Code4
AH fanatic
- Joined
- Feb 2, 2009
- Messages
- 763
- Reaction score
- 567
- Media
- 44
- Member of
- SSAA
- Hunted
- Australia, Zimbabwe, RSA (2), NZ (2), UK.
Why:
I had very good results with two pre-WWII cartridges. The .220 Swift in a Remington 700 Classic and the .218 Bee in a Ruger No.1S. I was aware of the 250 Savage which is also an old design, but it did not look spectacular on paper. Brass is always difficult to find however 22-250 brass can be necked up with a tapered expanding ball. Projectiles, primers and suitable powders are everywhere due to the popularity of the 25-06 (especially in the outback of Australia) and the older .303-25.
The opposition:
My B.I.L. has an uber accurate Churchil (Mauser '98) .243W which with 43 grains of 2209 and Nosler 95 BT's shoots like a laser beam (despite never had a bore clean in its life). The problem was, it had a 22" barrel and the muzzle blast and flash made it almost unuseable when spotlighting. Any night vision was immediately eliminated once a round was sent off. You lost the sight picture and everything within a kilometer+ knew you were out.
I still needed a larger cartridge for culling pests in the 25-30kg+ class but the .243W was not for me.
My son has a .243W Parker Hale Safari Deluxe Mauser '98, now on its third barrel, finally a pre-chambered Lothar Walther 23" long. He has taken it to Africa for small plains game up to Impala (Fallow) in size and made consistant kills out to 300 paces with it. The ballistics with 100 grainers are great for the feral camel culling we do.
Rifle One:
Sporterized Mauser '98 ex-mil. Sporterized stock, nil bedding or magazine changes and factory trigger. Barrel was a #4 Tobler, 24" long with a pathetic blue job. I shot hundreds of animals with this rifle and numerous scopes, however it was never quite accurate enough for long shots. Reliable feeding was random, however it did the job for many years.
This is the stock (with my in-the-white 7x57 sitting in it) but you get the idea.
A thumbhole Boyds stock and bedding job did not improve accuracy significantly.
So ...... it was off for a full blown custom
Rifle Two:
Full blown custom by Tony Small. Custom ordered 24" Lothar Walther barrel blank, 1 in 10" chambered by Tony with the throat lengthened 0.035". Queensland Maple stock in old english style. Shortened magazine well, Recknagel trigger and custom butter-knife bolt handle. This feeds and cycles like hot butter. The 100 grain weight did not shoot as well as I wanted however the Nosler 85 BT shoots under 1" at 100 yards. I have put it in the back of the safe as it is too nice to take out west.
Rifle Three:
Nirvana. Factory Savage Model 14 with 22" factory barrel with again, a 1 in 10" twist. Shoots 85 and 100 weights consistantly. The stock fits me well and there is very little muzzle flash or flip, even on a bi-pod. Muzzle blast is noticeable however, but I can put up with that. IMO a barrel length of 24" is ideal. Lower 30mm rings have arrived and will be fitted shortly. No modifications or improvements were needed. It is my third Savage and won't be my last.
Like my 7x57, the 250 Savage will not give you dominanting ballistics you can find on paper or over a chronograph or brag about. It is just one of those cartridges that gets the job done very well, with a minimum of fuss. Many rifles have come and gone but I have always had a 250 Savage. The cartridge has never been a problem, however I have been fussy with the rifles it has been chambered in.
As most of my shooting is around 75-150 yards and most Aussie game is 100 kg or less, I'd even go so far as to claim it is perfect for 99% of feral game shooting in Australia. I could easily take it to Africa for springbok or any of the smaller plains game.
Favourite ACCURACY loads. Usual caveats apply.
75 grain V-Max 38grns 2208 3,300 fps
85/87 anything 36.5grns 2208 3,030 fps
100 BT 34grns 2208 2,800fps
The 100 load is the most versatile. In the Savage it shoots dead on at 175yards. 1" high at 100 and 1" low at 200yards.
I had very good results with two pre-WWII cartridges. The .220 Swift in a Remington 700 Classic and the .218 Bee in a Ruger No.1S. I was aware of the 250 Savage which is also an old design, but it did not look spectacular on paper. Brass is always difficult to find however 22-250 brass can be necked up with a tapered expanding ball. Projectiles, primers and suitable powders are everywhere due to the popularity of the 25-06 (especially in the outback of Australia) and the older .303-25.
The opposition:
My B.I.L. has an uber accurate Churchil (Mauser '98) .243W which with 43 grains of 2209 and Nosler 95 BT's shoots like a laser beam (despite never had a bore clean in its life). The problem was, it had a 22" barrel and the muzzle blast and flash made it almost unuseable when spotlighting. Any night vision was immediately eliminated once a round was sent off. You lost the sight picture and everything within a kilometer+ knew you were out.
I still needed a larger cartridge for culling pests in the 25-30kg+ class but the .243W was not for me.
My son has a .243W Parker Hale Safari Deluxe Mauser '98, now on its third barrel, finally a pre-chambered Lothar Walther 23" long. He has taken it to Africa for small plains game up to Impala (Fallow) in size and made consistant kills out to 300 paces with it. The ballistics with 100 grainers are great for the feral camel culling we do.
Rifle One:
Sporterized Mauser '98 ex-mil. Sporterized stock, nil bedding or magazine changes and factory trigger. Barrel was a #4 Tobler, 24" long with a pathetic blue job. I shot hundreds of animals with this rifle and numerous scopes, however it was never quite accurate enough for long shots. Reliable feeding was random, however it did the job for many years.
This is the stock (with my in-the-white 7x57 sitting in it) but you get the idea.
A thumbhole Boyds stock and bedding job did not improve accuracy significantly.
So ...... it was off for a full blown custom
Rifle Two:
Full blown custom by Tony Small. Custom ordered 24" Lothar Walther barrel blank, 1 in 10" chambered by Tony with the throat lengthened 0.035". Queensland Maple stock in old english style. Shortened magazine well, Recknagel trigger and custom butter-knife bolt handle. This feeds and cycles like hot butter. The 100 grain weight did not shoot as well as I wanted however the Nosler 85 BT shoots under 1" at 100 yards. I have put it in the back of the safe as it is too nice to take out west.
Rifle Three:
Nirvana. Factory Savage Model 14 with 22" factory barrel with again, a 1 in 10" twist. Shoots 85 and 100 weights consistantly. The stock fits me well and there is very little muzzle flash or flip, even on a bi-pod. Muzzle blast is noticeable however, but I can put up with that. IMO a barrel length of 24" is ideal. Lower 30mm rings have arrived and will be fitted shortly. No modifications or improvements were needed. It is my third Savage and won't be my last.
Like my 7x57, the 250 Savage will not give you dominanting ballistics you can find on paper or over a chronograph or brag about. It is just one of those cartridges that gets the job done very well, with a minimum of fuss. Many rifles have come and gone but I have always had a 250 Savage. The cartridge has never been a problem, however I have been fussy with the rifles it has been chambered in.
As most of my shooting is around 75-150 yards and most Aussie game is 100 kg or less, I'd even go so far as to claim it is perfect for 99% of feral game shooting in Australia. I could easily take it to Africa for springbok or any of the smaller plains game.
Favourite ACCURACY loads. Usual caveats apply.
75 grain V-Max 38grns 2208 3,300 fps
85/87 anything 36.5grns 2208 3,030 fps
100 BT 34grns 2208 2,800fps
The 100 load is the most versatile. In the Savage it shoots dead on at 175yards. 1" high at 100 and 1" low at 200yards.
!
