250 savage

[bigpete]

Whatever fits in the magazine

[Oldbloke]

0.25 - 0.50mm off the lands

[bigrich]

0.25 - 0.50mm off the lands

im starting with speers .50 off the lands , experience in other rifles has shown me speers don't mind a bit of jump . nosler bt's i'm trying around .40 off the lands. my rifle is long throated , so case capacity is good .
my initial loads are with 2206h as this powder was clearly the best during fire forming . however , 2208 and 2209 also produce great accuracy in "internet" loads. i'm referencing ADI data and staying below max . some guys are exceeding factory load data with roberts type speeds and no pressure signs. i'm not into pushing my rifles hard, if i want more speed i'll use a bigger cartridge . good reliable accuracy is a higher priority to me . i'll post the results on the weekend with 2206h, then move on to 2208 for my next batch . once i've got the powder preference sorted i'll focus on fine tuning powder charges and COL's .

stay tuned ......

[bigrich]

Whatever fits in the magazine

a great thing about the 250 is plenty of mag length . the speers touch the lands at 2.565" , nosler bt's at 2.581" . mag length is a touch over 2.8" . the one thing i've noticed is due to the "old school" case taper of the 250 it likes to feed from the mag . the angles wrong with the feed ramp if you just drop it in on the follower . no big deal to me

[bigrich]

Well fellas, here’s an update from today’s load testing. In general 2206H is NOT the best powder for 10 twist barrels. It’s a go-to powder in 14 twist savage 99 lever guns in the past. My accurate fire forming loads weren’t good, could be I tried different PPU brass for these instead of the Hornady’s I used previously. One thing I will say about 2206H is it doesn’t generate barrel heat. However nosler 85’s seemed to like near max loads with it . Best group was with 34.5 gn 40 thou off the lands, probably a shade over 3000fps. Primers don’t look stressed at all. 35gn is noslers max listed loads for 100 gn bt’s and best accuracy apparently at approximately 2950fps. I’ll move on to 2208 next weekend which is supposedly a better powder for 10 twist barrels

[Oldbloke]

What's wrong with that group?

[bigrich]

What's wrong with that group?

not a damn thing equivalent 2208 loads that will also shoot 100's are desired as 100's are the most flexible bullet weight for the little savage . also means i need less powder variety's . 2208 works great in my 308 and 303 , so it makes sense to see if my 250 likes it also . besides that , i do love to tinker.....

amazes me how few people have heard of the 250, and seem amazed when it's pointed out it's the parent case of the 22-250. i had a fella tell me today it's a awful lot of work making a wildcat from the 22-250 . i didn't correct him....

i reckon bigpete needs one

[Oldbloke]

What's wrong with that group?

not a damn thing equivalent 2208 loads that will also shoot 100's are desired as 100's are the most flexible bullet weight for the little savage . also means i need less powder variety's . 2208 works great in my 308 and 303 , so it makes sense to see if my 250 likes it also . besides that , i do love to tinker.....

amazes me how few people have heard of the 250, and seem amazed when it's pointed out it's the parent case of the 22-250. i had a fella tell me today it's a awful lot of work making a wildcat from the 22-250 . i didn't correct him....

i reckon bigpete needs one

Na,, 270 is the goto.

I only have a 223 and 2 30.06's. AR2208 gives me good groups in both.

Will be interested to see how you go.

[bigrich]

What's wrong with that group?

not a damn thing equivalent 2208 loads that will also shoot 100's are desired as 100's are the most flexible bullet weight for the little savage . also means i need less powder variety's . 2208 works great in my 308 and 303 , so it makes sense to see if my 250 likes it also . besides that , i do love to tinker.....

amazes me how few people have heard of the 250, and seem amazed when it's pointed out it's the parent case of the 22-250. i had a fella tell me today it's a awful lot of work making a wildcat from the 22-250 . i didn't correct him....

i reckon bigpete needs one

Na,, 270 is the goto.

I only have a 223 and 2 30.06's. AR2208 gives me good groups in both.

Will be interested to see how you go.

i thought pete liked 243's

ADI lists 2209 , so 2208 isn't too slow for caliber with the 250 . supposedly 3000fps + with 100's is achievable with 2209. but i'll see how 2208 goes first . the most embarrassing thing about my load day was having to use a cleaning rod to get the fired cases out . i never shot the donor action ,and the smith's proofing load extracted with no issues so he had no idea. the bolt will be going back to him for a sako extractor real soon

[bigrich]

update on the load testing, i take back what i said about 2206H not being a good powder in this cal . 2208 shot worse in general, with more extreme group sizes , so it's looking like i'll revisit 2206H loads and fine tune . i did get some groups with 2208 that equaled my best 2206h groups , but "off node" it wasn't real flash . if i can get my hands on some 2209 that might be worth looking at for 100's . it's a funny little thing this 250 , seems finicky at times , with a bit of experimentation to find what works . however i've had 270's and 30-06's that were worse for being temperamental

[bigpete]

Would it like bm8208?

[bigrich]

Would it like bm8208?

bm8208 and BM2 are listed by ADI . i've done a lot of research on the 250 , and lots of different powders work in it, BM2 through to 2213sc is listed for heavy for caliber 120gn projectiles . i think i'm going to go with 85bt noslers for paddock cleaning , and i want to tighten groups with the 100 nosler bt's for more general use . playing around with seating depth may improve things , a bit more tunning is needed with 100's. at the moment 2206h looks good , but there's a lot of confidence in h4350 (2209) with 100gn . ahh well , back to the loading bench

[Mr.x]

Got my little 250 made from Model 70 win that had a shot out barrel, Tony from TSE here in Brisbane was the man in charge of making the barrel and fitting it and all the bluing work, Im over the mood with how it turned out a real sweet shooter ! Mainly be used with 87gn projectiles for dogs and the odd pig.I tracked down some brass and some factory Remington 100gn corelokt bullets, Nearly done running i the barrel so i will really start honing in on some hand loads.
Once I find out how to post some pics Ill put some up.

Cheers

[Mr.x]

Hopefully this works


Cheers

[bigrich]

Hopefully this works


Cheers

that's a real nice ole xtr . i've had a few of those , and they can be a really accurate rifle . got a real nice style about them too . my local shop had a mint one in 243. i probably would've done a build on it if a nice old rem 700 hadn't come my way first . look forward to hearing on your load development . mine likes 85 bt's near max loads of 2206h and 2208 . 100's haven't been that inspiring . i'm going to go closer to max with the 06 and 08 and try some 2209 for the 100's. these 250's run with a wide range of powder, but working out their preference can be a bit of work . cheers

[Mr.x]

I scored a 4lb bottle of RL15 of a mate and ran a few loads through it with that but it was nothing spectacular (perfectly fine hunting accuracy) I have a bit of 06h left but Im holding on to that cos I dont want to develop a load with a powder that I cant get anymore so I have to give 08 a go and some others but like I said i haven't really given it a real crack yet just going through the motions running it in having fun. I have a heap of projectiles to try too so Im sure I will find something that will keep me happy, Its such a great rifle to shoot bugger all recoil and good enough to kill 90 percent of what we have here in Australia, I do need to change scopes as I have a fixed power tasco on it (older jap made one) while its good I really want something with a bit more mag to I can reach out and touch those pesky ferals with a bit more confidence.



Cheers

[bigrich]

I scored a 4lb bottle of RL15 of a mate and ran a few loads through it with that but it was nothing spectacular (perfectly fine hunting accuracy) I have a bit of 06h left but Im holding on to that cos I dont want to develop a load with a powder that I cant get anymore so I have to give 08 a go and some others but like I said i haven't really given it a real crack yet just going through the motions running it in having fun. I have a heap of projectiles to try too so Im sure I will find something that will keep me happy, Its such a great rifle to shoot bugger all recoil and good enough to kill 90 percent of what we have here in Australia, I do need to change scopes as I have a fixed power tasco on it (older jap made one) while its good I really want something with a bit more mag to I can reach out and touch those pesky ferals with a bit more confidence.



Cheers

i'm using a good ole vx3 3.5-10 leupold on mine . should be fine for my intended use . which powder to use in the 250 is a pandoras box as good loads can be found with many . i fireform resized 22-250 brass for mine before attempting hotter loads . i want to ensure correct head spacing before with resized cases before upping the pressure. i have some 2206h for this purpose, which gave outstanding accuracy with 100 hotcor's while running in the barrel , but the accuracy node has moved since barrel break in . i'll have to try a few .2gn either way to find it again . also i may try mild BM2 loads with 85's for a fire forming load. just as well i love to tinker.....

[Mr.x]

Thats it mate I have a heap of powder,brass and projectiles and I love to muck around reloading problem is getting to the range once a week,I need to pack all my gear and head out bush for a week or two and really get things dialed in properly. I have a heap of head stamped 250sav brass so no need to make any just yet, I have a heap of 22-250 brass as I have a howa in that cal and dont wanna chance getting them mixed up, remingtom hornady and bertram all head stamped I just buy it regardless when ever i come across it.


Cheers

[bigrich]

Well, thought it was time for an update, and an excuse to waffle on a Sunday afternoon. I ended up settling on 2208 for powder as this shoots 85 and 100 nosler bt’s into 1/2” groups or less off the bench. 2206h is probably a little better for 85’s but 2208 burns nicely with very little carbon to get out of the barrel. 2209 is quite dirty by comparison. 110 gn hornady ftx shoot very well, got .4” group , but the speed would be lucky to get over 2600fps. The thing with my rifle is small groups only occur with loads that are up near maximum powder charge. Accuracy is poor with low power charges. Destroys my intention of competing with mild loads in a comp. Testing in the paddock on grey grasshoppers is pretty impressive with the noslers. 2” exit wounds with a hollow cavity inside. On the majority of pigs I see it has more than enough oomph. Most are under 50kg , so except for tail on shots it’d be more than adequate. Was talking to an old fella recently who reckons 100 nosler bt’s work great on fallow out of the 250 at reasonable distance.
Muzzle blast is quite pleasant compared to a 243. Using powder, primers and projectiles for firefoming before the serious reloading begins is wearing thin but . So that’s the latest on my 250 savage project, hope some of you find this of interest

[bigpete]

You've nearly sold me mate. After a botched job on a fallow a week ago with my 22-250 ( I was performing macropod culling duties at the time ) I was pretty keen to rebarrel to....gasp....a 243. Still might but the allure of a 250 savage is still there....

[bigrich]

Going 243 makes things pretty easy , but muzzle blast and barrel life are a negative for me. 250 savage is more stuffing around, but I like it . Having said that, I’ve got a stainless tikka in 6.5 man-bun coming. 95 vmax and 120gn projectiles for decent velocity are my intentions.anything over 130’s in the small creedmoor case are a waste as far as I’m concerned. Should push a bit harder than the savage and suitable in rainy weather. And no fire forming.

[bigpete]

I believe I have cases and reloading dies for a 243w....that'll probably sell me over a 250 savage if I do. I just need something a little smaller than my 308,and a little more deer capable than a 22-250

[bigpete]

Going 243 makes things pretty easy , but muzzle blast and barrel life are a negative for me. 250 savage is more stuffing around, but I like it . Having said that, I’ve got a stainless tikka in 6.5 man-bun coming. 95 vmax and 120gn projectiles for decent velocity are my intentions.anything over 130’s in the small creedmoor case are a waste as far as I’m concerned. Should push a bit harder than the savage and suitable in rainy weather. And no fire forming.

But then I look at the 243 data and think maybe I'll just make another 308w lol

[bigrich]

Going 243 makes things pretty easy , but muzzle blast and barrel life are a negative for me. 250 savage is more stuffing around, but I like it . Having said that, I’ve got a stainless tikka in 6.5 man-bun coming. 95 vmax and 120gn projectiles for decent velocity are my intentions.anything over 130’s in the small creedmoor case are a waste as far as I’m concerned. Should push a bit harder than the savage and suitable in rainy weather. And no fire forming.

But then I look at the 243 data and think maybe I'll just make another 308w lol

Yeh, my favourite all rounder is my FN Mauser in 308 these days. A good reason for getting the stainless tikka in 6.5 is I need a wet weather rifle. As I get older I find myself liking milder calibers , without the unnecessary recoil and running costs. Young fella’s who brag about shooting stuff at 600 yards with a 300 win mag make my eyes roll….

[deye243]

Going 243 makes things pretty easy , but muzzle blast and barrel life are a negative for me. 250 savage is more stuffing around, but I like it . Having said that, I’ve got a stainless tikka in 6.5 man-bun coming. 95 vmax and 120gn projectiles for decent velocity are my intentions.anything over 130’s in the small creedmoor case are a waste as far as I’m concerned. Should push a bit harder than the savage and suitable in rainy weather. And no fire forming.

But then I look at the 243 data and think maybe I'll just make another 308w lol

Yeh, my favourite all rounder is my FN Mauser in 308 these days. A good reason for getting the stainless tikka in 6.5 is I need a wet weather rifle. As I get older I find myself liking milder calibers , without the unnecessary recoil and running costs. Young fella’s who brag about shooting stuff at 600 yards with a 300 win mag make my eyes roll….

What about 60 year old fella's rolling stuff at 950+ yards .

[bigpete]

Going 243 makes things pretty easy , but muzzle blast and barrel life are a negative for me. 250 savage is more stuffing around, but I like it . Having said that, I’ve got a stainless tikka in 6.5 man-bun coming. 95 vmax and 120gn projectiles for decent velocity are my intentions.anything over 130’s in the small creedmoor case are a waste as far as I’m concerned. Should push a bit harder than the savage and suitable in rainy weather. And no fire forming.

But then I look at the 243 data and think maybe I'll just make another 308w lol

Yeh, my favourite all rounder is my FN Mauser in 308 these days. A good reason for getting the stainless tikka in 6.5 is I need a wet weather rifle. As I get older I find myself liking milder calibers , without the unnecessary recoil and running costs. Young fella’s who brag about shooting stuff at 600 yards with a 300 win mag make my eyes roll….

Yeah,I've got no time for long range " hunting "

[bigrich]

Going 243 makes things pretty easy , but muzzle blast and barrel life are a negative for me. 250 savage is more stuffing around, but I like it . Having said that, I’ve got a stainless tikka in 6.5 man-bun coming. 95 vmax and 120gn projectiles for decent velocity are my intentions.anything over 130’s in the small creedmoor case are a waste as far as I’m concerned. Should push a bit harder than the savage and suitable in rainy weather. And no fire forming.

But then I look at the 243 data and think maybe I'll just make another 308w lol

Yeh, my favourite all rounder is my FN Mauser in 308 these days. A good reason for getting the stainless tikka in 6.5 is I need a wet weather rifle. As I get older I find myself liking milder calibers , without the unnecessary recoil and running costs. Young fella’s who brag about shooting stuff at 600 yards with a 300 win mag make my eyes roll….

What about 60 year old fella's rolling stuff at 950+ yards .

Yeah, well, if that’s your thing, and you have the opportunity to do it , fine. I’ll expand on my previous statement by saying a couple of the young guys bragging about shooting stuff way out with a win mag were flat out getting 3” groups at 100 yards, probably on account of using light weight tikka and having a flinch. I suppose whatever floats someone’s boat. I prefer to keep things simple and practical these days

[Billo]

No longer have the load data but I had a long throated 250 Savage L579 that would spit out Moly coated 100gr BT at over 3200fps, 24inch Maddco barrel, it was a gun I regret selling.

Pretty sure it was running on 2206H.

[bigrich]

No longer have the load data but I had a long throated 250 Savage L579 that would spit out Moly coated 100gr BT at over 3200fps, 24inch Maddco barrel, it was a gun I regret selling.

Pretty sure it was running on 2206H.

I tried running 2206H, worked great with 85 nosler, not real flash with 100’s . I’m running a 1-10 lothar walther 24” barrel

[arc]

Did you end up building the 250 sav?
From 75 - 120gr projectiles.

Easiest to just neck size 22-250 brass up given its the parent case.

I have made some from 6.5CM but it's easier to do the 22-250 case in my experience.

No issues with donuts in my experience.

As others have mentioned they can be pushed harder as they load data is develop around old Savage 99s.

Hornady brass is available, as is ammo.

Remington ammo is available too.