Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Savage Collectors reloading data for 303 savage

Kyle, I have a Savage 99H Carbine in .303. I bought it for very little on an auction because it has been completely refinished both wood and metal and drilled & tapped for a scope. It's no collector. But I bought it to shoot. It's a neat little rifle and it was made in 1928. I could never get it to shoot and it does have a .308" bore. I got this load form an old Lyman manual and the first time out it shot like a champ.

Load "1" - 6-23-10 Labeled "Hunting Load"
Caliber: .303 Savage
Powder: IMR 3031 29.5 Gr. 0.5 Gr. Below Max.
Bullet: Sierra 150 gr. FP (.30-30 Bullet)
Primer: WLR
OAL: ???? Crimped in cannelure.
Source: Old Lyman Manual.
Remarks: Says */- 2,300 FPS.

It eats up the .30-30 flat point bullets and puts them in small groups. It never shot at all with the spitzer bullets. It shoots 1" groups at 100 yards and that's plenty good for me, and old rifle and a cheap azz Tasco throw away 4x scope. Not much difference in the thutty-thutty.

I think I've eliminated the primers as a problem. Just tried my 300 savage 99 with WLR primers (same as 303), 39.3 grn IMR 4895, Win cases, same 150 grn rn 308 bullets. No problems.

When I go looking for information I dig deep.

I've had protruding primers on some starting loads, not from overly high pressure but rather from not enough pressure to push the brass back firmly enough to flatten the primer.

If you have a chrony, try checking the velocity. Symptom might disappear as you increase the charge.

I don't have my reloading manuals with me, so I'm trusting your statement that the stated load is actually a starting load.

Could it be a head-space problem?? I have done this in the past- cut two or three discs of notebook paper(aprox. .003" thick)and slip a full length sized case into the chamber. If you can put three of the discs on the bolt face and close the action, then take it to a gunsmith.

That's the identical load I use in my .303 with 150 grain round nose core lokts. It is a minimum load so you could go up to 36.0. I also use the old Lyman manual.

I've not had those problems with a .303 so don't know how to advise.

Does the action lock up tight?

locks up tight

Kyle, the .303 Savage and the 30-30 (in a Winchester 94) can be loaded to about 40,000 to 41,000 psi. The 5% reduced load data you refer to does not necessarily mean that pressures aren't equal. The cases are different and different case capacities with the same load can give different pressures. In reality, the two are for all practical purposes, equivalent.

The comparison of load data that I've done indicates no real difference. Some loads in the 30-30 are lower velocity than .303 loads with the same powder and bullet, some are higher. The .303 in my opinion shines with the heaver bullets, 170's to 190's. There's not much load data for bullets heavier than 170's in the 30-30 to even compare the two.

I've had good results w/ cast bullets sized to .311 over 16 grains of Alliant 2400 or IMR 4227. Very good accuracy and powerful enough to shoot deer a close ranger.

Looking for some Help & recommendations

I have a savage 1899H (I think). Shotgun butt plate, 20' barrel, takedown model, NO pistold grip or engravings. It is in great condition, barrel looks really good. I want to hunt with it in the big woods here in Maine. I think I want to shoot a 150gr load with a faster powder instead of the heavier 190gr bullets given my shorter barrel length.
I just bought 2 boxes from Wisconsin Cartridge Co., which seem to shoot pretty well. They are remanufactured (obviously) with PPU brass, 33gr H335 and 180gr Round nose Soft point.

Questions:
1) does anybody know about the amount of freebore in the chamber? I am wondering how close I can get to the rifling and still have the cartridges cycle thru the magazine. I know its a levergun, and I will likely never need to shoot farther than 100yrds, but I would like to get it dialed in for decent accuracy if I can. I can get an OAL guage and test it out nonetheless.
2) What do you all recommend for crimping? Standard light/medium crimp just to ensure uniform pressures....
3)Anybody have any good loads for deer hunting they would be willing to share and recommend? Thinking mostly about 150gr (Hornady Interlock RN) but I am open to suggestions
4) Lastly, what does everyone do in relation to resizing? Brass is obviously not cheap, so I would like to extend the life as much as possible. Nobody makes a Neck Re-sizing die for 303 savage that I can find. Is it possible to use a Lee FL die and partially push the case up into the die to push the shoulder down a bit when cases get a little tight in the action?


Been researching this really cool gun for a while now. Took me a while to find this forum, glad I found it!

Welcome to the campfire. Will81! Your rifle sounds like an 1899H or an early 1920's 99F, the only difference between the two really being the serial number range (the 1920's 99F is literally just a renamed 1899H). Under 236,000 would be 1899H, over 236,000 would be 99F.

1) I've never managed to get very close to the lands on any of my 99's. I stick to standard COAL's for cartridges to ensure they load in the rotor and feed properly, and that's about what we have. Accuracy is still usually pretty good.
2) I don't crimp 99 bullets unless there's a chance I might also use them in a tube stack gun like my dad's Marlin.
3) I used the Hornady 150gr in a 303 Savage load with H4895 and it performed very well. Not a speed demon, but the deer took 3 steps and fell over.
4) I full length resize. Neck sizing can work fine, but I've got multiple rifles in 303 Savage and don't want to separate the reloads. For paper shooting, I tend to use as minimum of load as is accurate and that extends brass life a lot.

I thought the early .303 were .311, then about 40,000 serial number changed to .308, I think I read that in Ken Waters "PET LOADS?

I know you are looking for load data, but, I bought 10 boxes of 190 GR Silvertips. My 1928 F in 303 kills deer quite dead with them.

Everything we’ve found indicates that the rifle bores were always .308” (or intended to be), but some early ammunition was loaded with .311” bullets.

I tend to keep my loads on the tame side. Have taken several whitetail within 100 yards with my 1920 model 1899H .303 Sav with this load and it is accurate enough with receiver sight.

This. Savage tried .311 bullets in their .308 bores at first in a vain attempt to squeeze more performance out of it. Obviously a pipe dream.

Just treat it like a .30-30 and you'll be ok.

I like heavy bullets in a .303, but then again I like heavy bullets in a .30-30 too. 28 grains 3031 + a 190 grain cast bullet in both of them, interchangeably. Big medicine.

Since dead is dead, that sounds like an outstanding load.

Calhoun,

Are you at maximum OAL of 2.525" (I think thats what it is off hand), or are you going a tad shorter? Whichever way, is there any particular reason, or are you just seating to the cannelure and calling it good?

Does anybody have experience using LeverEvolution in their 303sav loads? Anybody find a reason to try and copy Hornady's Leverevolution 30-30 round with the 160gr FTX?

You can actually to clear out to 2.600" +/- couple thou, depending on your individual rifle. The magazine is the limiting factor for most rotary mag 99s, not the chamber/throat length . My pet 303 loads are 110 Nosler ETips over IMR3031 or IMR4320, and the COAL is ~2.597" on them. Aside from a few round and flat noses I fiddled with early on after I got the rifle, all my 303S loads are light spire points well over 2.520"

With the round/flat noses, I generally found mine to be happy for accuracy seating them right around the cannelure, though.