Shooting day -- 250 Savage (kinda' pic heavy)

[earlmck]

Nice day in sunny Central Oregon today. Mid 70's and a cooling breeze to keep the 'skeeters down. So I headed for my favorite gravel pit with a batch of rifles, the main one being the Model 99A in 250 Savage I just got from Mark out in Georgia (aka redlevel42). This one is a '73 model which has a 10" twist. I also had along my '37 model which has the 14" twist. So just for grins I shot some 120 grain Speers out of both rifles. Here's what I got when I did that little exercise:

120Speer14inch7394.jpg

120Speer10inch7396.jpg

As you can see the new rifle didn't particularly like this load -- about a 3.5" group. But the old rifle didn't shoot it at all -- a 10" scatter with one of the holes very oblong and another somewhat oblong. Those long bullets were yawing out of the 14" twist. Inside the 120 grain scatter is a 100 grain load that the new rifle didn't like real well either, about a 3" group with it. One of the 100 grain loads it shot fairly well -- about a 2" group:

100Rem10inch7397.jpg

But it looks like the easiest to get accuracy with would be the 90 grain Sierra with this 1 1/8" group:

90Sierra10inch7403.jpg

And here is the new rifle:

250Sav99A7399.jpg

And the old rifle:

250Sav997402.jpg

So that's the model 99 report for today. Also had promising shooting results with 35 Remington and the Lyman 358415 (200 grain roundnose designed for the short-necked 35 Remington cartridge). 20 grains of 4759 gave me a 1.5" group but I didn't take any pictures (just a danged old pump gun, ya' know). But I'm guessing the load will work well in the levers, too. That'll be another range report one of these fine days.

[Borregos]

Very interesting report, thanks

[Pitchy]

A fun day in the sandbox, kids at heart.

[M. M. Wright]

Good report earl!
And just what I used to experience with the 14" twist 40 years ago, about 10" groups with the 100 grain bullet I wanted to use but 87 grainers would print under my thumbnail. Actually I found that whitetails couldn't tell the difference as they seemed to die very quickly when hit with the 87 grain bullet.

[redlevel42]

earl, you're giving me a bad case of seller's remorse here.

Actually, I'm glad to see the Savage in the hands of someone who will use it and appreciate it.
I don't guess I ever "shot groups" with it. It was strictly a hunting rifle. I never loaded for rifles, only for .38/.357 and .45 Colt, so I used factory 100 grain ammo. I sighted in at the beginning of deer season each year, and when I got three consecutive shots inside four or so inches, I was ready. We were sighting in over a pickup hood and a folded jacket. We didn't know where a bench or range was. We stepped off 100 yards in the pasture, drew a 1" bull on a paper plate, and let fly. It worked pretty well, because I usually took three or four deer per year when I was hunting regularly.

I mostly used 100 grain Silvertips in the old Savage. They seemed to sight in good, and performed well on our 150 lb whitetails.

I hope you can get a load to do what you want it to. What can you reasonably expect, as far as groups are concerned?
I hope somebody takes a deer with it, because that is what it was made for.
Thanks for keeping us posted.

Mark

[86er]

Looks like you're well under way. Oh, and them there ole' Rem pump guns will hang with ya. Mine will do MOA and it is a 1939 model.

[Sixgun]

Earl,
As expected ---on the 120 Speers. They just barely stabilize in my 257 Rbts. at 2800. Every ten shots or so, I'll get one thats a foot away. It eats those 100 Sierra SFB nicely though.

Lots of fun with those '99's. Even a so-so one will outshoot most Winchesters---and I'm a Winchester man. -----------Sixgun

[earlmck]

All these 250 loads were on the light side in deference to a rifle that was new to me (2600 fps at the top end). Next time out I'll try a series of loads that are more around the factory 100 grain velocity range (2800fps or so). Interesting that the only load that I shot in both rifles chronographed virtually identical velocities (120 grain Speer, 36 grains H4831SC, 2365 fps) even though the old rifle has a 22" barrel and the new one a 20" barrel.

To simplify life I should use the 90 grain Sierra that shoots well in both rifles, but I have a lot of those 100 grain Remington bullets that seem like they will be good in the new rifle (I think any of the 100 grain loads tried yesterday would kill a deer to 200 yards just fine) but I like to play around so I'll be doing more shooting before settling on the hunting load. If I were going to chase the elk with this rifle I'd do more with those 120 grain Speers. I'm sure I'd find a load that shot much better: that was just a first guess with a light load.

[getitdone1]

Nice report. I had one of those 99A's and may buy another.

Can't think of a cartridge that'll do more for it's size than the 250 Savage.

Don