Can anybody give good data and bullet construction advice for old 99's with 1 in 14 twist. Got 87gr. sierra to shoot great but wasn't satisfied with performance. I got the deer but looked like it swallowed a hand grenade on a broadside shot.
Thanks in advance

I have a 1929 model with a 1:14 twist.

I was able to get 100 grain Speers to stabilize in my gun. If you want to go heavier, you may want to try these.

I haven't shot anything with the gun, so I can't testify as to their performance on game.

Waykee;

First, let me congratulate you on having a Savage 99 in 250/3000 at all. ( In my hunting days and within the last 10 years or so, I couldn't find anyone to sell me one and I used Shotgun News among others) The Savage 99 (in any caliber) is sacred in my family. ( My father carried one in Panama during construction of the Canal - and while he served a a very junior engineer conducting surveys in the "bush")

Having shot my mouth off - the 87 gr. -like a lot of "light" HV bullets has a tendency to "blow up" on light skinned game. (I shot woodchucks with a 220 Swift, 48 gr. bullet where the bullet often blew up on the skin because it hit a shoulder- and that was at over 300 yards. The results were not pretty. I would urge the 100 gr. bullet and a hit behind the shoulder rather than on the point of the shoulder. ( Needless to say, the 250/3000 is not to be aimed at the south end of a deer going north!)

I have settled on the 87 grain Speer HotCore for deer, 87 grain Speer TNT for coyotes, and either the 75 grain Sierra HP or Hornady VMax for smaller varmints.

Jeff

260 Oremguy:

No major company loads the 87gr. in 250/3000 anymore. The reason they don't is because the 87 gr.'s best use is for smaller animals than deer - and there are too many other better cartridges to use for those. Fred Barnes" "Cartridges of the World" does not consider the 87 gr. to be a suitable deer cartridge. I knew this from personal experience in NY woods at less than 50 yards. You live in Nebraska, a state that I remember as wide open country. As I remember, an 87 gr. developed about 1100 ft.lbs of energy at 100 yards. This makes it a marginal deer load (and very close to being illegal in a number of states for deer where the minimum is 1000 ft.lbs of energy) For comparison - a 30-30 170gr. bullet develops about 1750 ft. lbs of energy. If the 87 gr. is your choice, then, of course, it's just that - your choice. It would be quite impressive if you told us that you killed deer in Nebraska with the 87 gr.load. I have a firm rule never to argue with the man who has used the particular cartridge (or rifle) - and I know as well as anyone never to rely on ballistics tables alone - but I do have first hand experience with the 250/3000 on deer - but with a 100 gr. bullet at ranges under 50 yards - and it just wouldn't have occurred to me then to use the 87 gr. bullet. ( The 100 gr. wasn't all that great either except on a shot right behind the shoulder) Just my thoughts.

I can give you some referals to some people that use the 87 gr bullet on Elk here in Colorado if you would like. I personnaly have used it on Antelope without any problems, Bang, Flop. and that is usually at a minimum of 150 to 200 yards. So I don't see where using it on Deer would be a problem. Les

gerry375,

Regardless of what has been written in COTW, I have shot around 40 deer with the 250-3000 and have not found it lacking. The only time that it didn't work well was when the bullet failed, a 90 grain Sierra BTHP Gameking. You see, the key is bullet construction, that is why I use the 87 grain HotCore for deer and the 87 grain TNT for varmints. The old 75 grain Barnes X was also a great deer bullet in a 1 in 14" twist barrel, but they have been discontinued and I don't recommend using discontinued bullets.

BTW, I have killed deer in ME, NH, VT, KS, NE, SD, AR, and MO with a variety of 250-3000 rifles and loads. Most of my shots came within 200 yards, even in wide-open country, as I can hunt as well as shoot. You should read Larry Koller's "Shots At Whitetails" to get a clearer understanding of potential of the 250-3000 and 87 grain bullet combination in the hands of a competent shot.

Jeff

260remguy:

As an old retired hunter, I NEVER argue with success!. If you found the 87 gr. to be a good cartridge on white tail deer then that is a fact for you. ( I knew guys in my youth who killed deer with a 220 Swift, 48 gr. bullet - Do you want to recommend the 220 Swift as a deer killer?) You did say that it was so good in your experience in the hands of a "competent" shot. I suppose that means that I wasn't - and you are entitled to your opinion. Since I knew from PERSONAL EXPERIENCE that a 100 gr.bullet from a 250/3000 would not penetrate the south end of a deer going north as to get through to the boiler room,at ranges under 75 yards I switched to a 30-06 - just precisely because I was getting too many such shots . You are a real deer killer with the 87 gr. 250/3000? More power to you! I just would urge newcomers to the 250/3000 to look around a little more! No offense intended!

My M99R has taken two does here in Kansas with the 87 gr. hot core, and two with the 100 core-loct. I didn't really see much difference. Now, before I got it the rifle was used for years in Wyo. to put antelope, mule deer and elk on the table for the guy that I bought it from. Pete said he used 87's for the deer and antelope, and 100's for elk. I have no idea as to his hunting prowess, just that he raised 3 well fed girls!

Amen, is it just me or were the gentlemen in previous generations better shots, as they didn't need todays super magnums, and most used what they had, cripes, smokepoles were used long before we used these good modern cartirdges, and I can bet the 250 has more power and velocity than these smokepoles. If ya can shoot it, and shoot it well, use it. I use a 1918 Savage 99 F in 303 for Elk, been hunting them for 3 years with it, haven't taken a shot yet with it, as I haven't been able to get them into the range I want, so no shots. Sure I could extend my range by using a 30-06 of which I do have, but then I am not hunting, I am just killing. JMHO. Les