Here finally is my .250-3000 Varmint/Spotlighting/Truck rifle.

I started handloading 20 years ago and my B-I-L asked me to develop a load for his .243W Churchill (Mauser '98) rifle. I did, but found the 22" barrel produced far too much muzzle blast (and at night) muzzle flash for my liking. Spotlighting at night is a common practise here in Australia to reduce vermin and feral animals that pose a threat to farmers crops and pasture.

I looked for a cartridge with a smaller powder capacity and a longer barrel. I played with a 6mm250 wildcat on a Mauser action but the 26" barrel was too thin, it was not bedded and I never got it to shoot satisfactorily. That barrel is now on AFRO408's excellent .243Myra.

250-3000 with Sierra 87 Spitzer next to a .243 with 100 Sierra SptBt.

I decided on the 250-3000. A 23 1/4" C/M #4 barrel was fitted to a 1952 R.Famage CRF '98 action. I have measured the twist numerous times and it comes in at 1 in 11" ??? The muzzle measures .700" with a recessed target crown. It was fitted to a sporterised ex-mil stock with the standard trigger. Despite taking a large number of animals it never chambered and extracted reliably and was a pain to use. I gave it to a mate getting into shooting, but he never used it and ten years later asked if I wanted it back. I had this size cartridge gap in my armoury so I happily took it back home.

I had fitted and bedded a Boyds thumbole stock and a Sako trigger fitted and set at 2 1/2 pounds. AFRO408 fixed the chambering and extraction problems with three hand files and a high speed polisher.

Load development was intersting. It hates 100 grain projectiles, shoots 87 grainers regularly into 1" at 100 yards and any 75 grainer into less than 1" at 100 yards. I have a large supply of 75 V-Max and 75 Sierra HP's. Scope is my old Leupold Vari X-III 3.5-10x40AO which may get sent away for a B&C reticle.

The impetus to get this finished was the success my son has had with his .243W on our recent outback Camel hunt and I can't stand by and let the young shine with these modern cartridges.