New-to-me Savage 99, first day at the range

[BrocLuno]

I own a 1950 Mdl. 99 .300 Savage. I have never hunted with it. It does not wear a scope. I shoot cast bullets in it using iron sights. It is an amazingly accurate firearm. These rifles were way ahead of their time.
The .300 Savage is the parent of the .308.

Understood, but you need a 99 in 308 with a scope too

If mine did not have a very nice Nikon, it'd get one of those Leupold XV-R Patrols. That would be a stunning combo

If I had to empty the safe and sell everything, that 99 would be the very last piece I'd let go. It is my all time favorite rifle. And I'm seriously attached to more than one ...

 

[lastofthebreed]

My 99, circa 1948 in 250-3000. Scope is a period correct Weaver 4X. One shot and he ran about 25 yards and piled up. Great gun and great cartridge!

 

[Dog Soldier]

My 99, circa 1948 in 250-3000. Scope is a period correct Weaver 4X. One shot and he ran about 25 yards and piled up. Great gun and great cartridge!

I would not disagree. I simply have too many toys and too little time. Many of my firearm time is spent experimenting with guns and ammo. The Savage 99 is a great choice as a hunting rifle.

 

[Mowgli Terry]

Let me give you a heads up on vintage 99's in 250-3000. The twist is adapted to 87 gr. bullets of the time. The first time out if was with factory 100gr. bullets. These bullets tipped at 100 yards. The rifle did well with 87gr. reloads using Sierra bullets. These factory rounds were basically useless in the 1927 vintage take down 99. I don't know when this slow twist was changed. Something was meant to shoot that 100 gr. stuff. Interesting old guns that in the day were pricey. Make them again? How would the look in a black stock, thirty round mags and a threaded muzzle?

 

[T.R.]

This my 1972 vintage .308 rifle. It has the despised ( by some) pressed checkering but shoots with amazing accuracy. It's a keeper!

TR

 

[SwampWolf]

Nice looking rifle for sure-and I'm one of those who despises impressed "checkering".

 

[cdb1]

One of my bucket list rifles is a 250-3000 with the original magazine, not the later one.

 

[loose noose]

Still looking for a Savage 99 in 300 Savage, in at least fair condition at a reasonable price, kind of few, and far between.

 

[ironworkerwill]

One of my bucket list rifles is a 250-3000 with the original magazine, not the later one.

Me too. It's a special rifle, nostalgia at it's finest.

 

[Clark]

The rifle has been in the family since 1973 made in 1969 it is a 308 Sav 99.

 

[Peter Gun]

Loose noose:
Maybe this guy will ship:
http://www.armslist.com/posts/6395923/vermont-rifles-for-sale-trade---525

Noticed it because I like them too, but I have zero rifle budget for a while.

 

[Oldschool shooter]

First gun I deer hunted with was a borrowed 99 in 250 Savage. May be just nostalgia, but if I come across one in nice shape, I'll scoop it up. Sad that Savage stopped making them, guess the market couldn't support them continuing.

 

[BrocLuno]

Always be looking in the used gun rack at he shops and pawns. Mine was rough (seriously), but w/o any bore damage. The rest was just work ... $400 in rough shape. I'd do it again in a heart beat

The deal for me was Pop sold his while I was away on work for a few years. Came home, and no more 99. So was on the look-out. Took about five years of looking. Walked into a gun store over in Sebastopol and there it was in the used rack. $375 plus paperwork. Done once I looked it over real well ... Never regretted it for one moment and would do it again for even more $

 

[mongoslow]

one of the finest lever guns ever built IMO the only other one that comes close is the Browning BLR.
Here is my 1927 30-30 take down

 

[tahoe2]

My 99 is from 1951 in 300 Savage, it still prints 1-5/8" @ 100 yds with my Sierra 165 grn handloads.
I've yet to take any game with it, as I typically use one of my Mauser's for hunting, but it's certainly capable.
Mine belonged to a friend, it was his Grandpa's (passed away) Friend gave it to me for being "Best Man"
at his wedding almost 30 years ago, it still works like new, although Gramp's did hunt with it, so it has some character.

 

[loose noose]

Peter Gunn, I'm looking for the Savage Model 99 with the walnut stock, I believe that one has a hardwood stock. Not only that it was a year ago that it was posted, but thanks anyway, reckon I'll keep looking.

 

[Peter Gun]

He just bumped the ad this week. But if it's not the right stock, ok.
I see these for sale pretty often around here at gun shops, some in .300 savage, some in .308

 

[SwampWolf]

Friend gave it to me for being "Best Man"
at his wedding almost 30 years ago,

Great friend, I'd say!

 

[Vern Humphrey]

About a month ago, I swapped a SW 95 and $300 for a Savage 99 in .308, built in 1961. Has a 4X Weaver 'Scope, nice wood, and that wonderful patina of a well-used and loved rifle. It is going to need a new scope, as this past hunting season the previous owner managed to give it a knock and a bit of the glass spalled or flaked off the objective. Figure a Leupold VX-1, 3X9 will do nicely, and even as a budget Leupold, it will be a much better scope than the technology allowed for us to have in 1961.

So, me, a dyed in the wool open sight shooter (I have shot 1000X more rounds through muzzloaders than centerfire, though my wife's AR is helping me catch up), shooting this old scope, on an old rifle. First day out, I was pulling 2" groups at 100 yards, my best was about 1-1/2". Plus, I was ringing clangers at both 200 and 300 yards, although I had to hold about 6" high for the 300 yd clanger.

Sweet!

Now I understand why the Savage 99 is a collectable rifle. It is quite the shooter, a pinnacle in lever-gun development with the rotary magazine, and is easy on the eye. I have a sneaking suspicion that this will not be my last 99 - I had a goal of collecting one each of the basic lever guns, and may have found myself stopping at Marlin 336 and Savage 99. I love the rifles from the '40's and '50's, and seein' as I need a Marlin in 35 Remington and 45/70, and a Savage in 300 Savage and 25-3000, it may be a while till I make it to the Model 94 and the BLR.

As a boy I had two secret desires -- a Winchester Model 95 in .30-06, and a Savage Model 99 in .250-3000.

Over the years I learned a few things -- the .30-06 is too much for the old Model 95. If you find one that has been shot a lot, it will have excessive headspace because the metallurgy of the day wasn't up that kind of pressure. (That applies to original Model 95s -- modern made ones are fine with the .30-06.) And a lot of people think the Model 95 is awkward to carry because of the box magazine.

And I learned the .250-3000 had a slow twist (one of the changes Charles Newton did to reach the magic 3,000 fps mark.) So the .250-3000 often won't shoot heavier bullets well. My dad used his .250-3000 in Africa -- during a 2-year oil exploration contract in Ethiopia. He killed literally hundreds of plains game, but always said, "The 87-grain bullet is better than the 100-grain." His rifle wouldn't shoot 100-grain bullets accurately.

Then one day I ran across a Model 99 in .308 Winchester. "'Holy smoke!' says I. 'Here is BOTH the guns I want, in one package -- .30-06 ballistics in the best lever gun ever.'"