300 vs 9.3x74R

[peaty29]

I have used a 300 for a bit now and I have it leveled to 8.

I am looking at some of the weapons on sale and I see the 9.3x74R.

The two seem very similar, but the 9.3 gives me one extra animal (Water Buffalo).

Honesty, I do not venture into Piccabeen Bay unless I have a daily mission there. In the future I may do the missions there.

I own a 45-70 Buffalo which can make up the difference, but I do not use it often because it is higher caliber than most of the animals I hunt.

The only perceived benefit is the 9.3 covers my typical animals and the water buffalo

Would it be wise to get the 9.3 and use it as my every reserve rifle, and leave the 300 behind?

[Hylie Pistof]

that is entirely up to you - and a kind of idealistic discussion here XD

the 300 is a magnum and therefor has alot of power over distance aswell as a flatter trajectory.
combined with a 340 for realy big game or a 243 for the small critters, eventualy a .17HMR if there are birds and/or bunnys its is a great weapon.
upside is it can use the 2-10x scope that the 243 and the 340 can use, and the 5.5-22x for the 340 = saves a litte money and those scopes are great to use.

the 9.3x74 is weaker over distance (although most encounters are anyway less then 100m for most hunters here XD) and requires a different scope for close up (1.1-8x). the 5.5-22x fits that rifle.
upside is the 2 rounds for a fast second shot (what isnt needed if you hit propper with a strong enough rifle like those magnums), and the Waterbuffalo permission.

personaly i have a problem taking a Roe Deer with the same round as a Waterbuffalo ;) doesnt sound right to me.
in the end, both weapons are advised for beginners as first to buy (so they can hunt more species and complete missions)

on PBB my loadout would be a 243 or 300 for the Rusa, and a 340 or 45-70 lever for the rest (yes exept Magpie).
the 9.3x74 seems great for that map and can do the job just fine (i tried XD), so it is a question of how you like it ;)
i bet there are many that will use a bow instead of a rifle - again, a discussion of ideals and preferences. just befor someone mentiones a bow can do them all XD

it is defenitly a propper rifle and usefull, but i would NEVER leave the 300 *behind*.
use it for other hunts where it makes sense like wide open areas and big animals.

i leveled it out and switched with the 308, but sometimes i forget about distance and then i miss the power of that magnum (bleeding time).

[peaty29]

I have a set of rifles for every animal in the EHR:

.17 HMR
.243
.30-30
.300
.45-70 Buffalo


In addition I also have:

Handgun:
.44

Shotgun:
12GA single shot
12GA pump

Bow:
Snakebite


I use the Snakebite A LOT. I have it at level 14. I think I am happy with my rifle options. I might need a better pistol at some point. I was disappointed that the .44 cannot be used on moose. It made the capstone mission a littler tougher. I also couldn't use it on a charging grizzly bear.

I have to keep reminding myself that I hardly hunt outside of Logger's Point. When I do it is for daily missions. I am sure I will get tired of LP at some point. I am starting to find that whitetail deer hunting is better in some of other reserves.

I will probably not get the 9.3 and save for more tents, stands, and a better pistol.

[DanthemanBoone]

There is little if any difference between the 9.3 x 74 and the 45 70 in terms of knockdown power, range and trajectory. Both can take the two biggest scopes. They are almost carbon copies in all respects except that the 9.3 does have a wider range of permitted animals at the lower end . Required hold-overs at long range is exactly the same.
I normally hunt Piccabeen with the 45.70 , 30R and the 10 point.
Buffalo at 250m is well within the capability of the scoped 45.70 and when hunting in the trees, removing the scope allows access to what I consider the best open sights on any rifle in game, unrivaled for charging Buffs or Polar Bears.
The only real advantage the 9.3 gives is being able to take Rusa without carrying a smaller weapon, so you could hunt Piccabeen animals with just the one gun.
Personally for the sake of increasing my inventory in other areas, I would hold of on purchasing the 9.3 x 74 until a later time.