300 Savage Option

[Graybeard]

If you are getting that velocity with the 150 grain bullet you are exceeding safe pressures for a Contender. The case doesn't have the capacity to do it any other way.

GB

[Graybeard]

42,000 should be a safe pressure IF that is what you are really getting. BUT you are only 8,000-10,000 from likely wrecking it. It will not long live on 50,000-52,000 with that case head size. Trouble with load from a disk is that it is merely a guesstimate. I've seen it off dagerously so on the .30-30 AI so I know it isn't dependable enough for me personal to use to determine a safe load for this round in the TC.

Cases dropping of their own weight means little more than the chamber walls are smooth. At safe pressures in the TC and for a long way over that cases shouldn't be sticky unless your chamber isn't cut smoothly.

I cannot say your load is patently unsafe but I'm betting it is. You just shouldn't be able to get that velocity from a case of that size in the Contender at pressure it is designed to operate at. Still there are such things as fast barrels that deliver more than they should and maybe yours is one. Still if you'd have someone do a test of your loads either on an Oehler PBL-43 or standard pressure barrel I'm betting you are over the 50,000 mark to be seeing that velocity.

GB

[Gary T]

Robertalotto, You're cartridge also sounds an awful lot like Mike Bellm's "300 BS" (for Belllm/Stewart), designed to get around the extraction problems of the 300 Savage, potential frame stretching prolems encountered by shooting factory 300 Savage rounds in the Contender. and utilize the improved strength of the 307 Win brass. Gary T.

[Razzle]

I have purchased a 14' barrel for my contender in 300 Savage and I am interested in the info about the 30 super bower and 300 BS.  Seems like there is a way to improve the 300 Savage and I am interested. Any help is appreciated. Also what are the diadvantages of the 300 Savage? Can I us 307 Rimmed brass instead os 300 savage Brass ? Seems confusing. :?

[helobill]

Mike Bellm's web site is www.bellmtcs.com he's got an e-mail link on it and he's always been helpful in answering my questions.
Helicopter Bill

[HBL]

on this one. My first guess with velocities you claim, is that you are way over on the pressure.

One way to check, would be to load up another 5 with the same components except use CCI 350 mag primers.

My guess is that you blow the primers. Also if the primers are cratering, reduce the load by about 10% and try again. Just be safe.

I have been shooting a 300 savage for over 15 years and have used these primers exclusively. No pressure problems and good velocities.

HBL

[NRA Dave]

LouisB

I'd suggest getting the barrel rechambered to .30/40 Krag. Lots of nostalgia, very accurate and it is rimmed. Mine is a custom barrel from Gary Reeder. But if he hadn't had it left, I was going to grab a Herrett barrel and get it rechambered.

NRA Dave

[HBL]

Guest,

I shoot the 300 Savage out of a 15" tapered hunter barrel in the Contender.

I have heard of several guys that had their rigs set up to use 307 brass so they could use the rim to head space on rather than the shoulder.

I personally have had no problems head spacing on the shoulder of the 300 savage, even though it is rather small. However, I stopped using the savage brass and now use trimmed and resized 308 brass. Some I have shot 5-7 times and have yet to trim. Still solid lockup.

The suggestion I made is what I use with all my larger bore cartridges.

I even use the CCI 350 mag primers with H322 in my 375JDJ and get velocities of 2200 with 220 grain bullets.

I got the suggestion of doing this from a custom barrel maker that no longer posts here. Matter of fact, he made every barrel from scratch I have with the exception of one I had made by Ed.

[Razzle]

I have purchased a 300 Savage barrel for my contender but I have not loaded any loads for it yet. I understand that the 307 brass is a rimmed case but whayt is the advanage of using 308 brass, trimmed to size VS using regular 300 Savage brass?

[HBL]

With the 300 savage brass, after every 2 firings or so, I had to trim quite a bit due to the case stretch. With 308 brass, being heavier and thicker than the savage brass, I have fired as much as 5 times before needing to trim, and then there was very little to trim.

I believe the 307 brass, for strength, is in the same neighborhood as the 308.

:grin:

[DanM]

I wouldn't worry about changing your 300 Savage to the 307 unless you have problems, which you probably won't. I enjoy my 14" 300 Savage barrel and have had none of the extraction or seating problems folks sometimes talk about. You will be fine if you stick to 'book' loads. The load I use is straight from the Lee manual:AA2520-42.5grs. Nosler 150 Ballistic Tips, and CCI250 primers. I seat them out to 2.815". This formula gives me 2375fps. Groups are usually less than 1" with the bipod if I haven't been drinking too much coffee, ect. I have to agree with GB, a 150 at 2550fps from a 12" barrel seems a mite hot to me. I wonder if the 300 Savage 'problems' aren't a product of some gunwriters musings, and if they ever happened before the . :wink: 308W became available? I have never heard anyone that actually uses a 300S barrel mention any problems.