Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Savage Collectors Reloading advice

I acquired two 99's, a 300 Sav. and a 308. I understand they both use a .308 bullet. I've got Lee Loader kits for both with powder measures. Even though there are various loads listed, the instructions say to use the measure scoop supplied. I know I could buy different or adjustable measures, I've got one for my muzzleloaders. Should I use the measure scoops provided to start out with? What powder would you guys recommend? I want a good hunting round with 150 to 170G bullets. Two powders that seem to show up in my researching are IMR4895 and 3031. Also, what kind of bullets do you like? Thanks....Marty

Do you have the classic loader kits? If so, you can use the dipper with the listed powder and bullet combinations. Or what I would suggest is buying a powder scale and using that to weigh each charge.

I started out with the classic loader and it works, but the dipper is only correct for the powders and bullet combinations listed on the chart that came with that case. It's also not possible to vary your charges consistently and look to find the sweet spot for consistency - which is why I suggested a powder scale.

ST40

Lot's of powders for those two cartridges will work well. One of the 4895, RE 15, some like 4064. Hard to pick a bad one.

Please purchase a powder scale. A Lee scale is twenty something bucks. That way, you'll know what you're loading for sure.
4895 and 3031 would be fine...as would 4350, 4064, and many, many others.

If you have the classic Lee Loader that requires you to use a mallet to drive the case into the size die, be aware that you are neck sizing only. I would expect chambering and/or extraction difficulties to crop up fairly soon in a 99, due to a lack of camming power compared to a bolt action.

If you keep your loads mild, you may do OK, but full length sizing will give you better functioning.

I've used IMR4064, IMR3031 and Accurate2495 for both. The Lee dipper works okay if one uses it exactly per instructions. Wildhobbybobby gives good advice per full length sizing.

A Lee hand press is cheap, and builds muscle when full length resizing. I'd recommend finding a used Lyman or similar magnetic dampened scale. The one Lee scale I owned was iffy, it would hang up sometimes and you could go over weight on charges without knowing it. A cheap used scale is fine and are usually factory warrantied.

Then, after wrestling with the Lee tool for a couple of months you'll be scouting out presses, dies, measures, etc. They're good to start out with, and will produce good ammo, but all the comments re: speed and effort to use them are spot-on. If you can restrain yourself to just shooting a box full of ammo once in a blue moon you'll be ok with the Lee. The problem arises from discovering the joys of loading your own and then shooting more because your loads are cheap and work nicely. Then the 'arms race' sets in! Only kidding (sort of)- you'll be fine. Just don't start interpolating data if all you have are the Lee dippers. I'll second the advice about getting a decent scale.

I went form the hand press to the turret press to the classic cast turret press with safety prime and double disc powder measure. It makes very accurate loads. For starting out Id recommend hand throwing the charges and hand seating the primers. Lee makes fine equipment for this as well.

I like to keep it simple and cheap. I use Reloader powders due to the simple numbering system avoiding confusion and the fact that they work so well. I use CCI primers for everything and factory corelokt bullets where I can also for economy and simplicity.

Oh, always prep your brass before loading the first time. Fully size it, trim it to length at least. I like prepping brass, so I uniform the depths and de-bur flash holes, and turn the outside of the case necks. The Lee length trimmers are simple and handy. I like the Forster Hand Outside Neck Turner, or HOT as they call it.

Those old lee loaders are the stone age of reloading tools!!! i'm sure in the near future you will be moving toward a regular style press!JMO. Don

Get the Lee Reloading Manual if you don't have one. Good info with specifics and data on the use of dippers.

Tis' true, a great book for learning reloaders.

I got my start with a Lee loader in order to feed a hungry .38 Special, at age 15. Two hours to load a box of 50 shells, and about 15 minutes to shoot them away! When I started making noises about loading rifle cartridges for my dad and myself (.30/30, 7x57,and .30/40 Krag) he broke down and sent in an order to Herter's for the necessary stuff. He said he didn't think he could stand listening to all that extra pounding if I kept up with the Lee Loaders!

If you're serious about getting into reloading, then I recommend you get a "serious" set of reloading tools... like the RCBS basic set which includes 'most everything you'll need to do some serious reloading.

Foremost is a powder SCALE and reloading press using RCBS reloading die sets. I believe RCBS's set comes with their 505 powder scale. That's a decent scale and will do the job for you.

There are a few other items you'll need, but you can get started with the basic RCBS set and go from there as your experience and knowledge increases.

Try to find a mentor... reloaders are a friendly bunch and I'm sure you can find someone to help you get started and over-see your loading for a while until you gain some knowledge and confidence.

As for loads, I have tried IMR3031, H4895, IMR4895, IMR4064, IMR4320 and Varget... all very suitable powders for a 150 grain bullet in a .300 Savage cartridge.

My current hunting load is a 150 grain Nosler Ballistic Tip bullet in front of 40.8 grains of H4895 sparked by a standard Winchester large rifle primer in Winchester cartridge cases. This combination gives me a chronographed muzzle velocity of 2635 fps with a velocity variation of just � 3 fps (+1 fps/- 2 fps). Three shot group accuracy is less than 1 inch at 100 yards.

There's no substitute for good quality, sturdy reloading equipment... and RCBS sells some of the very best available together with life-time guarantees on most of their stuff.

Reloading is a hobby and can be almost as enjoyable as the shooting. CONSISTENCY is the name-of-the-game in the ACCURACY DEPARTMENT... and you will find it is very difficult to maintain true CONSISTENCY using dippers for your powder rather than a powder scale. Stay with the balance beam mechanical scale (either a RCBS 505 or Model 1010).

Electronic scales are more "touchy" (air movement, etc.) and you can actually get more accurate powder weights using the mechanical balance beam scales which can easily weight powder charges down to within 1/20th of a grain by putting the balance beam pointer BETWEEN the indicator lines while the electronic models can weigh powder charges down to only 1/10th of a grain... and the mechanical scales are a lot less expensive than the electronic models too!

I've used both types of scales... and found that I much prefer the mechanical, balance-beam type powder scales. And, incidentally, I've been reloading since 1962 and currently load for 11 different rifle and pistol calibers plus two shotgun gauges (12 gauge and 28 gauge).

With proper, good-quality equipment, you'll find reloading not only fun, but you'll pride yourself on the accuracy and quality of your handloads once you learn all the "Accuracy-tricks-of-the-trade".


Strength & Honor...

Ron T.

Thanks for all the replies. Looks like I'll be getting some new equipment and I need some supplies, but I have some 110G bullets to play with for now. I had a feeling this would be a good place to start....Thanks...Marty

I couldn't agree more.

I have a 99M in 308 that needs to have the brass sized in a small base die set.

As stated the lack of camming action. If you have difficulties locking up the action, small base dies will fix that problem.

I'll debate the 'camming action' of a 99 vs. a bolt gun. If you stop and think about it the leverage exerted by a 99 lever upon closing, especially when force is applied out at the end of it, is pretty tremendous. On the other hand, the camming surfaces that lead into the locking lug recesses of many bolt guns are minimal, so the main closing force is exerted by the short lever which is the bolt handle. The superior camming action of a Mauser-based bolt action when opening the bolt is undeniable, IMO (ie: the cocking/extraction cam surface on the back of the receiver bridge that engages the root of the bolt handle as it's lifted).

All of that is a moot point as long as properly fitted ammo is used. The real difference comes into being when someone dances at the edge of non-safe max loads when sticky fired cases can be difficult to extract.

You'll be ok Marty. Invariably when a newbie raises questions regarding how to best enter the realm of handloading any number of 'experts' will rise up and offer sage advice. Your job is to winnow out the BS and hold fast to the germs of truth. Actually sitting down with your tools and loading some cartridges will tell you pretty quickly what other tools you will need, if any, to satisfy your particular needs. Remember, many of us here have been hand loading for many decades. That doesn't necessarily make us 'experts', it merely makes us old hand loaders.