Personal opinion, but... I believe that the 308 stretched the 99 frame a mite too long. It lost the smoothness that made the 99 the sweetest handling lever gun of all. When Savage lengthened the 99 frame, it just became too long and less smooth than the shorter 300 size frame; but it is OK. Another stretch, I feel would be too much.
Therefore, I vote for the 338 Federal as a new cartridge - it has 30-06+ performance and licks on the heels of the 7mm Remington. AND, it will fit into the 308 frame.
With modern CNC milling, the costs should not be excessive, so a new 99 could be priced competively!
