35-303 Sav.

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  • Last Post 28 June 2015
DBW posted this 31 August 2014

picked up a fairly nice Sav. 99 in 303 Sav. The bore was badly pitted and corroded but the bbl was a nice looking half octagon so I had it bored out to 35 cal. I have reamed for the neck but am waiting for recommendations on bullets for hunting pigs and deer. Has anyone else done this and if so what has worked for you?....DBW      

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delmarskid1 posted this 31 August 2014

I think you are on to something. If it was me I'd take a look at the .35 Remington data. They keep pressures down and the bullet weights will be good for your uses. 180 to 250 grain should be plenty good.

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norm posted this 01 September 2014

Look for 35-30-30 data. The 303 Savage has slightly more capacity than the 30-30.

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RicinYakima posted this 01 September 2014

Agree with Norm, that is a fairly common wildcat on the Pacific coast. Should be some information on the net. Ric

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Ed Harris posted this 01 September 2014

My .35/.30-30 has a 16” twist and for a hunting load I use a .362-260FN LBT bullet and a nominal caseful, compressed,of IMR4064, about 32 grains, for 1600 fps from a 20” carbine. Like a stiff .38-55 smokeless load.

73 de KE4SKY In Home Mix We Trust From the Home of Ed's Red in "Almost Heaven" West Virginia

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DBW posted this 01 September 2014

Thank you gentlemen, I Googled 35-3030 and found some interesting comments but no data. Ed my rifle was made some time around 1915-1920 with the cocking indicator on the bolt so want to keep the pressures moderate. I have molds for 170-200 grs. do you feel I can develop effective loads in these weights? I am casting a 170 gr Keith style bullet for 357s, WW +2% tin 13-15 bhn air cooled. thought that might do @ 1600-1800 fps for practice and small deer. Possibly the 200 gr. gc at 1800-2000 same alloy for pig? All my shots will be 150 yds or less...DBW

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gnoahhh posted this 01 September 2014

If your rifle has the cocking indicator on the bolt it is way earlier than 1915-1920. Pre-1909 I believe. Also, that style bolt has the square back + square mortise in the receiver. Check closely for cracks behind that mortise- they were notorious for that. It's wise to keep pressures way down in those early 1899s for that reason, too. They were so prone to failure that Savage routinely upgraded them to the better designed radiused bolt and receiver whenever one came back to the factory to be worked on.

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DBW posted this 01 September 2014

Thanks, the receiver is presently stripped and the bbl off in preparation for reaming the throat. It is clean & there is no evidence of cracks at 5x in good light, but will definitely keep an eye on it and load conservatively......DBW  

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delmarskid1 posted this 04 September 2014

Barnes Cartridges of the World has some 35-30/30 data. None of it will be pressure tested of course. Forget what I said about the .35 Rem....please?

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DBW posted this 04 September 2014

Thanks, I'll try to check it out....DBW

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norm posted this 08 September 2014

DBW, I have used the RCBS 35-200-FN in 35 Remington and at 1900 fps muzzle velocity it will shoot thru deer end to end. Don't know if you could safely get that velocity from the 35-303 but you should get close. I have no experience on pigs but it should work. I have never recovered one of the RCBS bullets from deer but they leave 25 cent piece exit holes with 13-14 bhn bullets so must be expanding at least some.

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DBW posted this 08 September 2014

Thanks Norm for you input, it gives me hope that this will all work out. So far using 3030 data as a starting point seems the best route. The reboring  job was very well done and looks so much better than any bbls on factory rifles that I have seen (looking with borescope) and slugging both ends appears to have a very slight taper toward the muzzle, the machine marks are minimal for an unlapped bbl. Will do minimal fire lapping to remove any burrs from the throating reamer and then try to reach 17-1800 fps and call it good .....DBW

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Ed Harris posted this 09 September 2014

DBW wrote: Thank you gentlemen, I Googled 35-3030 and found some interesting comments but no data. Ed my rifle was made some time around 1915-1920 with the cocking indicator on the bolt so want to keep the pressures moderate. I have molds for 170-200 grs. do you feel I can develop effective loads in these weights? I am casting a 170 gr Keith style bullet for 357s, WW +2% tin 13-15 bhn air cooled. thought that might do @ 1600-1800 fps for practice and small deer. Possibly the 200 gr. gc at 1800-2000 same alloy for pig? All my shots will be 150 yds or less...DBW

My 1894 Winchester was made in 1908.  You can't put enough 4064, Varget or RL15 into the case with a ten-inch drop tube to get into trouble with a 200-260 grain bullet seated to an overall cartridge length which will feed from the magazine.

73 de KE4SKY In Home Mix We Trust From the Home of Ed's Red in "Almost Heaven" West Virginia

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DBW posted this 09 September 2014

Thanks Ed, I will give those powders a try. Hope to make it to the range in about ten days ( waiting for Red dot sight.   DBW

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DBW posted this 23 June 2015

Final update on 35-303 Sav. project. I have given up on it because the flats on the factory half octagon bbl were only about 15 thou. over thread Dia. I noticed the bbl. was chewing up the receiver face when I removed it but hoped it had stabilized. To make a long story short I ran into too many problems because to use the bbl. though the cartridge showed promise and I think it is a viable option under other circumstances. Thank you to all who helped with the project.....DBW

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Ken Campbell Iowa posted this 24 June 2015

not exactly sure of the problem .....but

can you cut the tenon forward say a half inch and then fit a spacer/ring/filler between the receiver and new tenon shoulder ?

i have done that ...if you use brass it looks like you customized it ... heh heh ...

if you match the receiver patina it could look like the receiver has a forward extension ...


i would go to some length to keep that barrel ... next idea would be to bush the receiver ring threads to a smaller id y rethread, then recut your barrel tenon to the that smaller thread ... would give you more barrel shoulder .


if you are in iowa i would do that for free just to work on that old classic .... i love the few things that are older than me ( g ) ...

ken

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gnoahhh posted this 24 June 2015

Indeed. I'm not sure what the problem is. Since you didn't change anything at all on the exterior dimensions, it should behave as it did originally fitting-wise.

I have an 1899A .303 barrel with a sewer pipe bore with which I'm seriously considering a .35 rebore. The main thing holding me back is the need to have another fore arm as it won't fit in the current one. (The barrel would be an adjunct to a M1899H takedown to which I have 3 other skinnier barrels fitted- .22HP, 20” and 18", and .25-35.) The hardware pieces for those TD fore arms are mighty dear, hence the drawback. Lots O' cast bullet potential in that rig!

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DBW posted this 25 June 2015

Ken, I have a Pac-nor BBl in 30 cal. and since the 30-30 is such a good CB cartridge I have been leaning in that direction as it will do anything I need to do. However I like 35 cal. and may some day do further work with the bbl. I am not going to toss it, but want to button it up for now.  4064 seemed to show promise as I did some light break-in loads as there was room to go in the case. I still feel the 35-303 could be a very good cartridge for CB......DBW PS: I live in southern Nevada.

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TRKakaCatWhisperer posted this 25 June 2015

I have 1899's or 99's in .300 Sav, 308Win and 358 WIN.

Consider the latter! Brass is plentiful (reform 308's). The caliber is heavy-duty for hunting!

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DBW posted this 26 June 2015

TRK, I seriously considered the 356 as I felt the rimmed case would be necessary for extraction but considering my bolt face and the fact that this is an older 99 with the square back bolt instead of the later bolts with rounded back to relieve the stress points in the corners which I am told led to cracks developing in the receiver. This is a firearm that needs low pressures to last. I decided the 35-303 would be best for it. Since I want to pass this on to my sons as a shooter and am not comfortable with the bbl staying tight I am going to rebarrel it. Considering all factors I have decided 30-30 would be best.

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Wineman posted this 26 June 2015

How about a 356 Win loaded down?

Dave

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TRKakaCatWhisperer posted this 26 June 2015

Hmmm. I don't know the exact date of my vintage .358Win. The 1899 in 300 Sav is 1926, I believe the first year the 1899 was chambered in 300.

All 3 of mine are rimless, so I don't know if there would be any difference in extractors.

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DBW posted this 27 June 2015

I would have to load any cartridge I use in this rifle to moderate 30-30 pressures. Since successful conversions from 303 to 30-30 have been made with no problems to 99s with the 303 bolt face and spool I think this would be the most painless way to go for me. However I do think for someone with a later model 99 (say post 1905) the above mentioned cartridges would be worth serious consideration..........DBW

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JeffinNZ posted this 27 June 2015

I bet that is a fantastic cast bullet rifle!!

Cheers from New Zealand

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DBW posted this 28 June 2015

Jeff,Enjoy paradise in NZ!!......DBW

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