Picture added on page two. Thanks Red.
Well, opening morning of the NS deer season found me out with my '70s Savage model 99A in .250-3000. Just after legal shooting light I was aiming at a very nice buck (for this area anyway, an old 13 pointer) as he was leaving a field. One shot at 126 paces and the buck ran into the woods. I waited 15 minutes and then walked up to where he had been when I fired and found one drop of blood. His footprints were clear in the frosty grass and a strong blood trail began at the woods. 35 yards later he was found dead.
What makes this even more interesting to me is that I was supposed to be carrying my custom FN '98 6.5 Swede but its Leopold scope recently began to lose zero. I grabbed the .250 as it has been Mr. Dependable since I bought it from WhyNot? in about 1995. This rifle has been carried on foot, snowmobile and boat more than any other rifle I own. It had taken a crazy number of caribou, one wolf, and three black bears for me before today. I bought it because the local store in northern Labrador had a ton of old Winchester Western .250 ammunition in yellow/red boxes that I bought for $2.50 per box! Much of it was 87 grainers and that was what I used for all of the caribou and the wolf (much sewing required). Today I used 100 grain Winchesters from the origional ammo deal because I didn't have time to reload. Complete penetration and good expansion. I used 100 grain Noslers on the black bears.
I have lots of rifles that are worth far more than this Savage; classic, modern, and custom but this old girl has never let me down. It wears an old Tasco world class that I bought when I was 17 (I'm 40 now) and I feed it old factory ammunition. It doesn't shoot bug hole groups or offer the trajectory of a laser. Many would consider it marginal. Heck, I even think that older 99's in .300 are better rigs but this thing just keeps working!! I'm just going to have to stop arguing with success and go clean the blood off of it, again!
Thanks for the great rifle Ted!
Well, opening morning of the NS deer season found me out with my '70s Savage model 99A in .250-3000. Just after legal shooting light I was aiming at a very nice buck (for this area anyway, an old 13 pointer) as he was leaving a field. One shot at 126 paces and the buck ran into the woods. I waited 15 minutes and then walked up to where he had been when I fired and found one drop of blood. His footprints were clear in the frosty grass and a strong blood trail began at the woods. 35 yards later he was found dead.
What makes this even more interesting to me is that I was supposed to be carrying my custom FN '98 6.5 Swede but its Leopold scope recently began to lose zero. I grabbed the .250 as it has been Mr. Dependable since I bought it from WhyNot? in about 1995. This rifle has been carried on foot, snowmobile and boat more than any other rifle I own. It had taken a crazy number of caribou, one wolf, and three black bears for me before today. I bought it because the local store in northern Labrador had a ton of old Winchester Western .250 ammunition in yellow/red boxes that I bought for $2.50 per box! Much of it was 87 grainers and that was what I used for all of the caribou and the wolf (much sewing required). Today I used 100 grain Winchesters from the origional ammo deal because I didn't have time to reload. Complete penetration and good expansion. I used 100 grain Noslers on the black bears.
I have lots of rifles that are worth far more than this Savage; classic, modern, and custom but this old girl has never let me down. It wears an old Tasco world class that I bought when I was 17 (I'm 40 now) and I feed it old factory ammunition. It doesn't shoot bug hole groups or offer the trajectory of a laser. Many would consider it marginal. Heck, I even think that older 99's in .300 are better rigs but this thing just keeps working!! I'm just going to have to stop arguing with success and go clean the blood off of it, again!
Thanks for the great rifle Ted!
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