250 Savage: RIP.

[1K6BRA]

I shot this nice sized dinner table doe on the last day of the season here in Pennsylvania. Used 1, 87 grain Speer at just below 3000 fps.Been killing deer for 40+ years with this cartridge. I’ve had a few run 50 yards or so most take a couple steps and fall.Never lost one. Just nothing better than sitting in your tree stand with your favorite 250-3000!!!

 

[Adam in WI]

I shot this nice sized dinner table doe on the last day of the season here in Pennsylvania. Used 1, 87 grain Speer at just below 3000 fps.Been killing deer for 40+ years with this cartridge. I’ve had a few run 50 yards or so most take a couple steps and fall.Never lost one. Just nothing better than sitting in your tree stand with your favorite 250!!!View attachment 1392127View attachment 1392128

That's a gorgeous old M70, very nice

 

[SEM]

I prefer 250-3000 just sounds better than 250 Savage to me anyway

 

[STOMP442]

I prefer 250-3000 just sounds better than 250 Savage to me anyway

True fans of the caliber always throw the 3000 on the end.

 

[NETim]

I bet if a guy necked down, say the 7x57 Mauser, to .25, it would make a dandy new lightning deer gun.

Ahem.

 

[cmysix]

Each time a read a thread asking “What deer cartridge for my wife (or son, daughter, grandchild)?” my first thought is always the wonderful 250 Savage. Superbly balanced, efficient, light-recoiling and deadly. For decades it was a huge deer hunting favorite. It’s hard to imagine a slicker venison harvester than a Model 99 in 250 Savage. Now this grand old chambering is relegated to special order status. At best. Ammunition is manufactured in small runs and is getting tougher to find.

I’m all about cool hotrods but too many excellent cartridges are withering away. Somehow we’ve become convinced that deer (and most other game animals) have become immensely more difficult to dispatch than in years past. Teddy Roosevelt managed great success hunting lions with a “puny” lever action .405 Winchester.

Maybe the 250-3000 will make a comeback. Just call it the 25 Creedmoor.

Fred bear took elephants with the lowly outdated inaccurate .30-06

 

[Dusty Stevens]

I bet if a guy necked down, say the 7x57 Mauser, to .25, it would make a dandy new lightning deer gun.

Ahem.

Id use 6mm rem brass for this myself. I think it would turn out a better cartridge

 

[Joe Maisto]

Yep, the Tomcat is his favorite, that's why we went with that one.

And mine too . What a wicked, wonderful aircraft .

 

[FNSafari]

A sad commentary on some of the shooters of today. I look back on my much younger days and see that the old 270 and '06 were used quite efficiently and the deer and elk fell just like they do to the newer "wonder magnums" are used. If I were to take all this nonsense of how much better our new cartridges are, I would have to conclude that what I harvested in my early years were all just a fluke. After maturing through the magnum years, I am, at 74, returning to the tried and true cartridges that are easy to reload for and cycle so smoothly. The one component that I really appreciate is the new bullets - they much more accurate and kill better - my 1955/6 pre-64 model 70's in 308,270 and '06 both shoot consistently under 1" and are a joy to hunt with.

The new “wonder cartridges” are mostly marketing related to push buying. For some uses they may be better but that’s debatable for most game hunted.

 

[std7mag]

Man, this thread really grew a long pair of legs! Nearly 5 years with members still interested in offering their opinions.

Fortunately, there are several thread from the recent to the last few years offering information regarding the .250 Savage and how it performs. Two drawbacks to the older rifles are the slow twist rate and the much lower pressure based on the platform being used. Now, don't get all excited and frothing at the mouth to crucify me, these rifles still work and harvest deer every year, just work with the restraints.

Instead of the hand wringing about lack of brass, Hornady does make it and it is available currently. It's fine for the lower pressure platforms since Hornady brass is soft to begin with and the lighter loads will work perfect. In that same vein, Prvi Partizan makes .250 Savage and it too is available. If you are lamenting the lack of quality brass, Lapua .22-250 will make perfect 250 Savage with a final forming following necking up. I wound up with a good supply of Lapua .22-250 brass so I supplemented my diminishing supply of 250 Savage by modifying those cases.

If for some reason none of this appeals to you, I seriously suggest using something currently available such as the 25 Creedmoor. Yes, I know, I've read all the slanderous posts regard these fine cartridges. But the 25 Creedmoor loaded with your favorite bullet and appropriate powder choice is nothing short of superb. Besides, the modern alloy brass and forming processes make this an excellent choice. If for some reason you dig in your heals at the mere mention of anything Creedmoor, you have only your self to blame for missing out. It's fine, you leave more for the rest of us to buy.

Another well thought out wildcat is the .25x47 Lapua. This can make for an excellent shorter barrel, lighter carbine-style rifle for our members of smaller stature. It's mild in recoil yet accurate when the rest of the platform is handled correctly by a qualified gunsmith.

Lots of choices when the nostalgia wears off and you want to move on.

I'm not about to jump into the whole Creedmoor advertizing hype issue.

As far as i'm concerned, i'll go with the 25 Souper.
Excellent 260 Rem brass out there.
Plus since i'm a bolt gun kinda guy, i'll take the extra powder space over the Creedmoor.

 

[Dusty Stevens]

I'm not about to jump into the whole Creedmoor advertizing hype issue.

As far as i'm concerned, i'll go with the 25 Souper.
Excellent 260 Rem brass out there.
Plus since i'm a bolt gun kinda guy, i'll take the extra powder space over the Creedmoor.

The pure advantage the 25 creedmoor has over the “outdated” cartridges is the brass, die, and data availability

 

[xswanted]

Has anyone on this post ever used some of the new heavy 25 caliber bullets in a 250 Ackely?

Curiosity is making me wonder how fast a 130-135 grain bullet would go from the improved case.

I think it’d be quite hilarious to build a PRS rifle in 250 savage ackley and beat a few guys with it.

 

[Bottom Fodder]

In my circle way back when the 308 got over looked because the “06” now I don’t even know any body with an “06” and the 308 is on about every firing line

 

[snert]

I have decided that Western PA whitetails are not cape buffalo. In my early years I thought I needed at least a 30-06. I bought a 7mm mag for long range shooting.

I have now decided, considering modern bullets, that a 250-300, a 243, a 7-30 Waters, a 6mm Rem, or even a Crudmore would do just fine.

If I had disposable income, I would build/buy a light rifle in the Savage round.

 

[std7mag]

I have decided that Western PA whitetails are not cape buffalo. In my early years I thought I needed at least a 30-06. I bought a 7mm mag for long range shooting.

I have now decided, considering modern bullets, that a 250-300, a 243, a 7-30 Waters, a 6mm Rem, or even a Crudmore would do just fine.

If I had disposable income, I would build/buy a light rifle in the Savage round.

Do what i did & rebarrel a Savage action.
My 250 Savage barrel was swapped off of my Stevens 200 action & is now on an Axis II action.

 

[Kurz]

Has anyone on this post ever used some of the new heavy 25 caliber bullets in a 250 Ackely?

Curiosity is making me wonder how fast a 130-135 grain bullet would go from the improved case.

I think it’d be quite hilarious to build a PRS rifle in 250 savage ackley and beat a few guys with it.

The current trend is smaller cases and extras long 6mm VLD bullets. The 6 GT cartridge is gaining a favorable stance because of the mild recoil and higher but very manageable velocities.

However and in my opinion the .250 AI with the 130 gr. class bullets would be an excellent way to join in the fray of competition. I can just about guarantee that when everyone starts sorting brass that yours would be easier to find!

I testing I've done found that the 131 ACE performed the best over the Bergers. Unfortunately Sierra has made it clear by neglect that the ACE is dead. So we're left with the Berger 133/135 bullets which are fine for this style of competition. My loads were running about 2,950 fps. in an accurate node at the upper end.

Enjoy!

 

[xswanted]

The current trend is smaller cases and extras long 6mm VLD bullets. The 6 GT cartridge is gaining a favorable stance because of the mild recoil and higher but very manageable velocities.

However and in my opinion the .250 AI with the 130 gr. class bullets would be an excellent way to join in the fray of competition. I can just about guarantee that when everyone starts sorting brass that yours would be easier to find!

I testing I've done found that the 131 ACE performed the best over the Bergers. Unfortunately Sierra has made it clear by neglect that the ACE is dead. So we're left with the Berger 133/135 bullets which are fine for this style of competition. My loads were running about 2,950 fps. in an accurate node at the upper end.

Enjoy!

This was from a 250 AI?

 

[Kurz]

This was from a 250 AI?

Yes, from a custom chamber allowing the bullets to be seated out and a full case of Re-17. These loads do not adhere to those low pressure book loads but run on modern powders at modern pressures.

 

[xswanted]

Yes, from a custom chamber allowing the bullets to be seated out and a full case of Re-17. These loads do not adhere to those low pressure book loads but run on modern powders at modern pressures.

Very nice, exactly what I was looking for.

I figured 2850 would be possible glad to see it was even better.

 

[Kurz]

There is another node around that point also so you're right in there kicking screaming. If you're concerned about barrel life, you might want to run at the slightly lower node.