The .300 Savage made its debut in 1921 in the legendary Savage Model 99 lever action. It has since been chambered in a number of other guns--including Remington's Model 700 Classic for 2003.

There was a time not so long ago when if you asked someone what he used to bag his deer and he replied ".300," you knew it was a .300 Savage and not some belted magnum. The round was just that popular at one time--and still is to some extent.

The .300 Savage has been used to take every sort of game in North America. Firing a 150-grain factory load at 2,630 fps, the .300 Savage has a reputation for being one of the best woods-hunting deer rounds ever developed. Recoil is relatively mild, and standard bullets perform beautifully at this velocity.

The .300 Savage was introduced in 1921 for the Savage Model 99 lever-action rifle and has since been chambered in many other rifles: bolt actions, pumps and semi-autos from Remington and Winchester, and bolt actions from Savage. There are thousands of .300 Savage rifles still being used today, and Remington's selection of the .300 Savage for this year's Model 700 Classic means that fans of the cartridge can actually buy a new gun so chambered.

By far the largest number of .300 Savage rifles available are in the original Model 99 design. The rifle is available in either solid-frame or takedown model and is readily adaptable for scope mounting. Later rifles were drilled and tapped at the factory for scope mounts.

The round continues to be loaded by our three major ammo companies. Federal and Remington offer both 150- and 180-grain bullet weights; Winchester catalogs only the 150-grain number. Most hunters go with the 150-grainer for deer and the 180-grain loading for elk. The Savage is also a great round for black bear in either bullet weight.

For a 150-grain factory load, Federal lists 2,100 fps at 200 yards and 1,850 at 300 yards. Energy runs 2,305 ft.-lbs. at the muzzle, 1,845 at 100 yards, 1,460 at 200 and 1,145 at 300 yards. For velocity and energy, the .300 Savage is a solid 250-yard deer cartridge in my book. Zeroed at 200 yards, the 150-grain factory loading is 2.4 inches high at 100 yards and 10.4 inches low at 300.

The .300 Savage (left) has a case capacity similar to the .308 Win., and there's no doubt about its effectiveness on deer, bear and even elk.

Due to the lower muzzle velocity with 180-grain bullets, energy is not a lot different to 300 yards with this weight, but the heavier bullet likely penetrates a little better. Factory-loaded 150-grain bullets are great for deer and black bear, but with the right bullet, a handloaded 150- or 165-grain weight would be a better do-everything performer for game up to and including elk. I would not hesitate to use a 150- or 165-grain Barnes X Bullet, Swift A-Frame or Nosler Partition on elk, for example, in the .300 Savage. Handloading

The .300 Savage case holds about 53 grains of water--about three grains less than the .308 Win., which was introduced much later. While capacities of the two cases are nearly the same, the .308 is generally considered to produce higher velocities due primarily to its higher operating pressure. The SAAMI maximum average pressure for the .308 Win. is listed at 62,000 psi while the .300's is 47,000 psi.

HANDLOADING
In spite of this, the fifth edition Hornady Handbook of Cartridge Reloading list top velocities for 150- and 165-grain bullets as being the same for both cartridges at 2,800 and 2,600 fps, respectively. Both cartridges were tested in 22-inch barrels.

The .300 Savage has a shorter overall cartridge length of 2.6 inches compared to the .308's 2.8 inches, and because the .300's length was originally dictated by the length of the Model 99's magazine, .300 Savage bullets have to be seated more deeply than .308 Win. bullets. For that reason, standard spitzers or semi-spitzers are probably better choices than the latest ultra-sleek (and longer) designs.

For the most part, handloaders should limit bullet weight to no more than 180 grains in the .300 Savage, due in part to the deep bullet seating and--for those loading for this particular rifle--because of the Savage 99's 1:12 rifling twist rate. This twist is not the best for stabilizing heavy and long bullets (such as 200 or 220 grains) at .300 Savage velocities.

While the design of the Savage Model 99 rifle has not changed appreciably since the 1920s, the metallurgy has. Actions of pre-war rifles are known to be more "springy" than those made in recent years. For this reason, case stretching can be a problem.

Avoid setting the case's shoulder back during sizing for this reason. At the same time, cases should be full-length sized for smooth function in such a rifle. Just be sure to watch for incipient case head separations, and don't use cases more than for just a few firings. Post-war lever guns have no such problem with springiness, and the basic Model 99 is a strong action.

The best powders for the .300 Savage for bullet weights from 150 through 180 grains include H-4895, IMR-3031, IMR-4064, IMR-4895 and VN-140. While the .300 Savage is not ideal for heavyweight bullets, it can easily be loaded with lightweight varmint bullets from 110 through 130 grains, giving the round a lot of versatility.

.300 Savage Performance
	Muzzle	50	100	150	200	250	300
Velocity (fps)	2,650	2,519	2,392	2,268	2,149	2,032	1,919
Energy (ft.-lbs.)	2,339	2,113	1,905	1,714	1,538	1,375	1,227
Trajectory (in.)	-1.5	+1.1	+2.3	+2.0	+0	-3.9	-9.7
Note: Sights are 1.5 inches above line of bore. Loaded with Hornady 150-grain spire point.