Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Savage Collectors .300 Savage Loads

For many loads I use the "Stoney Point OAL Gauge"(a Hornady product now). However for the 300Sav I don't yet have a case threaded for the tool. To determine the COAL I likely used either a split case or the dowel rod method. Not as exact but gets it close.

Someday I will get the proper drill and tap to make my own cases for the tool.

BTW, my loads measure 2.703. They fit the magazine and feed fine.

Again....thanks guys, first rate responses...The rifle has been shipped, my brass is prepped, primered and I'm ready to go...I'll report back later...Rod BTW..here's this years venison albeit with a brand-x lever gun in .35 Remington ...Rod

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Just loaded up my first batch for the good ole 300. 3 different loads to test at the range. Wanted to see how a 125 grain bullet would perform out of her.

1) 38.5 grains BL-C2, 125gr Nosler BT
2) 40.5 grains BL-C2, 125gr Nosler BT
3) 42.5 grains BL-C2, 125gr Nosler BT

Load data is off of Noslers website. I will update with performance when i get out to the range.

-Z-

Doug B; way off topic but noticed the CT70 for your avatar. Nice! I have an 81' that always takes me back to yesteryear.

Z Mac; will be interested in how you think recoil & muzzle blast compare to standard loads too.

Thanks Recuit.

Mine is a 1971 and a four speed manual clutch. I understand they only made the four speeds for two years and I am very fortunate to have this little bike. It belonged to my Uncle when he past away and took a lot of work to get it running and safe. This is the exact bike my cousin and I used to pile on and off through the cow pastures we would go. Boy did we get full of crap! We had a blast as kids and when I ride it now....I still do! I stay out of the cow pies now.

THANK YOU, Doug, for the nice compliment... and I'm truly glad I was able to help you out. The ONLY thing I ask of those I help is to do the same for someone else... i.e., SHARE your knowledge.


Strength & Honor...

Ron T.

Well,I picked up the rifle in time to take it to NC with my wife for some time on the range at our cabin. Wish I'd of bought a 99 sooner...this thing's a bolt gun in disguise...and a well kept secret as well!

Here's some of the results...and many thanks to those of you regulars that contributed loads and advice.

With Sierra's 150 gr Spitzer...loads from 38 to 40 gr's of IMR 4064 produced gps from 7/8" to 1-1/4" at 100 yds off the bench...three shot gps all....tho on the few that I tried 5, I found little difference. With the same bullet and 3031, 37 grains gave me 1-1/2" vertical...could have been some holding error with my improvised "bench rest". With Winchester's 748 and 43.5 gr, I got right at 1-1/4" and a chrono'd 2590 fps from my 24" EG. I was having problems with the PACT chrono...?cold and low batteries? that day, so my results were single shot entries for the most part...not the best way for sure! I'll firm up the velocities over the Christmas holidays.

With Hornady's 150 gr Spire Pt, and 42 gr of Re-15, I got a 3/4" gp for 3 shots, my best for the day...and a chrono'd two shot avg of 2626 fps. Re-15 obviously needs some add'l exploration with this bullet...it's a nice combination.

With Speer's 125 gr TNT varmint bullet and 40.5 gr of 4064, I got three consistent 1" gps at 100 yds...a superb combination...I'm estimating the velocity at 2650 fps based on the book values but will chrono it later...for chucks out to 200 yds or so, this is the combination. As a side note, this bullet works well in the M1 Garand and M1A as well, giving a nice medium speed rapid fire and offhand bullet for those shooting in the CMP competitions.

Along those same lines...I tried the military M2, 152 gr flat based spitzer used for years in the govt's ball .30-06 load, (the all copper/cupro one not the steel jacketed). The 40.5 gr 4064 combination worked well here too...1-1/4" gps at 100 yds for three shots...two separate gps. in succession...gotta try this one again, as I've got two thousand of them bought for practice when they were a nickle a piece!

The only non-starter was Remington's 170 gr Round Nose designed for the .30-30...but which works to perfection in the .308, .30-06 and .30-40 Krag (and measures .308-.3085" from my mic). This one produced 2" gps. at 100 yds...but was tried late in the session and my 65 yo eyes may have been getting tired. I'll try it again as this is a really good deer bullet when pushed up to 2400+ fps from any of the above...and is cheap too....

Again...thanks for all the loads and advice...I'm a shooter first and foremost, and realize this is primarily a collector's forum...but results like these are, in my experience, worth sharing...The very best to you all in this Holy Season..Merry Christmas...Rod

3 shot group fired from my receiver sighted 1939 300 EG a few years ago with regular old Remington 150 gr. Cor-lockts.

Took me about 8 seconds to "work up" this load. The time I took to thumb them into the magazine

I give the gun all the credit cause frankly I'm not that good a shot.

This 42-43 gr varget load must be coming close to being compressed? At 40.8 it is just about to the case neck...

43 if full up with 150 grain bullet but not compressed. I am using WW brass. I do let the Varget spiral in to the case through the funnel as opposed to just dumping it. It is a full power load that you should use care in working up to.

99guy Now that my friend is a GROUP!!...And I did note the lack of a scope...if you consider yourself not much of a shot...you need some serious self evaluation. Very nice!!!!

I'm an open sight (OK receiver and tang peeps too) lever guy, for the most part...the guns were built for that type of shooting, look aesthetically better when so sighted, carry and handle better as well... and 40+ years, off and on, of Hi-Power shooting has taught me that three to four inches at 200 yds, rapid fire for ten shots, can be done, and you don't need to be on the USMC Camp Perry team to do it...Gotta see that front sight post, however.

For load work up, I like the scope, and do shoot hunched over the back porch rail, for the most part, simulating a deer stand type of position. Too, I sit a lot...against trees, fence posts etc while hunting, and I shoot for practice from that position as well. I do ok from offhand, too...

So here's today's results. Chrono'd data coming for those of you bored to tears...all from my 24" bbl'd 300 EG, all were four shot test averages, over a PACT Chrono. None were shot for groups...that's tomorrow's project, rain permitting.

Sierra 150gr Flate Base Spit...38.0 3031 = 2572 fps Ext Spd 15
Factory, R-P 150gr PSP...2618 fps, Ext Spd 29
Sierra 150gr Flat Base Spit...39.0 3031, 2717 fps, Ext Spd 16 (Primers flattening and a bit of crater here...I'd call it max in this rifle) Note: 39.0 gr of 3031 is 1/2 grain above max from some manuals...Rod
Sierra 150gr Flat Base Spit...38.5 3031, 2672 fps, Ext Spd 8
Hornady 150gr Spire...38.5 3031, 2617 fps, Ext Spd 5

Also shot Speer's 125 gr HP TNT, with 40.7gr of 4064, but got only 2490 fps and with an Ext Spd of 48...go figgur...it shot into a half inch gp at 50 yds for me the other day...not enuf distance to allow the spread and velocity fluctuations to take affect I'd guess.

Moderators..If this is getting beyond the scope of the "Savage Collectors" forum approved topics...I can cease and desist...(but this Savage has me worked up!)

The Best to all of you. Rod

Think it's great stuff and all within the scope of a collectors forum if you ask me. I realize I'm a Newb but on any firearm forum reloading info is very important. I have 2200 posts on another forum and many of t hose posts concern reloading. Many of the rifles we shoot either don't have current factory offerings or the factory loads are not safe. Keep it coming..I know very little when it comes to reloading .300 sav and am soaking it up. Now if you have Garand load questions..:)

Rodfac, the 24hourcampfire is very lightly moderated. And if it's vintage Savage stuff, we talk about it here.

You're perfectly on topic..

And if you ever want to ask something not Savage related, just start a new thread and put Off-Topic in the title.

And the published max for IMR3031 that I see is 38.5, so 39 seems a bit over. Did you find 39 as the max in a manual?

Cal...Your point is well taken sir, and thanks for the feedback...as to the 39.0 grain load of 3031, with 150 gr bullets...I found it in the NRA "Handloading" manual by Wm C. Davis, 2nd printing, April of '86. That manual shows a Hornady, Ptd SP, loaded in Win Cases, with Win 8-1/2 120 primers, and 39.5 gr of 3031 for 2664 fps. It was an NRA developed load, tested apparently for a CUP pressure of 45,370. NRA used a 24" bbl, but the Cartridge Length Overall is listed as 2.675", way too long for my magazine.

My use of 39.0 of 3031 was under that by 1/2 grain, but did give me the first hints of pressure...a flatter, slightly cratered appearing primer on all rounds. For that reason, I'd prefer to stay at 38.5 gr or less in my rifle. I just cross-checked an older Hornady manual as well, (early 80's vintage), which gives a max load of 40.2 gr of 3031 for use with their 150 gr Spire Pt.

Also, Re-checking Ken Water's "Pet Loads" manual in his column from Nov.'76, he did find that 38.5 of 3031 was Max for his rifle using 150 gr Sierra Spitzers loaded to an OAL of 2.600". I've used his suggestions for 20+ years and have always found him right on the mark...

Sierra's hard cover manual from the 80's shows 38.5 grains as max with their 150 gr Spitzer as well....

It occurs to me, that current lots of 3031 may run a little hotter than the older stuff from which some of these loads were assembled and published. And it's always wise to take a 50-100 fps loss and keep pressures where they belong. In the long run it makes little difference in the trajectory at practical hunting distances.

In light of the above, I've edited my post regarding that load.


Best Regards, Rodfac

Hodgdon puts many of their loads onto the internet, so you can check them. I checked their site and the Lee manual for IMR3031 and 150gr bullets initially and both show 38.5 as max. But now that I look farther I see that the newer Lyman manual shows 39, and Hornady shows a whopping 40.2 as max. Nosler on the other hand shows a max of 38.

So.. this is an odd powder to load apparently.

I'll check as well...I probably need to upgrade some of my manuals, most are 20-30+ years old; I use 'em but do work up loads gradually...but then again...at 65 yo, I'm not buying any green bananas either...Good points you brought up Cal... Best regards, Rod

Be careful using the Sierra 5th ed. 300 Savage data. Between the 3rd ed. and the 5th the test rifle changed from a 99 to a bolt gun, and the charge weights and velocities went up. Many of them don't jive well with other data.

Different bullet lengths make all the difference in safe upper limits. Loading all bullets of one weight to 2.60" overall with the same powder charge means you can go from compressed charges to 90% loads. Can make a huge difference in chamber pressure. That is one reason why you start low and work up. Another reason is of course to find the optimal barrel time / optimal charge weight that gives tightest group.
And different bullet shapes (longer or shorter ogives, boattails, round nose, gilding metal/copper, etc) mean more or less metal to metal contact with the barrel, which also means more or less max. chamber pressure with the same powder charge.
Just some examples of how much bullet length can vary:

Bullet lengths, all 150 grainers in .308 caliber:

Barnes TTSX: 1.288"

Hornadys: BTSP: 1.044"
Interbond: 1.260"
Round nose: 0.905"
SP (flat base)1.047

Sierras: SP: 1.065"
SPBT: 1.096"
SPFN: 0.884"
HPBT (Match King): 1.110"

this works out as follows in Quickload's computer model, using some of the various Hornady 150s and equal load length and powder weight:
2.6 COAL, H4895, 43.29 grains"

BTSP = 100% fill, 55,700 psi max. (overcharge)
Round Nose = 95% fill, 50,700 psi max. (darned hot)
Interbond = 109% fill, 68,000 psi max! (bad news!!)

Going cross-brand, using same powder and charge weight and OAL the program predicts:
Hornady BTSP = 100% fill, 55,700 psi (overcharge)
Speer BTSP = 101.9% fill, 58,000 psi (even worse)
Sierra BTSP = 100.8% fill, 56,600 psi
Barnes TTSX = 111.1% fill, 71,874 psi (Yikes!)
Nosler Accubond = 108.2% fill, 66,300 psi (overcharge)
Nosler Partition = 103.1% fill, 59,437 psi (overcharge)

Pretty scary stuff, taking some one else's recipe and "subbing" different parameters. Heck I tested Winchester primers vs. CCIs in a 30-25 WSSM recently and it made about 35 fps difference, meaning several hundred psi on the chamber, and made totally different groups with same bullet and charge.