More on the 250 Savage

[snake284]

I was looking back in the archieves and ran across an old thread on the .250 Savage. I think some people get a little over eager with reloading. This person wanted to get 3000 FPS out of a 117 grain bullet in a .250 Savage. You have to be careful with your expectations.

I load my custom .250 Savage with 117 grain either Sierra GKs or Hornady Interlock BTSPs with 40 grains of IMR 4831 and get 2800 FPS. This is a custom made rifle on a Howa 1500 Action and 25.5 Inch Krieger Heavy Sporter Contour barrel with 1-9 twist rate. Also, my gun smith throated it out a tad farther in anticipation of shooting longer loads. The Mag well is plenty long for my 2.69 inch loads. This all no doubt contributes to getting away with a hotter load without any pressure issues. But I personally think without some major breakthrough in powder technology it is merely a dream to think you can get 3000 FPS with any bullet heavier than 100 grains, although I did see a couple of loads listed for 110 grain bullets that surpassed it. But I would be very cautious and personally I would hold the line to about 3000 and no higher.
I'm interested in the new RL 17, but haven't tried it yet. However, here's the bright side. 2800 FPS is fantastic. That's a heavy for caliber bullet in a .250 and it has a relatively high BC. It will kill deer and hogs way out to 300-400 yards with well placed shots. This is all I would ever ask of a cartridge. And to think it is almost 100 years old and doing this good? That tells me that the .250 Savage was way before its time.

Also, a 250 Savage is just an excellent deer-varmint cartridge and I have even heard of some people taking elk with it, although I would be cautious there.

No recoil to speak of is its biggest attribute in my opinion. Just be reasonably satisfied with what you can get out of it safely because it beats the heck out of many cartridges much newer.

"ALL HAIL the .250 SAVAGE", a true wonderment of the cartridge world!

 

[NeuseRvrRat]

anything it does that the other quarterbores won't do?

(besides being the parent to one of my favorites, the .22-250)

 

[Zeke/PA]

My first center fire rifle was a Belgian made FN in .250-3000 and the rifle has served me well over the years.
I loaded 75 grain Sierra's for Pa.chucks years ago and 100 grain Remington Core-Lokts for deer.
I still have the rifle of course and every now and then I'll take it for a woods jaunt for old times sake.
Killed a few deer and several chucks when it was the ONLY rifle that I owned.

 

[Hanshi]

The .250/3000 is my all time favorite cartridge for deer. I own two and have been hunting with it since 1976. When I bought my first one I did research and read up on the little cartridge. A 100grn bullet at 2800fps rang true to me. It's as mild as mild can be but kills deer DRT! I worked up loads based on accuracy and came up with three pretty quick. The 87grn bullet at around 3000fps and two 100grn loads at 2700fps and 2800fps. These last two loads killed a dump truck load of deer, many dropped in their footie prints. I used a variety of bullets (some no longer available) and all were accurate. My Ruger M77 (old) shoots sub moa 5 shot groups and has been doing this regularly for over 36 years. My Savage M99A comes close to being a true moa rifle with it's load, too.

I've never tried anything heavier than 100grns on deer but easily got 2700 to 2800fps at the range. In my mind - yes, it is still magic with 117grn - the 100grn bullet is where it's at. I'll save the heavier projectiles for my .257.

The .250 operates at that special place where mildness, killing power and accuracy comes together. No other cartridge does more with less. I love the .243 and have used it extensively but IMHO it's not quite as good as the .250 and never will be.

Though I no longer hunt with cartridge rifles, my two .250s are with me forever. For several years I've hunted exclusively with flintlocks. I still give them range time on occasion just out of respect. You're correct about the goodness of the .250/3000; long may it live!

Amen, ALL HAIL THE .250/3000.

 

[Abel]

I'd love to have a custom left handed bolt action in 250-3000!

 

[natman]

anything it does that the other quarterbores won't do?

Fit in a short action.

 

[eastbank]

i,m not a big .25 lover,but a good friend built a light sporter on a yugo 48 mauser action in 257 roberts and i have croneyed a 100gr bullet at a little over 3000fps and it has dropped several deer stone dead. so i think a 250 savage with the same bullet at 2800fps would do the same thing. eastbank.

 

[T.R.]

The 250-3000 was a big hit in it's time. Soft recoil with consistant downr range results on deer sized animals. But better marketing by Winchester put their .243 in the spotlight and it's been a TOP seller ever since. Unfair but true.

TR

 

[Zeke/PA]

I just checked my records.
With the .250 Savage I have killed AT least 500 Jackrabbits,an equal amount of Prarie Dogs,10 Coyotes, 20 Foxes,6 Whitetails 2 antelope,and a timberline Mulie buck that spread 28 inches, A Maryland "beanfield" buck at 250 plus yards and God only knows how many woodchucks.
The rifle has been retired for sometime however but it is scoped and ready to go.

 

[NeuseRvrRat]

257 Roberts and 25 WSSM can be had on a short action.

 

[natman]

257 Roberts and 25 WSSM can be had on a short action.

You can squeeze a 257 into a short action, but there are usually problems with longer bullets having to be loaded deep into the case. Depends on how short the short action is. Most are made on a long action.

The 25 WSSM will fit into a really short action, but alas, it's as dead as the dodo. Get your brass while you still can.

 

[Lloyd Smale]

Ive got two a winchester light weight with a 1-14 twist that really will only do well with 87 grain bullets. My wife and son have killed may a deer with 87 grain sierras at about 2800 fps out of it. My 250 is a ruger international. For closer up hunting we usualy get around here i load 117 sieras or 115 bts up to about 2600 fps and it kills like the hammer of thor.