Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Savage Collectors Oddball 300 Savage ammo

I recently bought a 99EG in 300 Savage. Along with the rifle came four boxes of ammo. One was Remington, another Winchester, and two were Herter's. I think the Herter's ammo is old stuff, but I don't have a clue.

It says: "International Match Grade" on the box. The ammo is loaded with 150 grain round-nose bullets. The box calls them "150 grain soft point banana peel bullets, most perfect mushrooming bullets made in the world." It further says "ultra precision made electronically weighed and inspected". The end flap of the box says "magnum international match grade velocity ultra accurate". It also says "made in Sweden". If all that is true, animals will fall down dead as soon as I chamber a round!

Has anyone ever seen this stuff before? Is it collectible?

Marty

Haha! The hyperbole of George Lenard Herter was the best! The ammo was purportedly made by Norma back in the heyday of Herter's mailorder business. Some have denied that but I'm convinced it was. Quality was very good, like you would expect of Norma stuff. Heck, I'm still using some Herter's brass from 50-60 years ago.

That's as far as the hype goes though. I never ever got what you would call "match" accuracy with any type of Herter's bullets - not the wasp waist or the banana peel or any other. They simply shot poorly, at least for me. Today their value lies mainly in "collectability" so make of that what you will.

Google Herter's for a thorough recap. There's not enough space here to describe who they were and what they sold. Then there's G.L.Herter's bombastic claims for every single one of his products, although some of his stuff was pretty good and his big thick catalog was better than the Sear's Christmas Catalog to a gun-nut kid in the 1960's.

Thanks. Any idea when this stuff was made?

I'd have to see the box. A pic would help. Herter's heyday was in the 50's-70's, so most likely 60's when they were at their peak.

Warning label added about 1961.

Being an antique ammo collector that Herters stuff is what we look for. Not rare but unusual and makes a great display and conversation piece. I would not shoot it, instead store it away for a time when no other ammo is available. To just shoot up ammo like that is akin to fingernails on a blackboard to us collectors.

Ole Herter was quite the salesman. Full of chit as a Christmas goose, but entertaining.

Best not come around here then! I recently broke down a full box of Rem-UMC .25-20 single shot ammo for the brass. I would break down that Herter's ammo for the brass too if I wanted it to feed a .300 Savage. Sorry, but there are times when "collectors" trip up we odd ducks who persist in keeping antique guns barking.

Same... I think just about every box of "old" ammo I've ever acquired has been pulldown fodder.

Isn't that like drilling and tapping EVERY pre 1950 Savage 99? We all know scoped rifles shoot more accurately.

I once happened onto a split case of 270 ammo for the low low price of free. It was half Remington Bronze points in the green, white, and red boxes and half Herters International banana perfect space shuttle grade Swedish made stuff.

The Herters was 150RN stuff and was very accurate in my dad’s old 700. No telling how many pigs and coyotes he killed before he shot it all up. It seemed to perform well on pigs. I wouldn’t hesitate to use it as issued for hunting deer or something.

Having extra holes on a rifle never bothered me one bit. Frankly, I like coming across them because it means the price is going to lower 🤷‍♂️

I have a grand total of two scoped rifles; the presence of base holes doesn't make mounting a scope mandatory.

I commented above with tongue in cheek. I hunt with vintage ammo on occasion. Ammo was made to be shot. However, to just tear it up and shoot dirt clots and pinecones with cool old ammo is another thing entirely. There is lots of ammo out there, so the need to purposely destroy it is not necessary in most instances. My oldest ammo I ever used for hunting was a round loaded in the 1880's. It was a 50/70 and I used it for its intended purpose.

My Photobucket account is suspended and I'm not going to reactivate it for a monthly charge. I have not yet tried another hosting service, so I can't post a picture. Leave me (or PM me your email or cell numbers and I will send a photo. Regarding shooting this ammo, I have plenty of 300 Savage factory ammo and I handload. No need to shoot this stuff, at least until I determine its value.

I would like to know more about this ammo. My email is mjmkoptonline.net, cell number is 973-800-4684. I will reply with pictures. Thanks in advance.

Not to cause a ruckus but.
Maybe the guy with "collectable ammo" could ask to trade, I don't know, maybe 1.5 to 1, or 2 to 1 for some non collectable stuff , from the guys who want to keep it "collectable"?
Good luck
No dawg in this hunt.

I thunk any .300 savage is odd ball now.

In the case of that particular box of highly "collectable" ammo its brass went into the kitty to keep the four vintage single shot rifles cooking that I own that use that case - .25-20 Single Shot Winchester Low Wall, R2 Lovell built on a Winchester High Wall, another R2 Lovell built on a single shot M1903 Springfield, and a .22 Maximum Lovell built on a single shot Krag action. The value to me is in keeping them shooting which far surpasses any tangible value the ammo has in its own right.

Firearms were made to be shot. So was ammo.

Can't argue that.
Just because one can doesn't mean one should.
This is the Savage Collector forum.

If we don't set some of these things aside what will the

people who come after us learn about the past and

pass on to the next people who come along.

This is the ammo in question.

Late 60's.

Ultra Magnum Velocity 300 Savage... gotta love that old Herter's hype 🤣

Sure, some of these things - but I see collectors with ungodly piles of stuff. I also see enthusiasts who would like to experience what their forebears experienced but can't because all the stuff is wrapped away in collections or headed that way.

I got a box or two of that..

Surely you jest. Willy Joe Jim Buck NEEDS those 214 boxes of Kleanbore 32 Rem... for his model 14 that hasn't been fired since 1971 😏😉

My old man is like that... it's gonna be an absolute disaster whenever he finally kicks the bucket.

Herters catalogue 1974
I used to drool over their gunstocks !

IMO Remington did their typical foot shot by stopping loading the round nose 180 grain Core-Lokt for the .300 Savage. It is still offered in the .308 and .30-06 and is/was the preferred whitetail bullet of lots of Midwest deer camps. I still have 5 of those left for my Savage and the last deer that I shot with that cartridge and bullet fell over like a bunny rabbit. I suppose with that shorter .300 Savage neck, holding a 150 grain bullet is easier, but lots of us never had a problem with those Remington 180's and Federal still loads a 180 for that round. 150's don't always give complete penetration on a deer, but we have yet to stop one of those 180's in any deer or pig in my case and always left a great blood trail if the animal ran. No small thing in our crowded WI. deer woods.