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