Savage 99 in 22-250

[Texgun]

bought a Savage 99 today that has a brass counter. The serial number indicates made in 1941.
 The barrel looks new and is stamped: P.O. ACKLEY
                                                                22-250
 It dosen't say Ackley imp. or anything like that.
 I am thinking about buying some regular 22-250 ammo and giving it a try as  the guy I bought it from said bring it back if there any problems.
 Any one know what I have here?

[GatCat]

Appears to be a rebarrel job. Of course, Ackley was a master, so it should be fine. I think your gun was made before Savage beefed them up to use the .308, so maybe do not use the max loadings.

[Lone Star]

Good advice.  If you try maximum loads, or even factory loads, the tapered .22-250 case can cause action stretching and maybe tough extraction with that vintage rifle.  If you handload, just back off a few grains from max loads until extraction is easy.   Even then you'll have a powerful .22 centerfire in a cool rifle.

[Ron T.]

P.O. ACKLEY was, indeed, a "master" craftsman... and you are very fortunate to have the benefit of his craftsmanship.  While the Model 99 is generally an extremely accurate rifle, I suspect your specific rifle may very well be even MORESO due to P.O. Ackley's involvement with it.

However, Savage didn't chamber the Model 99 for the .22/250 (a .250/3000 Savage cartridge case necked down to .224 caliber) until 1977 when it was introduced and ONLY chambered in the Model 99-C.

Unfortunately, this rifle/caliber combination was short-lived when the chambering was dropped by Savage in 1980.

Since you determined your rifle was made in 1941, this would have been 36 years before Savage chambered the Model 99 for that caliber.  

However, the Model 99's action and huge breech-block are extremely strong and easily capable of handling the pressures generated by the .22/250 or ".22 Varminter" as it became known.

And so, enjoy your rifle with the peace-of-mind that it will faithfully do it's job as long as you don't exceed "maximum" published loads.


Strength & Honor...

Ron T.

[Lone Star]

Based upon the numerous complaints of owners who tried to improve the ballistics of the parent .250/3000 in their pre-war M99s, there may be problems using .22-250 factory ammo.  The classic pre-war M99 cartridges were the .250 and .300 Savages, both factory loaded to mild pressures of ca. 45,000 cup.  The .22-250 is factory loaded to 53,000 cup, producing considerably higher breech thrust.  When the old boys hotrodded the .250/3000 they got action springing which caused trough extraction, a real problem given the M99's relatively weak extraction (compared to a M70, etc.).

Savage recognized this shortcoming of the M99 and made action changes prior to the introduction of modern high-pressure cartridges in the mid-1950s. The older rifle won't blow up, but it may cause problems at pressures which exceeded its original design strength.

Ackley was a fine gunsmith, I have several rifles he worked on, but even he couldn't fix the M99's springy action.  His response was the .250/3000 Ackley Improved cartridge.  BTW, Ackley mentions this exact issue with high pressure .250/3000 M99 loads in Volume I of his Handbook.

[Ron T.]

Ahhhhhhhhh... yes, a good point, Lone Star!

That higher chamber pressure generated by even "factory loads" in the .22/250 would be a possible source of problems due to the acknowledged Model 99's "springy" action.

Apparently, Savage solved the Model 99's acknowledged "springy action" problem with their introduction, in 1955, of the .308 Winchester cartridge for the Model 99.  The .308 Win. operates at approximately the same chamber pressure level as the .22/250.

I agree with your original advice to drop the load down a few grains and the potential high chamber pressure problem will probably be solved. :wink:


Strength &  Honor...

Ron T.