[Little Bear]

I'm interested in learning more about the 250 Savage. Who has one, do you like it, what make and model do you have, and what sort of big game is it good for, etc.?

 

[Blitzkrieg]

I have a savage 99 and a savage 14 in 250. I love to shoot them both. Very little recoil and very accurate. I havent killed a deer with either yet(been gettin lucky bowhunting) but cant wait until I have the chance. In his great book Shots at Whitetails Larry Koller has pretty high praise for the 250 as a deer gun. With bullets less than 100grs I am sure it is dynamite on coyotes and varmints.

 

[Freytown]

Had a friend that used a Savage 99 and had problems with the heavier .25 cal bullets (key-holed). The twist rate in many doesn't stabilize the longer bullets.

87 - 100 grs in a good designed bullet will do the job on a whitetail.

 

[OHaraTree]

I view at is a "fun" gun. It has enough horsepower to be considered more than just a varmint gun, but is very pleasant to shoot and doesnt act like a cannon. I have shot silhouette several times with one and with a good load, they still carry enough steam to knock the rams over at 500 meters, usually.

If nothing else, they're pretty cool simply because not everyone has one.

 

[220combat]

I just re-barreled a 700 to 300 Savage, the 250's papa. The 250 and 300 savages are light for their caliber, but work fine. You can take deer with the 250, but I wouldn't try anything larger.

 

[gentleben]

had one in a Winchester model 70 carbine. Killed five deer with it until I got in one of my stupid moods and sold the gun. I can't get it back now from him and still kick myself for that move.

 

[Big Ken]

I read "Shots at Whitetails" by Larry Koller when I was a kid and became enamoured by the 250-3000....I have a few Model 99's in this caliber but have never fired any of them, keeping them as collectors.

 

[winchesterbob]

I guess I've owned about every domestic model .250 made....down to a pair of 99Fs and a 700 Classic now....killed a few deer with 100 gr. handloads and all died very quickly....

Older 99s, pre 64 70s and the 1920 Savage bolt action have 1-14 twists which often do not like bullets heavier than 87 grains which will usually not stabilize in that twist.

A pioneer BR shooter & gunsmith from Oil City, Pa, Frank Riddle, counted the .250 as his favorite and killed a bunch of deer and one black bear with the 87 gr. bullet. He also built some dandy ultra-lightweight .250s on 98 Mausers that shot like a house afire....

It's a great little cartridge, IMO....

 

[Blitzkrieg]

Big Ken I have a savage99 in 250 made in 1915/1916 and shoot it. I know it is a collectible but they beg to be taken in the field.

 

[Big Ken]

You're right..I got dies for the 250, just need to load some up and put a scope on the 99F......I'm gonna work on it.

 

[weasel65]

My wife hunts with a700 classic that i bought her about ten years ago. She has killed 4 deer with it. 1 shot and done. It is a sweet caliber to shoot

 

[Cold Bore]

For the most part, I have very little interest in quarterbores, and figure I will probably never own a 25-06 or 257 Roberts.

The 250 Savage, on the other hand? I've always had a fondness for it.

I have a spare M700 short action laying around that I've been trying to figure out what to build on. I was thinking 243 Win, but the 250 Savage keeps popping up in the back of my mind as a possibility...

 

[Jericho]

I have owned 4 rifles in .250-3000, two Savage 110s,
an FN Mauser Supreme, and a Remington 700 Classic.
I killed one deer with one of the Savages, neck shot
at about 60 yards. Frank Riddle sounds familar, has
he passed on?

 

[winchesterbob]

Frank has been gone for quite some time....

He was the fire chief in Oil City and also a very good rifle builder.....his two favorite cartridges for his lightweight rifles were the .250 and the .308 Norma....quite the pair....

 

[Little Bear]

Thanks guys...you're knowledge and experience in this regard sure is invaluable. I think I'm going to look into getting one of these.

 

[winchesterbob]

For anyone getting into loading for the .250, try H414 (Winchester 760 is the same as H414)....I've used it in several .250s and it has performed well in all....milder loads for the 99s-stiffer for the bolt action rifles....start low and work up in .5 grain increments....standard primers and 100 grain Sierra or Hornady flat base spitzers.....Winchester brass....keep the bullet off the lands....

 

[*Moose]

I've owned the extremes in the quarter bore department. The .25-20 and the .257 Weatherby. I might get one of the in betweeners before hunting season gets here.

 

[young]

I grew up next door to the riddles,knew Red & his wife Lura & the boys.years later Red built me a 6.5x 55 w a beautiful french walnut
stock.it would always drive a tack.short barrel like most of his rifles. I have carried this hunting deer turkey for 50 yrs,the rifle looks
and shoots very well.Most of Reds stocks were made by Bill Early.i knew he took all summer just to apply the 21 coats of legue finnish.

 

[superd]

A few years ago I rebarreled a Savage 10 to 250. It shot well but in a stupid moment sold it to fund another project.

 

[triggercreep]

The 99's are twisted 1-14" which automatically rules out all the good .25 cal. bullets so it doesn't interest me much. With 87-100 grain bulets it gives you nothing over a .243.