.300Sav or .303Brit Which is better

6.5x55swm

6.5x55swm

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I have both rifles, Had a .303 since I started hunting big game but I just traded a rifle for a Sav99 in the .300Sav, my reloading manuals show almost the same fps for both. I shoot lefthanded and the 99 feels great. I think I'll use the .303 for moose and the .300 for deer and bear. I would just like to know which caliber is better. Thanks
Danny
 
It sounds like a crap shoot to me. Do up some loads and see which one you like more in the different positions you'd shoot from. Inside 250 yards I doubt you or the animal will any difference. For the bullets available, the .308 cal will be a better selection but the old Brit has slain a pile of game.
FWIW

Noel
 
Both have been used successfully for about 100 years on all the game you just mentioned.

I know an old retired guide in the Chilcotin who swore he'd seen the 300 Savage used effectively on many many moose in his career. In fact, he said he'd seen more moose killed with the 300 savage than anything else.

And you can be sure the 303 British has been used on everything people have pointed guns at from Vancouver Island to Newfoundland and from the U.S. border to the North Pole too.
 
"...which caliber is better..." Neither. However, finding .303 ammo will be much easier in small places. Your .300 Savage with 180 grain bullets will do just as nicely for moose as your .303 too.
 
With ammunition loaded to it's full potential and in a properly chambered and barrelled gun, the .303 has about a 150 fps advantage (180 gr) over the .300. This gets the velocity closer to the (for me) magic number of 2500 fps.

However, most .303 ammo is underloaded, and milsurp guns tend to have loose chambers and oversized barrels, so when factory ammo is graphed, the two cartridges are virtually identical.

I would confidently use guns chambered for either cartridge for hunting anything we can legally take in Ontario. I certainly wouldn't want to be down range from anyone shooting a gun chambered in either of these cartridges.

The big advantage of the .300 is that it can be easily found in such rifles as the Savage 99, Remington 81 and Remington 760, whereas sporters built in .303 are relatively rare - the Winchester 1895 being the most interesting of the lot.
 
As you are a south paw, I would think the issue decided by the fact that the 99 is almost ambidextrous (ejection is to the right which can be disturbing for a left hander).

Bullet placement far outweighs horsepower. Load up all of your Savage brass with your choice of bullets, then practice until it feels real good and the bullets go where directed.

Moose steak on the barbeque!
 
thanks guys
I'm a lefthand shot and the 99 just feels right. I've shot a ONE inch group at 100yds with 180gr Federal factory ammo. The best I can do with the .303 is 2 inches, I think I'll sell the .303, I don't think it will get used much I like the 99 too much
 
6.5x55swm said:
thanks guys
I'm a lefthand shot and the 99 just feels right. I've shot a ONE inch group at 100yds with 180gr Federal factory ammo. The best I can do with the .303 is 2 inches, I think I'll sell the .303, I don't think it will get used much I like the 99 too much
Click to expand...

You are a wise man 6.5 and MadDog will be so proud of you!:D
Let us know how it works out, it's nice to hear a 99 will be going afield this year.;)

Noel
 
I have both chamberings, but my 300 Savage is in a Bolt gun, the M700 "Classic" The 303 is a Winchester built P14, with a pretty decent bore and not too sloppy chamber. The 303 will make 2550 with a 180, the bolt action Savage 2520. If anything you shoot at can tell a 30 fps difference, I will eat my shorts without salt!! In your M99 though, you will probably not be able to make quite as much velocity as the M700 will, but the difference is still not a lot. Use what you think feels the best for you. FWIW, the 300 Savage, like the 308 Winchester, tends to be a very accurate chambering, so that may influence your decision as well. Regards, Eagleye.
 
theres not any noticable differnce on the recieving end of each calibre at least no animal i have ever shot has told me otherwise i think it all boils down to what is comfortable shooting for you and what you are more accurate with
 
Hey oldbadger

I think oldbadger just invoked the wrath of BR and all the other velocity freaks with the statement..."bullet placement far outweighs horsepower" :eek:
I'm surprised the throttling has not already begun.......;)
 
If I had the money my buddy has a 99 in the 358win but he would never sell it, know any who does have that there willing to part with?
 
I have two .303 sportsterized guns and a savage 99 in .300 savage.

The cartridges are nearly identicle in terms of factory loaded performance but I can tell you that the .303's haven't left the house since I have had the savage. Of the factory rifles that these cartridges can be found in those chambered for the .300 savage are far superior in terms of a modern hunting rifle. I dread the day that the factories stop loading for it! It's a great little cartridge that still is one of if not the best cartridge in terms of felt recoil to energy down range. It's got enough pop to bring home any bacon short of brown bears at reasonable ranges while not bruising the shooter.

Welcome to the 99 club enjoy your rifle and use it often!
 
I killed my first big game (a moose) with a borrowed Sav. 99 in .300 sav. Then for many years I used a number of different guns in different cartridges. I am recently back to a Sav. 99 in .300 and like the rifle and the cartridge. I reloaded some 165 grian bullets and will stick with them for everything. (I had been using 180 for moose and 150 for deer, Fed. factory and both shooting around 1in. groups.)

If the .303 came in a lever action I may have one.

Robin down under
 
Quote "If the 303 came in a lever action I might have one." 303 Brit is one of the more common chamberings in the 1895 Winchester lever, at least based on the ones I've seen for sale.

I would take the 303 over the Savage personally, but I think the advantages of the lever action over a right hand bolt would make the 99 Savage the better choice for a left handed shooter
 
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