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Shooting & Reloading - Mausers, Big Bores and others >> Rifles

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Ripp
.577 member


Reged: 19/02/07
Posts: 16072
Loc: Montana, USA
Life and Times of the Savage-Model-99
      #358333 - 19/11/21 03:57 PM

The Life and Times of the Savage Model 99, One of America’s Greatest Lever-Action Rifles
This lever gun might be the king of whitetail rifles. Unfortunately, it won’t be making a comeback anytime soon...


https://www.outdoorlife.com/story/guns/l...5LOlBEO6nUAwpDA

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ALL MEN DIE, BUT FEW MEN TRULY LIVE..


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szihn
.400 member


Reged: 24/06/07
Posts: 2121
Loc: United States
Re: Life and Times of the Savage-Model-99 [Re: Ripp]
      #358345 - 20/11/21 06:05 AM

I like mine a lot. It's a 1949 M99 in 300 I got just a few years ago.
I grew up with a Savage 1899, which was either a 30-30 or a 303 when made, but was converted to 300 Savage by an Arizona Gunsmith sometime during WW2 or maybe a bit before. My dad got the rifle from that gunsmith in 1946.
It had a short barrel (20" as I recall) and a "dog-knot" where the rear sight was and the barrel was VERY light almost looking like a shotgun at the muzzle. It had a crescent steel butt plate and no pistol grip. It was a very light carbine and I thought it kicked a lot when I was a young boy. I got my own 1st rifles when I was 12, a Winchester M70 in 270 and after that I stopped using the old 300.

But after many years I got to wanting one again even though when I was a 110 pound kid I though the 300 Sav was an evil kicking device made to torture deer hunters. And a few years ago I got one.

It's a Standard M99 in 300 and I have a peep sight on it. It's got the 24" barrel and no dog-knot. Standard butt plate too. It had a badly bent rear sight so I cut it off and retained the male dovetail to make a slot blank. It now is used only with the peep sight. I have killed a number of deer and antelope with it including one antelope buck just about 5 weeks ago. It shoots 150 grains bullets into just about 1-1/4" at 100 yards and I leave it hitting about 3" high at 100. 40.0 grains of 4064 in re-formed 308 machine gun brass with 150 grain Core-Lokts or Nosler Ballistic-Tip (hunting) bullets. MY chronograph says they go 2628 FPS. So far it's dropped all the game I have shot at with it.

The 300 Savage is the first cartridge I ever killed an elk with when I was a young boy. My dad and a bunch of his friend went on a week long hunt and he took me along. He used his brothers 30-06 Mauser and gave me the 300 Savage to carry. I bet no one really thought "the kid" would shoot one, but I got a shot at a 4X4 bull running across in front of me and made a hit behind it's shoulder with the bullet exiting from the base of the neck on the other side.

We had stopped in Eureka Nevada at a gas station and dad bough a box of "elk ammo" (180 grain instead of the 150 grain he usually bought) I made a good hit and about 3 seconds later my Uncle shot the same bull, but his bullet hit the neck low and never touched the bones. He said the elk went about 15 feet more after his hit. My bullet took out both lungs and his cut major blood vessels in the front of the neck. So I think of it as "my first elk" but in all honesty it was a collaboration of my shot and my uncles shot. Either way, we had a dead elk.

Some time in the future I hope to do it again. I don't know how many elk I have killed in the last 50+ years, but the only one I ever shot with a 300 Savage was the 1st one. I hope I can do it again---- before I get too old to hunt at all.

Edited by szihn (21/11/21 01:22 AM)


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crshelton
.333 member


Reged: 10/11/15
Posts: 379
Loc: Republic of Texas
Re: Life and Times of the Savage-Model-99 [Re: szihn]
      #358350 - 20/11/21 10:57 AM

I was about to buy a Savage 99 as my first centerfire rifle, but my gun savvy buddy showed me a 1953 Winchester Model 70 FWT in .308 and convinced me that it had more of a future than the Savage 99. That was one of the best $80 I ever spent. That rifle shot 3 shot groups of 3/8 inch and 5 shot groups of 5/8 inch and still does. It is my go-to rifle for all but the smallest or largest game.

I hunted it so hard that both the wood and metal had to be refreshed and it still looks and shoots good.


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CRS,NRA Benefactor Member, TSRA, DRSS, DWWC, Whittington Center
Android Ballistics App at http://www.xplat.net/


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DarylS
.700 member


Reged: 10/08/05
Posts: 27036
Loc: Beautiful British Columbia, Ca...
Re: Life and Times of the Savage-Model-99 [Re: crshelton]
      #358353 - 20/11/21 03:00 PM

Good shooting rifle.
I bought a 99 in .30 savage while I was in basic training. I also bought a Lee loader for it and loaded ammo in the Barracks. I suspect most of my troop makes thought I was crazy,
but I used to drive out to the ranch South of Moose Jaw, Sask. and shoot jackrabbits and gophers with it - open sights - had a ball. I loaded 110gr. Sierras to about (book) 3,100fps & was good to go. LOL Had a blast. If the gophers were inside 50yards, I used my issue .38 with hand loaded 148gr. wadcutters I bought by the 500 in Moose Jaw at the shop where I bought the rifle.
Fun and games.

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Daryl


"a gun without hammers is like a Spaniel without ears" King George V


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Marrakai
.416 member


Reged: 09/01/03
Posts: 3602
Loc: Darwin, Top End of Australia
Re: Life and Times of the Savage-Model-99 [Re: DarylS]
      #358362 - 21/11/21 01:20 AM

The example in my collection is chambered for the .22 Hi-power cartridge.
Surprisingly accurate for a take-down.
It has an interesting provenance: was purchased new in 1919/20 for an arctic exploration and supply ship, for the purpose of collecting seal meat for the sled-dogs.
Here's a short story I wrote for our local Arms Collectors journal a few years ago:

"Lever-gun with a History- Savage Model 99 .22 High-Power Take-down Carbine"

As Mr Towsley concurs in his article, vintage Savage 99s are marvelous things!

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Marrakai
When the bull drops, the bullshit stops!
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www.marrakai-adventure.com.au


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SharpsNitro
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Reged: 12/08/08
Posts: 729
Loc: Arizona, USA
Re: Life and Times of the Savage-Model-99 [Re: Marrakai]
      #358369 - 21/11/21 04:44 AM

There was a custom rifle company 10-15 years ago that tried selling rebuilt and customized 99s. They aren’t around anymore and I can’t remember their name.

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93x64mm
.416 member


Reged: 07/12/11
Posts: 4213
Loc: Nth QLD Australia
Re: Life and Times of the Savage-Model-99 [Re: SharpsNitro]
      #358378 - 21/11/21 07:13 AM

Great article Ripp & yours too Marrakai!
Have a young lad at work who has one in the family (his fathers or possibly his grandfathers) He's wisely keeping that one for his young fella when he's big enough.


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DarylS
.700 member


Reged: 10/08/05
Posts: 27036
Loc: Beautiful British Columbia, Ca...
Re: Life and Times of the Savage-Model-99 [Re: 93x64mm]
      #358393 - 21/11/21 12:30 PM

I think one of the later ones, in .308 might be a Great little rifle.

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Daryl


"a gun without hammers is like a Spaniel without ears" King George V


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Jim_C
.300 member


Reged: 09/08/14
Posts: 174
Loc: USA
Re: Life and Times of the Savage-Model-99 [Re: DarylS]
      #358694 - 29/11/21 11:29 AM

I had one in 308. A bit of an edge ballistically, and (in normal times) easier to find ammo for. . . but being a handloader, and normally taking game at <100 yards, I could see no advantages for me over my 300 Savage. I swapped it off long ago.

I'd dearly love to have one in .250, and an SRC in 38/55. Maybe someday!

If anyone needs one, I have a .410 barrel for the takedown version. Now that is a weird concept!


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DarylS
.700 member


Reged: 10/08/05
Posts: 27036
Loc: Beautiful British Columbia, Ca...
Re: Life and Times of the Savage-Model-99 [Re: Jim_C]
      #358707 - 30/11/21 05:20 AM

Oh yeah, agreed - a .250 would also be nice.

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Daryl


"a gun without hammers is like a Spaniel without ears" King George V


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Ripp
.577 member


Reged: 19/02/07
Posts: 16072
Loc: Montana, USA
Re: Life and Times of the Savage-Model-99 [Re: DarylS]
      #358963 - 08/12/21 02:14 AM

The .250 and .300 Savage Were Ahead of Their Time: Their History
The .250 (1915) and .300 (1920) Savage may have faded, but they were top performers in their day.

https://www.rifleshootermag.com/editorial/250-300-savage-history/454661

--------------------
ALL MEN DIE, BUT FEW MEN TRULY LIVE..


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93x64mm
.416 member


Reged: 07/12/11
Posts: 4213
Loc: Nth QLD Australia
Re: Life and Times of the Savage-Model-99 [Re: Ripp]
      #358973 - 08/12/21 07:47 AM

Good article Ripp!
I've always liked the 300 Savage, a very efficient cartridge!


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