Forgive me. I was weak...

[Confederate rifleman]

VERY weak...
Wasn't looking for her, but there she was, singing a siren song and calling my NAME...
A Savage 99EG, caliber .300, a 1949 production ( Chicopee) that is nicer put up than any Utica 99 I've ever seen.
Excepting a couple minor stock dings, very minor bluing scratches on the barrel, and modern sling bases, she's quite minty. Even sharp edges have all their bluing!
Her bore is pristine, and even after a cleaning and lube, her action is new stiff. No primer ring on the bolt face.
Found some rounds online for $40/20. UGH!
Glad I didn't get rid of my reloading press...
Will begin the search for an aperture sight. A fine old rifle deserves to be proper sighted! Oh, $ 850 o.t.d.

 

[MrTom]

Smart maybe, but not weak. That's a fine old gun. I shot my first mule deer with that gun/caliber in Wyoming's Big Horn Mountains when I was about 17. About 15 miles straight west of Ranchester, Wyoming. Never, ever forget that trip or that day.

 

[03mossy]

Good find! One of my bucket list rifles.

 

[snapbang]

Your fortunate to find and buy it. Enjoy

 

[Confederate rifleman]

Found 2 boxes of Remington 150s at a lgs. $41 a box! Ouch...
Took her to the range, to get acquainted. My 3 round 50 yard groups, open sights, were between 5/8ths and 1 1/4. Most at or near 3/4 inch.
NOT terrible! The larger groups were caused by me ripping through the trigger... It seems almost 2 stage. Smooth, but then it stacks a little bit. When it does break, it's very clean.
Cases show an asymmetric bulge, a la 760 Remington type. Cases rechamber easily, but I think its more brass related. Remington always seemed to trend towards minimum dimensions.
I was surprised by the lack of barrel heat. It is a light barrel. Very nice though.
So. At first blush, this Savage and me get along. Happy about that!
Now to find a good aperture sight!

 

[Caniborrowsomeammo]

That's a fine looking old rifle you got yourself.
I haven't shot my .300 99 for years. Great Lake county brush gun. Sits in the safe calling me at times, but just too many others to shoot. Don't know how old it is, I bought it used in the 70s after my 250-3000 99 takedown that my dad gave me was stolen.

 

[Matthew323]

Always wanted a Savage 99 take-down lever-action rifle chambered in .250/3000 Savage. That was the quintessential deer rifle for east of the Mississippi River forest hunting when I was growing up.

Second choice would be the .300 Savage.

Nice impulse purchase. I'm sure you will be happy with it.

Wasn't there a receiver sight that could mount to the left side of the 99's action?

 

[Matthew323]

I just Googled the Savage 99 rifle, read the Wikipedia entry for the 99 rifle, and remembered that the Savage 99 was once chambered for the. 38-55 cartridge. Not many were produced in .38-55.

That's the 99 rifle at the top of my bucket list. Perhaps, with a Lyman/Marbles folding tang rear sight.

 

[user 23626]

A little off topic but I have '93 Marlins in both 32-40 and 38-55 shooting cast bullets. Both very capable deer rounds in the proper hunting environment JMHO...Trader

 

[davek42]

My brother in law hunts with the same gun. Pro bass San Antonio had ammo for it last week

 

[Confederate rifleman]

Redfield made a DANDY receiver sight for these. Have to notch the stock though...
Am looking for a tang sight. The new Madbles are nice, but the lock ring on the Savage version leaves a LOT to be desired. Thin little thing and they don't stay put. The other models have a nice one...

 

[bandicoot]

I just Googled the Savage 99 rifle, read the Wikipedia entry for the 99 rifle, and remembered that the Savage 99 was once chambered for the. 38-55 cartridge. Not many were produced in .38-55.

That's the 99 rifle at the top of my bucket list. Perhaps, with a Lyman/Marbles folding tang rear sight.

A good friend friend of mine hunted PA deer with a .30-30 carbine. One of the sweetest little rifles ever.

 

[Matthew323]

The. 300 Savage & the. 30-30 Winchester cartridges are so similar as to be basically interchangeable as far as ballistics are concerned.

Growing up in the 50's, 60's & 70's, wildcat cartridges, & magnumitis was virtually all that was being discussed in the pages of Outdoor Life magazine, Field & Stream magazine, Guns & Ammo magazine, Shooting Times magazine, American Handgunner magazine, The American Rifleman magazine, etc. It seemed that all that was being pushed onto the average American hunter/shooter was the next greatest, hottest, most powerful, flatter shooting handgun, or rifle cartridge.

It is my personal opinion that there is virtually no big game animal in North America, with grizzly/brown bears & polar bears being the 2 exceptions, that a .300 Savage, a .30-30 Winchester, a .308 Winchester, a .303 British, a .30-40 Krag, a 7.62 × 54R, or a .30-06 Government cartridge can't comfortably kill.

Handload for the .300 Savage, or the .30-30 Winchester cartridges; and shoot them out of a single-shot rifle like the Ruger No. 1 falling block rifle, or the old Savage Model 340 bolt-action rifle; and both cartridges become exponentially more capable.

 

[bandicoot]

The. 300 Savage & the. 30-30 Winchester cartridges are so similar as to be basically interchangeable as far as ballistics are concerned.
able.

Sorry Doc, can't agree. Everything you named is close to the same category BUT the .30-30. All will do what you say, but even reaching 2200 fps with a 170-grain bullet in a .30-30 takes some reloading work. The brass is much the limiting factor. The 300 Savage is all but a ballistic twin of the .308 Winchester. Respectfully, all IMO.

 

[Confederate rifleman]

Ordered the Marbles, found a set of dies so the fun begins...
I'd say the 300 is more 30-40 Krag/ .303 British(ish) which is very good ballistic company to be in. I plan on using .30- 30 bullets, 150/170 grain, round nose or flat points, at 2500/ 2400 fps respectively. Let bullet construction do what velocity usually does. No fuss, no muss.

 

[Matthew323]

Sorry! Sorry! Sorry!

It had been so long since I had thought about the Savage 99 rifle, that I was confusing in my ageing mind, the .303 Savage cartridge with the .300 Savage cartridge.

When I read bandicoot's post, my first thought was, "What the h**l is he talking about? The two cartridges look virtually identical to one another!"

A look at the Wikipedia page for the .300 Savage cartridge quickly dispelled that notion. I had to Google .30 caliber rimmed cartridges in order to find the .303 Savage round, which is the cartridge that I had been visualizing in my mind as a twin to the. 30-30 Winchester cartridge.

My bad, and I stand corrected. Getting old sucks, especially not remembering things correctly, but it sure beats the alternative!!

 

[Confederate rifleman]

Not to worry Doc. You were checking to see if we were paying attention. Keep us sharp...
Good man.

 

[Caniborrowsomeammo]

Dangit, I'm going to have to dig out my 99, just to make sure she's all right.
When/if winter sets in I'll load up some Kalifornia legal loads for her I suppose.

 

[Cobweb]

The Savage Mod. 99 in .300 Savage was the first centerfire rifle I ever purchased. It is a 1920 model and I've taken several deer with it. It now sits in my safe as I haven't hunted with anything but a .54cal. caplock for the past 30 years!

Big John

 

[Leigh Clambakes]

The Savage 99, and the preceeding 1899's, show a progression of changes to reduce manufacturing costs.
My rifle is a 1912 model, I think. It has the perch belly stock, the brass mag follower, and the round count window. It's also a 22 High Power take down model. I think the only item my rifle lacks is the desirable lever lock safety being a bullseye pattern.
There's an outstanding book on the history of the Model. I believe it is decades out of print. A friend of my grandfather brought it up to share when I first turned up with my 1899.
And to bring it back around, I form 22 High Power brass from virgin Winchester 30-30 brass.