Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Savage Collectors Speer 100gr. Spitzer

Has anyone had luck stabilizing Speers 100 grain Spitzer in a 1-14 99 in 250 Savage?

I've had them shoot well in not only Savage 99's but a Winchester Model 70 Lightweight with a 1-14 twist.

But I did have trouble with one 99--which turned out to have a rifling twist of 1-15, as near as I could measure it. Such variations were common in the days when sine-bar cut rifling machines were used, as they were in older 99's. Sine-bar machines had the virtue of being able to vary rifling twist to whatever the operator desired, within certain limits, but without a careful operator the twist could vary some. I finally had to go to the 87-grain Speer to get that rifle to shoot well.

I've read bout the twist variations in 250-300 99s, but never check mine till 45 minutes ago. Multiple checks show 13 1/2 twist. Gonna try some 100 grainers to see if the 1948 EG will spit em out straight. Shoots 87 Speer Hot Cores very well, but curiosity is calling.

I have grouped MOA from 2 99's using this bullet and 35.5 grains Reloder 15.

Both rifles wore 2-7 scopes.

I just do NOT get it. I have killed many deer with a 87 grain bullet that is "supposed" to be a varmint bullet. Not a single deer has required a second shot, except the ones I missed on the first shot. Still, when hit, they looked electrocuted. I have shot several deer with the 100 grain Winchester silvertip from the same rifle. Yes, they died, relatively slower, but died nonetheless. A deer will never notice 13 grains of bullet. Myself, I'll stick with 87's.

LBK, there is nothing to "get". The quickest I have ever dropped a whitetail was with my 99 EG in 250-3000 and 87 grain Speer Hot Core. Didn't take a step and was down before I heard the bang. But when all my guns have good solid loads, I need something new to challenge me at the loading bench. Its purely a labor of love, not trying to reinvent the wheel. I will periodically go thru this process with all my rifles when routine overcomes me. Its a challenge that gives me more excuses to do more shooting/loading bench stuff. To me, that's what its all about.

I guess I need MORE spare time.

I'll vouch for that and the K going over and under the spruces.

Yep, you were there!!!!!!!!!!!!! I will miss you this year, joe.

I agree. I do hunt but also an avid collector and reloader. I spend a lot of time working up loads for my rifles. One of the reasons I do collect is to buy rifles in calibers I have always been interested in and experimenting with loads for them. I am not sure what I will hunt with this year it is always a hard choice for me. I have taken a deer with my 300 Savage still waiting is my 303 Savage and the 250.

Going to the range time after time with the same loads and guns knowing its going to shoot the same, feels like I'm getting stagnant. I very well might stick with my time proven go to loads, but love playing with various combinations to mix things up. Hell, I might even learn something new in the process. This particular twang is motivated by will a 1-13 1/2 twist be more stabilizing than a 1-14 twist for 100 grainers in my 250-3000 EG. Inquiring minds want to know. I might find this to be successful experiment, but won't know till I go out and play. As previously stated, aint a whitetail on the continent going to be able to tell the difference between 87 and 100s, but I will have had the kid on christmas eve type of euphoria going thru the process. Have multiple loads for all my shootin irons, and can garantee before my time is up will generate a few more.

Excellent train of thought, but if you think 1/2" of twist will show up in your hunting loads, then you also might consider weighing EVERY bullet because a half grain of bullet wright one way or another could also have bearing on your results. Personally when I have an accurate load and my chronograph tells me what I want, I stop experimenting. I stick with what I know works.

Currently I load for all the Savages plus 6.5x55,270WCF,308, 6mm Rem, .223, 30-06 and 7x57.

I have one caliber and rifle on my bucket list still is a Mannlicher Schoenaur in 6.5x54 MS. I have one in 30-06 but still would like this classic.

When I buy factory seconds......I do weigh every bullet. Then sort them by .2 grains. You would be surprised in the weight variations of the "visual flawed" bullets. I have found most regular bullets will weigh nuts on. Another thing to consider is weighing the brass. On the hopes equal weight correlates to equal performance during firing.

Yes and no.

I worked up some loads in a couple 99's with 1-14" ROT earlier this year with a few different brands of 100 grain ammo. One rifle would stabilize the old style Speer spitzer and new style Hot-Cor. The other rifle would stabilize the old style Speer spitzer with a length of .937", but would not stabilize the Speer Hot-Cor with a length of .940".

Mule Deer covered this in the second post of this thread.

I answered the OP's question specifically with my experience.