Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Savage Collectors Best Caliber For Hunting

Hi Guys,
You guys have a vast amount of knowledge about the 99 and I know this has been asked before, but I wonder what is the best caliber for deer hunting? Recoil, Accuracy etc. Also what year did they stop making the rotating magazine. Thanks for your help as I am a novice willing to learn

It's kind of a personal opinion but I've always liked the 300 Sav myself.

I got this quote from a gentleman in his 90's: " boy, the 300(Savage) can kill more in North America than you can ". <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

Best in your quest .. BP...

If I could have only one DEER rifle, it would be a .300.

Another "vote" for the .300 Savage... very close to the same ballistics as the .308 Winchester.

Savage produced their last rotary magazine rifles (the 99E) in 1984. In 1985, only the Model 99C with a box magazine was offered in .243 and .308 Winchester. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/frown.gif" alt="" />


Strength & Honor...

Ron T.

Ballistics good, less recoil and more accurate than .308 in my experience.

But, I jsut brought another .308 home to try it "one more time"

You didn't specify what you were hunting ......taking a guess and saying - Whitetail .......personally , I like the 300 Savage , but I will go out on a limb and also recommend the .243 or the 250 - 3000 Savage if you are recoil sensitive.....I have had wonderful outcomes with the 300 and the 243 with my 99's ( use Nosler Partitions in 243 ) ....just look in my freezer!! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

300 Savage is super. There is minimal recoil on this rifle. Excellent accuracy out of mine.

In South Carolina, I'd look at a .250-3000 (if you could find one), .243, 7-08, or .308, or certainly a .284 (ha, ha, ha...)

That said, my personal favorite is, and will always be, the .300 Savage. It'll take just about anything, just about anywhere, and (again IMHO) is THE classic Savage cartridge.

I don't own a 99 but I would get the 300 Savage. I had a Remington 760 in this caliber. It was unbelievably accurate with very light recoil. I should have kept it, but oh well. The 300 Savage is one of the few catridges that I have never heard anyone badmouth.

Was just out shooting my EG in 300 Savage, and I'd vote for it for deer. Recoil is a LOT less than my E in 308, and is extremely accurate.

For antelope.. maybe the 243 or 250-3000 would be better.

For elk, maybe the 284 or the 308 would be more ideal.

But the 300 Savage is capable of doing all three just fine. Good all around caliber, and if you reload there's a lot of variety in there for you.

I've owned a lot of guns and calibers, but I still
got the first .300 Savage I ever bought!
Can't kill a deer any deader!

Jerry

Since your here I'd say your looken to hunt with the 99...therefore any caliber that came in the R or RS or EG or premil F. That said the only exception might be an EG in 22highpower...but if you found one I don.t think you'd want to drag it thru the woods.

What is the best? I`ll go against the grain and say my Savage (1960) 110 in .243.
My 99`s are great and i`m a proud owner but that model 110 is as good
as they come........IMO.

Actually, the .300 Savage can do it all, even though it's been around for over 85 years (introduced in 1920). It has taken and continues to take everything from antelope to elk or moose as long as the hunter places his/her shot well, uses a well-constructed bullet and works their way within a "reasonable" range.

So can the later Model 99's in .308 Winchester, but at the "expense" of a noticeably heavier recoil. The truth is... the .300 Savage cartridge can do anything the newer .308 Winchester cartridge can do... but with less recoil, especially if you are a handloader.

One of my old reloading manuals shows a fairly fast (also "MAXIMUM") load for the 130 grain bullet (so the loads should be fine for a 5 grain lighter bullet weighing 125 grains) consisting of 46.0 grains of IMR4320 (also listed as the "accuracy load") that yields a muzzle velocity of 2860 fps. This should make an excellent antelope load.

Naturally, the slightly lighter 125 grain Nosler Ballistic Tip Bullet should normally have a slightly greater muzzle velocity than the velocity listed for the 130 grain bullet.

The book also shows two other MAXIMUM loads that put out a 130 gain bullet at 2800+ fps... 41.0 grains of IMR3031 yielding 2810 fps & 44.0 grains of IMR4895 yielding 2800 fps. Any of the three would be a good, flat-shooting antelope load.

Of course, when "working up" to these maximum loads, one should exercise all the handloading cautions including reducing the "maximum load" by 10% to produce the "starting load".

I'd choose the powder that proves to be the most accurate in the rifle you're going to use. All of the above muzzle velocities were attained in a 22-inch barrel. If you're using a Model 99 with a 24" barrel, your muzzle velocities would probably be 35-50 fps faster than the same load in a 22" barrel.

The 150 grain bullet is about "perfect" for deer out to 250 yards. My own deer load consists of a 150 grain Nosler Ballistic Tip Bullet in front of 41.5 grains of IMR4895. This load yields a chronographed muzzle velocity of 2680 fps and averages � inch, 3-shot groups at 100 yards.

For elk, moose or black bear, I'd choose the 165 grain Nosler Partition Bullet in front of an appropriate load of powder that will yield 2550 fps to 2600 fps.

The 165 grain Nosler Partititon Bullet is a good compromise between the 150 grain Partition and the 180 grain Partition for the larger game, but doesn't intrude down into the cartridge's relatively small powder chamber nearly as much as the longer 180 grain Partition Bullet. With a sectional density of .248 and a ballistic coefficient of .410... the 165 grain Nosler Partition offers excellent mid-range velocity retention and enough weight for deep penetration.

The advantage of using the premium Nosler Partition Bullet is that it always gives "consistent" performance on game... regardless of the muzzle velocity and regardless of the range (within reason, of course). The average Nosler Partition I've recovered from game showed excellent bullet performance with almost perfect front bullet half "mushrooming" and a weight retention of a little over 71%... proving the "belt" works as "advertised".

Upon hitting a game animal, the front half of the Partition Bullet opens up reasonably fast, even at longer ranges and lower velocities, creating a large wound channel & heavy blood loss while the rear half (the part of the bullet behind the "partition" or "belt") maintains its integrity and drives deep into the game's vital organs destroying organs that are necessary to the game's life.

Any game animal, hit reasonably well with a Nosler Partition Bullet, is NOT going to live very long or run very far.

Of course, proper bullet placement should always be the PRIMARY consideration for all ethical hunters. If you are not sure you can place your bullet in the game's "kill zone", then stalk closer, wait for the animal to turn to a more advantageous position or pass on the shot.

The Nosler Partition Bullet was THE original "premium" bullet... and is still one of the very best... even though it has been over a half century since it's conception. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />


Strength & Honor...

Ron T.

Well said Mr. Ron, well said.

BP...

For awhile there , I thought Ron wore a lab coat from 9 to 5 ......... <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

I do enjoy Ron's take on the peformance of the 300. Always learn something.

I have nothing negative to say about either the 300 or 250 savage, but my favorite is the .358 winchester.

The 300 certainly get the nod when it come to availability of nice 99's at a still reasonable price.

Weagle

Ron is the epitomy of beware the man with one gun......

no matter how many he has he knows his 300 Sav well.

Thanks for sharing Ron