I am in the process of giving my Ruger M77 in 250 Savage a facelift....

With the lack of quality factory ammo available for this caliber, and considering the fact I do not re-load.....I will likely purchase some custom ammo from Conley Precision Cartridge Company.

Question:
Which load would you recommend and why?
(This gun will be used on deer-sized game only)

Choices:
100 gr. Barnes TSX @ 3000 fps
110 gr. Nosler AccuBond @ 2850 fps

 

quote:

Conley Precision Cartridge Company.

Barnes and Accubonds are a little long and you could possibly have magazine issues, but only if you have a block in the back of your magazine. Plus you are a little fast on the Barnes load to get 3000 your going to have to run a 90 grain bullet. That said at $50+ a box of ammunition I'd change the chambering or learn to reload fast.

Since you are in TX and .22's are legal I'd go with a .22-250 and run some Barnes or Nosler Partitons in it for deer sized game. Federal premium offers both bullets and will cost you $20-30 less per box of ammunition. Heck you might even throw a 6.5 barrel on it and run the Creedmore.

taylorce1,

I was simply quoting what Conley has listed on their website as far as ballistics go.

Also, this is purely a nostalgic move for me. This was my very first rifle, given to me by a family friend when I was a small child. It has a full "Manlicher" stock, and is more of a sentimental piece for me. I have not used it in quite a while....and would like to start using it again.

I also have no desire to use a .22-250 for deer....but thank you for the response.

ES,

I can understand nostalgia reasons and there is nothing wrong with keeping it a .250. I checked Conley's site before I made the comment because 3000 fps for a 100 grain bullet sounded a little fast. Just checked again to make sure and I see that when you click on the link to buy the velocites change.

That said if you are going to spend the money for custom ammunition I'd go all the way and have it custom made for your rifle. There are a few places that you can send your rifle into and have them tailor it to your rifle. Other than that if you want to use Conley for your ammunition then buy a box or two of each and let your rifle decide what it likes to shoot the best. Other than that either load will work for what you want it to do.

If it were me I would buy up some factory ammo. I just looked on Gunbroker and found quite a lot of it for sale, posted one link for you below.
If going custom ammo I would do as taylorce suggested and have it made for your rifle.
I would pick neither of those 2 bullets offered also both are long bullets and I'm not a big Accubomb fan.
90 or 100 grain cup and core or partition would be a deer killing machine.

http://www.gunbroker.com/Aucti....aspx?Item=254956043

If you know anyone localy that reloads and has 250 savage dies you could always ask for a little help and have them show you and load some handloads yourself with the help of an experianced reloader and work up a load for your rifle.

Whatever you do, avoid using Conley. I once made the mistake of placing an order with them. I was given an estimate of 6 weeks. After seven weeks I called and was told that my order would be complete soon. After 8, 9, and then 10 weeks, I was repeatedly given assurances that my order would be shipped out promptly.

They never delivered and I finally cancelled my order because I was done with their lies and broken promises. They refunded only part of my money, because they charged a penalty for me "improperly" cancelling my order. I finally got my full amount of money back by challenging the charge with my credit card company.

Because I challenged they penalty fee, they put me in their "bad debt" file and threatened to ding my credit report. They finally backed off when I told them I would report them to the better business bureau.

quote:

Originally posted by duckboat:
Whatever you do, avoid using Conley. I once made the mistake of placing an order with them. I was given an estimate of 6 weeks. After seven weeks I called and was told that my order would be complete soon. After 8, 9, and then 10 weeks, I was repeatedly given assurances that my order would be shipped out promptly.

They never delivered and I finally cancelled my order because I was done with their lies and broken promises. They refunded only part of my money, because they charged a penalty for me "improperly" cancelling my order. I finally got my full amount of money back by challenging the charge with my credit card company.

Because I challenged they penalty fee, they put me in their "bad debt" file and threatened to ding my credit report. They finally backed off when I told them I would report them to the better business bureau.

Hmmm.....good to know. That information is much appreciated.

I would suggest taking up reloading for the 250 Savage, or sell it and replace it with a 25/06 so you can buy off the shelf ammo.

quote:

Originally posted by Greg K:
...or sell it and replace it with a 25/06 so you can buy off the shelf ammo.

DEFINITELY not an option. I would not sell this rifle if you offered me $50k for it.

quote:

DEFINITELY not an option. I would not sell this rifle if you offered me $50k for it.

We all have guns like that....definitely not for sale!

Wade, the 250-3,000 was designed for an 87gr bullet, to achieve the (then) astounding velocity of 3,000 fps. Based on the twist rate of your older barrel, it might not stabilize as long a bullet as those you mentioned. I use a Speer 100gr solid base and it shoots 3/8" groups. Any cup & core bullet in the 85-100gr range should be OK. Great little Whitetail round.

I would go with the 80grn TTSX if going with barnes. Nor reason to leave velocity on the table, and you will want to go withh a shorter bullet than the 100grn barnes if it has the original twist designed for the 87grn cup and core bullets.

My other option would be the 100grn partition or Hornady interlock.

Best of luck.

The .250 Savage is an outstanding deer round. Personally, I'd go with a 100gr. C&C bullet (Horny IL, Sierra PH) and load it to around 2850 and be done with it.

There's about 150fps separating the .250 Savage and the .257 Roberts (which I have). The .250's are just about as perfect a deer killer as you can find.

BUT! Based on your qualifications above, I'd go with the 100 TSX above at 2850. For the record, I can get 3000 out of my Bob, but I really think that velocity is pushing the limits of the old 250 Savage.

Since you do not handload, I would give this guy a look. You do need to check the twist rate as noted previous. For $22, a box of the Rem 100 grs might be worth a try. All you would need for whitetail and hogs.

I would just buy some Remington 100gr. PSP. Grandpa started using them in 1953 on large northern whitetails & coyotes, even shot a 300 lb. black bear. Any shot behind the shoulder is lung soup. I now use Nosler 100gr. Partitions at just over 2800 fps. In Grandpa's Savage 99, a much better bullet if you happen to hit the shoulder.

winchester silvertips are good factory ammo bvac makes 120 grand slams and cheaper than dirt sells them for 24 abox might try bvac website for 100 grainers factory ammo at stores are scarce but i found silvertips six months ago good luck

Did Winchester stop manufacturing the silvertip ammo for 250 Savage? I have looked on a half-dozen websites, and all of them have it listed "out of stock".

Also, do you guys think the 120 gr. Grand Slams would be too heavy?

120 Grand Slams are wayyyyy overkill for deer and esp TX deer.

The Remington ammo here:

250 Savage ammo here

will work just dandy on any deer you are looking at down your way. If I was going ot handload I would either load the 80 gr Barnes or one of the 100gr cup and core bullets with the Speer solid base being my personal favorite.

Heck if you really want to specialis ethe bullet I am sure many of us including myself could whip up a batch of ammo to your specs.

quote:

Originally posted by Hasher:
120 Grand Slams are wayyyyy overkill for deer and esp TX deer.

The Remington ammo here:

250 Savage ammo here

will work just dandy on any deer you are looking at down your way. If I was going ot handload I would either load the 80 gr Barnes or one of the 100gr cup and core bullets with the Speer solid base being my personal favorite.

Heck if you really want to specialis ethe bullet I am sure many of us including myself could whip up a batch of ammo to your specs.

HAHA!! Thank you....but I'm not interested in people's opinions about what they think is overkill for our measly little TX deer.

I currently shoot most of my deer with a .300 WSM and 180 Winchester XP3 ammo. It does a great job

I am not a fan AT ALL of Core-Lokt ammo....that is what I grew up shooting in this rifle, and it does kill deer well. The only problem is finding them.....because there is NEVER an exit wound, and NEVER a blood trail. I don't remember how many deer I shot with 100 gr. Core-Lokts....but it was quite a few, and there was NEVER ONCE a drop of blood to follow when a deer would run after the shot. Usually they didn't run far, but in certain areas of Texas (where it is very thick).....if a deer only runs 75 yards and there is no blood trail, there is a chance of not finding the deer at all. I just don't like that.

But thank you for everyone's input....and especially for Hasher's generous offer to load some ammo for me. I really do appreciate it.

When I asked if 120 gr. Grand Slams were too heavy.....what I meant to ask was, "Are they too heavy to stabilize in my gun and shoot accurately?"

By the way....I have no idea what the twist rate of this barrel is. How can I figure it out?

quote:

By the way....I have no idea what the twist rate of this barrel is. How can I figure it out?

Wade you never know if a rifle will stabilize a bullet until you shoot that bullet in that rifle, however there are some rules of thumb that people go by but I'm not one to quote those.

To measure twist is really simple take a cleaning rod and put a patch on it thick enough to engage riflings and start it down the pipe, put a mark on top of your cleaning rod about 18" from the reciever also put a mark at the reciever,(I use a black sharpie) push the rod in and you will notice that the mark on top rotates with the rifling, when that mark comes back to the top (1 full revolution) put another mark on the rod at the reciever.
Pull the rod out and measure between the reciever marks and you have it.
1 in 9 twist is one revolution of the bullet (or cleaning rod) in 9 inches.
This will determine what you have for twist and it may be helpful however I have some rifles that are twisted to shoot only heavy bullets and they shoot light ones very well and other rifles that have twists to shoot mid weight bullets and they only like heavy bullets.
You won't know for sure until you shoot them.
Good luck and let me know if I can help.

Wade what I really should have said was match the bullet to the game. The bigger the deer the heavier the buller and maybe a step up in caliber. For example no way I would take a 250 on those monsters in the Northern woods or Canada. Average Mo ro KS deer and I am ok but there are some monsters in there as well and i woudl step up the velocity to at least a 257 roberts and preferable a 257 AI. Texas has smaller deer. so the 250 is a great gun there. I tend to like heavier bullets ina gun and in yoru 250 (I have 3 of them including a newer M77 Manlicher ) and I woudl be pushing some form of a 100 grainer if I could. Preferably a TSX as I hav enever had a bas experience with a Barnes.

failing that a Swift or an Accubond.

And if you really want some loaded ammo I meant it.

Either one will work...I have shot a lot of elk and deer early on with 100 gr. Corklokts and Silvertips and they worked great.

Being a real 250 Savage fan and having cut my teeth on the 25-35 and then the 250 Savage I still shoot both quite a bit...My favorite deer bullet is the 85 gr. Barnes X in my Savage 99, its fast and kills very well indeed. I also like the Nosler 100 gr. Balistic tip.

Also you will find the 250 Savage is very kind to bullets as its medium velocity does not blow them up and it tends towards perfect mushrooms with Speer, Hornady, Sierra and Rem SPCLs..They all work well in the little Savage.

If I'm horseback in Idaho during deer or even elk season, the Savage 99F in 250-3000 is in my saddle scabbard, if not then the same in .308 is.

quote:

Originally posted by tom hoke:
winchester silvertips are good factory ammo bvac makes 120 grand slams and cheaper than dirt sells them for 24 abox might try bvac website for 100 grainers factory ammo at stores are scarce but i found silvertips six months ago good luck

I've read a ton of reviews on BVAC ammunition and most of it mediocer at best. It may be getting better but seems to me they were lacking consistancy in their ammunition.

Why not just ride down the street to Carter Country in Spring and see what they can fit you with? They have about anything a shooter could want and they aren't that far from you.

If you are looking at short to medium range (<200 yds) the Hornady 117 grn Round Nose was always a great deer killer in my little Ruger .250. Loaded with IMR4064 or IMR4350 I got pass throughs on PA deer and great blood trails. I know round nose bullets aren't hot 'n' fashionable, but they are killers if you are not trying to shoot too far. Just a thought...have fun

quote:

Originally posted by duckboat:
Whatever you do, avoid using Conley. I once made the mistake of placing an order with them. I was given an estimate of 6 weeks. After seven weeks I called and was told that my order would be complete soon. After 8, 9, and then 10 weeks, I was repeatedly given assurances that my order would be shipped out promptly.

They never delivered and I finally cancelled my order because I was done with their lies and broken promises. They refunded only part of my money, because they charged a penalty for me "improperly" cancelling my order. I finally got my full amount of money back by challenging the charge with my credit card company.

Because I challenged they penalty fee, they put me in their "bad debt" file and threatened to ding my credit report. They finally backed off when I told them I would report them to the better business bureau.

Same happened to me with them.

Perry

quote:

Originally posted by paia:
If you are looking at short to medium range (<200 yds) the Hornady 117 grn Round Nose was always a great deer killer in my little Ruger .250. Loaded with IMR4064 or IMR4350 I got pass throughs on PA deer and great blood trails. I know round nose bullets aren't hot 'n' fashionable, but they are killers if you are not trying to shoot too far. Just a thought...have fun

good bullet...but he said he doesn't reload

quote:

Originally posted by olarmy:

quote:

Originally posted by paia:
If you are looking at short to medium range (<200 yds) the Hornady 117 grn Round Nose was always a great deer killer in my little Ruger .250. Loaded with IMR4064 or IMR4350 I got pass throughs on PA deer and great blood trails. I know round nose bullets aren't hot 'n' fashionable, but they are killers if you are not trying to shoot too far. Just a thought...have fun

good bullet...but he said he doesn't reload

I know, but I was thinking it was a possibility for custom loads if he finds somebody...

paia,
I agree 100%, the 117 gr. Hornady RN is my go to bullet in my .25-35 Win. SRC and I always keep about 100 of them loaded up for my 250-3000 Sav. 99 for Texas Brush Country deer. They are a sure killer for deer but the 250 pushes them a bit fast for elk here in Idaho so I use a tougher bullet for elk...I suppose that is because the bullet was actually designed for the .25-35 Win at slower velocity, and thos big bodied elk punish the bullet more than a deer would...I like the Rem SPCL for elk or any tougher bullet.