Buring Desire for Classic in .250 Savage

[JPShelton]

I have a bad case of GAS (gun acquisition syndrome) after receiving my 2009 Savage Arms catalog in the mail a couple of days ago.  In it, I see that they are offering the Classic 14 in .250 Savage, and I am thinking that this would be a stellar combination.  I went to my local dealer to inquire about ordering one, but his distributor claimed to have not seen any yet.

I've never had a Savage bolt action before, but after looking over their catalog, it seems like I might have been missing out on a good thing.  I like the design features of the action and the Savage rifles that I've seen lately seem to be in a whole other league in terms of fit and finish that the few early 1980's era 110's that I was familar with back in the day.  The classic model is simply exquisite and I never thought I'd use "beautiful" and "Savage Bolt Action" in the same sentence but I think it is a very nicely turned-out rifle.  Now that they make a version that doesn't offend on the aesthetic front, they compound the "GAS" problem by offering it in one of my favorite calibers (had a .250 Ruger M-77 UL and LOVED the round but hated the rifle).

Do any of you Savage fans have any idea as to when 14 Classics in .250 might start rolling out of the factory?

-JP

[PartsMan]

Bump for current info.

I just found out they were offered myself.
Was planning on building one someday.

Time to start saving again.

[FW Conch]

   The 250 is one of those that is so good it deserves to be kept going forever !    GOOD LUCK-Jim

[Savage .250]

 Not only does the the Savage American classic, model 14 come in Sav 250 it comes in 300 Sav as well. Plus, others.

 Able`s has them for $677.90.   
  I know the original comments were posted in March but I saw some recent posting so here`s mine........
 
   As far as the true "American Classic" goes, mines a pre-mil-F  in .250.   
 
 

[billy_56081]

A friend has a Rem 700 classic in 250 savage only fired a few times.

[AtlLaw]

This is old news for many here, but I have a M7 in 260 that will be the basis for the light, slim .250 I've always wanted.  When Savage announced the American Classic in 250 I looked at it, but it appeared to be more gun then the 250 needs or I want.  Hi-ebber, and day is always a hi-ebber,    FWIW I think the AC is the finest looking rifle Savage ever produced!   

[jeepmann1948]

I got lucky back in 1985 or so and picked up a Model 77 Ruger Ultra Lite in the Great old 250 Savage. Got out the door of the shop with it and a compact 6 power Leupold and mounts for 400.00  (ah the good old days). It cloverleafs 87 bullets traveling at 3000 fps (the original loaded speed) at 100 yards.In my opinion there is not a finer Texas deer cartridge than the old 250 Savage. I would recommend it to anyone for any practical range hunting. My Dad had a lovely 250-3000 99 Savage that killed everything he pointed it at including elk! Even took a 6' Grizzly up in Alberta with one shot from the drilling rig floor he was working on.Come to think of it I don't ever remember hearing a bad word from anyone that owns or did own one. Have any of you folks heard any disparaging words about them?

[PartsMan]

It cloverleafs 87 bullets

Now there is a gun I would like to have.
Sorry I couldn't help myself.

The only bad I have ever heard is "It's not as fast as a [insert overbore cartridge here]".

[bubba]

There is a 250 savage encore barrel in the classifieds. I am debating on it, but I just ordered a 300 savage barrel from the custom shop. I have a pre mil 99 in 300 that was my dads pride and joy.  I rarely take it out to shoot as I am afraid of damaging it while tramping around in the swamp.  Maybe next week if it is still available, I may grab it after payday.  My uncle had a pre mil 99 in 250. After he passed I offered my cousin good money for it as he has no interest in guns. He said he planeed to hang onto it for a while but would let me know.  He sure did after he sold it to a "collector"  as well as the rest of the guns for a lot less than they were worth. 

[AWS]

Just put a 20" 250Sav barrel on a Stevens 200, it should make a nice rig for calling coyotes and big cats out here on the penninsula.  I mounted a 4200 Elite 1.25x4x24mm Ill Ret scope on it.   I've been shooting a 99 takedown model for years , it wears a Weaver K-3 in a Pachmayr Low-Swing mount. 

The classic looks like a great rig.

I kind of like the old Savage cartridges, I have a 300 Sav in a Rem 722 also.

AWS

[JPShelton]

I got lucky back in 1985 or so and picked up a Model 77 Ruger Ultra Lite in the Great old 250 Savage. Got out the door of the shop with it and a compact 6 power Leupold and mounts for 400.00  (ah the good old days).

I bought one of those...... well, TWO, actually..... also around 1985.  I gave one to my dad.  I kept the other.  That's kind of where my little love affair with the round came from.  That .250 was just sweeeeeeeet to shoot.  But it put a serious hurt on anything I hit with it.  I was more impressed with the cartridge than the Ruger M-77 U/L, however, and sold mine with the idea that I'd look for a minty Savage M-99 in .250, or maybe even a Savage M-1920.  That never happened, but I did briefly own and shoot a M-99 in .25-35, which was a great gun but not a .250.

 My dad is giving his .250 Savage Ruger M-77 U/L to my ten year old son. 

And that is another reason why I want one.  Since my son is going to be shooting the caliber, I might just as well make life simple and shoot it, too.

I shot stuff from prarie dogs to pronghorns to central CA porkers pushing 275 on the hoof, and with 120 Nosler Partitions, it "bang-flopped" it all, without doing the same to me.

-JP

[JPShelton]

  The 250 is one of those that is so good it deserves to be kept going forever !    GOOD LUCK-Jim

I couldn't agree with above statement more.  Some would say that there isn't anything the .250 Savage can do that the .243 Winchester can't do better, but I'm not sure I agree.  Others might argue that they're essentially the same thing in terms of performance.  I'm not sure I agree with that, either, but I don't have enough experience with the .243 on game to really have an opinion, one way or another.

I have an opportunity to gain some now, however........

This past weekend, at our local gun show, I picked up a Savage Model 10 in .243 for $260.00.  The rifle itself appeared to have been carried and shot relatively little, but the crummy scope mounts and horrid Simmons "action weight" they held captive had plenty of battle scars.  I made the purchase right about the time the show was closing for the day.  I took the rifle home, stripped it of its low-grade scope and mounts, and used higher quality hardware to mount a 3 X 9 Leupold VX-1 to it.  After bore sighting and double-checking to see that everything was cinched down tight, I was off to the range try it out.

I still think the Savage Model 14 American Classic is a neat deal, but practicality triumphed over pretty since I started this thread back in March.  My current situation living in Oklahoma has me shooting in hot, humid weather outside of the deer season, but will have me using the rifle for its higher purpose when the air is far colder and much, much drier.  I decided that I'd be better off searching for a deal on a stainless steel and synthetic stocked short action Model 16, and rebarreling it with a .250 Savage tube because of the difference in climatic conditions that will exist on my final opportunity to shoot the rifle and opening day of Modern Gun season.

After shooting the rifle, I am not so sure that I want to screw up a good thing.  A 1.5" group off the bat might not impress too many people, but it impressed me as equal to a dead deer at ranges far, far beyond those I am likely to encounter where I hunt near my hometown. I don't doubt that a little load development would get me nearer to M.O.A.

All in all, I am mightly impressed with my little pea-shooter, and so much so that I am reluctant to screw with it too much.  I might wind up sufficiently satisfied with the .243 to leave well enough alone, too.

-JP   

[PawPaw]

Congrats, JP, on your .243.  It's a great cartridge and I'm convinced that the Savage in .243 is a great rifle.  I've got one that I shoot quite a bit and it's never failed to satisfy.

If you're looking for hunting weigh bullets, I've had good luck with 100 grain bullets and Reloder 22 powder.  My current hunting load is 45.5 grains of R22, a CCI primer, and a 100 grain Hornady.  It runs just over 3000 fps in my rifle with no pressure signs.  Accuracy hovers at just under an inch and is just the ticket for the smallish deer we have here in central Louisiana.

I'm still looking for another rifle in .25-06 or .250 Savage.  Till then, the .243 will serve admirably.

Regards.

[shotgunner]

I have one of the early classics in .250-3000, and was told they were made in 300 savage as well as 7X57. When I bought mine it strung shots 12" verticly. I removed the stock and found a bright spot just opposite the sling swivel stud. About 5 seconds with a dremel on the stud and the gun shoots nice round 1" groups. I have shot woodchucks and a couple of deer with it. My son made a wonderful shot with the gun on a doe. The little 250 has always seemed to kill deer better then the noise and recoil would lead you to believe. I also have a 99A as well as a 99K ( factory engraved ) in the cartridge. can't get enough of those 250s. I would love to see a Remington model 7 with a 20" barrel. Shotgunner