Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Savage Collectors Savage 99 .45 Thumper

I have a beater 99C cut down to 17" I got in parts super cheap. Bore neglected but no rust inside or outside. but hardly any finish left either.

I have been wanting a .45 caliber Savage 99 for a long time. Was pretty much sold on the 450 Bushmaster as these would feed fine in 99C 284 Win. Magazines of which I have several. Getting ready to call Jesse but decided to just make sure on my choice.

The 450 Bushmaster rings a lot of bells for me for a number of reasons including I have tons of .452 250 grain FTX's for the .45 colt. That aside, there are other Thumper choices like the 374 284 which has advantages, but the operating pressures are a lot more than I want to subject the 99 to. Next to that is the .450 Marlin which has a lot to offer and a lot of flexibility over the 450 Bushmaster..

Problem is the base of the 284 is .501 and the .450 Marlin which is .528 with the rim.

I'm thinking it may work but wanted to see if anyone has any better ideas on this or another caliber.

I already have a .358 so that is not on the table.

Thanks

The problems you might have with the 450 Bushmaster is that it head spaces off the case mouth, I believe, which would require the barrel be set back before rechambering. The other problem is there might not be enough wall thickness in the barrel to bore it to .452", but Jesse can tell you if it can be done.

The 375-284 sounds interesting, would probably use the same load data as a 375 whelen. I have 30-284 with a 22" barrel and have no problems getting 30-06 velocities with it. As far as pressure goes, the 99C was chambered in 308 and 22-250 which are SAAMI rated at 62,000 and 65,000 psi respectively. One of the guys on here has done a lot of wildcats base on the 284 in 99s, maybe he will chime in.

The 450 Marlin might have the same problem as the Bushmaster with barrel wall thickness, plus bolt face will need to be opened up and you might have a feed issue also.

A 9.3-284 would work but probably need a reamer made. A 400-284 is another possibility if it has enough shoulder.

The 375-284 is the least problematic, the other two might not even be doable.

No mater what route you take, one thing is for, it's going to be loud with a 17" barrel!

By the way, I've got a spare $50 bucks if want get rid of any of those spare 284 magazines


Lee

Got a 450 Bushmaster on my list too. Have everything here to send off, just been too busy. Keep us informed.

What's the muzzle diameter? Having enough meat in the barrel would be my chief concern also.

Too bad its a post-mil or I would sell you a sewer pipe bore 1899A barrel cheap to bore out to .458. Plenty of meat in those old things.

It could be cut and rethreaded, with a new forearm hanger slot cut. A new barrel would require all that work anyhow.

I suppose this would be another headspace on the case mouth. What about a 45-08? Simply a 458 mouth in a .308 case. Cut to the bottom of the shoulder?

45-240 Weatherby not sure how it may feed but would fit the rim diameter needed and HS off the belt

OK, now I know how RCBS' custom die shop has stayed in business all these years....Chronic Rifle Loonies!

Don't know the diameter of the 240 case but if big enough headspacing off the belt is much more attractive than headspacing off the mouth of the 450 Bushmaster. The Bushmaster is turnkey though. That's hard to beat considering the cost and timeline of custom dies.

Went back and looked at the case dimentions and the 240 will not work for the 452 diameter bullet.

I wonder how much of a nightmare it would be to get a .450 Bushmaster to feed through a 99 rotor.

I don't know that much about the .450 Bushmaster other than if was made to work with the AR platform. I know a little more about the 444 Marlin and when you compare the two it seems to pack a little more poop and could be less problematical (such as no belt and head spacing off the rim) for chambering into a 99 rotary or mag fed action. Is there something here I'm missing?

Unless you could start with a 284 rotor, converting the rotary mag would be a major pita, if even possible, to make it work for the thicker cartridges like the 284, 450 marlin, or rimmed cartridges like the 47/40 or 444 Marlin.45/70. I am eliminating this problem by using the Savage 99 C model rifle with the removable magazine designed for the thicker 284 Winchester cartridge. This will not work reliably for rimmed cartridges like the 444 or 45-70. Otherwise I would be all over a 45-70 conversion without a doubt.

I am sure the 450 Bushmaster will work in the 284 magazine with a plastic spacer block inserted and follower modified to accommodate the shorter length cartridge. Most likely the 450 Marlin would work two. The reason why the 375 284, 375 Rapture, 45 08, and other options are off the table is because of the need to buy custom dies and brass the plus the higher operating pressures in my experience don't work 100% consistently well in the 99. I have even had problems with warm handloads in .308 with the 99, so for me better to keep the pressures below 50,000 and as close to 45,000 as possible.

I think this all comes down to if switching to 45 Caliber is going to require a barrel swap and I have a call into to Jesse to see if he can take the .70 barrel thickness I have at 16" is enough for 45 cal. If not, I'll order a new barrel. I have a call into Jesse and will advise if he can do this with what I have to work with.

You da man! I'mall over this project. Tell him he has two if he can make it work.

I've conversed with Jesse on this very subject. I think he will do it. If memory serves, he wanted .100" wall thickness, so you should be good to go.

I like yer thinkin'

Just so you know, .45 Colt/.454 Casull/.460 S&W feed pretty slick from a .303 Savage rotor.

Interesting. Thanks.

Is that without any modification to the rotor? That would be useful info for those of us that have to deal with Michigan's stupid "restricted firearm zone".


Lee

A 450 Bushmaster used the 284 case as a foundation, so it works. I bought a box of 450 ammo and have been playing with it, but not in a while.

If that's the case and it cycles with a 284 rotor (given you don't go with the box mag) then the 450 Bushmaster (and that's certainly a loaded title for a cartridge) would be a natural. Its a conversion that would warm the heart of Elmer Keith as I think he certainly liked the big bore thumpers. Would you make a long rifle or a carbine? (and pardon me if you already answered that question). I can see a handy little carbine outfitted with a Redfield 70!

It'd be a handy carbine for crawling the manzanita thickets for bear. That was my original thought, but then my eyes went to sheit and I can't focus on the sights of a short barreled carbine.

After playing around with the 38-55 with the 26" barrel these last few months, the thought of a long barreled 45 caliber buffalo gun sounds like a lot more fun to me! Make it an oct. barrel while we're at it!

I've often thought that something like that would be cool. You could adapt a Vernier tang site or screw on one of those Malcom reproduction scopes. But then you'd have to go for buffalo as they don't hang out in the thickets of manzanita, deer brush and whitethorn. In regards to the latter, I used to do field surveys for the US Forest Service and would tell people that beating through the brush caused you to loose three things. The first thing you lost would be your compass as the lanyard always got hung up on a snag. The second thing would be articles of clothing and, when the going got particularly nasty, the third would be your sanity. I hate brush fields!

Sometime try following a deer trail thru a manzanita jungle on an old burn scar. Blacktails can usually fly over a big manzanita. We can't fly and sometimes you find old Mr. No Shoulders under there when you try the subway....good that those damn' things--usually--don't bite!

(!Abuelito, abuelito, por favor no me piques! I learned that in Baja Norte where country people are usually VERY polite to buzztails....).

The 45-08 is already a reality. It's called the 45 Raptor.

http://www.45raptor.com/45RAPTOR/

It gives 460 S&W ballistics.

Texczech, 45 Raptor and the 375 Raptor were first picks due to the large supply of .308 brass I have, problem is they push to much pressure.

If the .45 Long Colt feeds from the .303 rotor smoothly I have a barrel I am going to have done for my 303 takedown carbine. That will be sweet. actually, it is probably all I will ever need at the close ranges I pop hogs and most of the hogs I have shot have been in a 92 win lever in .45 colt and the Judge with a 6" barrel, most going to the revolver.

450 Bushmaster it is. If all Jesse needs is .10", this will work with the barrel I have easy. Waiting on Jesse's call back, he does not return calls immediately and takes time.

The Bushmaster is based on the 284W case, and the 45 Raptor is based on the 308W case..., but the Raptor has a higher case pressure?


P.S.
Don't pull up short on this project, we here in the tinkerbell cheap-seats are rooting for ya!!

( https://www.thefirearmblog.com/blog/2018/01/31/potd-railed-suppressed-lever-gun/ )

Talked to Jesse today.

He will not do .45 cal pistol caliber barrels. Period. So the 450 Bushmaster is off the table for a re-bore.

He does do .45 cal. rebores in rifle .458 size bore, but does not have the reamers for the .450 Marlin or other cartridges discussed. Price for a .450 Marlin, .450 Socom, etc. re-bore will be $325 because he has to rent the reamer.

This pushes this project closer to a new custom barrel being an option over a re-bore.

Going to do some more research.

BTW, the .45 Raptor uses 460 S&W Loads which can run at 65,000 PSI, that is a hell of a lot more than the 284 Winchester or any of the other options discussed,

I have an extra 243 win that I want to rebore to 45 raptor.
I guess jess is out.

Texczech,

If the .45 Raptor could work in the Savage 99 that would be the best .45 bore cartridge all around for a conversion. I would love to have one if they would function right.


When the .338 Federal came out I almost went for that one also, then guys who converted started selling them, pretty cheap in fact. The 62,000 PSI did not work for many Savage 99 conversations and I bet all of them are hard to lever back after shooting.


Even warmish .308 handloads can make my .308s lock up making shell ejection with the lever a PITA.


I love the 99, but a high pressure rifle it is not.

Knock on wood, my .338 Federal 99 is working famously with 160 grains Barnes ttsx's.

Will the 444 Marlin work? I see Jesse rebores for it. It might be an option if you get it to feed from the mag.

Lee

The 444 might work in the 99c Magazine if you made sure you lined up the rims one in front of the other in order so they would feed right. Pressure wise it would work and it would be a hell of a brush buster and definitely an option.


I have a large stock of 45 bullets that I use for other cartridges so .45 would be a preference for me.

160's in a 338?

Thanks for validating this conversion can work reliably.

Just tried some 444 Marlin Leverevolution rounds in my 30-284. As long as the rim was set in the groove of the cartrige under it the bolt picked it up fine, except for the last round. The rim seemed to hang up on the mag lip.

Lee

Didn't notice you wanted to stay with 45 cal until after I posted this, sorry.

Polecat,

That is great news about the 444 feeding. It seems like you could cut the mag lip down to accommodate the rim and it would work. Wonder if the 45 70 would feed too?

FSJeeper, I don't have any 45-70 brass to try but the rim diameter is another tenth of an inch larger than the 444. It might be to big for the bolt face.

Lee

Ouch, yes, just checked the rim diameter, .608, probably takes the 45 70 off the table as an option.

Got rid of the YUGE scope since the photo.

Very, very nice. Is that a custom barrel? If so, by whom?

I'd have to go look. It's a fairly heavy barrel.

Fireball2, Yes, nice heavy barrel but it does not detract from the lines of the rifle. Looks like the perfect taper for a .45 big bore.

I went ahead and ordered a .450 Bushmaster barrel. I'll have to have the threads turned and notched but at lease I am on the way to having what I want. Maybe done before the end of deer season.

If I change my mind and want the 450 Marlin instead, it is a very easy rechamber job with not a lot to remove.

Except the BM is .452" and the Marlin is .458"

Doh!

Have you ever typed something only to find out you did not think it entirely through.....

I stand corrected.

We tend to think things thru with our fingers round here. Don't worry, we all do it! I've learned from your thread, thanks for posting.

However it works out, this thread has certainly been food for thought.

You could own one-

https://www.gunsinternational.com/g...338-federal-caliber.cfm?gun_id=101118028

That is about as nice as it gets for a custom 99. Just stunning.

Then you obviously haven't seen JeffG's work!

Anyone checked out the specs on this cartridge for running through a 99?
https://www.24hourcampfire.com/ubbthreads/ubbthreads.php/topics/14062206/re-the-405-jes#Post14062206

I am dying for a 99 in something bigger than 375. The mostest for bear in manzanita thickets.

thats got me salivating! a match for my 41 mag ruger.
if a 45-70 were feasible i would be on it like a duck on a june bug , but alas the bolt face bugaboo.
i have a 458 socom and will study that. am queer for the 458 in any flavor.
will have to watch for another C for a donor. i might have one more gun build in me.