Author Topic: 250 Savage? (Read 2956 times)

Ursus · « **on:** May 12, 2003, 09:27:48 AM »

Gentlemen,

I have recently purchased a 15" encore 250/3000. I was planning on using it during the upcoming deer season. My hunting buddy doesn't think the 117 gr sierra using IMR-4320 27 grs is enough to take a deer. I know shot placement is the key, but has anyone had any experience using this combination? Any suggestions on a better recipe...

Thanks,

PJ · « **Reply #1 on:** May 12, 2003, 09:58:32 AM »

Hey,just LOL

at your buddy when you tag your deer!If your load shoots good @100yards you'll be just fine.I would even use 87gr S.P.'s on deer.Try some 117's and 87's see what shoots best and stay with it.

TopGun · « **Reply #2 on:** May 12, 2003, 03:02:50 PM »

I took a white-tail with a 85gr 6.5TCU.

Full penetration with exit quarting away. She staggered about 10 steps and plunked down in teh leaves. If the TCU will do it, I know the 250 savage will do it. :eek: Mine was only flying at about 2475fps. I say go for it. :-D LMAOROTF! :-D

Possum · « **Reply #3 on:** May 12, 2003, 03:48:37 PM »

I shot 100gr factory loads last year with my 250 Sav and dropped everything I shot. I probably would not take an up the rear shot or a dead on frontal shot, but ANY broadside or quartering shot should be fine. I am reloading now for it and am shooting a 100gr. Nosler BT with H380. So for it has been fairly good on grouping, but I am now playing with the seating depth. I also found the closer I got to the minimum overall length the better my groups go. I thought it should be the other way around. Maybe somone can shed some light on the subject.

In summary, I would not hesitate to take the 250 deer hunting. It is a dream to shoot.

KYODE · « **Reply #4 on:** May 12, 2003, 04:29:23 PM »

the 250 savage will be great for deer. not only great but nearly perfect in my opinion. ask your buddy how i killed a deer last year with my 6br encore with a little ol 80 gr sierra bullet. dropped in it's tracks at 125 yards or maybe more. also ask your buddy how a deer shot with a 7mm mag runs 100 yards before it falls. a big gun is no better if you make a bad shot. some deer just react differently to different circumstances. sometimes they go down, sometimes they run a ways.

SD Handgunner · « **Reply #5 on:** May 12, 2003, 04:49:42 PM »

I took a Whitetail Buck at 175 yards with a 14" .250 Savage SSK Contender a few years back. I was using a 100gr. Nosler Ballistic Tip at a velocity of 2550 FPS loaded with H-322 Powder. Accuracy was great with this load, as was bullet performance. I took the Whitetail Buck a little far back hitting the rear 1/3 of the lungs. A Rib was hit on both entrance and exit, and the exit wound was about the size of a 50 cent piece. The Whitetail Buck did not drop in his tracks, but only went about 20 yards before collapsing.

I also loaded 75gr. Hornady Hollow Points to a muzzle velocity of 2950 FPS with W-748. Accuracy with this load was also great. I used this load for Prairie Dogs, and while it worked quite well the 52gr. Speer Flat Base Hollow Points I used in my Super 14 .223 provided more explosive results.

The only regret I have about the 14" .250 Savage SSK Contender Barrel is that I let a buddy talk me out of it.

Larry

Crayfish · « **Reply #6 on:** May 13, 2003, 05:54:47 AM »

My first deer rifle was a Savage Model 99 in 250 Savage. It took several deer for me, one being a 182lb 6 point at about 170yds. What we learned when loading for this round is that it really prefers bullets in the 100gr range or less. We loaded 117gr Hornady's for a while, but the velocity was really lacking with the longer/heavier bullets. I ended up going back to the Remington 100gr Core-lokt bullet and it worked perfectly with much better velocity and more dramatic kills.

Hope this helps ... Crayfish

HBL · « **Reply #7 on:** May 13, 2003, 07:45:52 AM »

I use 80gr bullets in my 6mm-223 and have taken all my deer with one shot. I think your 250 savage should do just fine with what you have.

HBL

Ursus · « **Reply #8 on:** May 13, 2003, 02:35:44 PM »

The 250 is a great caliber! I will use your advice, practice and wait for the fall to prove it can take any deer.

Thank you very much.

kciH · « **Reply #9 on:** May 28, 2003, 03:13:22 AM »

Bob Milek,
one of the Fathers of modern handgun hunting, thought highly of this round in his XP-100. I don't think you can go too far wrong with something that surpasses all of the lesser power rounds based on the .223 case in the Contender. The 6,6.5,7mm TC/U's have all been used regularly, for years, to cleanly take game out to 200 yds with a pistol. The .250 Savage is ballistically superior to any of those rounds for medium game.

bobg · « **Reply #10 on:** May 28, 2003, 03:24:15 AM »

I guess this isn't really a reply but here goes anyway. How would a 14" Contender Barrel in 250 Savage compare to the same barrel in 25-35?

bobg :?

Tom Brush · « **Reply #11 on:** June 10, 2003, 03:16:07 PM »

I use the 100 gr. Nosler Ballistic Tip in my 14" MOA pistol. It kills deer well.

kciH · « **Reply #12 on:** June 15, 2003, 03:24:36 PM »

BobG,
I don't think you can get a .250 Savage in the Contender.

KYODE · « **Reply #13 on:** June 15, 2003, 05:42:39 PM »

not in factory form, but they can be had by a custom barrel maker.

kciH · « **Reply #14 on:** June 15, 2003, 08:04:38 PM »

KYODE,
Who makes a barrel for the Contender in .250 Savage? I always wanted one years ago and I'd still like to try one. A quick look at Fox Ridge, Bullberry, Virgin Valley, and E Arthur Brown yielded no results. I don't know of any cases, at modern pressure levels, based on the .308/30-06 head size that work in the TC.

HHI #4694 · « **Reply #15 on:** June 15, 2003, 08:58:55 PM »

I have a 14" stainless SSK Contender barrel in 250 Savage. Yes, JD. will chamber it for the Contender. :wink:

KYODE · « **Reply #16 on:** June 16, 2003, 02:58:37 AM »

6br is another which i thought could not be had in a contender. but i seen one with my own eyes. ssk made it also. it was marked "for factory or reduced loads only" on the barrel. i think you just have to keep pressure under 45,000, from what i've heard.

tom ga hunter · « **Reply #17 on:** June 16, 2003, 12:20:35 PM »

i use 120 gr speer flat bases with a case full of h4831..it's good for 2550fps in a 24" remington 700.. kills very placement kills speed wounds

fish · « **Reply #18 on:** June 17, 2003, 03:07:35 PM »

I have a very accurate SSK Contender barrel and have taken big game out past 200 yards with it. :grin:

Lefty Behind · « **Reply #19 on:** June 18, 2003, 03:48:31 AM »

Quote from: kciH

KYODE,
Who makes a barrel for the Contender in .250 Savage? I always wanted one years ago and I'd still like to try one. A quick look at Fox Ridge, Bullberry, Virgin Valley, and E Arthur Brown yielded no results. I don't know of any cases, at modern pressure levels, based on the .308/30-06 head size that work in the TC.

Well, I'm not Kyode, but a few years ago I did have a 14" Contender barrel in 250Savage AI that was built by SSK. It was a really good shooter. I wrote up my results with it for Varmint Hunter mag. Maybe JD will still build a barrel in 250 Savage AI?
Lefty

GunsBay · « **Reply #20 on:** September 09, 2005, 11:13:04 AM »

no wories friend...........youll do just fine with what you have. ive been a 22 centerfire deer hunter for years, mostly using a sako 222, but have taken many a deer with my T/C in 223, many of which with winchester supreme ballistic tips (40Gr) and have never EVER lost one, and every single one ive popped has dropped right in its tracks without even twitching.....

SD Handgunner · « **Reply #21 on:** September 09, 2005, 11:52:50 AM »

Just recently been working with my old SSK 14" COntender Barrel in .250 Savage. My buddy that bought the barrel from me wanted me to load some more ammo for him, In the process I decided to try a different powder to see if I could up the velocity and better the accuracy over the load we had been loading (100gr. Nosler Ballistic Tips loaded with H-322).

I again used 100gr. Nosler Ballistic Tips, but this time I loaded Hodgdon H-4895. The accuracy was the equal of the previous load with 5 shot groups at 100 yards coming in around the 3/4" mark (I don't have the targets in front of me right now to double check them), and we gained 50 FPS. All in all I wouldn't hesitate to use either load on Whitetail Deer.

As a side note, my buddy used the 75gr. Hornady Hollow Points (loaded with Winchester W-748) at a muzzle velocity of 2950 FPS to take a few Coyotes last fall and winter. All required only a single shot, and if I remember correctly hide damage wasn't all that bad either.These Coyotes were between 150 & 200 yards.

If I were to do it over again I think I try the 75gr. Hornady V-MAX for a Varmint / Coyote Load, but I would still go with the 100gr. Nosler Ballistic Tip for Deer.

Due to the .250 Savage not being offered in Factory T/C Barrels it is an overlooked Contender Cartridge. JD Jones always told me that for someone wanting High Performence in a Contender using FACTORY AMMO, for Varmints through Whitetail Deer the .250 Savage was hard to beat. Thus part of the reason I ordered the barrel way back when. The only problem is I let my buddy talk me out of it. However I've been working on him to sell it back to me.

Larry

Larry

SD Handgunner · « **Reply #22 on:** September 29, 2005, 11:19:29 AM »

Below is a photo of the SSK Contender in .250 Savage.

It wears a 3x12x Burris LER Handgun Scope in 3 Burris Zee Rings mounted on a Weaver Scope Base. The cartridge on the left is loaded with a 100gr. Nosler Ballistic Tip and the cartridge on the right is loaded with a 75gr. Hornady Hollow Point.

Since my last post in this thread you guys got me thinking so much about the .250 Savag, and how much I really regretted selling the barrel to my buddy, I started bugging my buddy to sell it back to me and he did. Not only did I purchase the barrel, but also the frame and scope in the photo as well as all the loaded ammo and brass.

Now I am a happy camper once again.

Larry

Lone Star · « **Reply #23 on:** September 29, 2005, 01:36:02 PM »

SD, glad you got your .250 back! I have one on a custom XP, had a 15" T/C in .250, and still have the similar-performing .25 Bullberry in a Contender. All worked great for me, the deer bullet of choice in all of these was the 100 BTip too. I used the 85 BTip for varmints, but the 75 V-Max souinds like a much better choice today.