303 Savage load progress

[mjcmichigan]

What a fun exercise in family heritage. Matt, a co worker, received his wife's great grandfathers 303 Savage model 99. Based on serial number, made in 1928, a fine rarely cleaned lever action savage. Most 303's use a 308 cal bullet. Some barrels were made by a second source at 310...I got lucky. Matts was 308.
They had some Winchester silver tips at 190gn, running 1850 at thee muzzle.

He's now sporting 160FTX made for 3030 (2600fps-1800fps.
Load data is hard to find, as is brass and dies!

Are launching the 160's at 2150fps for. Now with 33gn of Leverevolution. No pressure signs. We think we can take it to 2400fps. It's ready for Michigan youth hunt in a couple weeks.

I can see why CL loves his Savage. A nice fun to shoot gun!

Will update with pictures if we get a kill!

Groups are under 1" at 50 yards


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Nimrod84]

Way to go and good luck on the 16th and 17th!

 

[PJGunner]

Load data is easy. Just use data for the 30-30. Doubt you'll even find 190 gr. Silvertips as a component for reloading as AFAIK Winchester never made them available to the public. FWIW, Remington loaded the .303 Sav. with 180 gr. bullets. Not sure if you had dies or not so sent you a PM on the set I no longer need.
Paul B.

 

[SJB358]

I have one box of original Remington 303 and Winchester 303. Now I just need to find a rifle :lol:

 

[cloverleaf]

My 250 savage is actually a rebarreled Mauser, but I watch for those 99's, as they are a fine sweet handling rifle. The price tags for one in 250-3000 are usually pretty steep. I have actually shot one in 303. Grandpa borrowed one (newer than yours) for deer in 308. Like those old "obsolete" rounds. They tend to drop stuff with boring regularity. 160 gr 303 should be a hammer. Sounds like a fun project. CL

 

[Clarkma]

In 2001 I got a 1907 Sav 99 in 303 Sav with a box of shells for $78.
The bore is rough and the guy wanted to sell that off his gunshow table, take his kids and go home.

I was too cheap to use the 303 ammo, so I put in 30-30 brass with the bullet backwards.
As you would expect, accuracy was terrible.

Before I die, I would like to put a 25-35 barrel on it. I have the reamer, the dies, the brass, the bullets, the barrel blank, and the know how to drill and tap a 99 for scope bases.