Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Deer Hunting A Savage 99 Thread

The Pump Rifle thread has gone to 53 pages. The Deer Rifle thread has a surprising number of folks touting their Savage 99's. This is a rifle that's been out of production for 20 years. It's well worth a thread of its own. I don't see any other rifle out there with such a following. My question is WHY? More to the point: How can such a popular rifle be out of production for so long?

I'd never really even thought of a Savage 99 until I came here to the 'Campfire in early 2002. It just never showed up on my radar. I'd come of age as deer hunter in Ohio, so shotguns were always my thing. Even 20 years into deer hunting, and I really did not have mature tastes in rifles. I had 2 centerfire deer guns, a Remington 742 and a Winchester 760, both in 30-06. I used them when I hunted Kentucky. They were quite adequate. In 2002, I bought a Marlin 336 in 30-30 and had really high hopes for it. After one season, I came away disappointed. Since I'd been a slug gun hunter and knew what a 30-06 could do, the 30-30 just wasn't enough. I was looking for something more.



Gradually, the Campfire's influence began to work its way into my head. Everyone seemed gaga over the Savage 99. I started looking into it. It seemed like a good gun. The 300 Savage looked like it was about midway between a 30-30 and a 30-06. That sounded about right. I asked my buddy, Big Bob about it. He was a retired gun editor. Bob said it was a great gun, but warned me away from the 300 Savage. He felt it was too likely that now that Savage had dropped the 99 from production the 300 Savage was going to be orphaned. He suggested buying one in 308 WIN.

That's what I got. In the summer of 2003, I got a Savage 99 in 308 WIN, and began working up a load that was far enough off-MAX that it would resemble a hot 300 Savage. 150 grainers did not work at all well in the rifle, so I tried 165 grain and hit paydirt. I also had trouble with the brass. I had bought a lot of military brass. I was having trouble with sticky ejections after the first reload. Somebody on the 'Fire from Canada suggested using consumer brass. I've been shooting from the same bunch of once-fired Federals ever since.

I bagged my biggest-ever buck that year. I bagged an even bigger one in 2007. To date, my Savage 99 has scored several big bucks, including the camp's #1 and #4 bucks. I hunt with it religiously on The Opener, and usually hunt with it whenever I'm in a stand. I hunt with it until I get a buck, and then retire it for the season. My longest shot has been just inside 150 yards. Most of the shot with this rifle have been within 30. Still, after all this time, I can't really tell you why I like it so much. There is just something about how it feeds and how the bolt closes that just makes it seem right.

99F 300 Savage

I have one I bought from Fireball2, it’s a 308 also. I was surprised how accurate it was. I eager to hunt with it.

I have a 1953 M99R, 250 Savage. Shoots very well with the 87 gr Hot Core, not bad with the 100 Hot Core. It's a little bulky and heavy by todays standards, but I've taken several deer with it and it always gets the job done.

I picked up a 1969 savage 99f in 308 last sunday at a local fleamarket for 300.00.

Iv got savage 99s in 22HP, 250 sav. 303 and 300 sav. and have taken Deer with all of them!

i had a 99a in 308. It was mint. Had the worst trigger of any rifle I ever shot but it was a beauty. I just wish id kept it though. Maybe I coulda found someone to fix that trigger

I got my 1st 99 in 2004 and have owned a dozen or so since then. I have taken 10 deer, 1 antelope and a bison with them. Still have a 1958 99F in 300 savge. I have taken deer with the 300, a 250, 243 and 308. Full disclosure I missed a doe with a 1912 take down 303.
Ken

Would love to have one of the older ones (pre war?) with the Schnabel fore end and the altogether more "svelte" look.
.300 or .250. Wouldn't much matter which.

Got my first (and only) 99 about 5 years ago from a friend who was a 99 afficiando Its a ‘51 model EG in 300Sav. Surprisingly accurate with mild loads and 165 Deep Curls. I carry it a lot when hunting where shots will be fairly close. It’s also my nighttime hog gun. sweet rifle...fun to use. Only thing I’d change is I wish it had a 22” barrel instead of 24”.

That echos my thoughts / experience, so when a 99EG in 300 Savage showed up at the LGS, it followed me home.

Growing up I always thought that they were misshapen and ugly verses say a Winchester M88, but then I bought that '56 99F .300 Savage for the kid at a gun show and can understand what I'd been missing all these years. The kid doesn't hunt, so it is my back up rifle, but kind of a travesty that it doesn't get out more. I put a low mounted mat finish Leupold Vari-X III 1.5-5x20 with the heavy duplex on it and it points like an extension of my arm. I'm trying to bestow it onto one of the stepsons, but they don't understand how nice it is. The 99 was certainly way ahead of it's time. I was talking with a collector and he said that when the 99's came out, it was the ranch hands that were buying the M94's and that the ranch owners were buying the M99's. It sure carries better than my custom bolt action. Once upon a time I wrote down my perimeters of what ballistics would make the ideal whitetail cartridge for the way that I hunt deer. Then I compared those numbers to a list of cartridges and came up with the .30-40 Kraig and .300 Savage as being about perfect ballistic wise. More than a .30-30 with less recoil than a .308. I am glad to see so many .300 Savage aficionados on the campfire.

classy gun, has always been on my bucket list,,,,, nice posts everyone

Another 99F takedown, this one is a 30/30. It gets carried around here a bunch.

My favorite is a 1957 99F in 300 Savage topped with a Leupold M8 6x. Kills stuff dead for me.

They have been a big part of my hunting life. They are great rifles to carry. I killed my first deer and first elk with one.

I got a .300 Savage 99R in1961 used. Sold it when I went in the Marines (1966). I used it on a bunch of stuff. Way too heavy but accurate.. Folding tang sight. First rifle I loaded for.

Next, a 99E in .308 Win (1972). Sold it in 1987 to pay for an '06. Great rifle.

These days, I have an 1899 .250-300 Savage TD. It was made in 1917 and is in very good shape. Likely reblued and has holes drilled for scope bases. Has a folding tang sight and a Leupold 2-7x33. OK with 100 grain bullets and REL-15 or factory loads (1.5-2.0" 3-shots at 100 yards) , Much more accurate with 87 grain Hot Cores (1" or less 3 shots at 100 yards).

I just gave my dad's Model 88 .308 to my oldest boy so I will be looking for an early .308 99F with a lever lock safety, maybe a .300 Savage. They are my idea of a great woods rifle. If I get a .308 I will load it to .300 Savage performance levels. More is not needed for most uses.

Hey! How'd you get a hold of my rifle!?

Second look, guess it's not mine, we're OK. Mine has a lot less blue left on it and a redfield receiver sight. It's a transition period 99 featherweight takedown from 1923, receiver stamped as an 1899. It was given to my father in the 30s, he gave it to me as my first rifle in 1973 (he'd switched to a 1957 vintage 300 svg 99F and held on to the older one).

[quote=shaman]The Pump Rifle thread has gone to 53 pages. The Deer Rifle thread has a surprising number of folks touting their Savage 99's. This is a rifle that's been out of production for 20 years. It's well worth a thread of its own. I don't see any other rifle out there with such a following. My question is WHY? More to the point: How can such a popular rifle be out of production for so long?

I'd never really even thought of a Savage 99 until I came here to the 'Campfire in early 2002. It just never showed up on my radar. I'd come of age as deer hunter in Ohio, so shotguns were always my thing. Even 20 years into deer hunting, and I really did not have mature tastes in rifles. I had 2 centerfire deer guns, a Remington 742 and a Winchester 760, both in 30-06. I used them when I hunted Kentucky. They were quite adequate. In 2002, I bought a Marlin 336 in 30-30 and had really high hopes for it. After one season, I came away disappointed. Since I'd been a slug gun hunter and knew what a 30-06 could do, the 30-30 just wasn't enough. I was looking for something more.



Gradually, the Campfire's influence began to work its way into my head. Everyone seemed gaga over the Savage 99. I started looking into it. It seemed like a good gun. The 300 Savage looked like it was about midway between a 30-30 and a 30-06. That sounded about right. I asked my buddy, Big Bob about it. He was a retired gun editor. Bob said it was a great gun, but warned me away from the 300 Savage. He felt it was too likely that now that Savage had dropped the 99 from production the 300 Savage was going to be orphaned. He suggested buying one in 308 WIN.

That's what I got. In the summer of 2003, I got a Savage 99 in 308 WIN, and began working up a load that was far enough off-MAX that it would resemble a hot 300 Savage. 150 grainers did not work at all well in the rifle, so I tried 165 grain and hit paydirt. I also had trouble with the brass. I had bought a lot of military brass. I was having trouble with sticky ejections after the first reload. Somebody on the 'Fire from Canada suggested using consumer brass. I've been shooting from the same bunch of once-fired Federals ever since.

I bagged my biggest-ever buck that year. I bagged an even bigger one in 2007. To date, my Savage 99 has scored several big bucks, including the camp's #1 and #4 bucks. I hunt with it religiously on The Opener, and usually hunt with it whenever I'm in a stand. I hunt with it until I get a buck, and then retire it for the season. My longest shot has been just inside 150 yards. Most of the shot with this rifle have been within 30. Still, after all this time, I can't really tell you why I like it so much. There is just something about how it feeds and how the bolt closes that just makes it seem right.

[/quote

Grandpa had a 99eg, in 300. I finally got an eg, from 1959, in 308. Really accurate. Now I gotta find a dang deer, when I'm carrying it.

Killed my 1st coyote, muledeer and elk w/ a 99 in 300 Savage. Had one as my truck gun for 10 years until it was stolen. If I ran into one for sale in 250-300 I would buy it just because it was one of Frank Glaser's favorites.


mike r