and the 9.3X62mm Mauser in particular are not the world´s best in any specific comparison, but when you compare all its attributes to all the attributes of other cartridges, it makes it to the podium of disproportionate ability and admiration. And romance. It is a most romantic cartridge. In my view, it shares romantic gold with only the .404 Jeffery.

I am deeply honoured that I can write this Preamble. The 9.3X62mm Mauser has been an integral part of my life from my dusty barefoot happy middle-childhood days in the African Lowveld bush and it still is. I saw the cartridge slipping in use as ammunition grew scarcer. I saw many 9.3s converted to more common American cartridges and more common surely has a subliminal element. Many were just abandoned in the back of rural gun cabinet. Then one day even the 9.3X62mm Mauser, the most popular 9.3mm of all, died. It was gone. No respectful memorial service. No ceremonial burying. No song – not even a prayer or a whisper. Everybody´s heart aches when you lose a loved one.

I for one, could not get over its demise. We were using converted .30-06 cases and firing swaged .375 Sierra 300-grain spitzers in our 9.3X62mms. The result looked like hell. The cases bulged ahead of the case web and the bullet tips looked like strangulation victims as its lead tongues lolled from the open bullet jacket mouths (tips) due to the swaging forces applied to their midriffs. My wife, who majored in psychology, told me to get a grip on myself and either stop lamenting or get going on finding a solution. It may sound arrogant, but I did play a role in the South African resurgence of the 9.3X62mm Mauser.

Oom Daan van Heerden (an avid 9.3X62mm fan) of Dan du Toit firearms in Witbank was the man to help me. Weeks before he had, in the presence of several friends, shot a kudu with his 9.3X62mm Mauser with the ´06 case Sierra bullet combination. The bullet impacted and the kudu flew over a 3-meter game fence falling stone dead on the other side! The bystanders were stunned. They had never seen anything like that before! Neither had anybody else for that matter. Laugh tears rolled down Oom Daan´s cheeks as he told me that the bullet must have impacted the kudu just as it jumped to clear the fence – hence the apparent effect. No amount of explaining convinced the witnesses of the truth they had seen with their own eyes. Oom Daan just did not want them to have such a powerful cartridge as he had, they said.

Well, a man must use an opportunity. I asked my crop-sprayer friend, Sias Steenkamp, to fly me to Musgrave in Bloemfontein where I saw Billy Attard and convinced him to make a batch of 9.3mm barrels for all Oom Daan´s witnesses. Within months Middelburg was flush with 9.3X62mm rifles and we had imported Norma cases and bullets from Rosenthal´s in Namibia. I wrote articles about the 9.3mm and soon South African 9.3X62mm users came out of the closet. The rest is history. Today even Americans manufacture 9.3X62mm ammunition!

The one person who does not get the credit he deserves for his role in the African 9.3mm saga is Hendrik Van Der Schyff, the editor of this journal. Hendrik has dedicated himself to the study and promotion of 9.3mm cartridges and has done a magnificent job of it. I would like to thank him for his massive contribution to the 9.3mm cause.

Long live the 9.3s!

Pierre van der Walt, 25 March 2021

Contents

Preamble

Introduction

Dedication

Acknowledgements

In Memory of:

Otto Bock – Purveyor To The Royal Court

Out Of The Closet

A 1930’s Safari With 9.3X62

Portuguese East Africa

September 1936

Friday 4th September 1936

Saturday 5th

Sunday 6th

Thursday 10th

Friday 11th

Saturday 12th

Monday 14th

Wednesday 16th

Killed By (Unwounded) Buffalo

Tossed And Trampled

Tanganyika Trails

The 9.3X62 in East Africa

Osa Johnson's Oberndorf Mauser 9.3X62

Reminiscing the 9.3X62 Mauser

9.3X62 Mauser

History

Characteristics

Performance

Sighting And Optics

Loading

9.3X62 Hunderd Jährig

Is The 9.3x62 Still Relevant?

9.3X62 Centenary Continued

Hunting & Shooting Life Of A Critical Observer With The Perfect, Imperfect 9.3x62mm Mauser

9.3X62 VS 375 Holland & Holland (H&H)

Part One

Part Two

Part Three

Conclusion:

Big Ones From The 9mm Corral

The Deadly 9.3X62 Mauser

The Best All-Round African Rifle

Favourite Rifles And Terminal Performance

9.3X62 Mauser

9.3X74R

9.3x74 - From a Spanish Perspective

9.3x62 Mauser – 110 Years And Beyond

Part 1

Part 2 - Revelation Time - Taylor’s Old Farm Horse Under The Magnifying Glass

Part 3 - Revelation Time Continue

Part 4 – The Persisting Medium Bore

Part 5 – Meantime Back At The Ranch

The Verdict

Recent Developments

Celebration Of Accuracy: Is The 9.3X62 Relevant?

Africa Dreaming - With My 9,3x74

Larga Vida Al 9.3X62 Mauser!

Hunting In Spain

The Hunting Cartridge

Enter The 9.3X62

Hunting With The 9.3X62

Bullet Wise

9.3x62 Wanderings

Forging A Working Rifle

Elephant

Buffalo

Everyone’s Express

Making Strides With The 9.3

Hammer

My Little Big Game Rifle

Reloading

Gallery

The Conflict Nine-Three

Namibia Nuances - My Brief Experience With The 9.3x62

Living With The Nine Three

Part One - The Light Big Bore

Part Two - Its Limitations And Living With It

Part Three - Trajectory Curve And Bullet Drop

Part Four - Zero Your 9.3x62

Part Five - Bullet Failure

9.3 Barnes-X On Buffalo - Bullet Failure Continue

Part Six - Available Factory Ammunition

Part Seven - Hand Loading With The Right Bullets

Bullets For Big Game

Part Eight – Bullets For Heavy Game

Stopper Bullets

Dual Core/Partition Bullets

Gallery

Recovered Bullet - Compilation By Hendrik Diederiks

Part Nine - Light/Medium Sized And Small Game

PART TEN - Out Of Reach

More for the Reloader:

The Happy Medium – Contemplating The All-Round Cartridge

Scenario 1

Scenario 2

Scenario 3

Scenario 4

Scenario 5 - Reduced Recoil

Everyone’s Express

Gallery

Notes On Penetration

Exploring Projectile Construction

Two Bullets In One

Real-World Study In 9.3X62 Projectile Behaviour

190gn ACP - 62gns ADI 2206H

Sellier & Bellot 193gn FP - 63gns ADI 2206H

220gn Lapua Naturalis - 63gns ADI 2208

229gn Outer Edge - 64gns 2208

230gn GS Custom - 64gns ADI 2208

232gn Norma Dual-core - 63gns ADI 2208

232gn Norma Oryx - 63gns ADI 2208

230gr Norma Vulkan - 62gns ADI 2208

Woodleigh 232gn Hydrostatic solid - 63gns ADI 2208

Woodleigh 232gn PP - 64gns ADI 2208

250gn Swift A-Frames - 61gns 2208

Barnes 250gn TSX 58gns ADI 2208

250gn Barnes TTSX - 61gns ADI 2208

250gn Atomic 29 - 62gns 2208

250gn Woodleigh PP - 60gns ADI 2208

250gn Nosler E Tip - 62gn Adi 2208

250gn Nosler Accubond - 61gns ADI 2208

250gn Nosler Ballistic Tip - 62gns ADI 2208

250gn Hornady GMX - 61gnsADI 2208

250gn Northfork SS - 60gns 2208

255gn RWS T Mantel - 60gns ADI 2208

258gn RWS H-Mantel - 60gns 2208

270gn Speer Hotcor - 59gns 2208

270gn ACP - 59gns ADI 2208

Lapua 285gn Mega - 58gns ADI 2208

Hornady 286gn Interlock - 58gns ADI 2208

285gn Norma Alaskan - 58gns 2208

286gn Sako Hammerhead Factory Load

286gn Nosler Partition 58gns 2208

285gn Norma Oryx - 58gns 2208

286gn Norma Plastic Point - 58gns 2208

Termites

286gn Highland/PPU Factory load

286gn Woodleigh RN - 58gns 2208

285gn Barnes X Bullet - 58gns ADi 2208

286gr Barnes TSX - 58gns ADi 2208

286gn Northfork Cup Point Solid - 58gns ADi 2208

Experiment

286gn Peregrine VRG3 - 58gns 2208

286gn Winchester Factory Load

293gn RWS Uni Classic/ TUG - 58gns ADI 2208

286gr Rhino Solid Shank - 58gns Adi 2208

300gn Swift A Frame - 56gns ADI 2208

320gn Woodleigh RN - 54gns ADi 2208

325gn Norma Oryx 53gns 2208

Footnotes:

The Anatomy Of A Charge

Dayne Horrigan- Cattle Rancher. Cape York Peninsula, Australia’s East Coast-

Dale W Benson - Alaska, 27 November 2015

Wildebeest charge with Rob, Scott & Thandi

Going High Velocity With The 9.3X62

Let’s Go Ballistic With The 9.3X62

Can The Nine-Three Do That...?

Comparative Cartridges

8x68S RWS

9.3 x 64 Brenneke

338 Sabi - 338-06 - 35 Whelen

9.3x74R

318 Westley Richards

338 Winchester Magnum

350 Rigby Magnum

358 Norma Magnum

376 Steyr and 375 Ruger

8x60 Mauser - The Original Wildcat!

Conclusion:

9.3 Gallery - Nine-Three Rifles I Have Met

Bibliography

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Otto Bock, Berlin, with his loyal hunting companion Heiko- Germanhuntingguns.com

Front cover: Major Bosman with a 58½" buffalo he hunted in Mozambique during 1938. In the sport hunting world during those years, he was considered by many as a great hunter, only bested by the famous Major P.J. Pretorius of Jungle Man fame. Major Bosman used a 9.3X62 rifle exclusively on all his big game hunting exploits. Read the report of his passing somewhere else in the book

Cover design: Marisca Barnes ([e-mail])

Introduction

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Illustration by Marisca Barnes for the 110 Year 9.3X62 Mauser tribute.

This book is a celebration of that grand old workhorse, the 9.3X62, the light Big Bore", developed by Berlin gunsmith Otto Bock and introduced by Mauser in 1905. Otto Bock’s cartridge not only lasted in the hunting field, 16 years into the new millennium but has caught a new lease on life that will take it onwards for some time to come.

I am proud to be counted amongst all the gentlemen who contributed their experiences with the nine-three and their praises or criticisms of this great cartridge to bring this book into existence. A whole book of this scale covering absolutely everything on a single cartridge is definitely a first.

Through this work we want to both introduce a hugely misunderstood cartridge to an uninformed shooting public as well as bring honour to this age-old cartridge and to the many unknown veldsmen who lived and hunted in different timeslots and countries than ours. We also acknowledge the current huntsmen who do understand the 9.3X62 and live to enjoy the veldt in a way that only hunting can present.

The initiative for this book was intended for 9.3X62 Mauser enthusiasts from 9.3X62 Mauser enthusiasts, but I believe that every hunter, who wants to, can benefit from its contents. Although some of us may be amateurs in the writing and publishing game by some standard, we should be considered as experienced in the great Southern African hunting veldt. We compiled this book because no one else would have done so, thus this book is a labour of our love.

I believe what makes this book unique is that it is published, not by a sportsman, but by a rural South African farm boy who grew up being a traditional hunter from a line of hunters before him for whom hunting was a lifestyle and not a sport. Not being a sports hunter, I can intimately relate to the nine-three, which was conceived to be a practical tool for the frontier farmer more than 110 years ago.

As a farm boy I learned to be direct with little or no diplomacy. If something is broken or is going to break, fix it. If it is not broken, don’t fix it. The 9.3X62 doesn’t need fixing with higher velocities!

Should you experience any degree of personal discomfort because of something written on these pages, you will just have to live with it. Objective criticism is welcome; infantile whining is not.

No contributor for this book will make any excuses for something he wrote that you may not like, so get over it. In short, if you think you can do it any better, please contact me for your help in the form of your documented experience.

No contributor, the author or publisher will be held accountable whatsoever for any stupidity practiced by any reader that led to any injury as a result.

Reloading is potentially dangerous. Data and/or choice of components and information thereof supplied in this book by any contributor are valuable guidelines and carefully developed for his rifle, not yours. It works in the hunting laboratory for his rifle and will not necessarily work in your rifle with your choice of components.

It is your responsibility to acquaint yourself with safe and sound reloading practice as explained and discussed in accredited reloading manuals and reloading workshops.

The 9.3X62 is a light big bore and its velocities should be comparable to other classic big bore rifles for best results. Check and recheck data and loads to see if they compare favourably with other data. If something looks out of place, call someone with more knowledge on the subject to guide you.

It is true that one can kill any beast on this planet with the 9.3X62 Mauser, including the big and dangerous ones. But if you get hurt in any way, in pride or physically, whilst using the 9.3X62 Mauser, it will be regarded as your fault by not killing the animal with your first shot. Using the wrong combination of ammunition and components or failing to hit the vital organs or neural system is your shortcoming. Do not rush in where angels fear to tread. Do not blame the cartridge. Learn to live with it. We can help you to make a good choice of ammunition and bullets, but the final decision will still be yours.

If after studying all the information in this book you might still believe that your 30-06 Springfield, 300 Winchester Magnum or .375 H&H can outperform the 9.3X62 on the range or in the hunting field, unless it is documented and illustrated, please suck it up because we do not want to listen to your opinion a second longer. We had to listen to rattling empty cans who made the most noise for ages, but none of your noise reverberates through my callous skull. We’ve been slapped around with superior ballistics, been sneered at and looked down upon from editors’ pages, shooting-related pages and forums for too long, to endure superficial remarks and quoted ballistics on hearsay any longer, we are sick of it.

Abovementioned cartridges/calibres and their proponents enjoyed disproportionate freedom of the media and in calibre discussions for decades. You had great choices of literature, rifles and components to choose from in gun shops, when arms and ammunition manufacturers and salesmen did not want to serve us. Knowingly or unknowingly, you as bystanders indulged yourselves in our predicament. This book is about the attributes of the 9.3X62 Mauser in the hunting laboratory, and we won’t give any excuses for doing it ourselves when no one else would. We believe that nothing else can match its track record, and this book presents our case.

However, of course any contribution in the form of hunting opportunities will be highly regarded, as will be objective feedback and information regarding the 9.3X62 and 9.3 components in the hunting laboratory, good or bad. Objective criticism derived from experiences, good or bad, is always welcome. Document it, illustrate it and send it…

Called back for service from early retirement by popular demand, Otto Bock’s old 9.3X62 Mauser has to play catch-up against much younger and incompetent cartridges. I’m going to help however I can. Here is my part.

Thank you for any support whatsoever; enjoy it, untamed and uncut.

The Author

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Published by:

Hendrik Van Der Schyff

22 Tatariki Street

Rosehill

Auckland 2113

New Zealand

Mobile [phone]

[e-mail]

Dedication

I dedicate this book to, and give honour to I Am, my Heavenly Father, ELOHIM, the Sovereign Almighty Creator of heavens and earth. I want to thank Him for His infinite grace that allows us to fool around in His garden, chasing the wind.

I also dedicate this book to my late earthly father and late brother who were great bush men and dedicated hunters, shooters and intimate lovers of firearms and cartridges, amongst others, the 9.3X62 Mauser.

Further, I dedicate this book to my family, especially my wife Martie, who had to be content with my back towards the conversation or my ear glued to the mobile phone or e-mails in endless conversations, which more often than not delivered very little or nothing at all.

Special thanks to all the American and European people and companies like Lyman, RCBS, Speer, RWS, Norma, Wiederladen and such, who made available critical components and data and were willing to share their knowledge about reloading during critical times when it was extremely hard for the 9.3X62 owner to keep his rifle shooting. Was it not for American-driven reloading, our beloved classic European cartridges, including the 9.3X62 Mauser, would have been dead?

To all the diehard 9.3X62 Mauser users of old, like my father, who refused to have their 9.3’s re-barrelled to 30-06 Springfield or any other American calibre for that matter, I salute you. You gave our new generation of 9.3X62 users a much-needed jumpstart.

A very special honour I want to bring to each and every animal of the great Creator, who graces the pages of this book, whether they appear in photo or word descriptions.

Without animals, this book would have been a great emptiness.

Not to be forgotten, Vielen dank Herr Otto Bock, für das 9.3X62…

Acknowledgements

In Memory of Nicolette Els who lost a fierce fight with cancer at age 30, for her valuable contribution in translating and proofreading most of this Revised Edition.

George Hamman, for his inspiration and sharing his knowledge and for initiating, inspiring, organizing and sponsoring the 9.3X62 Centenary.

In Memory of Sampie Dippenaar, for his inspiration and sponsoring and supplying both rifles and ammunition for the bullet-drop test. (Is the 9.3X62 Still Relevant?)

Uncle Agom Prinsloo, for his hospitality in supplying his land for the 9.3X62 300m bullet-drop trial.

Pierre Van Der Walt, for his contributions and sharing his invaluable knowledge, reloading data and illustrations on the 9.3X62 cartridge.

Hendrik Diederiks, for his contributions in the form of valuable reloading data guidelines, experiences and illustrations of recovered bullets from the hunting laboratory.

Linette Diederiks, for proofreading, spitting and polishing most English material for the 2nd edition.

The Landbou Weekblad magazine for permission to use an extract from the 26 October 1976 edition. Die Boer en sy Roer.

Dr and Mrs Senator Steenkamp, for the use of an extract from his book, I Conclude. For me as a hunter with Christian convictions, his book holds a cherished place in my collection and it is a real inspiration.

Dr Kevin Doctari Robinson, for his contribution, photographs and sharing his vast knowledge and experiences.

Clive Flederman, for the use of his father’s hunting diary and photographs.

Uncle Adie de Beer, for the contributions of his experiences with the

9.3 in Tanganyika, East Africa.

Uncle Klasie Nieuwenhuizen, for the use of his photos of hunts in Tanganyika, East Africa.

Larry Schuknecht, Rob Forrester, Jannie Nel, Marius Taljard, Chris Barnard, Jan Vermaak, Gerhard Wienekus, John Wilks, John Miller, Don Heath, Willie Vermaak, Norm Angell and Eddie Bunge, for sharing their experiences through their photographs and word-of-mouth contributions.

Carl Mitchell, from Idaho US, who has used the 9.3X62 in Namibia and took time to document his honest observations and opinions in word and picture.

Henk Coetzee, for his exciting collaboration in both word and photo.

Luis A Ortega, for the hours he spent to make his experiences available to us are appreciated.

Luigi Silvestre, for his rare contribution of 9.3x74R experiences and photo sharing.

Don Forrester, for his contribution and sharing of experiences.

In Memory of Mauritz Coetsee.

African Outfitter for the permission to use articles by the late Mauritz Coetsee.

African Hunter Magazine, for advice, quotes and extracts from their publications.

John Miller for sharing with us his awesome 9.3X62 cartridge collection

Dayne Horrigan, for his Real-Life Projectile Behaviour. His invaluable observations and notes on bullet behaviour is priceless.

All Everyman (everyone, I failed to mention), for all your little inputs, discussions, observations, photos and more. If your name is mentioned in this book, thank you very much for your contribution.

In Memory of:

Nicolette Els who helped me with proofing the 9.3X62 Journal but was snatched away prematurely at age 30 after a short fight with cancer.

Nols Thiart, a dedicated 9.3X62 user, who passed away in recent years.

Dr Lucas Potgieter. He hunted his first two buffaloes in the Zambezi valley when he was only 14 years old whilst using his father’s 9.3X62 Mauser. He was the first hunting columnist in South Africa. He passed away on 4 July 2011.

Dr Mauritz Coetsee

Sampie Dippenaar

Adelino Sirras Pirez

Mark Fischer

Don Ganyana Heath

Otto Bock – Purveyor To The Royal Court

(By Larry Schuknecht)

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Well known amongst hunters, he is celebrating the 25th anniversary of his business which he founded in 1883. His reputation as a gunmaker, taxidermist and antler specialist, made him famous all over the world.

In 1883, he drew attention of the canine club HEKTOR, for exhibiting stuffed animals so realistic that he was honoured by the judges with a medal, which was never bestowed on anybody.

Otto Bock was responsible for the progress in dermo plastic today we know of today in Germany. The beginning of his work in taxidermy, his writings and studies, are now being preserved in the Royal College in Berlin, which he attended.

His personal collection of eggs of German birds of prey, now in private hands, is now one of the most valuable biological achievements in Germany especially since Otto Bock collected these eggs himself climbing many rocks and trees. His interest in animals and specifically in taxidermy attest to his      expertise and workmanship he produced. But his greatest achievements were in the production industry of hunting firearms of the last 20 years.

An avid hunter himself, having friends like captain Roth and co-worker Paul Stadelmann, Suhl. His knowledge earned him fame worldwide. (Paul Stadelmann later was co-owner of Scmidt & Habermann in Suhl.

How important his production of large calibre (9.3) Doppelflinten was, can be read in various hunting publications and attested to by German big game hunters, Otto is now 52 years old, married and a father of three sons and two daughters. One of his sons is also named Otto and is expected to step into his father’s footsteps. (Interpreted from German text by good friend, George Brinkop).

It is unknown when the Otto Bock concern stopped gun making, but an example with a date code of 1939, has been observed. It is also unknown when Otto senior passed away.

Otto Bock Jr did follow in his father’s footsteps to some degree. The 1907 issue of Schuss und Waffe, carried a story of Otto Bock Jr and Snr, hunting together with Hauptmann Roth and went on in great detail about Otto Jr’s great shooting prowess.

It is apparent that Otto Jr. took a great interest in prosthetics and in 1919 founded the company, Orthopadishe Indistrie GMBH in Berlin, to supply the large numbers of disabled veterans from WW1 with prostheses.

The company is still under the management of his grandson.

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An Otto Bock Berlin Blitz Double rifle in 8x57R from Frederik Franzen's article, Muzzlevershluss or Clam, which appeared in the autumn 1997 issue of The Double Gun Journal.  Special thanks to Larry Schuknecht of Germanhuntingguns.com for supplying all the relevant Otto Bock information for publication in the 9.3X62 Journal

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Author's 9.3X62 Mauser rifle inherited from his father Willie Van Der Schyff- Ed

Out Of The Closet

(By Hendrik Van Der Schyff)

I grew up walking behind my father, with him carrying, amongst others, the ‘nine-three’. My father was a great hunter; at least in my eyes, so was my grandfather.

My father was born in the mopane bushveld north of the Soutpansberg Mountains in Limpopo Valley, from direct descendants from Voortrekker stock who trekked through wilderness to avoid British oppression. They tried to trade for land first in Natal where they stood their ground against the murderous Zulu chief Dingaan, but they choose to settle much further north.

During the late 1800’s my ancestors traded land from the ba-Vhenda chief, Ramapulana, in the Soutpansberg and settled on a prime and peaceful piece of land right on top of the mystical Soutpansberg Mountains where their marked graves still lie to this day as is the remains of their humble abode. Since 1929 my grandfather was a pioneering farmer not far from the Shashe-Limpopo River confluence, where the borders of Southern Rhodesia Zimbabwe) and the Betchuana Protectorate (Botswana) meet with the South African border, an area which became known as the Dongola.

My father Willie with one of many zebra hunted with our

Author's father with plains zebra hunted with .22 Mauser out of necessity after all other rifles were confiscated by South African government during 1939-1947

My father started hunting for a living at the age of nine and farmed independently in what was then wild country in the Limpopo Valley only ten years later. At age nineteen. Some of the tools he used to tame the wilderness with was a 577 BSA Martini rifle. He later used a No. 1 Mk III 303 Lee Enfield which was confiscated during WWII. By law, during the war, farmers were only allowed to own .22 Long Rifles and 12 Bore shotguns. After WWII he upgraded to an 8x60 Mauser. This 8x60 Mauser was his heart’s rifle.

By the time I got my brains, he was a hunter and marksman of such quality and equal I have yet to meet. While walking behind him in the veldt I witnessed him taking spectacular shots. He could track like a true bushman and spoke six African languages, seven if you count in this language of the colonial oppressor. There are very few hunters that could match his prowess as a hunter and outdoorsman as a whole. But he was a soft-spoken man that failed to leave his life’s story behind.

While taming the hinterlands he had his fair share of hunting down dangerous animals including lion, leopard and buffalo, but not as a sporting pass-time but to protect his livestock. Of all his adventures, it is man with malignant intent that proved to be the most dangerous and gave him his closest shave. Them he sorted out with his 7mm Mauser. Already in his fifties, he once tracked three rogue men who broke into our farmhouse, on this side of the border, into Rhodesia. One was armed with a 7.62 FN FAL semi-automatic rifle. When my father ran into them in the Limpopo riverbed, the armed thug took a shot at my father only to pay for it with his life. A 175gr 7mm Nosler Partition bullet smashed through his chest, ending his lawless career forever, then he anchored another with a running shot through both buttocks and the last one is still running.

A valuable instruction that he gave us was that any wild animal is potentially dangerous. If an animal cannot kill you with horn, tusk, or claw, it can kill you with poisoned fang or infectious disease. He stressed a few things, amongst others, that if a wild animal is facing you and not running away, even approaching you; it would be foolish to regard it as tame or not dangerous. It all boiled down to respect for nature. Another fact he stressed was that to kill any animal effectively, your shot from any angle must be aimed for the heart and lungs.

My strongest reminiscences about our rifles are that ammunition for them was never freely available. Although American calibres and their ammunition were strongly propagated in the shooting media and freely available at the time, my father refused to acquire any American calibre popularized in the media. He loved his Mausers. One thing he always regretted was that he sold his beloved 8x60 Mauser when he couldn’t find ammunition for it anymore, anywhere. His decision was made a few years too soon. The reloading hobby reached South African shores only in the late 1970’s and by then we were using a 7x57 Mauser. He always kept looking out for another 8x60 Mauser but came      across      a ‘nine-three’ instead. If asked why going through the hassle of keeping one’s Mausers shooting, the phrase, …he ain’t heavy, he’s my brother… springs to mind. Such was the story of my 9.3X62 Mauser.

We struggled to get hold of reloading equipment and components, but we were grateful to the Americans for their knowledge thereof, both of which they were happy to share through publications. At that time the only available bullets for the 9.3 could be obtained through Rosenthal’s in Windhoek, Southwest Africa (Namibia). Speer made (still do) a 270gr soft nosed bullet of poor construction for serious bush work in Africa. Norma too made a soft (plastic tip called Silver Blix) in 286gr which also did not provide good terminal performance. Having used the very last Kynoch, RWS and DWM German soft nosed factory ammunition until it ran out, we did not even consider trying to get more because of bullet fragmentation. We settled on the 286gr RWS Vol Mantle Geschoss (FMJ) ordered from Germany by Rosenthals in Southwest Africa (Namibia), with which we did all hunting. It fully penetrated anything we hunted but we preferred it that way. The simple logic being solids gives awesome penetration causes less meat damage and full penetration leaves a good blood trail on both sides of the trail.

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Author's brother posing with the 9.3 which he loved so much - Ed

Born with hunting in his marrow, my older brother took to the ‘nine-three’ like it was the love of his life. He hunted his first kudu with a No.1 Mk III Lee Enfield, at age nine. But he was cursed with a short life of hunting adventure. He died in a motorcycle accident a few weeks after his twenty-first birthday. My father never really got over the early death of his eldest and had not used the ‘nine-three’ that often but used the 7mm Mauser instead. He went into mourning until his own passing a few years later.

The South African Police insisted that my mother hand over all our rifles for safe keeping as no one of us was legally allowed to keep any of his rifles. So, the nine-three, amongst others, stood in some clammy police safe for as long as his estate took to finalize. When we got it back the ‘nine-three’ had rust inside the barrel. My younger brother and I inherited my father’s rifle collection. My younger brother himself being a keen hunter wanted only one rifle and in order to ‘save’ the collection, I traded the ‘nine-three’ with my younger brother for the rest of the rifles. But an even greater loss than the ‘nine-three’ was to come. Not willing to consider the responsibility of the farm, my mother sold to the first buyer who made her the most ridiculous offer. He practically stole my inheritance.

My brother had his turn to be called up for compulsory National Army service, neglected the ‘nine-three’ for the best part of fifteen years. He never used it and never cleaned or cared for it, never even took it out of the safe, because he wasn’t there. All that time it stood in the safe at home, left to rust literally and figuratively. It was kept in the closet, so to speak. Until one day when visiting, I re- discovered it where it stood quietly rusting its life away. After years of neglect, it was not yet registered on his name, and I asked him if he would consider selling it to me. He said that I could buy him an air gun in exchange for it! Not believing my ears I said he could choose any air gun he wanted. In the end, he chose a No. 2 Gamo. The ‘nine-three’ was now mine! Ammunition was still not freely available for it commercially. An interesting fact is that for decades South Africa’s very own ammunition manufacturer (PMP) did not manufacture a single cartridge for any European calibre. Reloading for it was the only option. Not that that was a problem for me because I had reloaded with my father since the age of twelve. "… He ain’t heavy, he’s my brother...!"

But I could no longer use my father’s reloading data because Du Pont, Rottweill or Norma powders were no longer available in South Africa due to sanctions and boycotts from European countries and the USA. The days where only South African propellant was available had arrived and the 9.3X62 was dead but not buried…

Registering the ‘nine-three’ on my name just happened to coincide with its resurrection and revival by equally dedicated 9.3X62 users. Amongst all the enthusiasts, excellent loads with South African propellant were developed. Components and loads: tried, tested and refined. In a way they were all pioneers in re-establishing it as one of the strongest contenders for the title of best medium bore bushveldt hunting cartridge on the hunting market today. The 9.3X62 Mauser was back…! Limping..., but back. Its biggest hill was yet ahead… prejudices…muzzle velocity American style, but locally brewed.

More and more old hunters’ rifles came out of many closets where they were stored for one day in the future. That day arrived none too soon and found gun shops with their pants around their ankles because we asked all the wrong questions. Shop shelves were full of 30-06 and .375H&H rifles with ammunition to choose from various manufacturers but not a single new rifle in calibre 9.3X62 or a single packet of 9.3 ammunition was anywhere to be found. It was like a large-scale outbreak of Parkinson’s disease as shop owners and salesmen constantly shook their heads at our enquiries.

The .375H&H was propagated by hunting related literature as the the best All-Rounder and everybody wanted… the so-called best. Rifles in 375H&H, new and second-hand, sold like cheap hunting opportunities. The 30-06 Springfield in its turn was propagated as the Most- Popular and everyone wanted… the most popular. Shooters wanted something in between as long as it was an American calibre, the marketing was that strong on the one side and that dead on the other side. A few 9.3X62’s belonging to old timers advertising in the classifieds were quickly snatched up. Some custom rifle builders turned out some of the finest 9.3X62 rifles ever to see the light of day.

The aggressive American-inspired local hunting literature of the day established the 375H&H as the most popular medium bore among many hunters. But the crown prince of optimum medium bores for African use is back with an unbeatable history and heritage equalled by no other cartridge. Some gun-writers compared it with lighter and less able calibres and called it similar to… While others went as far as comparing it with magnums even big as the 500 Jeffrey…. Fact is, there is no other cartridge just like the 9.3X62 Mauser. But for the time being, the classification, adequate sort of attached to the nine-three as more and more hunting writers still try to place it in a category. The final decision will be made by its user though.

Drawing from my own experiences and those of others, and driven by my passion for this cartridge, by 2004 I found just enough courage to submit a 9.3X62 Mauser article to MAGNUM the Shooters Magazine, a stern promoter of American and Americanized calibres. I was greatly surprised when they published that article and a follow up not much later.

In the firearm related press, and MAGNUM the Shooters Magazine in particular, one thing led to another and a 375H&H versus 9.3X62 Mauser penetration showdown was inevitable. It was a clash of two old rivals. The conclusion in the end was that the 375H&H with bigger shell case for more propellant behind a 14 grain heavier bullet, shot 190 ft/sec faster, 800ft/lbs more muzzle energy, and the heavier rifle (to tame more recoil), penetrated (just) 25mm further in favourable conditions into the same test medium… The eyes of many hunters, including my own, opened to the real potential of the 9.3X62. Shortly thereafter, with the help of other dedicated 9.3X62 users, I published the Centenary edition of the 9.3X62 Mauser Journal and named it, 9.3X62 Hundertjährig.

As I write this for the new revised edition, new factory rifles in calibre 9.3X62 are made by several manufacturers and a wide variety of factory ammunition and bullets can be bought off the shelf once again. The 9.3X62 Mauser is Out of the Closet and ready to take on any animal in any hunting fields. Read about it…

We were but boys when we hunted with a Big Game rifle - My older brother Rudi posing with the 9

Author’s brother Rudi posing with the 9.3 and the horns of a unicorn-kudu, on the right, he hunted with it.

A 1930’s Safari With 9.3X62

(By Mrs. Senator Dr Steenkamp)

An extraction from the book: I Conclude – Dr Senator Steenkamp

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To reach the hunting ground of Portuguese East Africa, one takes the train to Beira, the great harbour on the east coast of Africa. One then travels for 200 miles on the Nyasaland railway to Caia, whence we travelled by lorry beside the Zambesi, the wide, mighty river, for 43 miles to Marrameu, the great sugar factory of the Senna sugar Plantations on the riverbanks.

Here I could hardly believe my eyes, as I gazed upon no less than seventeen thousand morgens, planted with nothing but sugar cane, which fed the factory that, employed four thousand natives.

The banks of the Zambesi here are low, so that when the river is in flood, it overflows them and then for miles and miles the land is under water. For this reason, the dwellings of both white and black inhabitants are built on piles; those of the white man on pillars of cement, those of the black on wooden poles. From a distance, the huts of the natives look like crows’ nests perched on the branches of bare trees.

In the forests there are wide, open glades and plains, where the short grass affords pasture to troops of hundreds of buffalo, waterbuck, zebra, eland, sable, antelope and wild hog. Elephants are generally found

Reviews for 9.3 x 62 Journal Digital Edition

[shane mahosky · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

What an informative book. I like how it’s proven over and over that just because something looks good on paper that nothing really compares to field testing and real world results. This book is a must for anyone who is looking to get a medium bore or light big bore rifle and may be thinking of hunting large and or dangerous game. The ballistic results in real world situations on large game is eye opening. The discussions and pictures of bullets and how they performed is especially informative. The author isn’t just another gun writer trying to P lol get us all to buy the next newest and greatest cartridge.