Home Forums Reloading Big Game Rifles Duplicating .300 Savage ballistics in .30-06?

Thinking about duplicating .300 Savage loads in my .30-06. Anyone duplicated similar, and were there issues? I don't plan on it, but could you use .30-30 load data also?

Thought about case filler too and using Pufflon.

Thanks.

You could probably use IMR or Hodgdon 4895 and 60% of a max 30-06 load and be close.

Bingo - I was about to post the same thing. One of the 4895's is your friend here. Fwiw, 48.0 IMR 4895 and most anybody's 150 grain cup and core bullet will give you right about 2700 fps from a 22" barrel which is .300 Savage territory and very accurate to boot. No case filler needed and I'd strongly recommend against using any as it may do unusual things with pressures.

I appreciate the quick responses.

What about using same load data for RL 15 or Varget for .300 Savage in .30-06? To reword the question, are there any issues loading lower powered cartridge data in .30-06 case (staying within .30 caliber bottlenecked family)? My current .30-06 load is actually closer to .308 ballistics using IMR4064/RL15/Varget powders.

There shouldn't be any problems using RL-15, Varget or any of the medium quickness powders like that. I experimented with IMR4895 and RL-15 in four different 30-06's and two .270's (with 130 grain bullets) to try to find good mid-range loads and they both worked well. Depending on the rifle sometimes RL-15 would best the 4895 accuracy by a smidge.

There are no issues using 4895.

Hodgdon recommends it here.

If you can get it, 4895 is the powder you want to use. It works well and it seems to be in stock.

Around 45 gr 4895 / 150gr bullet should be in the ballpark. I've gone a lot lower with cast bullets.


I've used 4064 with jacketed bullets and it will work fine at 300 Savage levels, around 47gr...but I wouldn't go much below that point.

Varget would work but it's kind of a waste of Varget if the other powders are on hand.

4895 will burn consistently at lower pressures so that is why it is the preferred powder for reduced loads across the board. R15 is the worst choice out of the three, but it worked for Jim In Idaho so there's that.

Don't use a filler.

It's not needed and there have been reports of barrel damage with fillers, and with 4895/4064 it's not necessary anyway.

Since I never have a shot over 100 yards I certainly don't need full power '06. I use 46 grs. of H-4895/150 gr. bullets in my 20" barrel Mannlicher-Schoenauer Stutzen for 2530 fps as my close range deer load. Very accurate in several of my rifles but, I've only chronoed them in my Stutzen. 49 grs. of IMR-4320 is also accurate, hitting same point of impact but, haven't chronoed them.

I loaded Hodgdon's recipe for 125 Sierras and H4895 for a friend's son when he started hunting. He used all 40 rounds for targets, deer, and a couple groundhogs. Took him a couple years and by that time, he had grown enough to handle factory 150gr loads.

The .300 Savage was, itself, and attempt to duplicate ballistics of the cartridge, ball, caliber .30, Model of 1906 (M1906) loading and the later cartridge, caliber .30, ball, M2 loading, ie., what we now refer to as the .30-06. The attempt was successful, give or take, and depending on barrel length.

So duplicating .300 Savage ballistics with an '06 case is not ground-breaking. Retro is a better way to put it.

I'd go with a 4895 burn rate, too.

Didn't Ingwe do this recently? It might be worth a PM to the Poobah.

FC

You'll probably need to up the loads a couple of grains to make up for the larger capacity.

46 grains of IMR4895 under a 150 is very mild shooting in my '06, and it groups well too.

As I remember, Ken Waters had a reduced 30-06 load he called the "30-30-06" load. I would have to look it up. It most likely employed 4895.

Retro is the word.

Why not just use 30-06 starting loads. They pretty much duplicate the 300 Savage.

I loaded 42 gr. of 3031 with 150 gr. bullets for my daughter. These were very accurate and about 2300 fps. in a 22" Rem 700. Killed the deer just fine.

Three hours late.. but TJay hit the nail on the head...

42 grains of 3031.. used it for years with kids..duplicates 30/30 speeds with a 150 grainer..
44 grains duplicates the 300 Savage.. you'll find it very accurate...

i don't do reduced H 4895 loads.. there are a lot better powder choices...Hodgdon recommends it, only because they were given the data from ADI.. Hodgdon didn't develop it at all...

60% load data is inaccurate when ever I've tried it..(unless what you call accurate is not being that picky)

It has a large retort when you pull the trigger, ( which can intimidate new shooters, both kids and female)

and you'll have a bunch of black blow back residue on your cases...( meaning you'll need to clean them real good when you reload them again)

I knocked a good bit off my 30-06 loads when my sons graduated to a full-size rifle. I just looked up H4895 in 30-06/150 grain loads and knock about 10% off the MAX. That'll get you around 2600 FPS velocity, and then work up or down from there until you hit the velocity you want.

My 308 WIN loads do pretty much the same thing, only my Savage 99 seemed to like 165 grainers better.

No need for filler.

I've used 44 grains of IMR 4320 with Speer 150gr flat nose "30/30" bullets with success. Very accurate in my Remmy 700 and soft shooting. It is likely a load that is between the 30/30 and the 300 Savage, but it works well.

42 grains of IMR-3031 with a 170 gr. FN .30-30 bullet gives me 2350 fps from a 22"barrel. Pretty close to the .300's 180 gr. load.

Thanks for sharing your Speer 170 gr load, Not many use the Speer 170 gr in the 300 Savage and i'm not sure why.....the bullet is certainly stout enough.