My first 99 was a 99A 308 Saddle Gun. Didn't like it for some reason and sold it to a buddy over 30 years ago, he still has it. Then I got one in .375 WInchester. Killed my biggest bear and some nice blacktails with it. Fell in love with the 375 and the 99 because of how easy it was to flame a running deer with a Savage lever gun and the mild recoil. They carry soooo nice with that round bottomed receiver and especially the models with the 22" medium weight barrels.
Used that .375 for a couple decades but always used bolt guns for longe range work. I hated the way bolt guns carried and operated, so I began researching 99's in other cartridges that might shoot further than the .375. Long story short and LOTS of 99's later, I now hunt with a 99 in .284 any time there's a chance for long range shooting. And a 99 in .284 does shoot long range! Anything short range I generally use the .358 now since it pushes the same 200 grain bullet weight I use in the .375 but several hundred fps faster.
The deeper you get into hunting with them, the more you appreciate how fast and accurate they are. They can shoot 600 yards across a canyon, or jump shoot deer at 40 yards with the same deadly efficiency. There really isn't any compromise, especially in the .284's. I've put together or found quite a few customs to scratch itches Savage didn't make. .270 Titus, .17-22/250 are a couple oddballs. A very useful 99 is one in .338 Federal. Shooting 160 grain ttsx bullets I can't imagine a better all around rifle and cartridge for North America, unless it's the .284.
For fun, shoot the old ones with the longer 26" barrels in 30/30 and 38-55. Most Savage guys shoot 303, but I never understood why when 30/30 components are so readily available and cheap. For a good long time 303 brass was unobtainium, but I understand it's available again.
I did break down and buy a Kimber 25/06 last year rather than build a 25-284 in a 99, mostly due to the headache of finding gunsmiths that will build custom 99's. That's about the only drawback to a 99. They rarely give you trouble, but finding a good 99 smith is a crapshoot. I have taken apart and repaired many of mine for various reasons (I sometimes buy junk intentionally to learn on) and find them a lot of fun to work on. They would have been unimaginably hard to engineer, design and build, but they are NOT hard to work on, at all. It's very enjoyable taking them apart on the bench and spending the afternoon getting to know each one. Parts are available from several sources, eBay, the collectors here, Numrich.
There's no downside to a Savage lever action rifle. They work great, are accurate, shoot pointed bullets, are fast, carry well. For the guys that hunt foul weather and don't want to use blue and walnut, you can get your 99 coated and paint the stocks, making them perfect for rainy hunts. I highly recommend powdercoating rather than some of the thin garbage coatings that scratch too easy. Powdercoating wears like iron and is completely waterproof.
If you don't find a 99 that suits your needs, make it. You won't regret it.
