I want a 250 savage for deer and varmints. Looking to build one but I am not a guy who can afford to drop 3 grand on a toy. So I am thinking something along the lines of er shaw barrel, 21 inch sporter weight, and a howa or remington action and aftermarket stock.

Or do you guys have a better idea how to get there?

6.5 Creedmoor in a Tikka

(isn't that the answer to every post right now?)

How much do you want to spend?

For around $1,500, you could buy a Howa 1500 donor from Whittaker's for around $350, a barrel from Shaw for $???, and a McM Edge fill Compact or Model Seven stock for $600ish.

Or, you could buy a Montana and have it rebarreled for about the same price.

Or you could buy a used Montana or 700 MR in 257 Roberts.

Er shaw barrel $200 ish
Howa or Remington donor $300 ish
Boyds or similar stock $200 - could be avoided if I get a donor with a nice stock

On a more serious note...
I wonder if an existing barrel in .257 Roberts (like on a Montana) could be set back and rechambered for .250 Ackley as a low cost option? It wouldn't work so well to try to rechamber into standard .250 Savage because the case tapers much more quickly than a Roberts, so you would have to go way forward to clean up the existing chamber.

If you go with the Howa 1500 and bumped the barrel contour up a little, you could put it into a V2 take-off stock for under $100.

If you go with the Remington 700, you could find a 700 MR or 700 LSS-MR take-off stock for under $150.

I wish Remington would build a few on the Model 7
GreggH

I'd go IT&D and just use one of his stainless Douglas blanks.

Is IT&D still in business? I emailed him a few months ago and said he was still waiting on ITAR clarification. I was looking for someone to rebarrel a rifle for me, wound up going a different route.

I don't think Dave is doing work anymore

Sounds like a winner to me. I think you’re on the right track, had a bicentennial 77 ruger 250, killed allotta bucks, elk and bear with er. I just might have to build one... grin

I built one a year or so ago. I used a Savage Axis rifle I bought new and an E.R. Shaw barrel I bought from Midway on sale - $137, if memory serves. I had to buy the barrel nut wrench from Midway as well. Had a gunsmith buddy screw on the new barrel and headspace it up for a few bucks. I could have done it myself if I had a barrel vise. Cost me $700-800 because I had to pay New Jersey prices for the rifle. I also put together another Axis with a 257 Roberts barrel. That barrel cost me over $300 as I special ordered it from Shaw. I bought the second rifle on sale at Cabela's in PA and it was about $150 cheaper. Both rifles shoot very well. My 250 Savage with 24" barrel drives a 100 grain bullet to 3,000 fps with no pressure pains. That's 257 Roberts territory. The Roberts rounds feed just fine from the 243 magazine, but I had to buy a 22-250 Savage magazine for the 250 Savage to feed properly.

Hate hearing the news on IT&D.

I did a .250-3000 AI on a Kimber Montana.

Me, I'd be looking for a model Seven in .22-250 and have the barrel rebored. If you shop well, out the door price of around $750.

I'd prefer a standard Model Seven but this one is inexpensive and has potential:
https://www.cheaperthandirt.com/pro...-brush-camo-finish-85953-047700859538.do
Or from Bud's: https://www.budsgunshop.com/catalog/product_info.php/products_id/51936?sort=date

The barrel would have to be setback about .005", no big deal.

The problem with ER Saw is that their barrels are all way too heavy IMO for a light, handy, .250 Savage.

Get a Winchester 25 WSSM. You won't need to buy anything else for the rifle except a scope.

Or find a Remington Classic in 250. Mine shoots great

I started a build such as Jerseyboy with a Savage Axis in 22/250 and a Shaw barrel. The rifle was on sale for $200 new after rebate and the barrel was a little over $100 from MidwayUSA as it was on clearance and it fell under a discount. I was going to stick with the factory stock initially as cost was a factor.

I ended up using a used Savage 10 in 7mm/08 instead of the Axis. This gun has a trigger I can work with better than the Axis and the wood stock was much easier to enlarge so the barrel would fit. It came with an older 2-7x Bushnell 3200 which was good enough to use on the rifle. I posted an ad on a couple of local gun talk groups to borrow/rent a barrel vice and barrel nut wrench. I traded a box of 30 caliber Barnes bullets I had laying around for the wrench and it cost me a 12 pack of Heiniken beer for another member to invite me to his shop to "assist" (actually he did most the work) in swapping out the barrel.

I was well under $400 but over $350 including trade goods and gas to get the tools if I count the price of just one donor gun. If the second guy would have contacted me first I would have been just over $300 all told as he had the nut wrench. Savage stocks are nothing to brag about but it is functional and it will work until I find something "better" for a price I am willing to pay.

Obvious the OP has taste, hence his asking about the 250 Savage.

Are you for real?

Hell.... I thought the same thing...why the 25WSSM!!! He would have to contact "250Remington" as he has the market cornered on 25WSSM rifles and brass

Hunted with a 250 yesterday, today and will again this afternoon and tomorrow. Hard to not like..

While I certainly am a 25 WSSM fan, I sure wouldn't recommend it to anyone given the scarcity of firearms, factory ammo, and components.

I actually have more Savage 1920s chambered in 250-3000 than Winchester/USRA 70s chambered in 25 WSSM.

Remington 700 action - 360
Used Bell and Carlson sporter stock - $200
Recoil Lug - 35
Used bottom metal - $75
Pacnor Barrel and Rebarrel & Trueing Service - $600

Total Cost - $1270

Not bad for a semi custom....

Unless you just cannot live without the standard 250, I`d go with the AI.
But, i`ve seen nothing modern in that chambering that compairs to the handeling of a Mod. 20. And they can be found at moderate prices. If you can, get one with the peep on the striker, will get you out to 200-250 yrds, took one like this P-doggen one year to Wy. I had two...my son killed his first two bucks with one...he now owns it.
Modern action, SA 700 chambered for the AI. Much better cartridge than the parent. Mine is on the SA700,24 inch Douglas barrel, you can get one perfit, chambering etc. for about $325 from Douglas.. Go ten twist...you can push the heaver bullets, 115-117-120, close to 2900fps. Lighter bullets go much faster. Look up the balistics. I absolutly love mine, and wouldn`t be without it. Also. spend a few more bucks on a H.&S stock.You will not regret that. I would quess you would be looking at13-1,400 dollars.
Good luck.

My Savage 250 story:

Bought a used 250 Sav reamer 12-29-2013 $45
Bought a used Sav 12fvss 22-250 03/14/17 stock says 1-2003 $475+$45tax= $520
Lilja 257-10 SS 3-groove, #3 contour instock barrel blank 355.00 +$21 ship = $376
Nickel plated Timney trigger ordered from Brownells $120 + $8 shipping = $128
Removed camo paint $10 citrastrip amazon
Vortex RZR-1558 Razor HD LH 2x10x40 06/06/17 amazon $700 + $70 tax= $770
Talley Lightweight 2-Piece Scope Mounts with Integral Rings MIDWAY $47
BROWNELLS - ALUMA-HYDE® II flat black $13
Steel savage trigger guard $36.50 AMazon
I got a Boyd's Pro Varmint Centerfire Savage 110 1St Generation Short Action Walnut $174.00 +$20 shipping
I got a Sharpshooter recoil lug for $30+ $8 shipping
I ordered a stainless bolt and handle from Glade for $56 +$6 shipping
I ordered a 250 Sav go-gauge for $26.
I got a Whidden 20 degree Vblock for it for $90 +$6 shipping. I also made my own from 6061 Aluminum and used it instead.
I made my own pillars from Aluminum
I made my own bolt handle from African Blackwood
-------------------------------------------
$2361 cost of parts

100 gr Nos Bal Tip 39 gr CFE223, 2.550" OAL
62.5 kpsi 3154 fps Quickload
3115 fps chrono
3197 fps
3253 fps

1" 3 shots 200 yards to sight in

sometime last month a Campfire poster placed a few pictures of his 250 Savage rifle he had built on a Remington Model 7 action with a 20 or maybe 22-inch mountain rifle contour barrel. In my opinion, the most perfect 250 savage build The cartridge begs to be platformed in the most compact rig possible.

If Kimber would take the risk to chamber the Montana rifle in 250 Savage as a special run they might sell...all of them

I killed a big doe with my 250/3000 2 weeks ago at a lasered ( afterwards) 321 yards with the Hornady 117 gr SST at 2,660. Quite... a bit of "holdover" on that shot, deer went 35 yards and down. The little Savage case is far more capable than it's powder capacity.

The 250 Savage is easy to shoot well and kill with.

I tend to agree. Also, if one wants to AI the cartridge why not simply choose the .257 Robts?

I never much cared for Remingtons even though my first (complete) bolt action was a 700 in .30-06. However, I gotta admit, I kinda dig on the Model 7. I picked up one a few weeks ago in .223 and really like this rifle. So much so that I almost bout the matching .308 they had as well. I think if it had been a .260 it too would have come home with me.

I would love to stumble upon a custom Mexican Mauser 1936 in 250-3000 at a good price.

My .250 is a Rem 700 Classic, great rifle, but a rebored or rebarreled Kimber Montana sounds like a real nice idea.

If you're looking for an economy build, there may still be some A&B pre-chambered Savage specs barrels from MidwayUSA in 250-3000 and/or 257 Roberts gathering dust on somebody's shelf out in the ether that would be happy to find a new home.

My 250 Savage is a pre64 M70 and the twist rate won't stabilize the heavier bullets. It takes very careful hand loading to get group of an inch to inch and a half with a 100gr bullet.. I have seriously considered selling it and buying something else or going to a custom build but I like nice wood stocks and that drives up the cost,. I saw a Rem 700 on GI but it's gone now the search will continue.

I have two recent production Savage 114s that shoot very nice and are easy on the pocket book....FWIW. If they are not cataloged anymore contact Savage and they should be able to make you one (unless they stopped that practice?). It is a great cartridge and as others have said if you keep an eye out you may be able to find a reasonably priced Remington 700 or Ruger 77.

PennDog

[quote=doctor_Encore]sometime last month a Campfire poster placed a few pictures of his 250 Savage rifle he had built on a Remington Model 7 action with a 20 or maybe 22-inch mountain rifle contour barrel. In my opinion, the most perfect 250 savage build The cartridge begs to be platformed in the most compact rig possible.


^^^

Have a Ruger 77 UL in 250 Savage. I hope things never get to the point where I would have to sell it. First deer rifle I ever used...

If you're on a budget I would consider the $299 Savage on CDNN, get a barrel for Apache or Bison in the factory contour and set the headspace yourself. You should have plenty left over for optics, mounts and possible a different stock if you choose.

My "go to" bullets for the 1-14" ROT 250-3000s are the Speer 87 grain Hotcore for medium game and the 87 grain TNT for varmints.

A pre-'64 Winchester 70 in 250-3000 will bring big money, easily over $2K if it is in its original condition.

For some illogical reason, when Winchester/USRA made a one year run, 1986, of 70 Lightweight Carbines in 250-3000 they cut them 1-14" rather than Savage's post-1960 standard of 1-10". Still a neat little rifle, sort of a modern version of the Savage 1920 if you put the barreled action in a 70 Fwt stock.

My M70 is in excellent condition and 100% original and will bring quite a bit more than $2K. I have looked for a factory rifle chambered for the 250-3000 but nothing from Winchester, Remington or Ruger. I'm not interested in a Savage rifle. Cooper chambers it and I have several of their varmint rifles all very accurate so maybe thats a consideration.

I'd look for one like yours, or the Number 1s they made. Very nice.

Looks to me like enough to get yer Swede finished and have funds left over to bloody it on wyoming Pronghorn.

Lol it is being dropped at the smith this week.

I built mine with a Savage Axis rifle (originally a 243) and a E.R. Shaw barrel from MidwayUSA. The barrel cost me $137, if memory serves. Barrel wrench and headspace gauge from Midway also. I had to buy a 22-250 magazine for the rifle to feed. Under $700 for everything, and it shoots like a dream. I put together another Axis in 257 Roberts with another Shaw barrel which I ordered from Shaw. It cost me something over $300. It's another great shooting rifle.

The 250 Savage with its 24" barrel will give a 100 grain bullet 3,000 fps without pressure pains. It makes a good woodchuck rifle with a 75 grain VMAX at 3,350 fps, too. I can't say enough good things about my Shaw barrels.

The Remington Custom shop built some 250 Savage Model 7's that are around. Very nice, light rifles that shoot pretty well.

Got my late ,friends, 1903 Rock Island custom Springfield, 250 Savage, nice old rifle. Neat to have his old rifle.
Shoots pretty well.

I love the 250 Savage, and used to have one in a Tang Safety Ruger 77 RSI. I think it's the lightest-kicking, all-around deer-capable round out there.

Personally, if I wanted to go to a 250 ai, I'd get a 6.5 Creeedmoor. I think the 250/3000 is "just right" as is.

Were I building one I'd fine a used Kimber 84M (blued/walnut) and do a rebarrel. Or a Kimber MT and do likewise.

start with a rem mtn rifle synthetic stock (non-dbm) and rebarrel mtn rifle contour 22 inches. light handy easy.

I'd either rebarrel a Kimber 84M like Brad mentions, or do the same with a Remington M7 CDL, but with a standard 700 sporter contour at 20".

There is a price to be paid for a short barrel. A friend had a stainless Remington Model Seven rebarreled into a 250 Savage with a 1 in 10" twist factory contour 20" barrel, just like the one from the factory. It was done by a benchrest gunsmith (now retired, unfortunately) using a Hart barrel. He asked me to break in the barrel and work up some loads for him. I did, and it shot very nicely. However, velocities were quite a bit slower than my Savage Axis with 24" E.R. Shaw barrel. I would have to look up my records to say how much slower. Some years ago I had a Remington 700 BDL rebarreled to 250 A.I. The barrel was 23" long, and it was also very accurate. I sold it a while back....don't ask why. Rifle loonies do strange things. I guess it I were to have a rifle made up with a short barrel I would make it a 250 A.I. or a 250 Souper, the 308 case necked down to .257, basically a shorter Roberts.

As you might have noticed, I'm a bit of a 25 caliber junkie. I started with the 25-06 and went down in case capacity over the years. I have owned several 250s, a 250 A.I., several 257 Roberts, and a 257 Roberts A.I. as well. As I get older and more feeble I enjoy mild cartridges all the more.

Nit picking aside, it would be hard to find a better light kicking, light weight, handy deer rifle than the Model Seven I described above. I think he had a 2-7x Leupold compact scope on it. I can look up my notes if anyone is interested.

Do you guys think it's less expensive to buy a used rifle and re barrel it vs going with the component parts? I've been looking on GI and a used Remington is $600+ and you still need the barrel. This might be the way to go as a factory chambered 250 is hard to find unless you go to a Cooper.

I've got a pair of 250s, along with my 257 Roberts they are my favorite deer rifles.
A 1953 built(same as me)M99R Savage. The slow twist hampers it a little, but the short Speer Hot Core 100gr spitzer works well enough. I've worked up loads with the Speer Hot Core 87 gr spitzer and the TNT 87hp that share the same sight setting, so that's what it stays sighted at. I've taken several whitetails with it and had no surprises.

A Ruger M77 Tang Safety 250-3000 is slightly more accurate and shoots a wider array of bullet weights with the 1-10 twist. This one does very well with 75 Sierra hps or 87 Speer TNT. So far I've found nothing in the 100 gr category that does better than the Hornady Interlock. On game or paper, it just works.

This mature 161" buck last year found out just how well it works, stumbled less than 30 yards after a quartering to shoulder shot at 150 yards.

This is a good idea. Plus, the 250AI is wicked cool!!

Waiting on my 250AI to come back from Manners. The barrel inlet was not what I specified. I sent the stock and all the metal to them to inlet for it.

250AI on Rem SS SA with 22" Rock #2 contour - 1" shank. Manners EH-8. Should be a fun one.

Life is easy.

http://www.gunbroker.com/item/724138410

my 2 cents: "Rem Mod 7 stainless, PacNor sporter barrel in 250AI, MPI liteweight stock (under 1 lb). Leupold 3x9 compact...hard to beat in my book. Weighs under six pounds and a dream to carry and shoot. I wouldn't shy away from the Ackley either. Mine shoots factory and handloads tighter than I can and it can be loaded pretty stout if one wishes to do so.

That 250 Remington Classic should be a contender too. A new stock if you like and you should have a real sweet varmint shooter.
Good luck.

You should be able to beat your $3000 fear by a good amount easily. I had a 77 Ruger varmint stainless laminate in 22 250 that had the land erosion. Had $400 in the gun, was a bit less than $600 to put on a 250AI Shilen varmint contour 26" stainless barrel, 1:10 twist, and a little work on the factory trigger. Shoots 117 gr bergers better than I can point it.

I went from having a worthless $400 rifle - a bit my fault that I bought the gun with a shot out barrel that didn't really group anything, it patterned like a shot gun. All hands off by me, smith did all the work to put the 250 AI on it, and I really didn't intend to keep it very long because the bolt is on the wrong side for me. But I find it hard to part with now.

Have you thought about a Cooper built the way you want it, staying in your budget? I have a beautiful Cooper .250 that is my main deer rifle. I think it would have been hard to have one built any better for the same price.

I have considered a Cooper and I might go that way. I have three Varmint Extremes and each one is a tack driver.

I've had two .250 Savage rifles, only have one now. Sold the other when I needed money in 2016 after breaking my leg in 2015 and being out of work for almost 6 months.

The one I still have is a Kevin Weaver built .250 Savage on a Charles Daly Mini action. I paid $900 for it without the Zeiss scope pictured. I put VX1 2-7 LRD on it and have a load worked up for it with 87 grain Speer bullets but haven't taken any game with it. It isn't without a couple of issues, number one is I'm limited to spitzer bullets under 100 grains due to magazine constraints. Number two is that I can only hold two cartridges in the magazine, and number three the bolt handle is too small for my tastes. However, I can live with these minor issues, but it's probably what holds me back from seriously hunting with this rifle.







The one I sold was a Stevens 200 staggerfeed rifle that I rebarrelled with a Shaw barrel off of Midway. I also added a Northland Shooters Supply tuned 3 screw trigger, Savage alloy trigger guard, Sharpshooter Supply competition trigger, B&C Carbelite stock, and Vortex Viper 2-7X32 scope. I had about $800 all together in the rifle as I got most of it used, and the Shaw barrel with a discount code. I wish I had been able to keep this one as well, but I sold it to buy a camera lens for my wife's birthday.

I've got a 250-3000 Savage 99 and a 22-250 Savage 14. I wouldn't trade the 99 for a boatload of 14's

I would consider a Montana Rifle action or complete build. A mini action would be nice like Taylorce but it has it's constraints. My favorite is the Savage 99 they mostly shoot well because a long barrel tenon is screwed into a solid steel action and they are a classic. You can't go wrong with anything in 250 Savage or the AI. A classic Manlicher would suite me just fine.

I have narrowed it down to three options A) Cooper, B) find a action and do a build with a McMillan stock (ugh I hate synthetic stocks but I love nice wood but at this moment price is a consideration) C) Look for a rifle to rebarrel most likely a Remington or Ruger and reshape the stock as needed.

A full Manlicher stocked rifler is on my to do list but it will most likely be in 6.5X55

I have a Cooper in 250 Savage - well built, beautiful wood, the “right” size for a .250 and accurate....it’s hard not to like!
Also have a custom build on a Sako action by a local western PA gunsmith that is deceased now that is just about perfect for a .250....
everythng that the Cooper is only more of it (better wood, overall smaller/lighter but not quite as accurate.

PennDog

Some years ago a friend had a 700 ADL that was acting up. Inconvenient stuff like going off when he closed the bolt. He had tried to have it repaired w/o success, got tired of it and passed it on to me for a song. Had no use for a .22-250 so it got a new barrel and was chambered for the .250-3000. Safety/trigger were replaced too. After that was done I whittled on the stock, added a pad to increase LOP and I now have the a remarkably plain rifle that does not stand out in any way.



The top target was the first shot with the gun. 100 yards, 85 Nosler BT. Bottom was the first with 100 Nosler Partitions, also at 100 yards and fired immediately after the top target..



I've got about $600 in the gun, including the scope...

Did this about a month back, 10 shots @ 100 yards, double bag rest while burning up some 10 year old loads for giggles.

Dan,

Impressive economical build for a 250/3000 and darn accurate too.

Dan, that's an absolutely great rifle. "Plain" is just fine with me.

About 25 years ago I was thinking of a custom 250 Savage, so called HS Precision to talk about having them make me a cut-rifled 25 cal 1-10" barrel. I got the shop manager on the phone to talk about the idea. He was obviously not in the mood to chat, maybe having a tough day, until I said this was to be for a 250 Savage build. At the mention of the Savage he absolutely became animated, explaining in all the years he'd been in the shop, the 250 Savage rifles they'd built were, day in, day out, the most accurate made.

It is said there are many ways to skin a cat, and that is true about building guns. My only suggestion is to not scrimp on the important stuff. I sent the gun off to Dennis Erhardt out Montana way and he bolted a Douglas XX blank to the receiver, took care of the safety issue and bedded the action. Dennis knows his stuff and is a fair dealer. After is came home I cleaned up the stock and added the pad. Another gun he built that put me on to his talent is a .416 Rigby done with an old G&H Mauser action. If I wasn't such a puzzy it would probably shoot as well as the .250. Despite that, it reliably plinks in the MOA range with several different 400 grain bullets.

Good barrels, good 'smiths...........winning combination.

I think Dennis is now retired... a good one for sure.

If you have a spare $5,300 sitting around, there is a kickass Dakota mannlicher in 6.5x55 on the Williams site.

If not, the non-cataloged stainless Ruger 77 RSIs that Lipsey's had made up a year or two ago aren't bad, nor are the mannlicher stocked Husqvarna HVAs, The problem is finding them, since once people get one they seldom let it go of them.

I am not familiar with the Williams sight. A 6.5X55 has been a want for a while. I have an as new #1 RSI in 7x57 that I really don't need and have considered rebarreling that to 250 Savage.

www.williamsgunsight.com

I have a couple of mannlicher stocked 6.5x55s, a factory built Husqvarna 1640 HVA and a Ruger 77 parts gun, a 77 R MK2 barreled action in a 77 RSI MK2 stock.

The Husqvarna has a longer barrel, so it balances and points a little better than the Ruger, but the Ruger isn't half bad, still 100x better than a CZ 550 FS.

Thanks for the link. They aren't far from me and thats very close to what I would build.

I’ve seen the gun at Williams, it’s very nice. If I had the cash, it wouldn’t still be there, but with a kid in college and another shortly, well, I’m very happy with my Ruger RSI in .250.

Old70

Didn't know that, I wish him well.

A year ago there were no less than three or four Ruger RSI's in 250 Savage listed on the web. Now that I have decided to sell the M70 I can't find one to save my rear end.

Thew 6.5X55 is another caliber that I'd like to have and that Dakota is sure tempting. Kind of an odd price though. IIRC there was a time period that Dakota had some quality control issues. I have requested the date of manufacture. The person I talked to said the gun was like new with only about a box of shells through it. I question why anyone would trade/sell such a nice rifle after so little use. Makes me wonder if it shoots accurately.

Here you go. Let Shaw build it for you (pick your action finish, barrel length and material, and stock. Plenty of money left for a good scope, dies, brass, powder, etc., etc., etc. http://www.ershawbarrels.com/build-your-e-r-shaw-mk-VII-rifle.htm

Testing Photobucket fix
1903 Springfield 250 Savage