Savage Model 99

[sdloy]

Lately I've been wanting a Savage model 99, I really don't know why. Trying to decide on a caliber and am back and forth between 30-30 and .308. The 30-30 in the rotary magazine would allow me the use of the same pointed bullets that I use in my Contender, and allow me to buy a bolt action in .308. Is the 99 a good strong action that can utilize the Contender rounds, or will they need to be loaded down? Thanks for any input Loy

 

[peptoe]

A 30-30 is is going to be a more rare rifle of the two calibers. I am no expert, but even an older 99 should be able to hold up to most if not all 30-30 loads. The 99 in 308 would be nice as well, but my self I'd opt for the 30-30 since I never seen one.

I own a 99 in 300 savage, love it too. served my family for 60 plus years. It's retired now, I'm looking for a 308 myself.

 

[NCsmitty]

The Savage M99 was a great, fairly strong action that was originally chambered in the proprietary 303 Savage round and later the 30-30 Win. It was chambered in 308 and other 308 based cases the last few years that they were made. The rear locking action can be a bit springy with the higher pressured rounds like the 308, and if you reload on the heavy side, case separation can be a possibility.
Back in the day, I cracked a few cases myself in my 250-3000 M99.

If you can find a decent M99 in 30-30, their pressure levels match up better to the M99.

A 308 in a bolt action can handle high pressures much better than the M99.


NCsmitty

 

[tahoe2]

Model 99/.300 Savage

I love my 99 it's chambered in .300 Savage which falls in between the 30-30 & .308. I handload for it, so ammo is not a problem. Just recently it put three 165grn Speer Grand Slams in 3/4" @ 100yds, two more shots opened it up to 1-1/4" and that gun was made in the 1950's, it is topped with a fixed power Weaver in 4.75 x 40mm objective and it holds 3-1/2" @ 200yds.
I think those 165's are going about 2600fps due to that 24" barrel.

 

[bushmaster1313]

The 99 and the 300 Savage go hand in hand.

I think the .308 in a 99 will beat you up a bit, especially with the curved metal butt plate that makes it hard to fit a pad.

 

[T.R.]

I've had good luck with my 99 Savage and have taken many western mulies with it. This dandy buck was taken with a cross canyon shot at approx 225 yards or so. The .308 cartridge has been slaying all manner of big game since the 1950's.

Another great hunting cartridge is the 35 Remington. Load the 180 grain Speer bullet and you'll replicate ballistics of 300 Savage. This is a good 175 yard big game load.

TR

 

[stan rose]

The Buy and Sell section of THR has a Savage 99 in .300 Savage posted. The .300 Savage is an excellent cartridge.

 

[788Ham]

I've got a '99 in .300 Savage and another '99 in .250-3000, both of them excellent hunters! I know the .300 is a game getter, it belonged to my Pop, my Mom gave it to him in 1947, God only knows how many deer and elk he took with that rifle. 150 gr. Spire Points were what was always shot in the .300, 100 gr. Spire's were always a very safe bet in the .250. I handload for both of these, if you're able to find one in the .300 caliber, don't walk away from it, better cartridge than the .30-30 in my opinion!

 

[Dave Workman]

Shot my first buck with a Model 99 ... and it seems about a hundred years ago.

My suggestion is to stick with the .300 Savage. It's a great cartridge, and it'll do about anything the .308 will do, with a bit less recoil.

That Savage, which belonged to my grandpa, became his high school graduation gift to me because he couldn't afford anything. It was, and remains, a prized possession. It was an older model with the schnabel forend and the safety latch down along the lever. He put a full buckhorn rear sight on it, and it was a straight-shooter. I finally added a scope when I started wearing glasses, and I've been working on a little project for about 2 years, using lighter bullets to get more velocity.

I've got some lightweight .30-cal Noslers that really smoke with the right powder.


SAY.... Does anyone know where I might get a spare lever for that rifle?

 

[NCsmitty]

Does anyone know where I might get a spare lever for that rifle?

Here's a link to the lever part, but it's important to have the full model # and series for precise part selection. It's likely that it's the lever shown, but not sure.

http://www.gunpartscorp.com/catalog/Detail.aspx?pid=1072330&catid=960


NCsmitty

 

[sdloy]

Thanks for the replies. Loy

 

[BrocLuno]

My Savage 99 in 308 IS my go-to do-anything rifle. It wears a Nikon scope and it ain't for sale - period. It's one of my all time favorite rifles. Pop had a 99 in 300 Savage that he bought new in the early 60's (I think) and that was a real honest to god "deer slayer" every year w/o exception. He shot it with irons and loved that rifle. When he got into his 80's, it was the last one to go (he dropped back to just shotgun for HD and keeping critters out of the garden). He still laments selling that rifle.

Bottom line, find one that is working well and don't sweat the caliber. Have it serviced and the action checked by a gunsmith who actually knows how to work on a 99. Make sure it fits and feel comfortable and then go shoot

Go look at Post 28 in this thread for what a 99 in 308 will do with it's favorite ammo: http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=576303&highlight=savage+99

 

[Clark]

I have 5 Sav99s.
I have worked a lot on one of them.
I have working on one of my brother's 99s.

The actions are stretchy, but not as stretchy as a 303 Brit.

I have one made in 1917 that I rebarralled to 6mmBR that is really not practical with 85 kpsi.

If you want to operated a lever in a modern hunting gun, consider the Ruger #1.
Although single shot, with ammo pack on the stock, they can sound like a machine gun.

 

[UcanRun]

I own one in 250-3000 with a peep sight but have never fired it. I will someday after i take the time to really go over it

 

[PapaG]

I have and shoot a 99 in 308 and using standard loading data have found no evidence of springiness or pressure problems...nor do the case heads expand or the cases stretch. The 308 was one of the original "short fat" high pressure cartridges and the 99 handles them just fine. It doesn't kick any more than my Ruger 77 compact in 308.
The problem, if it is a problem, with the 30-30 is that there isn't enough room in the case for enough powder to make it any more than it is....but now that there are leverolution cartridges, bullets and powder available it is creeping close to the 308.

 

[Fat_46]

The Savage 99 in 300 Savage is one of my bucket list guns. Someday...

 

[Freedom_fighter_in_IL]

NCsmitty informed me that I may be the owner of a one of a kind. A Savage 99 made in the Savage custom shop in the 60's in .30/06. I have since done some research and a few phone calls to a couple of old timers at Savage and have found out that he was indeed correct. My dad had the rifle made. After researching I found out that after they made it for him, they toyed with the idea of making a line of them but didn't feel the action was stiff enough to be reliable without a complete retool to the line or some crap such as that. I had a friend bring his .300 Savage 99 over so we could do some comparisons. My action is indeed a good bit heftier than his. Other than that, and of course the action length, the rifles were pretty much the same. That old rifle has dropped more white tail and elk than I can remember. It has been my go to rifle since I was 16 or 17. I'd never delved into it's history since I had never considered selling it nor has it ever messed up.

After engaging in all this research, I have found that the .300 Savage would probably be your best bet over the .30/30 and .308. The rifle was just made for that cartridge.

 

[wyohome]

Before it was retired, it is purported that the company had plans to introduce the 99 with the capability to handle long action cartridges, such as the .30-06 and .270 Winchester. One such prototype is on display at the Savage factory and the other was recently sold for $6000.

 

[northwoods99]

The 99 in 300 Savage is very nice caliber. I also have the 250-300, 303 savage,and a 284. I have also a 99 in 7-30 waters which is very nice round for this rifle with the rotary mag. I am in the process of building a model 99 with it chambered to 270 Titus Savage. It is a 300 necked down, it should be similar to the .284 I believe. My opinion is you can't go wrong with any 99.

 

[VancMike]

A friend of mine sort of collects Savage 99 (i.e., he can't walk by one and not buy it), and then he sets up a table @ our bi-monthly local gun show. I've spent more than a few days helping him out, and my impressions are:

1) there are 10 rifles in 300 Savage for every 1 of any other caliber;
2) you'll pay a premium for vintage 99s in other-than-300 Savage calibers;
3) many (OK, most that I've seen) in 308 Win. may not exhibit the old time craftmanship, nor the magazine window, etc., etc. That stands to reason: 308 Win came relatively late to the Sav 99 party. Most 308s I've seen have clip magazines, instead of the elegant spool type.
4) those 99s from the last few years of production are a mixture of old and new parts, including mystery wood, strange finishes and sloppy tolerances.

So, of course, I couldn't resist the siren call of a late 1940's era in 300 Savage, with nice wood, brass spool magazine and counter, turned bolt, etc. It's a lovely rifle, shoots very accurately, thank you. The factory peep sight allows it to be carried as easily as a Win. 94.....and it's got more oomph.

Sold it to a native Alaska subsistence hunter who wanted to give it to his son. He'll make a third-generation Mdl 99/300 Savage hunter. I'll count that as a pretty good recommendation.

 

[FROGO207]

I have 2 300 Savage model 99's one a featherweight and one takedown version. With a good handload and a 180 grain bullet they are powerful medicine for anything that walks in the lower 48 for sure. Most times a good shot is a bang-flop. I really detest tracking a deer and love how my 99's perform. I would prefer using one in 300 Sav to a 308 if I had a choice so keep that in mind when choosing your caliber. As stated a 30-30 is what it is and no more IMHO.

 

[bergmen]

A friend of mine sort of collects Savage 99 (i.e., he can't walk by one and not buy it), and then he sets up a table @ our bi-monthly local gun show. I've spent more than a few days helping him out, and my impressions are:

1) there are 10 rifles in 300 Savage for every 1 of any other caliber;
2) you'll pay a premium for vintage 99s in other-than-300 Savage calibers;
3) many (OK, most that I've seen) in 308 Win. may not exhibit the old time craftmanship, nor the magazine window, etc., etc. That stands to reason: 308 Win came relatively late to the Sav 99 party. Most 308s I've seen have clip magazines, instead of the elegant spool type.4) those 99s from the last few years of production are a mixture of old and new parts, including mystery wood, strange finishes and sloppy tolerances.

So, of course, I couldn't resist the siren call of a late 1940's era in 300 Savage, with nice wood, brass spool magazine and counter, turned bolt, etc. It's a lovely rifle, shoots very accurately, thank you. The factory peep sight allows it to be carried as easily as a Win. 94.....and it's got more oomph.

Sold it to a native Alaska subsistence hunter who wanted to give it to his son. He'll make a third-generation Mdl 99/300 Savage hunter. I'll count that as a pretty good recommendation.

I bought one brand new in the mid-60's when I was in high school. Built-in rotary magazine, with the window, .308 Winchester, Model 99DL. Here is a copy of an ad by Savage in 1962:

Dan

 

[Dave Workman]

Here's a link to the lever part, but it's important to have the full model # and series for precise part selection. It's likely that it's the lever shown, but not sure.

http://www.gunpartscorp.com/catalog/...2330&catid=960

Alas, mine is a curved grip model, not the straight grip.

The curved grip levers are sold out.

Thx, though

 

[snakeman]

Here's mine in 308 flavor. My favorite deer rig.

 

[AK_Maine_iac]

My old 99 300 Savage is one of the guns i most regret selling.