I'm seeing conflicting information on bullet selection for old .250 Savages.

The Lyman manual, one of Ken Waters' "Pet Loads" pieces, and a John Haviland article in Handloader all say that the old 1-14" twist barrels won't stabilize bullets over 100 gr. Haviland is the only one who includes accuracy results from a couple of guns, and his results bear that out with 8-10" groups using 115-120 gr. bullets.

However, the Nosler manual says a 1-14" twist won't stabilize *any* .257" Nosler bullets, apparently including their 85-gr. Ballistic Tip!

What's the scoop? I'm looking at a '20s-vintage perch-belly 99 and would like to be able to use 100-gr. bullets if I buy it.

All those old .250's will shoot 100grns just fine. I have 3 old .250's & while they all prefer 87gn Sierra's, with 100 Sierra's, Horn, or Nosler Interlocks they all shoot 1 1/2" - 2" groups with open or peep sites off a bench & that's sometimes better than I can do! If fact I have shot 117gns thru them with good results except to much vel loss.

I have tried a number of 100 grain bullets in the 1 in 14 twist of my Savage 99. The 100 grains Nosler BT would go through the target sideways at 100 yards. 100 grain boatail bullets would show signs of tipping at 100 yards. Most of the 100 grain flat base bullets seemed to be OK, but didn't produce the accuracy that 87 or 90 grain bullets did. The best accuracy that I found with a 100 grain bullet came from the Winchester 100 grain Silvertip, which is a shorter, stubbier bullet. JD

Most of the old guns had a 1x14 twist designed to get 3000 FPS out of the 87 gr. bullet...thus the 3000 in the 250/3000 moniker, the bullet was designed to travel at the advertised 3000 FPS thus the odd 87 gr. weight....

Old timey hype, simular to what we have today, we bought off on then and we buy it today....

The later guns went to a 1x10 twist..Most of the old guns will, in fact, shoot the 100gr. bullets just fine and if not the 87 and 90 gr. bullets in the 250 Savage kill deer just as well as the 100 gr. bullets do...I doubt that 10 grs. ever has or ever will make much difference in killing power, an seldom in bullet behavior..When it does start variing the velocity and it will normally come around. I have played with a lot of these old 99's and I have never seen one that I could not make shoot well..They take to glass bedding like a duck to water if done properly...I have glassed about a hundred or so of them and they all shot about an inch. for 3 shots...

------------------
Ray Atkinson

ray@atkinsonhunting.com
atkinsonhunting.com

Ray; I read about your glass bedding 99's, I've bedded the rear stock on a few just to help stop the stock splitting. I've also tried the forestock for accuracy but seen no great improvement, could you let me know anything in particular I maybe should be doing or looking for!! Thanks Randy