Savage's attempt to fit near-.30-06 performance into a short-action cartridge. Achieved in 1920 what .308 Winchester commercialized in 1952 — and served as conceptual inspiration for it.
Type: Rifle
Introduced: 1920, United States
Parent case: .30-06 Springfield
Standardization: SAAMI
Bullet diameter: 0.308" (7.82 mm)
Case length: 1.871" (47.52 mm)
Overall length: 2.6" (66.04 mm)
Max pressure: 47,000 PSI
Rim type: Rimless
Primer: Large Rifle
Typical twist rate: 1:10
Muzzle velocity: 2600–2900 fps
Muzzle energy: 2252–2820 ft-lbs
Effective range: 400 yd
Common bullet weights: 150, 180 gr
Primary use: Hunting
Production status: Active
Also known as: .300 Savage Auto Loading
History: Designed for the Savage Model 99 lever action, which required a shorter cartridge than .30-06. Achieved approximately 90% of .30-06 performance. Ordnance engineers studied it extensively when developing the T65 experimental cartridge that became .308 Winchester — the .300 Savage's case dimensions directly influenced the .308.
Notable firearms: Savage Model 99, Remington Model 722
Similar cartridges: .308 Winchester, .30-06 Springfield, .30-30 Winchester