Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters John Wootters article on 250-3000

I have an article that John Wootters wrote on the Savage 250-3000 and Savage 99-A. It was in a column Versatile Handloading and was printed on newspaper like paper. He is listed as Associate Editor.

What publication was this?

Nice find. Dad said his 99 .250 didn't go "Bang!" It went "Meat!" I've found that to be true over the years. John's velocities are right on, too. I get 3415fps with 75gr Sierra hollow points and 40gr of RL15 and 3003 with 100gr NBTs and 37gr of the same in a 700 Classic. Dad's old rifle clocks 3071fps with 37gr IMR4320 and the 87gr Speer hot core. And still says "Meat!"

Interesting use of IMR4320, never used it in my 250 Savages. I need to try it.

Tag

Maybe a Houston, TX paper? I think he lived in that general area.

Houston Chronicle, assistant outdoor editor. Bob Brister was the outdoor editor for 35 yrs.

Brister and Wooters were two of who I cut my teeth on. Great writers and knew their stuff.
Are they still with us?

The 250-3000 is still a great round. They kill well beyond what you would think. I like to shoot heavier bullets in mine. I built my .250 on a Howa 1500 action and ordered a Krieger barrel for it cut with a 1:9 twist. My gun smith gave it a long throat and I seat the bullets long. The barrel is 26" long and it pushes 115 Grain Combined Technology Ballistic Tips out at well over 2800 FPS. It's a fine cartridge and I think it gives a .243 a real run for its money. And Recoil is nil.

I too grew up reading Brister and Wooters. Unfortunately both of them are no longer with us. I had the pleasure of shooting in a sporting clays tournament with Bob Brister. That man was the most incredible wingshot I have ever seen.

Filaman,

Unfortunately, neither John or Bob is still with us. Both were born in 1928, but Bob passed away at 77 in 2005, and John in 2013, only a few days short of his 85th birthday.

I was privileged to know both men, though Bob far better than John. Got to hunt and shoot shotguns with Bob on several occasions, including my first wingshooting trip to Argentina in 1996. Only got to talk to John, both in person at several "industry" shows, and quite a few long phone conversations.

I remember reading his columns.

Should also mention that until recently, IMR4320 was considered one of the top powders for the .250 Savage. In fact, one of my very early hunting mentors only use 4320 in his 99 Savage with 100-grain Speer bullets. He killed a pile of deer with that load, along with a few elk. Though he preferred the .30-06 and 180s for elk--again with IMR4320.

IMR4320 has always been my go to powder in the 35 Whelens,

I thought they were both gone now, but I wasn't sure. I met Wooters at the Shot Show in Houston I think in 1990. I say I met him. He was in one of the booths. I used to watch Brister on TV. The first time I ever saw a buck rattled up was on his show.

I shot sporting clays with Brister around Houston occasionaly. The man was a magician with a gun. The story around Houston was that he and his wife paid for their house with winnings from side bets at Colombaire shoots.

Docbill,

That's exactly how they did it. Bob told some VERY interesting stories about their live-pigeon days, including getting backed by certain people acquired their money by not strictly legal means....

Been using 4320 in the 250 since 1976,same year I bought Bob Brister's book.

My 250 likes 4320. So does my 7x57.

It was quite an era - John Wooters, Bob Milek, Jack O'Connor, Elmer Keith, Warren Page - just off the top of my head. I guess I am getting too old.

That article was in regards to the re-introduction of the 250 Savage cartridge in the model 99A in 1971, which was the first year for that model. In 1975 they added the 99CD model, and it was also available in 250-3000.

Last catalogued in a 99 in 1983. If they'd changed the twist rate back in the 1930's or 1940's before the 243 came out, I still think it'd be popular to this day.

My earlier 99s in 250-3000 have all loved H4895.