I have an early fifties M99 250-3000 with 14" twist. It does well with 87 grain Speer Hot Cors, but I'm out of them. Has anyone tried 100 grain Partitions with any success in 14 twist? The JBM calculator indicates a stability factor of about .8, which is not promising.

I would think that the copper mid way in the Partition would make it a longer bullet than other 100 grain bullets and have less chance of stabilizing but the only real way to tell is load them and shoot them in your rifle, then you know.
I know I'm not much help but I have 300 or 400 Speer 87 grain TNT's sitting on my shelf that I'd sell cheap.

I have an old Savage with 1 in 14 in twist and it will only shoot the 87 gr bullets. The 100 gr bullets open up to about 5 in groups @ 100 yds.

The Sierra 90gr HPBT works fine (1.25" 5 shot groups) in my .250 Savage with 1/14" twist.

xausa, have you hunted with the 90 gr Sierra? How did it perform?

I wonder why Arthur Savage decided to use 1 x 14 instead of 1 x 10 or similar. Perhaps the tighter twist might have reduced velocity a smidgeon. Or maybe they were thinking "over-stabilization" which we now know to be kind of a red herring.

quote:

Originally posted by Brice:
xausa, have you hunted with the 90 gr Sierra? How did it perform?

I wonder why Arthur Savage decided to use 1 x 14 instead of 1 x 10 or similar. Perhaps the tighter twist might have reduced velocity a smidgeon. Or maybe they were thinking "over-stabilization" which we now know to be kind of a red herring.

There's a very good article in Aug-Sept 2015 Handloader Mag by Terry Weiland that goes into bullet weights, twists, and velocity issues associated with the 250-3000.

quote:

Originally posted by Brice:
xausa, have you hunted with the 90 gr Sierra? How did it perform?

I wonder why Arthur Savage decided to use 1 x 14 instead of 1 x 10 or similar. Perhaps the tighter twist might have reduced velocity a smidgeon. Or maybe they were thinking "over-stabilization" which we now know to be kind of a red herring.

He went with the lighter bullet to hit the magic 3000fps mark unheard of back then.
And yes they were worried about over stabilization.

quote:

Originally posted by Brice:
xausa, have you hunted with the 90 gr Sierra? How did it perform?

Yesterday a small herd of does wandered out into the open field in front of my ground blind (at age 76 and crippled with neuropathy in my feet I can's do much walking). The closest one was at about 75 yards, and I had a broadside shot, so I aimed just behind the front leg fro a heart shot. At the shot, the doe clapped her tail down, crouched down low to the ground and took off to my left out of sight. The other deer milled around, confused, so I selected another, at about 100 yards, aimed at the same spot and fired, with the same result. All but three had fled by now, and by the time I had silently cycled my bolt action Mauser, they had decamped, also. I craned my neck out my aperture, and could see one deer lying motionless in the clearing.

My hunting companion soon arrived to help me, and we looked over the deer, noting the entrance wound somewhat higher than my aiming point and no exit wound. All the blood came from the deer's mouth, confirming my assumption of a lung shot.

After a fruitless search for the other doe, we field dressed the first one. As I suspected, the lungs were thoroughly shredded.

My conclusion: the 90 grain Sierra HPBT bullet is too lightly constructed for my purpose. It would be death on coyotes, for instnce, and probably effective at longer range, with less velocity, but the lack of an exit wound weighs heavily against it.

I have ordered some 100 grain Sierra GamePro bullets, but until they arrive, I will be trying something other rifle. I have a 1922 Newton I haven't bloodied yet.

It just depends on the individual rifle as to what they will shoot, its certainly not written in stone as some, including Nosler claim

I have two 1x14 twist Savage 99s in 250...they both will shoot any 100 gr. FLAT BASE bullet but not Boattails..They both like the WW and REm. 87 and 100 gr. bullets and the Sierra 90 gr. with H414 powder..Come to think of it my 1x10 99F (1950-55) also likes those same loads..

I have never owned nor seen a 250 Savage that wouldn't shoot in my 80 years, probably is a few out there, but why would be my next question!

In reply to the Sierra 90 grain hp-bt !

On a dirt back road in Cal. 1974, a number of coyotes were dinning when I put the said bullet just behind one dogs front leg. The first vision was a cloud of dirt on the other side of the yote. as he jumped high in the air. He came down on all fours running at super speed. NEVER caught up to him. The shot could not have been over 40 yards and the bullet left my .257 Rob. at perhaps 3200 fps. I stll can't believe that that Sierra didn't blow him apart instead of going through him.
There were those later in my life that have told me that that hp-Bt makes a good deer fetcher. I never tried, but I'm willing to believe it could? Maybe! roger

quote:

On a dirt back road in Cal. 1974, a number of coyotes were dinning when I put the said bullet just behind one dogs front leg. The first vision was a cloud of dirt on the other side of the yote. as he jumped high in the air. He came down on all fours running at super speed. NEVER caught up to him

Some people well never admit to missing a lot of poor bullet performance is just that when the animal is never found.

Or if the there is blood the bullet went in the wrong place.

quote:

Originally posted by p dog shooter:

quote:

On a dirt back road in Cal. 1974, a number of coyotes were dinning when I put the said bullet just behind one dogs front leg. The first vision was a cloud of dirt on the other side of the yote. as he jumped high in the air. He came down on all fours running at super speed. NEVER caught up to him

Some people well never admit to missing a lot of poor bullet performance is just that when the animal is never found.

Or if the there is blood the bullet went in the wrong place.

Gooooly gee!!! Why didn't I think of that. roger

quote:

Gooooly gee!!! Why didn't I think of that. roger

Because the bullet went right behind the coyote leg.

I have shot a number of deer and coyotes with the 90 gr. Sierra and its worked fine for me. But on occasion about any bullet can fail contrary to popular belief...some get passed inspection and they may have a crack in the jacket or who knows what..Fortunatly it seldom happens these days. Most failures I have seen could be attributed to velocity and bullets exploding on contact..in a 250 that should not be the problem but I do shoot them at about 2800 FPS in my 99 Savage.