Thought you guys might enjoy a flashback to a century ago...

Was the 250-3000 a "big game" cartridge? What was the opinion a few years after it was introduced?

Well.. here's Charles Cottar answering some detractors with his opinion on the 250-3000, from a 1922 issue of Outdoor Life.

I love the part about "Not every man who comes to this country to shoot lions is a rifle shot, and many have little real inclination to hunt big game. They are carried away by the romance of the thing..."

I have a 250 AI. It should do even better, tho I wouldn`t attempt it.

No mention of bullet failure either, wonder if he used C&C, or some type of premium?

The 250-3000 came out in 1915, and that's when he started using it. It'd have been an early cup and core 87gr bullet.

Thanks for the great article, Calhoun. I think we've tended to "overbore" as time goes by, but thankfully that is turning around. Witness the large number of hunters afield today who routinely and safely take deer with 22 centerfire rifles. Hell, my uncle took TWO lion is Mozambique in the late 60s with a Winchester Model 70 in 270 with 130gr Silvertips. Today with modern bullets, I am sure the 250 Savage can take a LOT of game previously thought to be too much for this cartridge.

There’s one listed in the CLASSIFIEDS now. 🙂

One of the guys posted this link for Charles Cottar, if the name is unfamiliar to anybody.

https://frontierpartisans.com/17060/american-frontiersman-african-dynasty/

I have two

I wonder if the thought of croc’s in that river crossed any of their minds..

Charle's son is on the Indian motorcycle with what looks like a Savage model 1920, almost surely in 250-3000 as well.

Another old ad involving Charles Cottar.. not quite PC by today's standards.

PS: Okay... the image isn't showing up except in Chrome. Weird...

Gorilla Ad

Advertising at its best: turning a grain of truth into a pile of BS..😮 😊

Who can ID the antelope?

Springbok, I think. 👍

It’s a Thompson’s Gazelle, aka ‘Tommy’. Widespread across southern Kenya and northern Tanzania, all of Masailand.

Springbok occur in Botswana, Namibia & South Africa, but nowhere in East Africa.

I couldn't tell it was a Tommie without a good look at the head.

Ok, thanks. I was zeroing in on the lengthwise black stripe and thought it was a springer.

I would truly like to understand what the last paragraph were Cottar mentions Askins is all about.

I know...I was just funnin. With all the talk on this forum about bullet performance between the two, seems back then, on what was listed to have been killed, it wasn`t an issue. Maybe we can learn something.
The "Quote" is as relevent today as then.

Interesting read...thanks for posting.

I'd think that's referring to something that Col. Charles Atkins said, he was a writer for Outdoor Life. Sounds like Askins was supposed to respond to the idiots and didn't do so. He sure burns Askins though.. whoof.

A response to Cottar's letter later on by the Outdoor Life editor.

And prices for hunting east Africa with Charles in 1922.

And looks like this is the original letter from Fry that started it. Seems like it was a back and forth argument.

Thanks Calhoun, really interesting information, I love these old back and forth argument that use to run in the old magazines.

In some ways, it hasn't changed much...

"Is cartridge X good for this kind of hunting?"
"Are you crazy, of course not! You need at least to use Y!"
"Yes it is, are you nuts? Y is just overkill!"
"etc"...

Says the man that only accepts grandes tetas!

The bigger the better, the tighter the sweater....

The 250-3000 would be a nice gun for a safari!

Very interesting reads!

Thanks for posting these.