I recently bought a new/old box of factory Winchester 87gr ammo for the 250 savage. not cheap as you can imagine. I'm not sure when the last time Winchester offered this ammo in 87 grain but I don't think it's been for a while - though at the same time this style of ammo box isn't terribly old either - which is why I bought it. (as a side, does anyone know how to date winchester ammo boxes?)
However, I'd like someone to help verify that this is actually factory loaded ammo.
When I received the box of ammo and opened it up to look at it, I was struck at the unusually short OAL of the ammo. The rounds measured only 2.333" in length - however all of the reloading information for this I have lists loaded lengths for the 87 grain bullet to be in the 2.45 - 2.515" range.
I pulled one bullet after an unbelieveable amount of pounding with the bullet puller and the bullet indeed does weigh 87 grains, but the bullets have a cannelure which is located super high up on the bullets so the bullets are seated super low in the cases which are crimped to the cannelure. another strange thing is that there is a lot of variation in seating depth of the bullets - some seated to the top of the cannelure, some to the bottom of it.
I'm just checking to make sure these bullets weren't originally intended for some other round and reloaded into 250 savage cases. There was 31 grains of some kind of very fine powder in the cases. I guess I'm just want to make sure these rounds are factory and safe to shoot. Was a little concerned about how deeply the bullets were seated and that pressure would/could be excessive.
There is some precident for my concern as one time a dozen years ago I bought a box of 32-40 ammo, but it turned out to be reloads that someone made using 32WS jacketed bullets - again seated to the cannelure which in that case made the OAL too long to feed or fire in a 32-40 - so I pulled all of those bullets and just used the brass. Wondering if I need to do the same with this ammo.
Here is a picture of the box, and a comparison of the length of the rounds with my handloads that measure 2.465"
![Image](https://i.postimg.cc/9MWNfcqC/IMG-20220521-205122553.jpg)
![Image](https://i.postimg.cc/q7c50Nq1/IMG-20220521-204917500.jpg)
ok, after I typed the above, I looked at the winchester ammo box again and noticed that there is actually very little "extra" room or clearance within the box with the ammo in it. The inside height of the box measures 2.44" and if I put any of my reloads in the red plastic inner box, I have to push/force them into the box.
So.... that would be evidence that this ammo is meant to be this short. It just seems really extra short for 250 savage ammo. And is actually a huge bummer, because I was hoping to use this box to hold my reloads eventually - but I guess that's out now as the box is too short. So strange.
anyone have any experience with factory loaded 250 savage ammo being this short. Probably no one has 87 grain factory ammo around any more as 100 grain is the standard weight now for factory ammo. I'm guessing they would have had to made ammo boxes for the 100 grain ammo taller as I don't think you'd want or be able to seat 100 grain bullets low enough to fit in this box.