Here finally is my .250-3000 Varmint/Spotlighting/Truck rifle.



I started handloading 20 years ago and my B-I-L asked me to develop a load for his .243W Churchill (Mauser '98) rifle. I did, but found the 22" barrel produced far too much muzzle blast (and at night) muzzle flash for my liking. Spotlighting at night is a common practise here in Australia to reduce vermin and feral animals that pose a threat to farmers crops and pasture.

I looked for a cartridge with a smaller powder capacity and a longer barrel. I played with a 6mm250 wildcat on a Mauser action but the 26" barrel was too thin, it was not bedded and I never got it to shoot satisfactorily. That barrel is now on AFRO408's excellent .243Myra.

250-3000 with Sierra 87 Spitzer next to a .243 with 100 Sierra SptBt.


I decided on the 250-3000. A 23 1/4" C/M #4 barrel was fitted to a 1952 R.Famage CRF '98 action. I have measured the twist numerous times and it comes in at 1 in 11" ??? The muzzle measures .700" with a recessed target crown. It was fitted to a sporterised ex-mil stock with the standard trigger. Despite taking a large number of animals it never chambered and extracted reliably and was a pain to use. I gave it to a mate getting into shooting, but he never used it and ten years later asked if I wanted it back. I had this size cartridge gap in my armoury so I happily took it back home.



I had fitted and bedded a Boyds thumbole stock and a Sako trigger fitted and set at 2 1/2 pounds. Tony Small fixed the chambering and extraction problems with three hand files and a high speed polisher.

Load development was intersting. It hates 100 grain projectiles, shoots 87 grainers over 38 grains of 2208 (Varget) regularly into 1" at 100 yards and any 75 grainer ( 39 grains of 2208) into less than 1" at 100 yards. I have a large supply of 75 V-Max and 75 Sierra HP's. Scope is my old Leupold Vari X-III 3.5-10x40AO which may get sent away for a B&C reticle.

The impetus to get this finished was the success my son has had with his .243W on our recent outback Camel Hunt http://forums.nitroexpress.com...in=184434#Post185704 and I can't stand by and let the young shine with these modern cartridges.

Nice rifle Code4.
I also have 250-3000 Savage in a Mod.16 SS that I use on coyotes in south Texas. I really enjoy shooting it.

Thx Rae,

I still have to mod the bolt handle to a more 'target' design. Load development has finished and I have the 75 V-Max and Sierra 87 Spt shooting accurately over 2008 (varget). Both projectiles have almost identical BC.

Beautiful Job Code 4!!!

nice choices made and coming together an impressive piece of equipment..

Dear Code4:

I'm thinking about building a 250/3000 Ackley Improved with a #4 barrel at 24 inches, similar to yours.

How much does your complete rig weigh?

Sincerely,

Chris Bemis

I have used the 250 on everything from rabbits to elk with total success..I cut my teeth on the savage 99 in 250-3000..

I have owned many of them and I always got the impression it killed way out of proportion to its balistics..Some tell me thats bunk, I don't think so, as I can name several cartridges that reached that particular balance of velocity, bullet weight and construction that made them capable.

I agree with Ray, The 250 Sav is probably the most underrated cartridge there is. It started my love of 25 calibers which eventually lead to designing the 257DGR.

www.duanesguns.com

Some years ago I managed a ranch at Mule Creek Wyoming and I was the pumper for the wells also and I did a lot of hunting with the neighboring ranchers that I went of rodeos with, they gave me access to private land and great hunting. I also got chastised greatly for shooting a .270, everyone of those guys shot a 250 Savage or 25-06, mostly the old curmudgeons shot the 250 savage in bolt actions and the younger crowd that I ran with (hard to believe huh? but hey I was young once) shot the 25-06..They slew their elk, deer, pronghorn and moose with the 25-06s, just like thier dads did with the 250 savage.

Several years ago I saw a custom FN Mauser with a bull barrel in .250-3000 for sale. I had always wanted an FN in 250, but not a heavy rifle. I eventually found a sporter FN in same caliber, but often wondered about the heavy rifle and how it shot.

I love the 250. I've killed bear and deer with mine. I have a 250 AI now, plus of course the Savage 99 250-3000. Great fun to shoot. The light bullets should be great for coyotes, but haven't tried that yet.

quote:

Originally posted by 19Romeo:
Several years ago I saw a custom FN Mauser with a bull barrel in .250-3000 for sale. I had always wanted an FN in 250, but not a heavy rifle. I eventually found a sporter FN in same caliber, but often wondered about the heavy rifle and how it shot.

I have a 22.250 with a fast twist, on a Ruger action... it has a 24 inch heavy magnum contour barrel on it..

If you ever want a good stiff walking varminter, that will still be solid and stiff, yet portable... I recommend a heavy magnum contour...be like carrying a 375 H & H or a 458 Win Mag for weight.. but a heck of a lot more portable for going from fence post to fence post like I do in a prairie dog town or sage rat field...

Well it now wears a Leupld 12x40AO FCH and I've found an accurate stiff load with RE-15 under the 100 Hornady.

The joy continues.