Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Savage Collectors Papa's vintage Model 99 just won't shoot

I inherited my grandfathers 99 30 years ago, he had purchased it sometime around WWII. I knew years ago he had never shot a deer with it but mostly do to buck fever but if he had the chance I know now the rifle was not up to the task.

After all these years reading 99 articles and this forum decided the rifle needed its place back in the woods again.

Well, it has not been that easy, the iron sights shot so high (even with the rear bridge resting on the barrel) so added a scope (lupy vx2 3-9) so above average class. I settled on Remington 150 gr yellow/green box factory loads. The best groups were in 2.5" with 3"+ the norm. So not stellar, so as with any 2 piece wood gun played around with forearm pressure. It hit one time on a 1" group but it didn't last. So now have gone through 6 boxes of remmy's @ almost $30 a box.

It gets worse, some how the forearm screw now won't bite the first few threads and the screw needs to be replaced then noticed the forearm anchor was loose. So now trying to find the right presure point is on hold.

Where can I get a new screw for the forearm? I'm determine to get my grandfathers old Savage 99 back in the woods in his honor.

So what is the trick to forearm pressure? Will a rubber grommet do the trick inside the forearm around the anchor?

You all here on the Savage forum are my only & last hope for Papa's old 99.

yote,

Is the fore arm anchor the dovetailed stud on the bottom of the barrell?

What model 99 is it? If your timeframe is right it should be either an R, RS, or EG. The EG has the slim fore end with the knob on the end.

Had one where a rubber O-ring around the anchor relieved the pressure enough to tighten the groups. Going to try that on some others of mine this year.

First, though, it may be that it doesn't like that specific load. In normal factory loads, my hunting rifle (1945 99EG) LOVES 180gr factory loads but the groups open up with 150gr. Hunted the first two years with 180gr just to get the good groups, finally found a handload for 150gr and 165gr that worked well after 2 years.

If you handload it's easier to muck with, it's painful on the wallet to start buying a lot of factory ammo hoping that one works. Not that there's too many choices in 300 Savage factory ammmo..

Another suggestion.. clean the bore REALLY well if you haven't.

Good luck!

Yote, Just last night I ordered a forend screw from Numrich gunparts, $1.65 + shipping. Very good company.
Good luck

Last time I ran that Green and Yellow stuff through a chronograph it varied over 100 fps. That will give a larger group no matter what. As for 3 inches, that is minute of deer. The cleaning may make a big difference. How well do you shoot with other iron sights? Nothing personal, but I know what my 60 year old eyes don't do anymore.

If you want to know if the forearm is causing problems take it off the gun and shoot without it. No guessing then. If it shoots well without it then you need to relieve the pressure points it puts on the barrel and receiver when in place. The forearm should float in the receiver socket and not have pressure points with the barrel.

Have you cleaned the bore down to bare metal with a good solvent?

Some guns will not shoot the 150s so 180s may be your answer.

Glad I roll my own.

G'Luck