Rifle du Jour: Savage Model 99

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Sunday, January 16. 2011

Rifle du Jour: Savage Model 99

That's a Savage Model 99 chambered for .308. There is always a good selection of Savage 99s at reasonable prices at Gun Broker.com. It's good to be able to purchase firearms through them: it's an online gun show.

A 100 year-old lever action hammerless design, still going strong although the manufacturing of this rifle ended in the 1990s. Jon Wolfe says:

For hunting North American game, the Savage 99 is still one of the finest hunting rifles of all time. In fact, it was a solid performer well into the later part of the last century, nearly one hundred years after its creation. It was manufactured for nearly a century with over a million rifles produced before the Savage 99 was discontinued due to decrepit machinery and increased cost.

Here's the Savage 99 website

The Wiki entry has lots of info.

Here's a useful short article: GOOD FIRST BIG GAME RIFLES

Here's Hawks on A Dozen Top Deer Rifles (he does not include the Model 99 on his list)

Posted by Bird Dog in Hunting, Fishing, Dogs, Guns, etc., Our Essays at 12:14 | Comments (13) | Trackbacks (0)

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I picked up a beater 99EG in .300 Savage down in Reno. It's now my woods gun. Almost has the ballistics of a .308 but with less recoil. It is a "pre-mil" that is, the serial number is under 1,000,000 which means it was built before certain cost cutting measures were introduced. Those are the ones you want. Good gun, though they are prone to cracking stocks, especially through the wrist. And if you get one in .300 Savage, you'll save a bundle if you reload your ammo. You can still get them, though prices are climbing.

#1 Skookumchuk on 2010-01-06 11:49 (Reply)

I to have a 300. savage in the 300. Cal. For the Last 20 years i have been shooting 183 gr. cast bullets from a lyman mould using pistol powder. This redussed load 1840 fps is supper acurate in off hand shooting at 100 yds. it will cut out the bottom of a soda can with no problem at all (and a lot of practice) I wouldn't trade that gun for anything, and yes I have shoot many many deer with this gun using a 168 gr. BTHP loaded with IMR 4064 at about 2800 fps.

#1.1 Thomas B. Pierce on 2011-02-10 18:03 (Reply)

I was driving cross country truck in 1968, I had a stopover in Amarillo, and went into Montgomery Wards to kill time. Saw this BEAUTIFUL gun in the sports section (99c) , and bought it NEW for $75. In 87, I fell out of a tree while muzzel loading hunting. Had to stay in the hospital 8 days. The VERY FIRST NIGHT I was in there...most of my guns were stolen. 742 bdl 30-06, Remington 243, Savage 270, Savage 308, MY CHERISHED .300, double barreled stage coach 12 gauge, pump 12 gauge, pump 410, pump 22, automatic 22, two 38 Detective specials, 357mag stainless steel Ruger, 8 shot(two cylinders) 22 pistol. I had the serial numbers written down, and presented them to the police, but have NEVER heard a word from them (I used to go down there and ask about them once in a while...)I have begun to replace some of the guns...BUT the new guns DO NOT SHOOT as accurately as the old ones. I have 30-06, 270, 308, 243, pump 12 gauge, 22 pistol...but I can't find a 300 savage (any where near reasonable) My first set of guns really shot good, but the 300 was absolutely my favorite both for the woods AND long range shooting. I would gladly trade one of these rifles for a good 300. None of my new rifles have had a full box of shells shot through them. gmjjh75@yahoo.com

#1.2 George Hill on 2011-11-07 10:09 (Reply)

Last year I bought one for my son.

This year, as a test, I put it on "safe", and tried the trigger--to my horror, it fired (or tried to; there was no shell in the chamber.)

Has anybody else had a similar problem?

#2 rdesigns on 2010-01-06 11:54 (Reply)

Yes, indeed. The Savage 99 is a fine rifle. I just passed on a Savage 99F in .308 that my local gun shop had - it sold quickly. I have long lusted after a Savage 99 in 250 Savage.

#3 Walking Horse on 2010-01-06 12:01 (Reply)

The .308 cartridge is a good one with lots of power, but I prefer my Winchester 1894 in .30-30 given to me by my maternal Grandfather when I turned 14. My very first deer rifle and I wouldn't part with it. :>)

#4 Tom Francis on 2010-01-06 12:05 (Reply)

Tom Francis, I started with a Winchester 94 in .30-30, eventually upgraded to a lovely Savage 99 in .308. The Savage could take a scope, is rugged and accurate, and as a southpaw rifleman I prefer a lever action for woods deer hunting. Still have both guns, of course, why ever get rid of one?

#5 Dan D on 2010-01-06 13:12 (Reply)

I can't tell you how many deer I 'v taken with My Model 99 in .300 Savage. My grandfather who gave it to me, took at least 25 with it before passing it on to me.

It's a great Eastern Woods gun in .300 Savage. I've got a 3-9X scope on mine the rifle will do the job out to 200 yds. day in and day out.

#6 Fred on 2010-01-06 13:15 (Reply)

My 1st rifle was a choice between the 99 and a Marlin 30 /30. The marlin won for some reason and I never regretted my decision. A 99 did end up in my cabinet though when I decided I wanted something with a bit more oomph. The 99s a fine rifle especially when hunting the heavy bush country in Northern Ontario.

#7 Bob Devine on 2010-01-06 15:41 (Reply)

A few years back I couldnt resist what was billed as an unfired (at least most if not all were test fired) 99 in .250-3000 that was manufactured in the early 50's in Chicopee. The gun is in wonderful almost new condition, untapped and no sling swivels. I am in the process of looking for a reliable peep sight and considering a Williams. Marbles was high on the list, but mounts a bit too close to my eye. Being a long arm menu reader, that may cause a problem. I also purchased a slightly beat up 99R in .300 that was also "pre-mil". It seems to be my go to at this point, at least for the bad weather days. I now reload for both. Although ammunition is usually available, but typically limited to 100 grains in the .250 and 150grains in the .300.
Regarding the safety issue, I have not heard of that before. On the 99, the safety under the wrist also locks the lever, at least on the pre-mil guns. The later models have a tang safety and are not of the same build quality.

#8 Bonasa (Link) on 2010-01-19 21:14 (Reply)

I've had my 99C 308 since 1973 and won't part with it. I now have my Dad's 99 in 300 and will start to use it this year. It's over 50 yrs.old . My 99C needs a new stock, is there any body out there that might have any idea of where I can get a stock for it ? I would like to get one that looks as original as possible.

#9 JEF on 2010-01-20 21:38 (Reply)

You may wish to spend some time in the Savage 99 forum at 24hourcampfire.com.
A good group of folks there that can put you in touch with the right people. You could also go to a shotgun stocker, but they typically charge a bit more.
If you are looking to save a few schekles, then you will need to purchase a walnut blank, remove your stock and send them off to a stocker who does duplication work. To save a bit more and get some satisfaction from doing some of the work, you could do the final sanding and finish work, which is actually quite easy. The final job is checkering, but the 99 checkering is nothing to get excited about so pretty much anyone can do that for you. Some 99's, depending on year of production, didnt even have checkering.

#9.1 Bonasa (Link) on 2010-01-21 21:38 (Reply)

Ah, yes. I sold my hometown-made Marlin 30-30 for a 99 in .300 Savage with Schnabel fore-end in the '70's, and I still enjoy it. The rotary magazine allows you to experiment with pointy-tipped cartridges, if you're so inclined, which isn't a good idea with tube-fed 30-30 magazines (except for the first cartridge!)

When I used to travel to Speedy Elder's Maine camp near Monarda, I always enjoyed the stories he told about the tubs and barrels of rifles abandoned by the sports, almost all of them various lever-action 30-30's, very rarely Savages, Remingtons or the much-loved .35 Winchester or .35 Remington (Still in production, I believe from Marlin) in lever guns.

I haven't heard of the safety problem mentioned above, but the Savage had several safety innovations for the lever gun: the cartridge counter (seen on the receiver in the photo above, and the ability to load spitzer-type bullets.

#10 steve in CT on 2011-01-16 12:40 (Reply)

There were some other great features of the Model 99. I got a Model 99 take down in 22 Savage H.P. I had some trouble finding ammo but in my search I found out there were many other barrels available for the take down version. I bought a 30-30 and a .410 2.5 inch shotgun barrel. At that time there were the above plus 303 savage, 25/35 available. The tolerances were held well enough at the factory that all the barrels fit all the guns. All you had to do to remove a barrel was open the action, take off the fore-end and turn the barrel a half turn. The oposite to install a different barrel.

#11 David on 2011-02-01 15:42 (Reply)

I have a model 99 in the 250/300 that my dad bought for my mom in about 1952 still have it have purchased a 99 in the .300 and another 99c in the .308 plan on buying a99 that is in rough shape stockwise in 30-30 love the look and feel of that model rifle and continue to look for others have never heard of that particular safety issue maybe a good gunsmith ?

#12 bob murray (Link) on 2011-09-06 20:07 (Reply)

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Sunday, January 16. 2011

Rifle du Jour: Savage Model 99