Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Savage Collectors 250-3000 for African Game?

Hmm... I'm unclear about what we're talking about now. I was referring to 250S with 87gr bullets, not 25-20.

I know what you had meant for loads, I guess I could have written that clearer.

I had meant an 87gr 250 load is nowhere near the same class as any 25-20 load.

I posted comments on the Africa forum referencing this, but suffice it to say, speed DOES indeed kill...but bullet construction is essnetial (ask Sir Edward Gray's brother using a 280 on a lion). My uncle took TWO lion in the late 60s in Mozambique using a 270 and 130gr Winchester Silvertips. I think we are coming around to using lighter calibers with the introduction of modern bonded or bullets like the TTSX (my favorite) but they need speed. Also, there is a lot of evidence out there that Cats are very sensitive to high velocity, so there is that. Still, I don't think I'd ever use a 250 Savage on a lion, leopard maybe..Anyway, great read and great thread.

I don't think I'd ever use a 250 on dangerous game, either, but I wouldn't hesitate to plug deer with the 87 grainers.

The TTSX are probably my favorite bullet, as well. They've worked well in every single cartridge I've tried them in. Haven't used any of my 99s on deer yet, but the 250 and 300 both have TTSX loads (80 and 130gr respectively) ready to go in the event.

The Nosler 110 ETip designed for 300 Blackout works well in the 303 Savage, but they've turned into unobtanium so I just recently worked up a 140 Monoflex load for that as a substitute. I don't know how the terminal performance with those is yet, but the accuracy is definitely there.

Once CA passed that lead ban, I envision mandated monos for hunting as becoming an inevitablilty eventually, so I figured I'd get ahead of the curve and have myself stocked up on monos with good loads for every rifle I own well in advance.

It comes down to bullet construction. Those earliest 87 gr. bullets these guys were using weren't much to write home about, but evidently did ok. I wouldn't compare them to modern bullets though - we have the edge in that regard.. Today's 87 Speer is darned good proven bullet that kills with alacrity. What's an extra 13 grains in a 100 grain bullet gonna do? Whittle a tiny piece of lead down to 13 grains and look at it and get back to me.

The Speer Hot Cor is just a damn good bullet. Don't matter the caliber or weight.

I'm old school and a big fan of partitions, but that ain't no shade on Hot Cors.

I killed a big bull elk with 180 grain Hot Cors about 10 years ago and the first one went all the way through the elk and broke his off leg between the shoulder and elbow on its way out. The second one went through his chest and hung up in the hide on the other side which I proudly cut out and still have it today. I weighed it once and if memory serves me right it was around 150 grains. Range was in the low 400s.

Impressive performance, I wouldn't expect anything less from an 87 grain 257 Hot Cor shot at deer size animals.

Said 30 caliber Hot Cor after travelling through an 800 lb animal.

Devastating....

Can't beat that with a stick!