Charles Newton envisioned light cartridges that carried light and small-caliber bullets that were efficient for deer hunting. The cartridge would have to be projected at a very high velocity for it to be effective. This was the premise for the design of the 250–3000 Savage. The design would be revolutionary as other high-velocity cartridges of the time were at least 30 calibers, most of them being military derivatives.
In the year 1915, Newton teamed up with Arthur Savage of Savage Arms to create a 25-caliber, 87-grain bullet weight cartridge that was able to obtain a grand velocity that broke the 3000fps mark, hence the name "250-3000 Savage." It was achieved by shortening the 30-06 Springfield. Even though Charles Newton questioned Savage Arm’s decision to reduce the caliber of the bullet from his proposed 100 grains to 87, thereby reducing the penetration, the public received this cartridge with immense accolades and praise due to its brilliance in marketing by the manufacturing company. The 250 soared in popularity.
The 250-3000 Savage case was designed to fit into the Savage Model 99 lever-action rifle, a fast-handling, accurate rifle that was extremely popular amongst hunters. With the 250 Savage, the Model 99 produced lighter recoils that further improved the accuracy of shot placement on the game being hunted. It was a joy to use until the cartridge’s flaws began to be exposed.
The 250 Savage exited the barrel with 1670 foot-pounds of force at a velocity of 3170 fps, sufficient to produce killing power, on average. However, it was not enough to penetrate the muscles and bones of a variety of deer species. The shots were too shallow, and the wounded animal would run away after being hit with well-placed shots. This frustration caused hunters to grudgingly and slowly relinquish use of this cartridge until its bulging popularity faded, even after the bullet grain was increased to improve penetration. The cartridge has stayed around for years despite that, as hunters who were just beginners found it easier to start with.
