Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Savage Collectors .300 Savage Loads

I'm in the process of acquiring a .300 Savage...a cartridge I have no experience with. Anyone have any pet loads for a Savage 99 in that estimable caliber?

I cast my own bullets for both rifle and pistol so if you've got some suggestions along those lines, I appreciate them as well. Looks to me like the short neck on the .300 would make cast bullets problematical.

Too, I've several .30-30's by two other manufacturers and have found that Remington's 170 gr Core-lok works well, in them as well as .308, .30-40 Krag and .30-06. How 'bout the .300 Savage?

I've got 50 years of hand loading experience behind me...so let me have it.

Best Regards, Rodfac

One of our members, 260Remguy, praises the performance of 170gr RN bullets in the 300 Savage. Never tried them myself, but would think they would work just fine.

I like Partitions, and 150gr Partitions would be my first choice if my 99 liked them. It doesn't, but it does love the 180gr Partitions and H4895. Not a fast bullet, but to say that it works is an understatement.

Just think of the 300 Savage as a mid level loading of the 308 Win, and choose your bullets from there.

And share what you find, please. Always looking for more things to play with.

And congrats on getting a Savage!!! Just be aware that one is never enough...

It's hard to beat a regular cup and core 165 grain bullet with 42.0 grains of RL15 if it groups in your rifle. That's been a good load for me in 6 different rifles.

The only 170 gr. 30-30 bullet I used was the Hornady, and none of the three 300 Savage rifles I load for shot well with it.

I've stayed mainly with 150 gr. bullets, flat based spitzers from Sierra, Hornady, and Remington. 38.5 gr. of IMR4895 shot well with all bullets from all rifles. 40.0 gr. of the same and IMR4064 shot well in some of the rifles. I don't recall the charge weight, but IMR4320 worked very well in one rifle.

170 grain, .308 bullets are ususally intended for the .30-30 Win and are usually sized to .307 diameter. When run through dies with a .308 expander plug, the bullet doesn't really sit tightly enough in the case and just might get shoved into the powder charge. First mike the bullets and don't run .307 diameter bullets in a .308 bore (300 Savage, .308, .30-06 etc.)

All you need to know is VARGET and 150 grain Win Power Points, CCI BR2 primers and Win. brand Cases. Up around 42 to 43 grains does the job for me. Work up using all the usual precautions and a reputable chronograph. You'll get 2600 to 2650 fps and fine accuracy.

rodfac,

My experience with two 300 sav chambered rifles has been that best accuracy occured between 2400 and 2500 fps with 150 gr bullets. I'm loading for eastern woods hunting where shots beyong 100 yards are rare, more like 40 to 70 yards. Velocity wasn't a big item. If you need more range you should search a poster here named Steelhead. He likes the Barnes 130 gr TTSX I think it's called. Speaks highly of it.

150 cup and core, and 42 gr Reloader 15 shot terrific in two different 99EG's. You can go a little hotter (Alliant says 44 max with 165's) but this load worked very well, and ran about 2620 fps froma 24" barrel.

I am also anxious to try some Varget, too, as I have a lot of it.

130gr TTSX and 42-43grs of H4895.

I use 30 grain of Re15 behind a Lyman 311291 cast bullet. No problem loading them, just expand the necks a little. I get 2-3inch groups with scoped rifles, 3-4 with tang sights at 100 yards. Good Luck.

Mike

My hunting load for my deer rifle, a pristine 1953 Model 99 (EG) in .300 Savage caliber has a velocity deviation of only �3 fps (+1 fps/-2 fps), a chronographed muzzle velocity of 2635 fps using a 150 grain Nosler Ballistic Tip Bullet in front of 40.8 grains of H4895 (.1 grain less than the listed MAXIMUM LOAD) sparked by a standard Winchester Large Rifle Primer.

This load is both accurate and effective. Sighted in at exactly 25 yards, this load gives the rifleman a point-blank-range of 250 yards wherein the bullet never rises or falls more than 3 inches above or below the line-of-sight from the muzzle to 250 yards. This makes range estimation a moot point.

All you need do to make a killing shot is aim for the center of the target's "boiler-room" and the bullet will strike within 3 inches of that aiming point out to 250 yards.

H4895 is one of Hodgdon's "EXTREME" powders which means this powder is not effected by temperature change which means the rifle's zero with your hunting load maintains the SAME MUZZLE VELOCITY and thus the same point-of-impact regardless of the air temperature... a handy advantage if you work your load up in the heat of August and take a shot at a huge, trophy buck in much colder weather.

For black bear, elk or moose, simply substitute a 150 grain Nosler Partition Bullet for the 150 grain Ballistic Tip Bullet and you're "good-to-go".


Strength & Honor...

Ron T.

Great info guys...gun should be in my hands in a week...I'll report back...Many thanks...Rod

Hi Rod,
I've been shooting 42-44 gr Reloder 15 with the 165 SST hornady, some decent groups, around 1.5 inches or so. About 1.1-inch groups with 44 gr RL 15 and the Hornady 160 FTX Leverevolution bullet. I have some Hornady 165 flatbases coming that will likely shoot well too. Rifle is a 1949 EG.

I'm sure everybody has there pet loads and powders. Mine happens to be 37 grains of IMR3031 with 150 grain Sierras. Had 4 300 savages that all loved this load.
Jerry

Still waiting on the gun...but the brass from powder valley came in...Winchester head stamp...Dies and a trimmer (RCBS and Lee) came in yesterday...Got 'em all trimmed up and primed, just need the rifle. I've got Sierra 150 gr Spitzers on hand that I use in my .308 Sako Forester, as well as a limited supply of Hornady's in the same weight. I'll give a my 170 gr RN Core-locs a chance as well. They're just over a MOA in an Infantry Krag ,.30-40 that serves me well. With that short neck, I'm betting a round nose will do well...and out to 200 yds the trajectory is about the same.

For powder, I've got RE-15, 748, IMI 4895, 4064, 3031, and 4320...So I should be able to try some of your prescriptions...

Does any one know the standard twist rate for Savage .300's. The one I'm waiting on is an EG, serial number is 6225xx...what vintage would that be? It's drilled and tapped topside,so the collector interest isn't much, but looks clean in the pics. I've got a Leupold Alaskan 2.5x waiting for it (with rings)...one of the short run with 7/8" tubes...really like the scopes, light, good optics, and look right on levers or small bolt guns, but they're getting pretty pricey...and the rings are almost as bad.

Thanks for the load recommendations all of you, glad to be a member here. This'll be my first Savage, one that I've often considered but never got around to buying. Too, it's a caliber I've not worked with before. Hope to have some shooting done in the next week.

The best to all, Rodfac

My 99F likes Sierra 150g SP #2130, CCI 200 primer, 41g IMR 4895, Rem cases (full length re-sized). Bullet seated just off the lands. Chrono says 2440fps and consistently shoots 1" groups.

My hunting combination this year. No luck yet as work and playing "bird dog" for the sons has limited my opportunities. I like the bullet for deer, has been a good performer in my .308 and 30.06.

99F 150 NP's and 44 gns. RL-15 for 2650 fps.

99G 180 Speer rnsp and 39 gns. RL-15 for 2370 fps.

Shoot both rifles with Redfield peeps and they are accurate fun rifles to shot and hunt with.

Gunner

How can you tell the bullet is seated "just off the lands" I use the the 2.6 COL, am I doing something wrong?

FWIW: I've had good luck with IMR 4064 in my 1946 EG 300.
40.3 grains under a Hornady 165 grain BTSP gives me right at
2550 and 1.5" at the worst...7/8" the best. I full length size and use CCI 200 primers.

Well heck, I might as well stick my nose in too. My "go to" load is 40gr. 4064 + 150 Sierra spitzer. Performs well in a bunch of different rifles I have fed- 99s, 40/45s, and a 1920.