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Author Topic: Anyone else use a 250 Savage Contender?  (Read 1508 times)

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Offline macbullet

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Anyone else use a 250 Savage Contender?
« on: June 13, 2004, 07:34:55 AM »
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Offline Lone Star

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Anyone else use a 250 Savage Contender?
« Reply #1 on: June 15, 2004, 01:22:18 AM »
I have an XP so chambered and love the cartridge.  Originally sporting a 1.25" diameter barrel mine would agg in the mid .3s.  I also own a .25 Bullberry in a T/C, very similar ballistically.  For hunting loads I prefered Nosler BTips, both 85s and 100s.  The 85s workede better for varmints, shooting flatter than the 75s did past 250 yards.  I took a handful of deer with the 100s, traveling about 2600 fps.  H322, H4895 and W748 were the best powders I tried, particularly with the 100s.
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Offline macbullet

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Anyone else use a 250 Savage Contender?
« Reply #2 on: June 15, 2004, 03:08:23 PM »
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Offline Steve E

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250 Savage....................
« Reply #3 on: June 16, 2004, 08:05:33 AM »
Mac
     I have a 15 in. 250 Sav. factory barrel for my Encore and really like it. Have just started working up loads for it. So far 36 Gr. of H380 with 100 gr Bal-Tip's has been pretty accurate for me, usually going itno 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 an inch at 100yds. Not sure of the speed. I used to shoot a 15 inch 308 Win.  in the Encore but the muzzle blast would add up quickly at the covered range where I usually shoot. The 250 is not near as bad and the recoil is a lot less also. Love that 250 Sav.  I also had a Mexican Mauser with a 20 inch barrel chambered in it also.

                                                  Steve E............
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Offline Jim Stacy

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250 savage in a TC Contender ?
« Reply #4 on: June 17, 2004, 04:08:18 PM »
Is'nt the 250 too hot for a contender with full loads? It's esentially a 308 head size and pressures in the 45-50K range ? I like the round just thought it was too hot for a contender? regular Contender not an encore right ? I can see it in an Encore ? Just interested in your data.
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Offline wheelgun

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250
« Reply #5 on: June 18, 2004, 01:56:41 AM »
I have read that the 250 savage was too hot also.If you have to download the round to be safe why buy it.
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Offline Lefty Behind

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250 Savage Contender......
« Reply #6 on: June 19, 2004, 05:09:32 AM »
Several years ago I had an SSK 250 Savage Imp. barrel, 14".
I did an article on that barrel/cartridge combo that was printed in Varmint Hunter magazine.  
It was a fine barrel, I wish I'd never have sold it.
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Offline macbullet

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Anyone else use a 250 Savage Contender?
« Reply #7 on: June 19, 2004, 12:28:33 PM »
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Offline Lone Star

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Re: 250
« Reply #8 on: June 19, 2004, 04:06:37 PM »
Quote
I have read that the 250 savage was too hot also.If you have to download the round to be safe why buy it.
With a low SAAMI pressure level in factory loads it is not necessary to "down-load" the .250.  SSK used to sell barrels in .250 and considered it safe - what changed, other than their starting to offer their proprietary .257JDJ?  

I have a .300 Savage barrel from Bullberry, used it for many years with factory-level loads and a bit higher without a bit trouble - long case life, no sticky extraction, outstanding accuracy.  The .300 is loaded to lower SAAMI pressures too.  A .308, almost identical in shape to the .300, is NOT safe in a Contender because it is loaded to far higher pressures by the factory.  The large case diameter - the same in all three - means that a safe pressure in a .223 case ( ca. 52,000 CUP ) would spell disaster in the larger cases.

It is too easy for a non-sophisticated reloader to add too much powder in these large diameter cases, and this increases the case head thrust beyond the safe point in the Contender.  This is the real reason that few chamber Contender barrels in these cases anymore - in factory-level loads they are safe, but stupid loaders can get into trouble too easily.
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Offline singleshotfan

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Anyone else use a 250 Savage Contender?
« Reply #9 on: June 20, 2004, 05:57:16 AM »
Don't know what changed with SSK and the 250 Savage. But the 14" 257 JDJ SSK contender bbl is the most accurate centerfire barrel I have in Contender. And I have several. Even the fireform loads are right on.
Some of the experts say the 250 Improved with straight walls are better suited for the 250 in contender. Less face thrust they say.
Richard
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Offline Lone Star

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Anyone else use a 250 Savage Contender?
« Reply #10 on: June 21, 2004, 05:44:14 AM »
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...the 14" 257 JDJ SSK contender bbl is the most accurate centerfire barrel I have in Contender.
Accuracy in the T/C is more related to quality of the barrel/chambering than to the cartridge itself.  SSK uses premium barrel stock and holds chamber dimensions very tight, and this is why their barrels - even in .375 JDJ - are extremely accurate.

Several years ago I built a BR pistol on an XP-100 action in .250 Savage.  With careful handloads it agged .35 moa.  Note that doesn't mean just one group of .35 moa, nor a best group of .35 moa (the best groups were in the .20 moa area).  The aggregates were for any four consecutive 5-shot groups, no shots thrown out, not the best four groups ever fired, etc.  In otherwords, repeatable results anytime, not just "when I do my part".  Not many handguns will shoot to this level, although plenty of guys think they have a 1/2 moa handgun because they've shot two or three groups this small.  Why was this handgun so accurate?  Very close attention to tolerences, assembly, handloading and shooting technique.  Bottom line, the .250 can shoot alongside most similar rounds given the same attention to detail.  But so can the .257 JDJ.
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