The German Medium

Photo provided by Ryan Blandford of RBMT Media

Imagine it is the turn of the century. Picture a German immigrant who has recently started farming in the German East African colony, what is now modern day Tanzania. Most farmers back home got by just fine with shotguns and break action combination guns chambered in anemic black powder era cartridges. The problem is, this is not a farm back home in Germany. Instead of a rabbit or roe deer raiding your crops and possibly the occasional wild boar, you now have to deal with lions killing livestock and buffalo raiding crops. In addition to that, being a new colony still means a bit of civil unrest and raids by local tribes.

The year is 1905, with more colonists arriving in Africa and the proliferation of the new Mauser 98 rifle, along came Otto Bock. Otto decides to design the 9.3x62. This new cartridge would go on to be just what the colonists were after. It achieved a few things right off the bat that made it a success. It fits in a standard size large ring Mauser 98 action, for one. This meant one could produce rifles on the same action that was prevalent everywhere and relatively affordable. With an original loading of a 285gr bullet at 2,150 fps, this cartridge became a serious contender. With one rifle, a farmer could defend his livestock against predators and crops against raiding ungulates. More than a few elephants have also been taken with the 9.3x62 when needed. Are there better cartridges for the task? Will it do the job in a pinch if required? The answer to both is yes.

While volumes have been written about big nitro express cartridges chambered in fine double rifles and big bore bolt guns, this was not the norm for early European colonists in the far flung reaches of various empires. The average person was not a professional hunter and to be quite honest, most only had a few guns as they were very expensive. Having one rifle chambered in a medium bore that could be pressed into service for just about anything had serious appeal.

The 9.3x62 enjoyed immense popularity in Europe and Africa in the pre WW2 time period. Unfortunately, just after the war, the Kenyan wildlife authorities set a minimum caliber restriction on dangerous game. The standard was set at .375. With the .375 H&H being the most popular cartridge; it seemed the natural choice. In Africa, the 9.3x62 dropped in popularity and usage in favor of the .375 H&H. It should be noted that popularity by European hunters never ceased, and it is still common to this day. 

With the advent of the internet, modern ammo manufacturer support and renewed interest, the 9.3x62 has seen a resurgence in recent years. While some countries in Africa still have the .375 minimum for dangerous game, in countries like Mozambique or South Africa where there are no restrictions, it is still popular as an all around rifle for plains game, buffalo and even big cats. 

Modern ammunition support has made the 9.3x62 better than ever. Buffalo Bore offers a fantastic loading with a 250gr Barnes TSX boasting an advertised velocity of 2,650 from a 24in barrel. One could use this loading on anything that walks in North America and most of Africa.

Read most any writing about the cartridge and the general consensus is that it is boring because it is so damn effective.

Currently, factory rifle options are offered by Steyr, Rigby, Mauser, Sauer, Blaser, Sako, and Tikka. Keep in mind, should the custom rifle route be chosen, a barrel change is generally all that is required on most rifles with a standard 30-06 length magazine box and bolt face. 

If you want a cartridge that has cool history and can take anything that walks while doing so in a standard sized action, the 9.3x62 is the answer.