Hello All
I just inherited my Grandfathers fine old Model 99 Savage. The gun was made in the 1950's and was carried around a lot(many dings in the stock)and shot very little. The bore is pristine and the action is sound. The gun wound up in the possesion of an uncle who put it in a gun cabinet 15 years ago and left it there, a travesty if there ever was one! This gun will be put back into action ASAP as my short range brush gun.
I have read Ken Waters article regarding loading for the 300 Savage and am familiar with the length restrictions and the need for full length re-sizing.
Anyone out there have a special load for .300 Savage they would like to share?
Thanks
Zeke

Hi Zeke,

I too have aquired a nice 300 hand me down and would like to find some good loads. I havent loaded anything out of the ordinary yet just using some of my 06 powder (4895) and medium loads so far. Looking at some charts it seems that most 30 calibers are very happy with a 165 grain bullet though. Ive been considering trying some 165 gr spbt with either reloader 15 (40-44 grs) or VV n140 (39-43 grs). Speer shows those two powders getting about 100 fs better than others from the 300 s. The max listed are compressed loads.

Wstrnhuntr,
Just shot my first test loads with my Model 99.
Remington Brass
165gr Hornady sp
Winchester WLP Primers
40grs of Reloader 15
OAL 2.612" - The manual says OAL should be 2.600" but I got away with it. Rifle cycled great.
Load clocked at 2340fps.
No undue pressure signs.

Didn't try to shoot for group. Got the pop cans at about 80 yards.
This is a test load. Going to bump the powder up to 41grs next week to see what I get. I have placed an unofficial speed limit of 2500fps using this bullet. No sense in shooting hot loads if I don't have to. Bambi won't know the difference.

Good Luck with your 300

ZM

I picked up a box of sierra 165 bt spitzers yesterday but 4895 is the only powder on my shelf at the moment.

How much did you pay for your chronograph? Im real green at this site and I didnt even know such a tool was available to the GP until recently, Ive never used one, sounds like a good load building tool though. How are they powered? (AC or DC)

I also intend to play around with some lighter bullets like 125-130 gr. Maybe 2800 fps will scare bambi to death..

Putting a new scope on my old 300 today. Keep me posted on your load progress.

Byren,

[This message has been edited by Wstrnhuntr (edited 09-29-2001).]

Wstrnhuntr
My chronograph is a Shooting Chrony Beta Master. $120 from Sinclair International. Powered by a ordinary 9v battery. Pretty good unit for the money. Also check out the Feb\2001 issue of Handloader Magazine. Ken Waters wrote a pretty good article about loading for the 300 Savage.

Later
ZM

Zeke,

Heres a fun load with a nice flat trajectory up to about 350 yds. 125 gr. Nosler BT 42 grs of IMR 4895 = about 2650 fps. If you really want a screamer try it with 40 grs of AA 2460 with a magnum primer and work up. Max load in speer data for that is 44 grs (compressed) for 2906 fps. Not bad for an antiquated cartridge..

Im doing some of these bullets in a 30-06 load too, very comperable to some 270 balistics. They should make a nice medium game load. How are the 165 gr loads developing?

Haven't been up to the local gravel pits to test the latest load. It is deer season up here. If I started to blast away up in the woods the hunters would have a fit, not to mention it is bad taste to blast away during this time of year.
Last year two hunters drew their rifles on me and insisted I leave(The cops did nothing as usual). I was load testing and forgot it was the opening day of deer season. So needless to say I won't be load testing until after general deer season ends.
Later
ZM

Well, the "Oregon Moonsoon Season" let up just long enough to continue testing loads for Grandpa's M99 300 Savage.
Using RL-15 and Hornady 165gr SP my results are:
40gr RL-15 Low 2334
High 2351
Mild recoil, good accuracy

41gr RL-15, five shot string
2325
2401
2354
2364
2376
Accuracy wasn't very good with this load. Speed variations were too far apart to use this load.

42 gr RL-15, five shot string
2421
2421 (not a typo)
2428
2425
2429
Liked this one alot. Shot a three inch group at 80yds shooting offhand with the factory open sights( I'm really spoiled by using a scope all the time)

For comparison
Remington 150gr Factory Load
2575
2591
2652
Goes fast but not too accurate.

Probably use the 40gr load for fun and the 42gr load for serious stuff.
Later
ZM