Home Forums Reloading Big Game Rifles Go to powder for the .250 Savage?

So I tried a new powder in my .250 Savage and wasn't impressed. I loaded straight from Hogdon's web site and the 85 grain Speer SP bullet. 33 grains IMR 8208 XBR, Rem 9-1/2 primer, and once fired R-P brass. I have several pounds of this powder and thought I'd try it because it listed good velocities in their load data. I started showing pressure signs at 33.5 grains loaded .010" off the lands.

Once I established pressure I ran a seating depth test starting from .010", .040", .070, and .10" off the lands. Best group was 2" at .040" off the lands. The three other groups were closer to 4", all groups were six shots.

I keep thinking I should have started with IMR 4350 or 4064 as both seem to have a lot of load data for this cartridge. The rifle is a Charles Daly mini Mauser so I'm limited on magazine space. Pretty much 100 grain bullets are my limit.

I haven't shot much 8208 in my 250, but nothing I shot was that bad. What records I saved from the flood are in storage so I can't give you specifics.

4895 of either flavor, Varget, RL15, 4320, N140, 4064, 3031, they've all worked well for me.

Is this rifle a good shooter otherwise? Are the cartridges free of excessive runout?

You got a 250 Savage to work in a Mini Mauser action? What was the rifle chambered in orig.

Powders that work for me in several 250 Savages, IMR 3031, RS Big Game, RL 15 and others.

I bought the rifle off of Kevin Weaver and it was originally a .22-250. The bolt stop has been moved back, and the magazine opened a little. I don't know all the specifics on the rifle.

As far as how the rifle has shot previously, I really don't know. I bought this rifle about three years ago, but a move and a broken leg has kept it on the back burner. I did buy some Reed's custom ammo for it but it shots horribly as wel, but when I examined it more closely I found the bullets seated with the ogive below the case mouth. So I tore down the remaining ammo for components.

I don't have the equipment to properly check run out, but I did roll the finished cartridges across a mirror. I didn't detect any wobble in the bullets, if I did I'd pull them apart and start over. For a few years I've been using a decapping die and removed the decapping rod from my sizing dies to prevent run out.

How much interference fit is there when you seat a bullet? No expander in my RCBS 308 FL die is perfect for WW brass, but would leave the neck way too small for Lapua or Federal.

I would try a Speer 87 gr and see if that works AA 2520, RL 15 or a good mid range powder should work if that does not you may have other issues. What twist is the barrel ?

It's Remington brass and none of the bullets seated like there was excessive tension on the necks.




They were 87 grain Speer, my first post was a typo on the grain weight. The barrel is a 1:10 Pac-Nor feather weight.

Looking at the experience you have with IMR 8208 and Speer 87 gr bullet, I would look at the rifle.

Several Savage 99's have came thru my hands and they all would group 2" or less with factory 100 grain loads and 87-90 grain handloads. The worst one would group 2 1/2" at 100 yards.

I have a Ruger 77 tanger that likes 36 gr of IMR 8208 with the Sierra 90 gr HPBT for MOA groups, but H4895 does better and continues to be my go to powder in this rifle. I started at 32 grains.

I had a Rem model 7 that I sold with a 1-10, 250 Savage, Pac-Nor, looked at my notes with factory Rem 100 Gr loads it shot .54 " , with 37.5 Gr WW 760 100 gr Speer, under .4 ".

I've had several rifles in .250 Savage and a couple in .250 Ackley Improved over the last thirty years. Having tried a number of powders, I've found none better for overall performance with 87 to 100 grain bullets than H4895.

Well I have several of the powders mentioned so I have some options. I'll try another powder if it doesn't work then I'll send the rifle back to Kevin for him to sort out.

4895! Also had good results with IMR-4320.

Another vote for H4895, 33-33.5 gr. with a 100 gr. Speer works in all of my guns, including 1-14 twist guns. But, my 77RSI likes H4831 with the 117gr. Hornady RN just a bit more. That wil be with me on the opener here in MI.

+1 on H4895, have had half a dozen Savage 99's I worked up loads for and that powder was easy in all of them with good velocity.

Well I went out and loaded up a few more rounds for it and changed the bullet to a 90 grain Sierra GK. I didn't shoot the best today, but I kept the same load and only changed the bullet. It showed a lot more potential, but I'm not sure 8208 is the right powder but I wanted to rule out the rifle.

Shots with the 87 grain Speer bullets. Shots were two groups of three with the same seating depth.


90 grain Sierra GK bullets. Same process as above two groups of three shots.

tag

IMR 4895 and a 90 grain Gameking

My 250 Savage also shoots bug holes with H-4831sc and the Hornady 117 gr round nose.

Doc

Pretty much any bullet over 1" won't fit in my magazine without eating excessive powder room. I realize the 117 grain is under 1" long and would fit, but the 87 grain Speer and 90 grain Sierra are both shorter. I'm also trying to set this up for pronghorn and mule deer rifle for my daughter, and I'd like a little better trajectory than I'd get out of the Hornady 117 grain RN bullet.

Less than 1" 100 grain bullet options

.956" Sierra SP 100 gr

.987" Hornady Interlock 100 gr

.940" Speer HotCor 100 gr

.937" Speer SP 100 gr