Mine is a bolt action....I can hardly wait to shoot the darn thing, just need to find a good scope. From what little I have picked up off the net, sounds like the .250 is becoming obsolete despite being a very versitile round. I need to get it all lined out in time for antelope season.
I got a deal on Ram Shot Big Game powder and have worked up loads for my .250 Savage 99. It is basically a ball version of Reloader 15. My pressure signs peaked a 35.0 grains for a 100 grain bullet and have settle back to 34.5 producing about 2700fps. 87 grain Hornady spitzers did better at 36.5 grains but no velocity data yet. You may beable to do better with a bolt gun but these are what I got in my rifle. Usual discalimers apply so use with due caution. You're going to like this cartridge.
I am very jealous. I've wanted a 250 Savage for a long time. My rational mind says buy a 260Rem to keep the collection balanced. But someday I'll add a 250 Savage because I just won't feel complete otherwise.
Don't worry about the obsolete business. You handload and with a minimum of care you'll have cases to last a lifetime. Even if you can't find a single 250Sav case to work with in 20 years (won't happen, no worries) you still have 22-250 cases to neck up. Plenty 25 cal bullets too, thanks to the 25-06 and the 257Roberts.
Posts: 557 | Location: Various... | Registered: 29 December 2002
The Lyman reloading books have some of the strongest 250 Sav loads listed for a bolt gun. I bought one in a Rem 700 Classic in 1986, and have enjoyed it immensely. WW760,IMR4064, and IMR4320 have been used for 100-120 grainers, and I think I have also tried Varget and RL15. It's an overachiever for its case size!
Posts: 639 | Location: Central Texas | Registered: 28 March 2002
I USE H4831 WITH 120 FLAT BASE SPEERS AND H4350 WITH 100 PARTATIONS AND H4895 WITH 85 BAL TIPS.. MINE'S A CLASSIC IN A CUSTOM LAMINATED STOCK & SHOOTS SUB 1" GROUPS.. KILLED A DOE WITH IT SEVERAL YEARS AGO AND RETIRED IT TO BE A TURTLE GUN BUT IT WILL KILL A DEER WITH THE 120 SPEER OR 100 PARTATIONS
Posts: 1125 | Location: near atlanta,ga,usa | Registered: 26 September 2001
The Sierra 90gn Gameking in my custom M98 is a proven performer on red deer with nothing but 1 shot kills. My rifle is built on a small ring with slim profile 26" barrel and 6x42 Leupold Scope.
Posts: 1785 | Location: Kingaroy, Australia | Registered: 29 April 2002
The loads you can use in a .250 savage depends on whether it is a good, strong Mauser-type bolt-action or strong single shot or is a M99 Savage. The M99 must be held to lower pressures. They are not dangerous, but the long springy lockup design will let high-pressure cases stick in the chamber. Also, the earlier M99's had a 1/12" twist that won't stabilize pointed bullets over 87 grains! You have to use RN bullets in these if you load any bullets heavier than 90 grains or so.
the books are full of loads for this star of the original short action tribe.After buying my 99A I trundled off to the range with a box of 87 gr. and a box of 100 gr.,,tho not zeroed,,the former went 3 under a dime at 100,,5 under a quarter and the 100's shot into a quarter all day.You almost never see a 250 for sale and new runs are gobbled up so fast as to be unbelievable,,every .250 owner I know or have met will never sell unless it is to trade up,,if at all............my 257 mauser project just may become my 250 mauser project!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Quote: the books are full of loads for this star of the original short action tribe.
Wasn't the 250-3000 Savage only introduced as late as 1915 ? If so, it had been preceded by far by European short cartridges for the Mauser K-action, notably the 6,5x54 Mauser and the 8x51.
Regards,
Carcano
Posts: 2452 | Location: Old Europe | Registered: 23 June 2001
Quote: Mine is a bolt action....I can hardly wait to shoot the darn thing, just need to find a good scope. From what little I have picked up off the net, sounds like the .250 is becoming obsolete despite being a very versitile round. I need to get it all lined out in time for antelope season.
Thanks for all the info 9.3x62!!!
MG
The .250 Savage has been considered "obsolete" for many a year by most hunters in the U.S., many of whom have to shoot something that makes a whole lot more noise and fills the sky with large fireballs, (AND who have never used a .250!!). That's why no-one has chambered a rifle for it for four decades or so. We're lucky some company still makes ammo for it.
The only people for whom it is NOT obsolete are those who own one, have used it, and realize what a fine, capable cartridge it is! If the .250 Savage were to be introduced as a new chambering this year, accompanied by all the marketing hype new rounds get these days, it would be considered an example of "tomorrow's rifle today"!
