Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Savage Collectors preferred powders for savage 99 in 300

I am going to post this on the reloading forum, but thought I would throw it in here as well as it is a savage load and there are probably more expertise on that load in that rifle in here than in the reloading forum. Anywho, I will be getting a 99 post war EG in 300 savage shortly and am acquiring the reloading supplies. My original powder I was going to go with was H4895. I have searched all over and the shelves are dry so I am looking into accurate alternatives. My reloading manual gives me 6 or so options but I thought I would see what other folks preferred themselves through their experiences with this caliber and rifle. The main bullet I will be shooting is a 150 grain partition, but I will also be experimenting with 125 and 165 gr bullets.

WOW! All you can consistently depend on being on the shelves in Salmon Idaho is H 4895. Go figure. I have used imr 4895 with the 150 grain nosler. Ended up at 40 grains......over that things got .....a little sticky. My buddy claims the partition will build pressures quicker than standard bullets.

Any of the medium burning rate powders should work well- 4895, 4064, 3031, RL-15, etc. The .300 is a pretty forgiving cartridge. Everyone has a favorite, mine is 4064, but quite honestly I got equally good results with RL-15 and 4895.

If I would have been thinking, I should have taken a picture of the selves at Bass Pro and Cabelas last night and posted it, definitely slim pickins.

The couple of shops I stuck my nose into recently were well stocked with a wide variety of powders and primers. I never thought too highly of Bass Pro. Even during the "fat" days our local one had miserly selections and way high prices. Shop around some more.

I agree, the Bass Pro here in Kansas has come a long way from what it used to be. They even have a variety of 300 savage factory ammo that would have been unheard of a couple of years ago. I just got off the phone with a gun shop that was closed when I was out and about yesterday. They said they are out of 4895 but they said they do have some 4064, I might have to give that a whirl.

A lot of guys like 40-41 grains 4064/150 bullet. I get flattened primers and sticky extraction at 40 grains/150 in my M1920, so I hold it to 38.5 grains and life is good.

I've used IMR4895, the H4895 never grouped that well in the 300's I tried and also seemed a bit anemic for speed. Also used RL15 and Varget and they seemed to be perfectly fine. Got some 4064, haven't loaded it up yet.

Varget and IMR 3031 with 150's

RL 15 with 165's

W760 with 180's.

Reloder 15 has been my powder of choice for the past 10 years. Before RL15, I had excellent accuracy and results with Accurate 2520.

anybody try the new 4166 in the 300 sav yet

Another load I forgot about this morning is Hornady ftx 160 grain 308 mx bulets and leverevolution powder 43 grains. Trimmed with a lee trimmer the canulures line up perfectly for crimping. This load will hit a target at 100 and 200 yards much higher than my other 300 Savage loads. But it was pointed out to me here it would not be due to faster bullets. Maybe the crimped canulures huh?

I just tried a couple loads with 150 and 165-grainers, using Vitavourhi N-140 as a replacement for the Reloder 15 I know and love (and can't obtain). Groups were excellent, and I plan to try this powder a bunch more.

I try to standardize powders where I can, so I can buy in bulk and avoid having small lots around. Varget and Reloader 15 both work very well in the .300, and in many other calibers as well.

Reloader 15 here as well.

Thank you for all the recommendations. On a 2nd trip to Bass Pro, they had their shelves stocked without being picked through. I was able to pick up RL-15 and IMR 4064. I also noticed some Sierra Varminter 100 grain HP's in 30 cal on the shelf while I was there. I picked those up to make a light recoil plinking round, we'll see if I am able to hit the broad side of a barn with them.

Was surprised by how well Tac performed under 150 gr Sierras and Hornadys, in 3 diff mod 99s.

I use IMR4895 most often, but have also used IMR4320, IMR4064, W748, Varget, H4895, and maybe some others. The first three I mentioned were useful over the greatest number of rifles.

I used IMR4895 for my hunting loads in my Model 99 (EG) in .300 Savage caliber for many years, but after 2007, I found that each new pound of IMR4895 yielded ever slower muzzle velocities as my chronograph indicated.

The IMR4895 (41.5 grains behind a 150 grain Nosler bullet) I purchased in 1995 yielded an average chronographed muzzle velocity of 2704 fps. By 2007 (the last time I bought a pound of IMR4895) 41.5 grains behind the same bullet yielded only 2548 fps which was unacceptable to me.

I also did extensive tests using IMR3031, IMR4064, IMR4320 and Varget and four varieties of primers. None of the above powders were satisfactory for either pressure problems, accuracy problems or velocity problems. I posted all of these test results a few months ago here in this Forum.

So I switched to H4895 and found it very consistent in muzzle velocities (2635 fps varying only � 3 fps (+ 1fps/- 2 fps). H4895 is one of Hodgdon's EXTREME powders meaning it does NOT vary in velocity due to outside air temperatures.

I found this claim to be true since I chronographed this load at 85� F and 25� F.

At this time, I use 40.8 grains of H4895 in my hunting loads (Maximum "book" load = 40.9 grains of H4895 behind a 150 grain bullet) which yields a very consistent 2635 fps using the same 150 grain Nosler Ballistic Tip bullet. Accuracy isn't quite as good as it was with the IMR4895, but it's accurate enough for deer hunting out to 250 yards if I do my "job".

I hope this information is useful to you.


Strength & Honor...

Ron T.

The problem with H4895 is that it is had for me to find. When I do get some I save it for my Garand.