Looking at a 250 Savage build and trying to decide between a 9 or 10 twist barrel. Will lean towards 100-120 grain bullets for deer. Anyone have any suggestions from experience on either of these? Thanks!

I have a 1-10" but if I did it again I'd go 1-8". Can't ever have enough twist in my experience.

9

I defer to Steelhead as I am sure he is quite knowledgeable about the 250 Savage.

For sure I wouldn't do a 10 twist. I have a 9 twist 25-06, and I keep waiting on some longer 25 cal bullets to hit the market. If I were to rebarrel a 25-06 I would go with an 8 twist.

I have (3) 250 Sav's + a 250 SavAI

the first (2) have 10tw and like you, I was interested in bullets heavier than 100's. So my last 250 Sav and the AI have 9-tw barrels. Very promising with Nosler 115BT and Sierra 117 using 4931SC and Varget. If you like Barnes TTSX, both shoot the 100's much better than the 10tw did. If you go with the 9tw, I suggest deep throating for the heavier bullets. My average OAL for both is around 2.770-2.775 putting most 115-120 bullets about 10-15 thousandths off the lands. I would love to see a tipped-bt version of the Barnes 115TSX or maybe and a Hornady ELD-X around 120 weight but unfortunately it will take the advent of something like a 25 Creedmoor to make that happen,

I am building a long range 250 Sav on Sav 12 action for hunting in October 2017.
I am using a Lilja 257-10" twist SS 3-groove barrel

In the past I have built
2000 VZ24 257 Roberts Ackley 10" twist Lothar Walther, shoots 117 gr Sierra 1.2" 5shots average 100 yards, 75 gr Vmax average 0.75" 5 shots 100 yards, 100 gr averages 1"
2012 Win1885 257 Roberts Ackley rimmed 9" twist Shilen stainless shoots 115 gr NBT just fine to 400 yards
2016 WinM70pre64 25-06 9" twist Shilen stainless, shoots 115 gr NBT just fine to 400 yards

In Quickload / Quicktarget and if I put in 250 sav 24" barrel, 105% powder fill ratio of IMR-4166 [Copper and temp coatings] for both 115 gr NBT moly and 100 gr NBT moly.
At muzzle the 100 gr is 59 kpsi 3000 fps
At muzzle the 115 gr is 63 kpsi 2850 fps

At 500 yards the 100 gr is 1964 fps down 8.19 moa from a 200 yard zero, and drifted 3.23 moa in a 10mph wind
At 500 yards the 115 gr is 1979 fps down 8.54 moa from a 200 yard zero, and drifted 2.84 moa in a 10mph wind

I am having one put together right now and am going with a 1-9.

That is some fine gun loonyism right there.

It is worse than that. I have been building bolt knobs for the Sav 12 for 16 days. Today was Maple.

I've done a .250AI and a .25/06 with 1:9 barrels. Very happy with the results, and they shoot lighter bullets into bughole groups as well.

I've got a 250AI and 257AI both w/1/10. Shoot the 85 to 115gr bullets just fine. powdr

1&9 if you plan on using 120 gr bullets

I have two rifles in 250 Savage caliber - a vintage 250-3000 Model 99F made in 1955 with 1 in 14" twist, and a Savage Axis rebarreled with an E.R. Shaw barrel purchased from Midway. I wish the 99 had a 1 in 10" twist, but it doesn't. I'm OK with shooting 87, 90, and 100 grain cup-and-core bullets in that rifle.

My Axis shoots 100 grain bullets at 3,000 fps and stabilizes 117 grain bullets nicely. If I had the option, I would have chosen a 1 in 9" twist. As someone said above, you can't overstabilize bullets. My Axis rifle also shoots 75 grain bullets very accurately. My only comment is that I can't see heavy bullets in the tiny 250 Savage round, so a standard 1 in 10" twist is fine. I think the little 250 Savage round is best with bullets up to 100 grains. With Partitions and mono-metal bullets you have plenty of penetration.

If I had a 25-06 or 257 Weatherby I would definitely want a 1 in 9" twist, just to be sure. However, when I owned a 25-06 it shot 120 grain bullets with fine accuracy.

I prefer hunting the heavier 117 gr bullets in my 250/3000 along with the Hornady 100 gr interlock having 400 rounds of the 100 gr loaded up. The 1/10 twist shoots sub 3/4 for both bullets in my rifle.

Doc

I have a 257 Roy with a 9, I purchased the barrel on the fire, I had no preference for a 9 twist at the time, but I sure do now.

Came home from Shilen Open House with a 1 in 11" twist 25 cal barrel and had it chambered in .250 Savage and installed on a Swede M96 action.

Curious what you think would be the proper grain bullets one would use in a 1 in 11" twist barrel?