Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Savage Collectors .300 Savage Loads

That's some good cogent thinking fellas.

As to primers, I too like to stay standardized as much as possible on one make, in order to maintain predictability if for no other reason. I lucked into a huge stash of RWS LR primers years ago and all of my current data is based on them. God help me when I run out and can't get any more. Early comparisons between them and other domestic brands show them to be milder than most all of them, and extremely consistent. Standard deviation with several pet loads indicate a favorable likeness to Federal Benchrest primers, my old favorite. Could well be hogwash for I certainly don't have the laboratory equipment to conclusively measure all of that, just a chronograph.

A cautious attitude fueled by a rational brain is the most important tool for any hand loader.

Well,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,THAT lets me out!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

yup, me too

Has anyone noticed a lot of neck clearance in .300 Savage chambers? I had a 1950's 99EG some years ago that had about .009 to .010" clearance in the neck, which seems excessive. Or maybe it was sized for older brass, that had thicker necks?

Something that may be of interest. In March of '05 I chronoed different vintages of IMR-4064 in my 7x57 with 150 grain Remington Cor-Loct bullets. The oldest lot was from 1968 while the newer one was a lot from 2000. 40 grains of the older produced 2362 fps, while the newer ran 2339 fps. So, across 32 years the difference seems pretty insignificant.

I guess we should factor in the lot-to-lot differences in burn rates of powders made in the same year too.

I wouldn't be surprised to learn that Savage (and others) had their chambering reamers ground to maximum SAAMI dimensions, and hoped to stay within spec as the reamers wore and were re-sharpened-- eventually ending up cutting chambers/necks with minimum tolerances before the reamer would be sh*t canned.

Are you seeing sooting on your necks?

Depending on the brass being used, factory 308s can have as much as .012" to .014" of neck clearance. That's more than I'd like.

Whoahh, let's try to stick to one cartridge at least at a time. is that a 308 Win or 300 Sav?
Bottom line is that you see sooting in these cartrdges only when pressure is too low to blow out the neck to seal the cartridge.
In other words, too stiff of brass and/or too sharp of detonation.

Carry on, troops!

Zook...just to comment on your sooting comment...I've had sooting on just about any load I've assembled over the years...in fact, factory loads show it as well...it's a matter of degree. Higher pressures producing less, but all showed some. I doubt it has any effect on brass or the chamber, aside from the aesthetics.

Just finished up some add'l testing with a couple of lighter weight bullets...in my 300 Sav 99.

110 gr Pulled military M1 Carbine FMJ bullets
19.0 gr of SR 4759 (max from an older Speer manual), R-P brass, Win Lg Rifle caps gave me an average of 7/8" for 5 groups at 50 yds. Velocity, not chrono'd but estimated from Speer's data is 1900 fps...'bout the same as from my old Inland M1 Carbine but roughly 1/3 the group size. A good practice load in this Savage, especially since I've got a good supply purchased at a nickle a piece some years ago. This load impacts 1-3/4" below a 2600 fps 150 gr load developed for deer, ie 3-1/2 MOA low. Very mild pressure indications with this load.

With Speer's excellent 125 gr HP TNT, and 16.0 gr of SR 4759 (the starting load from the same Speer manual), with the same components, I got 3 stellar groups averaging 1/2" at the same yardage. This load, estimated at 1700 fps from the same manual's data, is very quiet, about the same as a .22 Magnum with virtually no recoil. Here on the farm, it should be useful for the occasional woodchuck out to 100 yds or so, and maybe even better when my pals come over and bet on groups shot off the porch rail range....(local knowledge is always useful, and the old saw, "age and stealth will always overcome youth and skill", still applies).

Both loads were worked up in my rifle, and as always, your results may vary..and work up slowly. Best Regards, Rod

My favorite 300 Savage loads are: With 150 grain bullets, 40 grains of IMR 4064, 42 grains of WW-748, and 40 grains of IMR 4895. With 180 grain bullets, 41 grains of WW-748. The 150 grain loads run around 2,540 fps in 22" barrels, and the 180 grain bullets run around 2,450 fps in 24" barrels and 2,335 fps in a 20" 99E barrel.. Oddly enough, the powder in commercially loaded Remington and Federal ammo looks like WW-748, and the loads are very close to my load of 42 grains of 748 in fps.

Hornady's Superformance ammo is loaded with 44.5 grains of what looks like Leverevolution (LVR) powder and their own 300 Savage version of an SST. I have loaded this using my components and found it to be very close to the factory ammo in velocity. Neither one was very accurate. Velocity in a 22" Savage 99F barrel was around 2,670 fps, close to specs. I'm working on loads using LVR powder and 180 grain round nose bullets with the aim of higher velocity in my 20" 99F. I will report more when I can finally get to the range again.

An aside: I really like LVR powder in my 25-3000 Savage 99F rifle. I have no problem getting 3,000 fps with 87 and 90 grain bullets, and good accuracy to boot. Pressure is not high with 37.5 grains of LVR, either.

I'm loading 41.5 grains of Accurate 2495 with WW primers with 150 grain Hornady Spire points. Groups well in my 99R. All the deer I have shot with it found it a life altering experience.

31.5 sounds pretty light. Did you mean 41.5?

38.5 grains of imr3031 with cci200 and any old cup and core 150 grain bullet is plenty accurate in many a 300 Savage. 2575 fps in 22" barrel.

Thanks Jimmy, you are correct 41.5 grains.

Rodfac,

My favorite load for the .300SAV is a 180 grain JSP in front of 32 grains of Varget for about 2200FPS.
(Fwiw, I prefer a "heavy for caliber" bullet for hunting.)

For a FASTER/flatter shooting load, a 150 grain JSP in front of 38 grains of Varget for about 2400FPS is FINE too.

Just my OPINIONS, tex

I've not chrono'd the rounds with W748 yet, but here is with H-335

Are You going to try bumping velocity up on those Brian? Or have you decided that's your best accuracy load?

I just started a load dev for my .300 (99 takedown/2.5x scope). So far, the Hornady SST 300 Savage bullet is showing very well, no chrony yet but a stout load of varget, cci primer at 2.60 oal (just getting into the cannelure) getting 1.5 inch groups at 100yrds. I had a good rest but at only 2.5X couldn't really see the middle of the target and was blown away at the difference from the NBT and Speer bullets, loaded the same specs. Anyone else try the HDY'S?

Nah, keeping the velocity low (thus the pressure) since this is a 1940 rifle.
My most accurate load is with W748 @42 grs behind a Hornady 150 gr BTSP.--> 1.51 MOA @ 100 yds with a Marbles .050 aperature peep was my best.(Bench rest, sandbagged) Some days are better than others with old eyes and iron sights!