One of the most successful Elk hunters I ever might was an old codger "in his late 70s in 1987" in Idaho; his one rifle was a 99 Savage. It and a Colt's Woodsman 22 for grouse keep in him meat year around. He smell an elk at 1000 yards down wind at dawn; could walk with in bow range of them by lunch. All while smoking hand rolled smokes.
It was a pre-war 99 cambered for 300 Savage topped it off with a Lyman 2 1/2 Alaskan and a leather strap tied around the barrel for sling. The blueing went with the Nixon administration any wood finish was gone by Reagan's first term. He kept the inside of the rifle clean and oiled but, I think purposely left the patina on the out side so it would never grow legs. He could shoulder that 99 fire two shots before most could think "ELK".
99 are great rifles, the people that bought them new knew that and love them for it.
Savage quite making the 99 because the labor cost was so high. The save the company Savage focused only on the 110 line for a few years. This was a big bet which paid off and did save the company. Remember this was before everyone found out the 110 rifle which had been made since the 1950s could out shoot most Remingtons and Winchesters.
