Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Savage Collectors Savage 99F in .358W

Comparing trap shooting, using a fairly light shot load, and firing a high powered deer rifle, are like comparing apples and oranges. Don't see what you can do to make your rifle "fit you". Most production guns like the 99 or any deer rifle for that matter, come with very similar length of pull and stock measurements. Add a pad helps somewhat, but that's about it. What I found is for rifles, like when I hunted with a 300 Weatherby, is when you sight it in use good weighted rests like the Caldwell Lead Sled. When in the excitement of the hunt and a deer pops out and you fire "once", you will hardly remember the shot at all. But if you would fire the 300 Weatherby 400 times a day or 10,000 times a year just shooting off hand or off of a typical rest, you probably wouldn't be able to walk or have normal body functions anymore. Best way to make your rifle "fit you" is to go down in caliber until it is comfortable to shoot repeatedly without flinching or soreness.

Savage99F358

Valid point. I think though that high volume shotgun target shooting, even with light loads, has a cumulative physical/psychological effect separate from the effect of sporadic rifle shooting. At our trap club it was the big heavy guys who developed flinches more so than the wiry little guys, but everybody who shot regularly exhibited signs to one degree or another. Release triggers are pretty common there now. My flinching (and shoulder arthritis pain) got to the point where I finally walked away from it, and only shoot a few times a year now in order to justify not selling any shotguns- and that was after switching to 7/8 ounce loads for all my 16 yard work. I refused too to go with a release trigger as I didn't want that muscle memory to interfere with my rifle shooting.

My trap loads aren't light, I like 1 1/8 OZ @ 1200 pfs.
Rife stocks like shotgun stocks can be fitted to you if you want to get the most out of your gun, or shoot it a lot.
I ordered a custom rifle from MRC and had Serengetti custom make a stock for it. Correct length of pull, a little off set for a left handed shooter, pistol grip swept back for my big hands and comb height for direct line of sight for my scope and rings.
Yes it cost a few extra bucks, but like my shotgun, I can shoot this 358, 40 times off the bench and still go home painless.

+1 Sir.

Fit is everything. And proper form.

I shoot heavy .300WMs and don't even bat an eye at the recoil, but I have had .30-30s send me crying into the wilderness like a little girl.

If I had to compare recoils from the past month (while memory is still fresh)... I would compare the .358W in a Savage 99 to my wife's sporting clay Browning Maxus with 1 ounce 1,250 FPS International Clay loads... or my son's 20 ga. Montefeltro and Walmart loads (I don't reload 20 ga).

The Montefeltro is just so dang light (and short on me) is why I added it.

We were also shooting .308s and .454C the same day. Heavy 300 gr. Casulls had a bit of pop from the Puma, but nothing noteworthy or really noticable. .308 is one of those calibers you can shoot from sunrise to sunset and enjoy ever round.

Beautiful rig Sir.

One point you're missing.... since the thread started as the 99F 358, restocking is not an option for a collector grade 99 and not as easy an undertaking with a lever gun.

Savage99F358

I doubt I will ever call mine a collector gun (figure it can't be worth more than a few hundred dollars anyway), so I will just modify the stock to fit me best... throw on a cheap Kahles, XV III or Minox and shoot her.

I try very hard to keep everything in my world black and white. This gun is a middle grey for some... i.e. spend $700-$800 on a refinish/restock and well... you have a $900/$1000 99F. For me she is just a "farm Jeep"... use her, have fun and don't look back. Not all old guns are worth excessive effort. Many disagree, but just where I am on things.

Thanks to all for the opinions. After shooting her, I am pretty sure she will take deer and maybe even black bears.

The magazine spring is weak though and should be upgraded. She hangs the last round. If anyone has a spare spring I sure would appreciate a PM about a price.

Be well and thanks again for all the knowledge.

You gotta wind that spring up, ya don't replace it.

BTW, don't sell a refinish short. I took a 99F 243, stuck a NOS 358F barrel on it then had it refinished. Looks great. I hunt it alot. In fact I'm leaving right now for the last two days of deer season with it. If I had my hands on your rifle I'd restock it and refinish it rather than let it go to spoil. They're a fine weapon. Light and fast, with power up the wazoo.

If I had 1/100 of your collection I'd likely feel the same. But for now. I'd let it in the house.

I'm not saying she will get zero love, but I am not going to overly wound up on an a restoration project on a 60 year old pitted gun with a funky trigger/lever... terrible sling holes in the stock... a cut stock and mismatch wore out recoil pad... the wrong sights... 6-8 holes in the receiver from a VAST ARRAY of scope attempts. I could go on, but with considerable respect due... you have a fine gun... I have one I got for a pair of used tires.

But she does shoot well!!!