250-3000 savage loading

[RJBlackwall Gun Makers]

Hi all,

I am looking for any feedback back from any one who has a 250-3000 savage and has loaded copper ammo for one.

Many thanks again

 

[Mr. Gain]

I'm sorry that I can't help with that, but it would be great to know about your rifle, as a vintage piece. I bought a nice 1919-made 1899F .22 High Power (.228" / 1:12) from a member on here (Drone) last year. I've had some success with Hornady #2280 70-grain soft points so far, and thanks to a good friend, my first batch of cast bullets for it is ready to load. I'm also looking forward to getting some Fox copper bullets (Edinburgh Rifles) soon. I hope there will be enough twist in the 1899's barrel for them. I suspect successfully reloading for the .250 Savage may be an easier proposition. Is yours 1:14 or 1:10?

 

[RJBlackwall Gun Makers]

Thank you for your response, I currently don’t have a rifle in this caliber, but considering in building a rifle in one.

Yes 1:14 twist seems to be the one for longer bullets. It’s a cartridge ahead of it time. It very effective and efficient, it’s funny how it never stayed around. It’s a propper traditional light deer round.

I'm sorry that I can't help with that, but it would be great to know about your rifle, as a vintage piece. I bought a nice 1919-made 1899F .22 High Power (.228" / 1:12) from a member on here (Drone) last year. I've had some success with Hornady #2280 70-grain soft points so far, and thanks to a good friend, my first batch of cast bullets for it is ready to load. I'm also looking forward to getting some Fox copper bullets (Edinburgh Rifles) soon. I hope there will be enough twist in the 1899's barrel for them. I suspect successfully reloading for the .250 Savage may be an easier proposition. Is yours 1:14 or 1:10?

 

[Smellydog]

Thank you for your response, I currently don’t have a rifle in this caliber, but considering in building a rifle in one.

Yes 1:14 twist seems to be the one for longer bullets. It’s a cartridge ahead of it time. It very effective and efficient, it’s funny how it never stayed around. It’s a propper traditional light deer round.

Indeed a very under rated cartridge

 

[Mr. Gain]

That sounds like a nice project. I think a rifle build is the way to go.

The COAL limitations of the rotary magazine, slow twist rates, shortish barrels, and pressure limitations of Savage's model 1899/99 lever actions make it hard to achieve a copper load that is legal for all UK deer.

However, with carte blanche as regards the action, barrel and leade, you could probably make something genuinely effective whilst retaining a classic identity.

The downside is that it would be a hand-loading-only affair, since factory loads for the .250-3000 Savage are no longer available.

A more versatile choice, albeit one with a very different vibe, would be .25 Creedmoor. For something more classic, .257 Roberts is a possibility, but takes you up to a .25-06 length action.

Apologies if I've been going over ground you've already covered here.

 

[25 Sharps]

Thank you for your response, I currently don’t have a rifle in this caliber, but considering in building a rifle in one.

Yes 1:14 twist seems to be the one for longer bullets. It’s a cartridge ahead of it time. It very effective and efficient, it’s funny how it never stayed around. It’s a propper traditional light deer round.

Not the same but I shoot a 25-45 Sharps, which is very much designed to emulate the 250-3000, pushing an 80 gr bullet to 3000 fps. I would suggest a 1:10 and a decent barrel length.

 

[GWP]

Sierra loading manual v5 page 331 has loading data for the 250-3000 if that helps

 

[Mr. Gain]

Not the same but I shoot a 25-45 Sharps, which is very much designed to emulate the 250-3000, pushing an 80 gr bullet to 3000 fps. I would suggest a 1:10 and a decent barrel length.

I'd forgotten the .25-45 Sharps! It's still having to be worked pretty hard to exceed 1,700 FPE, IIRC. Both cartridges probably need a 24" barrel to get there.

 

[25 Sharps]

I'd forgotten the .25-45 Sharps! It's still having to be worked pretty hard to exceed 1,700 FPE, IIRC. Both cartridges probably need a 24" barrel to get there.

Yes, took me over a year and lots of consumables to get there but I have 3 loads that are all deer legal, one 100 gr for old Scottish large deer legal and 80 gr TTSX ready for the ban. Running a 25” 1:10 barrel on a tikka m595, magnum primers are a must so it is running close to the max pressure. It’s also throated long and I load it to 2.460” to make the most of powder space, so the magazine had to be modified to feed.

A right faff! But I love it .



250-3000 with its extra capacity paired with modern powders should be much simpler to get there.

 

[25 Sharps]

Not the same but I shoot a 25-45 Sharps, which is very much designed to emulate the 250-3000, pushing an 80 gr bullet to 3000 fps. I would suggest a 1:10 and a decent barrel length.

Edit. Typo, should be 87 gr bullet.

 

[Mr. Gain]

Yes, took me over a year and lots of consumables to get there but I have 3 loads that are all deer legal, one 100 gr for old Scottish large deer legal and 80 gr TTSX ready for the ban. Running a 25” 1:10 barrel on a tikka m595, magnum primers are a must so it is running close to the max pressure. It’s also throated long and I load it to 2.460” to make the most of powder space, so the magazine had to be modified to feed.

A right faff! But I love it .

View attachment 471259

250-3000 with its extra capacity paired with modern powders should be much simpler to get there.

Now that is a proper reloading journey!

 

[webley701]

That sounds like a nice project. I think a rifle build is the way to go.

The COAL limitations of the rotary magazine, slow twist rates, shortish barrels, and pressure limitations of Savage's model 1899/99 lever actions make it hard to achieve a copper load that is legal for all UK deer.

However, with carte blanche as regards the action, barrel and leade, you could probably make something genuinely effective whilst retaining a classic identity.

The downside is that it would be a hand-loading-only affair, since factory loads for the .250-3000 Savage are no longer available.

A more versatile choice, albeit one with a very different vibe, would be .25 Creedmoor. For something more classic, .257 Roberts is a possibility, but takes you up to a .25-06 length action.

Apologies if I've been going over ground you've already covered here.

Hornady still list the ammunition, not with a copper bullet option though.

 

[Mr. Gain]

Hornady still list the ammunition, not with a copper bullet option though.

Interesting. Perhaps it's one of those loads they only produce intermittently. I see it is quoted as doing 1,741 FPE from a 24" barrel, so probably "underpowered " for deer in anything shorter.

 

[Smellydog]

Interesting. Perhaps it's one of those loads they only produce intermittently. I see it is quoted as doing 1,741 FPE from a 24" barrel, so probably "underpowered " for deer in anything shorter.

I wouldn't worry about it ..

 

[Mr. Gain]

I wouldn't worry about it ..

If you mean that even unlawful cartridge/rifle combinations can kill deer humanely, I don't dispute it. However, I wouldn't knowingly design a rifle around such a combination.

 

[Mountain Bug]

Cartridges still available here but not with copper.



This is from Midway USA. My neighbor had one. Shot deer with it until he passed at 98yo. If only his rifle could talk.


Scott

 

[Smellydog]

If you mean that even unlawful cartridge/rifle combinations can kill deer humanely, I don't dispute it. However, I wouldn't knowingly design a rifle around such a combination.

Has a rifle granted for deer shooting ever been tested and found short resulting to a charge made against the user?

 

[Mr. Gain]

Has a rifle granted for deer shooting ever been tested and found short resulting to a charge made against the user?

Almost certainly not. You may favour flouting an unenforced law. With plenty of legal alternatives available, I don't see the need.

 

[Smellydog]

Almost certainly not. You may favour flouting an unenforced law. With plenty of legal alternatives available, I don't see the need.

I'm not advocating anything but am aware that there is no legal requirement for a rifle owner or user to own a chronograph and that the licensing departments work from an approved list.
There is, unless I'm corrected of course no burden of proof.

 

[Mr. Gain]

I'm not advocating anything but am aware that there is no legal requirement for a rifle owner or user to own a chronograph and that the licensing departments work from an approved list.
There is, unless I'm corrected of course no burden of proof.

I'm not sure what point you're wanting to make, or whether this is really the place to make it. (Apologies to the OP, but this is the SD, after all.)