Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Savage Collectors 303 hunting/ plinking rounds

Happy Holidays!

I am finally going to get my 303 ready to thump sum cervidae!

Ideally I want a plinker round and hunting round.

What are your experiences/ thoughts on this deal?

Thanks in advance
John

I’ve used the 150gr Hornady RN to great effect on deer. Not the most traditional 303 Sav bullet, but it’s nothing if not flexible.

https://www.hornady.com/bullets/rifle/30-cal-308-150-gr-interlock-rn#!/

I use that in my SRC. gets really good groups. Dropped an elk dead with the bullet in the neck just behind the head. Range was a little over 100 yards.

I got a bunch of NP 150s.

What velocity can one expect from a 150 outta da 303 savage?

Thanks for the reply’s.

If you are into cast bullets, I can recommend RCBS 30-180FN which drops about 193 grains in my alloy, for full snort loads. I use 35 grains of H-414 for 1970 fps. My plinking loads consist of Lyman 311359 and 6 grains of Unique. Never have shot jacketed bullets in the .303 but, if I had to, would use a 170 grain bullet for the .30-30 and work with 30-30 data or, do as Rory with the 150 RN. I think the 110 grain .30 Carbine bullet would make a good plinker.

I'm presently using Speer 130FN as my plinkers. They're still pretty cheap by today's standards and the recoil is really light.

Probably not the load I'll go with if I deer hunt it, but I wouldn't hesitate to use them on deer at woods ranges if I needed to. One of my uncles has plunked quite a few deer with the same bullet from his 30-30s over the years with no issues.

Combined with Leverevolution power and depending on your barrel length, I'd think you could push 2400-2500fps with the 150gr out of a 26" barrel if you're looking for velocity. 2300fps for sure. A 20"-22" barrel will cut velocity a couple hundred feed per second probably.
Some other powders should get you 2300fps+ also.

Here's 30-30 load data for a 150gr Sierra bullet from the Hodgdon web site.

Plinking- 125 Nosler Ballistic Tips. Hunting- Barnes 110 gr TTSX. The 303 has never been this deadly. (Barnes has my permission to change their logo to this if it helps)

I got model E and F I think 18 inches at best.

So I’d imagine 2000 fps so at 150 yards 1650?

My reloading books are in the garage, and I’m hobbled up after foot surgery.

Should be 20" barrel. Probably looking at 2000-2100fps muzzle, maybe 1500-1600fps at 150yds.

I dunno about 20 inches?

Looks to me you only got 17 of rifling max?

And this one is longer than the others I believe

Or does the barrel count the chamber in it?

Full length of the barrel is what's considered, so chamber also.

Thanks!

Looks like 150 grain NP would work!

Boy Howdy are they proud of them now!

excuse my dumb question. is the 303 sav. the first cal. 99s were made in?

Timely thread Mr Angus. 😎
Thanks for posting.

No but the Savage 1895 the 303 was! I think…….?

Now any powder recommendations?

I used LVR before it seemed I couldn’t get to the lower book range without sticky extraction?

If you still have any, IMR4320 works well with pretty much any bullet in mine.

Accurate 4064 does too, but velocities tend to be a bit pokey with it. Accurate 2015, 2495, and IMR 3031 have all shot well, too.