Initially designed round-nosed but becoming a pointed-tip rimmed cartridge in early 1900s, it worked well in the Model 99 rifles that Savage produced because of their rotary magazine.

It wasn't as successful in other lever-action rifles because only the round-nose loading were safe to use with their tubular magazines.

However, the pointed-tip bullets gave it a ballistic advantage over other traditional lever-action cartridges such as the .30-30 Winchester.

[4] Great care must be taken as the Winchester brass is about .020” smaller at the base and case failure is possible.

It is safer to obtain correct .303 Savage brass, which shows up occasionally in runs from Norma or Prvi Partizan.