.250 savage bullets explained

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mbogo3

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In the Aug 2015 issue of Handloader there is an in depth article on rifling twist and what velocities are required to stabilize said bullet weights.Quite an eye opener.In regards to the older 1-14" twist anyone wishing to use 100 gr deer bullets will need to drive them at unobtainable speeds to get them to print nose first.The .250-3000 twist/velocity calculations for a 100gr Swift Scirocco ,bullet length 1.120" were 4600 fps by digital and 6000fps with the Berger program! This is for the 1-14" barrels.Even the 90gr Sierra bullet length .896" required 2,950fps and 6,000 respectively! I was able to get pulled old 100gr Dominion RN into 1" groups from an old Savage 99 I once owned but velocity was 2500 + Whether these were tipping past 100 yards ,I cannot say,but I did shoot several deer with them.Too bad Nosler wouldn't make an 80gr Partiton in .257 like the vast selection available for the .243 crowd.None of this affects me now as I use a 1-10" Rem 700 Classic in .250 Savage.The .257 deer bullets available today with the shortest ogive are the Speer 87 gr + 100 gr .Perhaps some of the light weight Barnes X bullets would work,I haven't tried them.............thoughts? Harold
 
What was the rate of twist on the old 99 Savages known as, 250/3000? The 3000 meant the 87 grain bullet was supposed to be going 3000 fps. In the old meat hunting days they were usually used with 100 grain bullets.
If your bullets are stabalized at 100 yards, they will be stable at any longer range, as the rate of spin is reduced only a little at longer ranges.
Bruce
 
The early 99's were 1-14 but a gunsmith here in Central AB has told me they could be anywhere from 1-11 to 1-14. Newton wanted a 1-10 but Savage insisted on the 87gr to meet the velocity claims of 3000 fps. Most never even reached that.Newton died just months before the 100gr load was offered commercially.The Savage model 20 BA was the 1-14 twist as well.The last of the levers 99A with the aluminum spool was made with a 1-10 but was soon discontinued ...had they started with the 1-10 the .243/6mm may have had stiffer competition..woulda coulda shoulda I guess the rest is history..Harold
 
Bruce, as Harold stated in his first post, the original 250-3000 had (was supposed to have) a 1:14" twist.

Later offerings like my 99A (tang safety edition) has a 1:10" barrel and has no trouble with 100gr bullets

edit: 2finger typer
 
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I know what they had ,but not all were as stated the smith has seen them all over the map from 1-11 to 1-14 before the 1-10 was anything but a custom job......maybe rifled on a off day........Harold
 
I have used the 87 gr. Speer bullet to good effect in the old 1:14" Savage 99's. Newer ones shoot well with most 100 gr. bullets and even with the 117gr. Hornady RN, which is my favourite. It is a very effective bullet for this cartridge in 1-10" twist rifles.
 
I shot quite a few deer with the 87gr Hornady and Speer and they all died just fine ,but broadside shots only avoiding raking or direct shoulder hits.The 100 gr KKSP Dominion were a RN profile and were nice in the bush on big WT's and mulies.The 87gr all shot well under 3/4" at 100 yards off the bench using IMR 4895 or IMR 3031 Harold
 
harold the chamber in your 700 in 250 is it cut to the standard length, my savage model 14 is a standard Sammi cut which kind of surprises me as it would be nice to move longer bullets out of the brass, but no can do in my rifle. I should get a smith to add some length to my chamber. FS
 
In my 700 I load a stiff dose of Win 760 ........do not try this load in a Savage 99 or anything else without starting back at book min charge. 41gr/Win 760/Fed mag primer /Win brass[either resized 22-250 or 250 when available] /100gr Sierra SP This is a couple grains over max in some books but makes one hole and is fine in my gun. Not chronied but I suspect around 3000fps..........a solid 300 yard deer round. Harold
 
mbogo3 said:
In my 700 I load a stiff dose of Win 760 ........do not try this load in a Savage 99 or anything else without starting back at book min charge. 41gr/Win 760/Fed mag primer /Win brass[either resized 22-250 or 250 when available] /100gr Sierra SP This is a couple grains over max in some books but makes one hole and is fine in my gun. Not chronied but I suspect around 3000fps..........a solid 300 yard deer round. Harold
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Thanks Harold, I'll be careful, my rifle is a newer model 14 American
 
This is all very interesting. I was thinking about picking up a savage 99 is this caliber, and never knew about or even considered what the available twist rates might be. I kinda figured they would just shoot whatever the other 257cals are shooting (100-117 grain sorta thing with lighter options available for varmints) just with a bit less speed. Clearly that is not always the case. Thanks guys.
 
mbogo3 said:
The early 99's were 1-14 but a gunsmith here in Central AB has told me they could be anywhere from 1-11 to 1-14. Newton wanted a 1-10 but Savage insisted on the 87gr to meet the velocity claims of 3000 fps. Most never even reached that.Newton died just months before the 100gr load was offered commercially.The Savage model 20 BA was the 1-14 twist as well.The last of the levers 99A with the aluminum spool was made with a 1-10 but was soon discontinued ...had they started with the 1-10 the .243/6mm may have had stiffer competition..woulda coulda shoulda I guess the rest is history..Harold
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My Sav 99 in 250 measures 1-11---My Rem classic 250,of course, handles all pills well---I have loaded the 90 gr Sierra to be tested when hell is not frozen over.---Lovely calibre !---Bent Barrel
 
I shoot a 250 savage with a 1in 14 twist and 100 grain speer bt sp with IMR 4064 , the bullets shoot great. They are also the shortest 100 grain bullet on the market.
 
Bent Barrel said:
My Sav 99 in 250 measures 1-11---My Rem classic 250,of course, handles all pills well---I have loaded the 90 gr Sierra to be tested when hell is not frozen over.---Lovely calibre !---Bent Barrel
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Joel's son Jarrett shot a mule doe with this bullet Mr. Bent and the lungs were destroyed, Devestation was his caption in the pic he sent to me..FS
 
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