300 Savage "Tacti-Cool" Magnum

I finally got my brass and dies for the 300 Savage, so maybe I can finally shoot the Model 99E Carbine that I got a few weeks ago. While I was scrounging for the perfect bullet to try first I found my 185gr Berger VLDs that I shoot in a 300 WSM. Then I got to thinking, the 300 Savage just isn't cool any more. Maybe it needs a "tactical" make over to get the attention of new shooters.
[img width=337 height=450]http://i162.photobucket.com/albums/t260/collegekidandy/100_0423.jpg[/img]
I just wanted to see if I could get them to feed through the rotary mag. It actually feeds perfectly and looks kind of cool. So maybe now I'll mount a Leupold MK4 in tactical rings and bases, work up drop charts and wind drifts. I'll have the classiest long range gun ever! ;D

In all honesty, I might actually try loading some up just for fun. Maybe that will be the magic load. :D

Andrew

The 300 Savage was a pretty radical case dimensionally when it was developed. I always found that interesting

The reality is there is not much a 308Win/7.62Nato can do that you can't do with a 300Savage. I kinda like the idea of a "Tactical" Savage 99 "Black Rifle". It shows a little class.

uj

The more I think about it, the more fun I think this could be. The rifle is just a shooter grade 99E, so I don't feel bad about messing with it. I wonder if I can have McMillan make me an A5 style stock for it? ;D

Andrew

I actually DO have a 99E .300 Savage tactical black rifle. Years ago I had it matte blued and years of use have now made it look like military parkerizing. The cheapo wood has been sprayed with Formby's Granite Surface black and green paint. I am currently waiting for a laminated stock for my "new" 99F .308, and if that project works out well I'll get another similar stock for my 99E.

My 99E is the most reliable, iron clad rifle I've ever owned. In the rotary magazine rifles I find that the .300 Savage cartridge is more reliable than the .308 in my 99F. The .300 Savage has less body taper and my 99E chambers the shortest bullets without fail, all the time every time. Even the cast 100 gr. SWC meant for the .32 revolvers feeds flawlessly, and this is something my .308 won't do.

But the way, .300 Savage brass is easily made by running .308 Winchester brass into the Savage sizing die and cutting off the excess. The extractor groove will be slightly wider, but I find that this doesn't really matter unless you have to extract loaded rounds from the chamber in a hurry. Sometimes they don't clear the action, but fired brass extracts and clears just fine. Just remember to drop the powder charge slightly when using .308 brass. I have also successfully re-formed brass from .243 Winchester, .250 Savage and 7mm-08 Remington.

Of course surplus .308 is available everywhere, and because of this I believe the .308 is generally the better choice. But as long as you have a bullet puller, a $4 Lee trimmer, a set of dies and a little bit of time, you will NEVER run out of .300 Savage ammo.

Dave Sinko

Would you mind posting a pic of you gun Dave? This sounds interesting.

I thought about using reforming 308 brass, but since I needed to order reloading dies anyway, I figured I should just get the brass to go with it. The funny part is that I had a set of Hornady 300 Savage dies that I sold a few months ago with a Contender barrel. The Contender was chambered for the 300BS ( a 307 Win case resized in a 300 Savage die). I figured that I'd never own a 300 Savage, so there'd be no point in hanging on to them. ::)

Andrew