Is the 300 Savage on the way out?

[pete f]

anyone who says they are dead is living a dream.

while not exactly prospering, they are in my mind the pentultimate deer cartridge, not so fast as to blood shot the meat, fast and accurate enough to kill to 300 yards.

I just bought 500 nickel cases for my supply.

The Savage Co. built something like 750,000 model 99's and remington, winchester and others all chambered rifled for it. I have two model 81 takedown autoloaders and a model 70 winchester pre 64 as well as a locker full of model 99's. If you have to pay 40 dollars a box for ammo you need to overthrow your state government. seriously, I just was shopping on friday and there were three brands and maybe 7 choices of loads for 300 Savages in the local Gander. Federal had some 165 trophy bonded loads that were exceptional a few years ago, (last time i bought them). If you think the cartridge is dead and want out, I will help you get out of the rifle.

 

[Vern Humphrey]

I have formed 300 savage brass from 308. Its not that big a deal, really...just labor intensive...

Set of standard RCBS FL 300 Savage dies, take out the expander plug. Run the 308 brass (I use Federal due to it being a touch "softer"...don't use milspec brass...might aneal as well...I didn't have to) with Imperial sizing wax on it...after your done with that, trim to SAAMI length (1.875), debur the neck.

Do this with however many you plan to make. Then when your done (be sure to leave that Imperial on the brass) put the expander plug back into the die and redo all the brass again...check the length (shouldn't have grown too much...I only had about 3 thou max length increase) and load as you normally would.

YMMV
D

That's the beauty of the .300 Savage -- for a handloader, there will always be brass -- until the .308 is unavailable, which won't be in our lifetimes.

 

[106rr]

In CA, the most common ammo on the shelf is Remington 150 gr Corelokt. It is a little harder to find 180 gr of any make. Federal has a 180 gr Spitzer while Remington still loads the justly famous 180 gr Roundnose Corelokt. The latter is the most accurate in my old Rem 722.

 

[LAK]

The .300 Savage is a very well-balanced medium caliber rifle cartridge. While it may have gone out of fashion, it is still potentially as effective as ever.

Unless you want to learn and start handloading, I would keep a sharp eye open for any and all .300 savage ammo for sale. Buy it when and as you can afford.

Store ammo in a cool, dry, place and it should be good to shoot for a very very long time.
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[sisu]

Savage99, a classic deer rifle

Hi, I am not a gun expert I will tell you this I have shot a lot of deer in my life.
RE: Savage 300. I have hunted with my Savage 99 lever action a lot of years, I think I bought it in the late 1960"s. I like the balance and weight of the gun and with a scope on it, it still balances very well. In the area I hunt, it is pretty thick cover, it is mostly short range shots so I can't tell you about shooting deer more than 100 yards, thinking back I only shot one deer at the 100 yd. distance most of my deer kills were at 50 yds and less - maybe between 30-50yds. The caliber is excellent. I use to shoot 180 grain round soft points but lately I can get only get 150 .. no big deal. The lever action loves round bullets - never a problem to load. I don't buy spear point. I would tell you this in my area getting bullets is a pain. The selection in Remmington is getting harder all the time. I pay an average of $35.00 a box. I go to the range twice in the fall for "tune up" with all the deer guns and shoot a total of a box or the most 1.5 boxes for the 99. For those guys that shoot their deer rifles a lot at the range, the cost of bullets piles up you should think about loading your own. I use other guns to practice with. Perhaps some would take issue with so little practice with the 99, for me its not a problem. When deer hunting, realistically, how many rounds do you shoot - very few and in Some years only one shot. So I figure for $35.00 per season to tune up is small. I will buy loading equipment if the availability and bullet choice becomes diffilcult. I will not give up hunting with the Savage 99. There are nicer guns, better guns, no doubt, all I can tell you when you shoot with this rifle it becomes one with you. I have nothing against other guns, I've shot them, the Savage is my favorite and favorite of a lot of hunters - just ask around - go on the internet and you will hear the same comments. I encourage you guys that are devout bolt or semi auto loaders if you are thinking of a second gun look at the Savage 99 they are a great deer gun to handle and shoot, they are available at a moderate price, and what's wrong with that? Good luck hunting.

 

[Vern Humphrey]

There is no question the 99 Savage is a great rifle -- but it's not being manufactured any more.

There is no question the .300 Savage is a great deer cartridge. But no new rifles chambered for that cartridge are being manufactured any more.

 

[mio]

the beer store here has it for abput $28 a box. sadly thats also the price of .30-.30 and pretty much any other centerfire.

 

[Hangingrock]

The 300 Savage is simply in its twilight. There is no reason to chamber a rifle in 300 Savage. The 308 Winchester negates the 300 Savage rational.

 

[DanTheFarmer]

Savage is currently listing the 300 Savage in their Series 14 and 16 bolt guns. I checked www.ableammo.com and they've got both in stock now.
So at least one major manufacturer is building new rifles in this caliber and they are available.

By the way Savage is also chambering these rifles for 250-3000 Savage, another cartridge rarely chambered these days.

Dan

 

[Vern Humphrey]

If I had a 99 Savage in .300 Savage (WARNING: I will have one, if you ever put yours down and turn you head for a moment) I would buy 500 pieces of new brass and husband it very carefully.

 

[browningguy]

Well guys, I shoot a Remington model 81 in .300 Savage and think it's a fine cartridge, but I still think it's a dead end. Yes I handload and so can shoot the gun forever, but only a small minority of shooters actually handload. And while I am sure there are areas where you can walk into the local gunstore and buy all the ammo you want off the shelf, that's not most places.

I am surprised that Savage is stocking new rifles in .300 Savage, but what are they going to do after all 12 people that want a new one buy one of them?

 

[788Ham]

In my part of the country, the .300 Savage IS NOT DEAD ! I've got the .300 my Pop had when he first got it, early '46, haven't any idea how many deer, elk or antelope he shot with it, a bunch! I've also got the 250-3000 his friend had before he passed, this one is almost brand new, its been shot, but damned well taken care of, what a shooter. I reload for both of them, use only spitzer bullets in both. As far as ammo for the .300 Sav., its usually seasonal from Midway and CTD, although Sportsman's Warehouse sometimes has it, $14-15/box. This gun has lost some life because of the .308 round, but like the Sav. 303, people still use it to hunt with. The Savage 99 might not be as popular as the Win. 94, but its a Helluva lot stronger action! Those who have them, hang onto them, they're a keepsake now!!

 

[Captcurt]

I doubt it.

I have several old gun books from the 70's proclaiming the doom of several old classics. 257 Roberts , 300 savage, 45-70, just to name a few. Just when you think they are nearly gone forever some dufus chambers another run and away we go again. Some of it is nostalgia, some is simply because they work. Ammo may get hard to find, especially in Podunk USA, but you can get dies and brass. Some calibers of brass are only made once a year and can be hard to find, but if you hunt long enough it can be had.

So back to the OP's question. I doubt if you will see the death of the Savage round. It is just too darned good.

 

[unwise11]

on cheaper than dirt dot com you can get BVAC ammo for it. 24.somthing a box.

 

[wally]

I wonder, will our children be having threads like this about 6.8SPC or .30AR or any of the other numerous AR non-standard offerings?

In some respects I least hope so as it would mean they could still buy guns and ammo.

 

[unwise11]

good point. of course, i am a child age 14 in 6 days.. but its truely scary. i want my .308 and 9mm nd .223 to stay. for i love those cartriges. and have weapons in them if you count what my dad claims as his. the .308 is mine though.

 

[FROGO207]

I have two Savage 99's and of all things a bubba'd Arisaka all in 300 Savage. All are deadly accurate and fine operators. Oh yea I reload for them also. You can still buy ammo here for $18-$20 a box most places, same price as 30-30 is. I am just too cheap to buy it. I like loading with Trail Boss and 115 grain lead bullets for plinking loads that shoot like a .22. Last box of them that I bought had a price of $6.75.