Savage 99f questions
- Thread starter MW65
- Start date
I'd bet it is fine. I have....had a 99 in 243, grandson borrowed it to shoot his first deer. got a dandy Mulie buck the first year and second year also, then he got in high school and the boys figured out that a 243 wasn't near big enough so he bought a 30-06 and hasn't killed a decent buck since. Though he kept the .243 with my best Leupold scope.
I think no one will wear out a barrel with a 300 savage.
I think no one will wear out a barrel with a 300 savage.
oscarflytyer
Well-Known Member
If there is no crack in the buttstock at the tang, barrel has to be good. It cracks on the majority of them. And a 300 Savage is not that hard on a barrel. Also, since not a bench/target gun, if the underbelly of the receiver is not well worn silver (vs bluing left), it ain't been carried in the woods much either. If the belly IS well worn, then probably/def a hunting gun - again prob not shot a lot. I have never seen a 99 in 300 Savage shot out. Others may have. My prob with the one I traded into, was that it was TOO nice to hunt! My truck 99 gun, in 284 Win, otoh - I was rode hard and put up wet, but not shot a lot. It is ugly, but man it shoots beautiful!
Matt
Active Member
My experience with M99s has been limited to a .30/30 carbine, .25/35 rifle, and a .22 HP rifle. All had Marble’s receiver sights. The .25/35 was wonderfully accurate (less than 2 moa at 100, cast or jacketed) and was traded +cash to obtain the HP.
Apparently the guy with the .22 HP saw me coming because he got the best of the deal. Reforming brass was no issue from .25-35. But I paid too much for an Ideal mold and some Hornady .228” bullets. I was told by some old guys who knew a lot that I’d never get the rifle to shoot. They were right, 4 moa occasionally was the best it would do. Was very glad to let it go in a trade. I have an early .30/30 carbine that is good shooter, 2.5” at 100 with a variety of cast bullets. Shoots 168gr Sierra Matchkings slightly better than two inches at a hundred from its spool magazine.
A M99 in .300 Savage is on my list. I’d love to find a takedown model.
. The spool magazines are an engineering marvel in the old rifles. No need to crimp and you can use a variety of bullet shapes. A friend has a .250 and a .300 that shoot cast pretty well considering he isn’t an accuracy nut, just likes to plink cheap. As you can see I should’ve stopped at the first five had to see what 10 shots would look like.
Apparently the guy with the .22 HP saw me coming because he got the best of the deal. Reforming brass was no issue from .25-35. But I paid too much for an Ideal mold and some Hornady .228” bullets. I was told by some old guys who knew a lot that I’d never get the rifle to shoot. They were right, 4 moa occasionally was the best it would do. Was very glad to let it go in a trade. I have an early .30/30 carbine that is good shooter, 2.5” at 100 with a variety of cast bullets. Shoots 168gr Sierra Matchkings slightly better than two inches at a hundred from its spool magazine.
A M99 in .300 Savage is on my list. I’d love to find a takedown model.
. The spool magazines are an engineering marvel in the old rifles. No need to crimp and you can use a variety of bullet shapes. A friend has a .250 and a .300 that shoot cast pretty well considering he isn’t an accuracy nut, just likes to plink cheap. As you can see I should’ve stopped at the first five had to see what 10 shots would look like.
oscarflytyer
Well-Known Member
300 Savage was almost what 308 Win became! Had the 99 300 - was just too damned nice to hunt/shoot - and I shoot EVERYTHING I own! I hate safe queens. "My" other 300 Sav is a 1952 Rem 760 ADL Deluxe Grade that had been d&t'd for Griffin & Howe side mount/I had holes filled in. It IS factory d&t'd for top mounts. Filled in the holes and put a nice 2-7 scope on it. Son #5 carried it deer hunting one time on leave (no success) and as he didn't have a deer rifle, told him he can have it. But still in my safe, as he is away in the Army. It is a very sweet rifle - AND cartridge! I gifted it to him so I didn't send it to JES to grow up to be a 358 Win!!! AND I have the BLR 358 Win, so it was a win/win! lol!
fiver
Well-Known Member
in a good bolt gun the 300 can be what the 308 is.
42grs of powder and a 150gr. bullet is pretty much 42grs. of powder under a 150gr. bullet.
the funny thing is the 300 can use a slower powder just a bit more efficiently.
probably [actually] not something I'm gonna do in a 99, but....
42grs of powder and a 150gr. bullet is pretty much 42grs. of powder under a 150gr. bullet.
the funny thing is the 300 can use a slower powder just a bit more efficiently.
probably [actually] not something I'm gonna do in a 99, but....
Reloader762
Active Member
My Sav. 99 in 300 Sav. loves cast lead, I picked mine up in the early 80s and it had no iron sights so it's always worn a scope, not sure what the original owner did with the irons but I could never find any replacements. I believe mine to be probably one of the last Sav. 99s to be made before production ended. It has the stamped checkering on the butt stock and the finish was like that you find on Glenfield rifles that scratches fairly easy so I removed that and just gave the stock and hand rubbed old finish.
Anyway it shoots a variety of cast bullets very well and I hope to at some point this year to develop some HV cast loads with my new Ranch Dog 170 gr. FN and 30 XCB bullets. It's shooting great with a couple of the Lee bullets I cast using 2400 in once fire 308 Win. cases converted to 300 Sav.
Anyway it shoots a variety of cast bullets very well and I hope to at some point this year to develop some HV cast loads with my new Ranch Dog 170 gr. FN and 30 XCB bullets. It's shooting great with a couple of the Lee bullets I cast using 2400 in once fire 308 Win. cases converted to 300 Sav.
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CWLONGSHOT
Well-Known Member
I went a couple rounds with the one my pop has.
He changed the scope and all heck broke loose. Turned out the bases where fudged up. Aparently many of these eastly guns where contured by hand and there for the rear base had to be hand fit for height. No one did and the scope he had on there had enough adj and didnt mind being kinked. (Leupold) But two Redfields screamed long a d loud about the situation!!
I fit a weaver base and sent Redfields back. Leupold fixed both of them. Now it wears a Leupold.
CW
He changed the scope and all heck broke loose. Turned out the bases where fudged up. Aparently many of these eastly guns where contured by hand and there for the rear base had to be hand fit for height. No one did and the scope he had on there had enough adj and didnt mind being kinked. (Leupold) But two Redfields screamed long a d loud about the situation!!
I fit a weaver base and sent Redfields back. Leupold fixed both of them. Now it wears a Leupold.
CW
Thanks gents for your replies. Gave the rifle the 3rd degree, and purchased it today.... barrel looks nice and clean, great muzzle. no stock cracks evident. there is some bluing issues on one side of the barrel, which should be fixed by a swipe of oxpho-blue. now to wait on OSP to give the clearance...
Ian
Notorious member
Too bad you don't live in America.
But, I predict you will really like it. I always thought the 1899/99 series looked rather awkward and poorly proportioned, but once I actually got one and started using it, my appreciation grew considerably. I'd suggest, if the stock hasn't cracked behind the tang, to skim-bed the cheeks of the buttstock to the action with Acraglas because the wood tends to compress there and the top tang either splits the stock or flakes off a big chip (depending on grain). You can nip that in the bud by making sure that not all the recoil force is being put on the back of the top tang due to cheek wood compression.
Mine's a square-bolt rebarreled in its original .30-30 caliber.
But, I predict you will really like it. I always thought the 1899/99 series looked rather awkward and poorly proportioned, but once I actually got one and started using it, my appreciation grew considerably. I'd suggest, if the stock hasn't cracked behind the tang, to skim-bed the cheeks of the buttstock to the action with Acraglas because the wood tends to compress there and the top tang either splits the stock or flakes off a big chip (depending on grain). You can nip that in the bud by making sure that not all the recoil force is being put on the back of the top tang due to cheek wood compression.
Mine's a square-bolt rebarreled in its original .30-30 caliber.
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Had a fun time at the range to see how she functions. Resized Federal 308 rounds, test loads with Lee 155 & rcbs 180 FN. Both on top of 16.0gr of 2400. Sized to 309, GC, and lubed with my version of 45-45-10 (use turp & beeswax).
Function is perfect. Getting older, starting to have issues with seeing that pesky front sight vs the notch. Never have a problem with aperture rear sight... if I can't come across a nice rear peep, I'll probably throw a 1-4 scope on there or even a fixed 2.5 or 3x and call it good. Handling is amazing and I don't want to screw with it by putting a huge scope on there.
Here's some pics... Group shot is a 4 shot cluster at 50. About 1", and sorry ... Supposed to be rotated... A little vert stringing due to the front sight looking like a q-tip... Thoughts from the peanut gallery??
Function is perfect. Getting older, starting to have issues with seeing that pesky front sight vs the notch. Never have a problem with aperture rear sight... if I can't come across a nice rear peep, I'll probably throw a 1-4 scope on there or even a fixed 2.5 or 3x and call it good. Handling is amazing and I don't want to screw with it by putting a huge scope on there.
Here's some pics... Group shot is a 4 shot cluster at 50. About 1", and sorry ... Supposed to be rotated... A little vert stringing due to the front sight looking like a q-tip... Thoughts from the peanut gallery??
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Ian
Notorious member
Williams peeps are discontinued...
Dangit. We went through this with my 1908 square bolt and a generous member here donated one to my project since those particular ones were long long long discontinued, but I thought maybe they still made them for the late-model rifles to mount on the rear scope mount holes. Might have to troll fleabay or some such.
Gave the rifle some more rounds downrange... For testing purposes, put on a 1-4 power scope... and tried two different grain bullets -- Lee 155 & RCBS 180gr FN. Tried a few different combos using Reloder 7. Results:
* .309 works great, .311 makes for a little difficulty to chamber...
* RCBS 180gr performed great... nice tight clusters and hit silhouettes with authority out to 150-200 yds
* Reloder 7 worked awesome
* Potentially a great deer load...
* .309 works great, .311 makes for a little difficulty to chamber...
* RCBS 180gr performed great... nice tight clusters and hit silhouettes with authority out to 150-200 yds
* Reloder 7 worked awesome
* Potentially a great deer load...