Some Savage 99 work.

Borrowed some H4350 off a buddy, just enough to load up a few cases to see if it works for my 250 Savage. He has plenty of it but also uses IMR 4350 so we're gonna trade a lb for lb. Hodgdon shows a good bit more speed in this cartridge and bullet weight with H versus IMR.

Got a chance last evening to test it out. Worked pretty well but unfortunately it was towards dusk and the chrono wouldn't pick up any speeds. According to Hodgdon's data and subtracting for a 20" barrel, it should be right at 2800 or a little more, with the Speer 100 gr HC. Be about the right speed for that bullet if so. Will have to check again later.

Had 3 at the top loaded with 40 gr which is 1/2 gr below max. Not sure why the big jump up from 39.5 to 40 gr's. Must be a pressure and speed jump, but primers, cases, ejection was fine.

Measures 1 1/8". Scope is a 1.5-4.5 Bushnell. Trigger on this rifle is guessing 4.5-5 lb. In a lever gun I'll take it if it repeats.

The load is very promising. What a fine rifle for deer and other thin skinned game. Excellent post.

That's MOD right there! (minute of deer)

Still, to this day, 25 yrs later I still kick myself in the back side for not buying a Ruger International 250 Savage I found in a pawn shop that was priced at $250. But, the wife (now Ex) would have gone off like a ballistic warhead.....

That awesome and with a low powered scope. For hunting that will do.

That load will take any deer you use it on. Hope you get to try it out this fall. Dan.

Thanks all. Might get a chance to test it again tomorrow, not sure. Wife and I are doing probably the last of the canning out of the garden tomorrow, and if I get time I'll retest it.

By the way, in case anyone is wondering that's not familiar with the 99's, that white looking spot toward the front of the receiver is not a mar or a rub on the bluing but is the cartridge counter. Kind of a gimmicky feature I guess but in time became looked at fondly as one of the neat things about these old Savages, along with the internal rotary magazine, etc.

Yeah, I always thought the cartridge counter was a rather neat feature. Am I giving away too much when I mention that I remember the brass counters?

Great info ST. I’m about to do a little load work with my 250 Savage. Haven’t picked a bullet yet though.

Gunner46":4mmw8nc8 said:

That's MOD right there! (minute of deer)

Still, to this day, 25 yrs later I still kick myself in the back side for not buying a Ruger International 250 Savage I found in a pawn shop that was priced at $250. But, the wife (now Ex) would have gone off like a ballistic warhead.....

Click to expand...

I had the same rifle in my hands about the same time. I had $25 in my pocket at the time and needed to buy Diapers, which I did. I moped atround the house for two days before the wife said, "go get the D@m thing!" Of course, it was gone.... The $200 I talked the guy down to included a k-4 Weaver / a 2min target dot. One of the dumbest things I ever "didnt do".
Shade's got him a nice rifle there, but it needs a vintage K-4 from vintage gun scopes, or an older 2-7 Luey. CL

cloverleaf":d26tj245 said:

Gunner46":d26tj245 said:

That's MOD right there! (minute of deer)

Still, to this day, 25 yrs later I still kick myself in the back side for not buying a Ruger International 250 Savage I found in a pawn shop that was priced at $250. But, the wife (now Ex) would have gone off like a ballistic warhead.....

Click to expand...

I had the same rifle in my hands about the same time. I had $25 in my pocket at the time and needed to buy Diapers, which I did. I moped atround the house for two days before the wife said, "go get the D@m thing!" Of course, it was gone.... The $200 I talked the guy down to included a k-4 Weaver / a 2min target dot. One of the dumbest things I ever "didnt do".
Shade's got him a nice rifle there, but it needs a vintage K-4 from vintage gun scopes, or an older 2-7 Luey. CL

Click to expand...

Yep, would fit it better no doubt. I'll get around to it someday. Reason being I'm not real keen on the 1.5-5 scope that I have on my Rem 760. Crosshairs are too fine for my tastes. If I run across a nice fit for this rifle, I'm gonna put this scope, which I like much better, on my Rem 760.

Due to having such good success with H380 in the .22-250, Dad and I tried it with 87 grain Sierras in his .250-3000. Unlike yours his has the older 1-14” twist and wont shoot anything heavier than the 87s, but if you have any H380 laying around you might want to give it a try.

Looks like this load with the 4350 is going to turn out just fine.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Due to having such good success with H380 in the .22-250, Dad and I tried it with 87 grain Sierras in his .250-3000. Unlike yours his has the older 1-14” twist and wont shoot anything heavier than the 87s, but if you have any H380 laying around you might want to give it a try.

Looks like this load with the 4350 is going to turn out just fine.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Due to having such good success with H380 in the .22-250, Dad and I tried it with 87 grain Sierras in his .250-3000. Unlike yours his has the older 1-14” twist and wont shoot anything heavier than the 87s, but if you have any H380 laying around you might want to give it a try.

Looks like this load with the 4350 is going to turn out just fine.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Due to having such good success with H380 in the .22-250, Dad and I tried it with 87 grain Sierras in his .250-3000. Unlike yours his has the older 1-14” twist and wont shoot anything heavier than the 87s, but if you have any H380 laying around you might want to give it a try.

Looks like this load with the 4350 is going to turn out just fine.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

ShadeTree said:

Borrowed some H4350 off a buddy, just enough to load up a few cases to see if it works for my 250 Savage. He has plenty of it but also uses IMR 4350 so we're gonna trade a lb for lb. Hodgdon shows a good bit more speed in this cartridge and bullet weight with H versus IMR.

Got a chance last evening to test it out. Worked pretty well but unfortunately it was towards dusk and the chrono wouldn't pick up any speeds. According to Hodgdon's data and subtracting for a 20" barrel, it should be right at 2800 or a little more, with the Speer 100 gr HC. Be about the right speed for that bullet if so. Will have to check again later.

Had 3 at the top loaded with 40 gr which is 1/2 gr below max. Not sure why the big jump up from 39.5 to 40 gr's. Must be a pressure and speed jump, but primers, cases, ejection was fine.

Measures 1 1/8". Scope is a 1.5-4.5 Bushnell. Trigger on this rifle is guessing 4.5-5 lb. In a lever gun I'll take it if it repeats.

Click to expand...

Hey Shade- I've been going back through some stuff and looking at my loads. How'd you manage to get 39.5 Gr of 4350 in that load let alone 40? Speers current Data on line shows 37.5 Grains as a compressed max load for that bullet. I get over pressure signs at 38 Grains some times with a 100 Gr BT. I am currently using two scales to verify charge weights just to tray and avoid stiff bolt lift, beat up cases and cratered primers. I ask because according to Quick load I've also been running my IMR 40604 load three grains over max (in the "dangerous" range for years. You didnt get any pressure signs with your load? I am confused. Do powders change that much over the years and pound to pound? BTW That is a beautiful rifle. That and your load and riflery skills make me officially jealous. Thanks for the thoughts. CL

ShadeTree said:

Borrowed some H4350 off a buddy, just enough to load up a few cases to see if it works for my 250 Savage. He has plenty of it but also uses IMR 4350 so we're gonna trade a lb for lb. Hodgdon shows a good bit more speed in this cartridge and bullet weight with H versus IMR.

Got a chance last evening to test it out. Worked pretty well but unfortunately it was towards dusk and the chrono wouldn't pick up any speeds. According to Hodgdon's data and subtracting for a 20" barrel, it should be right at 2800 or a little more, with the Speer 100 gr HC. Be about the right speed for that bullet if so. Will have to check again later.

Had 3 at the top loaded with 40 gr which is 1/2 gr below max. Not sure why the big jump up from 39.5 to 40 gr's. Must be a pressure and speed jump, but primers, cases, ejection was fine.

Measures 1 1/8". Scope is a 1.5-4.5 Bushnell. Trigger on this rifle is guessing 4.5-5 lb. In a lever gun I'll take it if it repeats.

Click to expand...

Looks like you have a good load worked up. Hope you get to hunt with it.

cloverleaf said:

Hey Shade- I've been going back through some stuff and looking at my loads. How'd you manage to get 39.5 Gr of 4350 in that load let alone 40? Speers current Data on line shows 37.5 Grains as a compressed max load for that bullet. I get over pressure signs at 38 Grains some times with a 100 Gr BT. I am currently using two scales to verify charge weights just to tray and avoid stiff bolt lift, beat up cases and cratered primers. I ask because according to Quick load I've also been running my IMR 40604 load three grains over max (in the "dangerous" range for years. You didnt get any pressure signs with your load? I am confused. Do powders change that much over the years and pound to pound? BTW That is a beautiful rifle. That and your load and riflery skills make me officially jealous. Thanks for the thoughts. CL

Click to expand...

I had to go look at what you're looking at, as this is an old post and not fresh in my head.

Couple of things as to how I was able to get 40 grains in the case.

A: I believe you're looking at IMR data and not H on the Speer data, you can get a little more in the case with Hodgdon. In the 250, as much as 1.5 grains more when showing compressed loads depending on what bullet and what source you look at.

B: If you don't just look at the generic Speer data under caliber, but click the 250 Savage specifically up at the top under cartridge selection, then the loads for a 100 grain bullet, you will see that the data they are giving is using the Speer 100 gr BTSP. That is a longer bullet than the 100 gr HC I'm using and cramps case capacity more than the hot cor in the little 250 case.

C: They are showing a loaded length for the 100 hot cor of 2.450. I'm loading at 2.475. Again, a little more case capacity allowance.

D: I don't have the 2 to compare, but they are using Winchester cases with the 100 grain hot cor. I'm using Hornady. Don't know if that is another addition to the other things or not since I can't compare, but I do know I can get 40 grains in easy enough and am not using a drop tube.

Hope that helped to clear a few things up. Sometimes data can be a bit confusing from 1 source to the next I know.

BTW Troy, as with most of my loads when I worked them up I did not have access to any computer generated load programs such as quickload, I still don't have quickload but do look at GRT different times.

I was curious since you brought this up so I checked out my data on GRT. Measured a couple of those 100 gr HC's and showed an average length of .940. Using that and my loaded length of 2.475, 40 gr's of H4350 is at the very top but still under peak allowed pressure. It shows a load ratio of 96.3% so not yet quite compressed, which is what I found.

If you have an older rifle I'd work up and maybe stay down at 39 or so with H4350 just to be safe if you haven't shown any issues before reaching that charge.

Thanks for the extra leg work Shade. That all sorta makes sense. However it does sorta confirm the perception I am working on that this is not the "exact science" some would have us believe. For example, just the variables between H and IMR leave us with some variables that the average reloader cant account for . No piezo electric measurement equipment for re-loaders. Seems to me that means that "middle of the road" data is the only reasonable place to start, and that will only be good for one pound of powder, one set of cases, etc. Again impressed with your load. Thanks for the thoughts. CL