THE 9.3mm calibre has enjoyed a solid reputation in game fields all the world over for 120 years. A number of 9.3mm cartridges introduced in the early 1900s, shooting heavy .366-inch diameter bullets, are still popular with hunters.
The 9.3mm family started with the 9.3x57, based on the 8mm Mauser case. The 9.3x62 came along in 1905 and the 9.3x64 Brenneke around 1910.
The 9.3x74R originated in the early 1900s and is still a favourite cartridge for double rifles and combination guns.
The .366 calibre then lay dormant until 2002, when Sako developed the 9.3x66mm Sako for its new Sako 75 family of bolt-action rifles. A modern cartridge with a fat, rimless case, the 9.3x66 had a muzzle energy of over 4000ft-lb with bullets weighing 250 and 286gn, which had it treading close on the heels of the .375 H&H magnum. The for the 9.3mm Sako eludes me, since the venerable 9.3x64mm can also fit in a standard-length action. An excellent cartridge it may be, but we’ve heard very little about it in recent
