Hello all,

I just purchased a Savage Ml-II and am looking for any favorite loads you may use in your gun. I am asking the question so I don't have to buy 4 different types of powder and bullets at this time. I did get a pound of 5744 and a box of 325 gr. Hornady FTX with Harvester Black rib crush to start with. I'm not interested in mixing powders being new to smokeless. Any help and opinions would be appreciated.

Thanks,

ddj

5744 is one of the "book" powders that Savage lists loads for in the owner's manual. Try what they advise and see how the results suit you. I didn't get the velocities or the accuracy I wanted with it so I moved on, but many are happy enough using it. Several friends are using 4759 and getting nice results with it, and N120 is one of the best, if you can find any.
I prefer the 300gr bullets as my best accuracy always comes with bullets of that weight. The Hornady 300gr SST is excellent, as is their .458" 300gr HP. That one uses the orange sabot from MMP. Bullet/sabot fit in the bore is the biggest factor in getting good accuracy, so don't be afraid to try several combos if what you have isn't doing it.

Thank you sir. I have been on the search for some N120 with no luck yet. I don't want to pay the $25 HazMat if I can help it. I might also look for some Barnes Original 300 gr. bullets.


ddj

I am running 44 grains of 5744 under a 290 grain barnes tipped flat base. I replaced the barnes sabot with a MMP high pressure black sabot. I get 1950 at the muzzle. Sight in 2.5" high at hundred will but me 6.5" low at 200. Accuracy is amazing I have got three shots groups around 3/4" measured edge to edge no center to center. Performance on deer is excellent as well.

Many have found H4198 to be a good alternative to N120. I've used it with good results and it is easy enough to find. Powder choice really depends upon what velocity level you are after. I personally like my 300gr loads going 2250-2300fps as it helps a lot with flattening out the trajectory for the longer shots I seem to get quite often. One thing I would suggest for sure is using either the Fed.209A or CCI209 mag primer, either gives me much more consistent results than anything else. Those Barnes bullets seem to have a cult like following and while I have used them I never saw anything special. They have never been as accurate as the 300gr SST in my rifles, and since both give instant pass throughs on every deer shot with them... why pay the premium for them? The 300gr SST is plenty tough for any deer, as is the 300gr HP I mentioned.
Go here for the best info on the Savage ML:
http://dougsmessageboards.prob....cgi?board=smokeless

The Hornadys shoot great. Every real ugly case of bullet performance I have encountered have been with SSTs of various flavors. I was willing to try them in the Savage and even hunted them a couple seasons but did not take an animal.Once I tried the Barnes and found it to be even more accurate for me than the Hornady I switched because I knew the Barnes was going to perform. SSTs from my past experiences are just two much of a roll of the dice performance wise.

That's interesting...I've heard the 250gr SST is a bomb from various accounts and haven't used them myself. My son has tried them in his Encore with T7 and they were not the best even at that speed. But the 300gr is a different beast altogether and after 12 one shot kills with them by myself and a friend I have complete faith in their abilities.

The 300 might have a thicker jacket. I have few of them around I will have to cut one open and see sometime. The worst experience I ever had with a SST was their 50 caliber that they load in their slugs. Same bullet is loaded for the 500 smith. I have had two blow up on the shoulder of deer and lost both. Deer I have seen killed with this bullet left me very unimpressed. All ssts have not performed very well. But the 50 cal is always teetering on the edge of absolute bullet failure. I shot one doe through the ribs. She was looking at me I put the bullet between the shoulder and the breast bone centered between the neck and the brisket. Shot was 138 yards. Bullet basically exploded on impact. I had shrapnel embedded in the hide of the entrance. I would say nearly half the jacket was in the hide. What was left of the bullet made it only about half way through the lungs.

I decided to switch slugs. I could not find anything near as accurate. The Hornady would shot 2 inch everything else 6 or 7 inches.I had so little faith left in the slugs I sold the gun just so I could shoot something else.

Thanks for the help guys!

If I am starting with 5744, would N120 be the next best option for a powder to try?


ddj

Mike-
While I've never sectioned one of the 300grs, I'd bet it has a thicker jacket, judging from our experience with them. We have never recovered one from those 12 deer. All made perfect exit holes about the size of a nickel...and the loads we use drive them @ 2300fps. Shots varied from 50yds to over 200yds. The BOs are a good bullet, but with the supply being off and on and the cost...those 300gr SSTs are just a better deal all around for us. The solid copper Barnes have never given me any accuracy at the speeds I drive them. I've tried various sabots and nothing showed me anything consistent or I might have used them. I'm sure they are a good performing bullet on the game but if the accuracy isn't there I won't waste time on them.

thdj-
5744 is going to give you 2000fps max with that 325gr bullet, and likely less. IF you are happy with that and accuracy is good then be done with it! If you know going in that you want 2200fps or more, then don't even bother with 5744. We have seen 2200fps and good accuracy with 300gr bullets using IMR4759, so that would be the next step up. After that comes the N120 and H4198...both of these will give 2300+fps with 300gr bullets. I suggest going to that Savage forum and checking the loads section on there. Many loads are listed with various powders, chrono'd velocities and pressure data. Well worth the time to read it through.

Thanks John,

I recieved 2 pounds of N120 in the mail today and am anxious to give that a try with the 325's for a bit more velocity.


ddj

barnes spitfire=suck
sst=grenade but shoots good accuracy wise
tc shockwave bonded=sst=sucks
tc shockwave=sst
300g .458 barnes original = cult following
62g n120 with mmp orange sabot 300g BO shoots and performs on game
It has worked on 4 out of 4 other savages also

interestingly mine has been loaded since october 2010 and I shoot it 2 days ago, first shot 2" left at 200y, 2nd shoot 1.25" left, 3rd .8" left
2mph cross wind

Around here most of the guys start with 4759 and SSTs and never even try anything else. I played with non-book loads of 4198 that got me up to 2650 fps with the Barnes 265. After awhile I regained sanity and went back to; SR4759 and a 300 gr SST. It piles up 200 yard deer like a .300 Win Mag.

I use 4759 and a 260 gr. Dead center in my Savage.. Works great.. Found a great load and have stuck with it.

I need to try some 4759 powder,it sounds like good stuff.

There are a couple reasons why the Barnes bullets
do not shoot well for a lot of people. There are
better sabots than those supplied, such as the
Harvester sabots. For whatever reason, the bullets
are made at .451" diameter while the 10MLII
shoots best with .452 bullets. I've measured
some that weren't much over .450". Rolling between
a couple fine toothed files can get them to
optimal diameter, but it can be tedious. Once
that is done, I have had very accurate groups
with both the .50 and .45 barrels (.45 being
custom).

try 42gr of sr4759 with a Rem .458 300gr HP with MMP orange sabots. just Boom Thump Get your knife!!! shoot this in 4 gun and shoot great. Clint

clentsfolly, that is close to my load. I am using 42.0 gr of sr4759 with a Dead Center 260 gr. bullet. I got a doe last night at 147 yards with a dead on hold, recovery was 20 yards away.

The smokeless got out of the safe this morning!! Was bad news for a small button buck that tried to limp by. 40yd standing broad side Boom double lung blood trail that was almost sickening! Clint

I have been using 61 gr. of N120 under a Hornady FTX and Harvester Black Crush. Has worked very well on a couple of does so far.


ddj

quote:

Originally posted by trouthunterdj:
Hello all,

I just purchased a Savage Ml-II and am looking for any favorite loads you may use in your gun. I am asking the question so I don't have to buy 4 different types of powder and bullets at this time. I did get a pound of 5744 and a box of 325 gr. Hornady FTX with Harvester Black rib crush to start with. I'm not interested in mixing powders being new to smokeless. Any help and opinions would be appreciated.

Thanks,

ddj

The 10ML-II that I am shooting right now likes 44grs. of 5744, a 325gr FTX, a orange MMP sabot and Win 209 primers.

This was shot at 100yds. with the above load:

I have been using 43gr. N110 behind a 250gr SST for whitetails -- it is a tremendously accurate deer load.

has any 1 tryed shooting some 300 grain plus bullets either bore size or sabot im really interested in trying some 400-500 grain bullets in a muzzel loaders like this the .bc would be very high and with the right bullet bore size/bullet sobot combo should be very accurate i like heavy bullets in a muzzel loader i just use scopes with quick adjustment turrents so i can dial the right amount for each shot.

I shoot 55 gr of N120 with a 290 gr barnes tmz with hph 12 sabots. The flat base one not boat tail clover leaf on paper. The 300 gr barnes ex expander, the big hollow point, flys very well also with this load.

700-
You might try Doug's forums about your questions, many folks there shoot the Savage MLs and it is the best place on the 'net for info about these rifles.

Interestig that this post came back now. Check out yesterday's bag. 42 grains of 4759 and the 300 grain SST with MMP sabots.

Barnes Original .458/300gr, Harvester Black Crush Rib, 60gr VV N120, and FED209A:

ALL absolutely ALL you will ever need to know about haw to maximize your 10ML-II is yours for the mear asking over at Doug,s Savage Message Boards. I have been a member there for the past 7 or 8 years and can tell you you will not find a better group of people at any forum anywhere on the net.

Go there post your a 10ML-II newbee and ask for help and the get ready to be amaized and enlightend.

My 3 faverite 10ML-II loads are:

290 grain Barnes flat base T-MZ knurled up to .454-.4545
Harvester black sabot
70 grains RL-10x
Fed 209m

245 grain Spitfire knurled up to .4535-.454 Harvster yellow CR sabot
75 grains H-4198
Fed 209m

300 grain Barnes Original or 325 grain FTX
Harvester black CR sabot
68 grains of H-4198 or 70 grains RL-10X

All three of these loads shoot consistantly under 3" 200yrd 3-shot groups and will handel any big game animal in north America.

Arthur.