250 Savage

[Cariboo]

Yesterday afternoon I took my 3rd deer using the Ruger 77 RSI chambered for 250 Savage I bought a couple of years ago.

To say I have been impressed with this little cartridge would be an understatement. The short - 18" - RSI barrel spits out the 110 grain AccuBond at a modest 2550 fps. Ranges have been from as close as 80 yards to just under 200 and all shots were standing broadsides that took out the bottom of the lungs and top of the heart.

None of the deer went more than 50 feet after the shot and all were stone dead by the time I walked up to them. Over the years I have shot a few deer using a .243 and seen a couple taken with a 6mm Remington. None of them went down as quickly as the what I have seen with using the .250. While I realize 3 animals is a statistically small sample I have started to question why the 250-3000 was abandoned by most firearms manufactures in favour of the .243.

Last years deer.

 

[Oldtrader3]

Good question? When I lived in California, back in the 1970-80's, I had a custom Model 70 (Prewar) that was chambered in .250-3000. I killed several blacktail and mule deer with the rifle in both California and in Wyoming. I used 100 grain Partitions loaded to about 2900 fps. I never had to shoot a deer twice with that rifle and I killed deer to over 250 yards with it in Wyoming. I sold the rifle when I bought a .257 Roberts.

 

[SJB358]

Very nice rifle and what an awesome handling package. Great shooting, it is one of the classics I would love to own someday.

 

[DrMike]

The 250-3000 Savage is a great round that was superseded by the more aggressive advertising from Winchester for their 243. Anyone who owns a 250 Savage is well equipped to hunt deer anywhere in NA. Consequently, that is quite a handsome rifle.

 

[gerry]

That is a very nice gun did you get it from Prophet River? He's the only one I know of who brings in Limited edition Ruger's. I bet that it didn't destroy much meat either on those 3 deer you have taken.

 

[Cariboo]

Yes Gerry. That is one of the "Lipsey's Special" runs that Clay at PR brought in. He had another run imported a while ago of the same rifle in 7x57. I damn near had a pair of "twins" but decided at the last second that I really didn't need it. (If however Lipsey's ever commissions the same rifle in 300 Savage I don't think I would have the willpower to resist! :wink: )

The 110 AccuBond is a fairly "soft" bullet in that it generally expands quickly, even at modest impact velocities, and generally leaves a 1 1/2" diameter entry and exit holes through the ribs.

 

[FOTIS]

The 250 is a little "cuttie" for sure.

 

[gerry]

I know what you mean it can be scary to look at his inventory, so far I have escaped buying a Ruger No.1 in 6.5x55, 35 Whelen or 300 H&H. My stainless left hand 375 Ruger came from him. A 300 Savage would be cool in the same stainless RSI and enough different than the 250 Savage to justify it. Probably send out a 150-165 gr bullet at around 2600 fps pretty easy. Was thinking your 110 gr 250 Savage load might qualify for the perfect Queen Charlottes gun for blacktails over there and great for all deer hunting.

 

[cloverleaf]

I still tear up when I tell the story of how I chose a box of diapers over a down payment on a Ruger RSI with a K-4 in 250-3000 Savage. For $200.00!!!!! Pretty rifle. The @%) I have now is a FN Mauser comercial long action. It gives me fits on occasion but occasionally it shoots those little cloveleafs I like so much.

The 250 was a victim of its own marketing hype and the lack of a bullet in the 20's and 30's that could handle the velocity and penetrate the way they do today. People started hunting ELk with the 250. Some times it worked, somtimes not so much. Had Savage stuck with a 100 grain as Newton suggested, or perhaps loaded a 110 AB or a 90 Gr "X" had they been available the 243 would not have run away with the market as it did. IMHO Look at the balistics for the 250-3000 Ackley improved and you will leave your other rifles home. What load do you use for the 110 AB? CL

 

[SJB358]

I know what you mean it can be scary to look at his inventory, so far I have escaped buying a Ruger No.1 in 6.5x55, 35 Whelen or 300 H&H. My stainless left hand 375 Ruger came from him. A 300 Savage would be cool in the same stainless RSI and enough different than the 250 Savage to justify it. Probably send out a 150-165 gr bullet at around 2600 fps pretty easy. Was thinking your 110 gr 250 Savage load might qualify for the perfect Queen Charlottes gun for blacktails over there and great for all deer hunting.

I would LOVE to have a 300 Savage in an RSI.. Talk about a bolt rifle made for the deer woods!

 

[Oldtrader3]

Actually in a strong gun, you can load up within a hair of .308 velocities in the .300 Savage. Years ago, I had a Rem 721 in .300 Savage in which I loaded 165 Partitions up to about 2600 fps using IMR 4064 and CCI 200's. This is about 70 fps within what a .308 will do with the same powder and primer. If you measure case capacity to the bottom of the neck, there is only about 2 grains of H2O difference between .300 Sav and .308 Win. The neck is longer on the .308 which gives more capacity but you get the idea. Actually when the Army designed the T-54 (7.62 Nato), they used the .300 Savage case as a model capacity case.

I am sure that loading Varget would give similar results in a .300 Savage, RSI.