Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters 300 SAVAGE EFFICACY..

how much were they going for?

230.97/case (10)

That's what the 30-06 was doing when Teddy Roosevelt took it to Africa in 1909.


Okie John

And he wounded many animals with the 150 FMJ. Not exactly a good comparison.

Today's expanding bullets are a lot better. There aren't many big game animals in the world I wouldn't happily hunt with the right 150-grain .30 at 2700 fps.

My Uncle John was a cowboy and rancher, who guided many hunters, over a lot of country, for many years.
All he ever carried was a Savage 99 300 Savage. Although it had only the original iron sights, he had exceptional eyesight, and never needed a scope.
I once saw him drop a bull elk, up near Raton, with a single shot to the neck - at 325 yards. Then the work began!
He also used it guiding antelope hunters - and am sure he cleaned up many "messes" over the years.

mark,

Great story!

The first full-time job I ever has was what in Montana then was called "pisser" (meaning a green kid) on a ranch south of Forsyth. I worked for a father-son team I worked for (mostly the son, as the father had semi-retired to town, 13 miles away), and the father had a Savage 99 .300 that he'd used since the 1930's. He'd recently turned 64, and finally decided to get a scope mounted, a 2-1/2X Weaver. The fall before I started working for them, he'd dropped a mule deer buck at what "everybody" estimated at 500 yards.

His 27-year-old son had the same scope on his Remington 721 .270, which shot a lot flatter but didn't kill any better. The son called the .300 99 "the blooper," because it didn't shoot as flat. In fact he called most cartridges bloopers--other than the .270, of course.

John worked at the King Ranch, out near Capulin, NM, and guided there, on the TO, the Cowan Ranch, and some on our and his properties.
He was quite handy with that old Savage. I wish I had his eyesight - he'd see deer and elk in the brush so far, I could only find them with binoculars, or a rifle scope!

Vry cool posts, thanks gents.

In the hands of my grandad, my favorite 99 spit out 180 grain Winchester silver tips and took elk every season. It has a straight stock and makes te perfect saddle gun.

Started hunting with an 1899 300 Savage take down a few years ago. It was built in 1922, and it in great shape, believe its a G model. I've fired a bunch of factory 150's and 180's, as well as handloads in both weights. It has an good, but old, Redfield peep on it. As I have become an card carrying old phart, I limit myself to 100 yards with it, less if I can. I have taken several whitetails and a Newfy bull moose, all clean kills, all with 150 gr Partition handloads.
I have concluded that the 300 Savage is the most underestimated round on the market.
I have also wondered just how good the 300 Sav must be in a scoped bolt action. I'm guessing that in a properly scoped Rem 700 Clacsic, or similar, could be one gentle shooting effective hunting machine.
I don't need no stinking recoil!
If the 300 Savage can literally roll a moose, it would have to be proper medicine on an elk, in the hands of a hunter. Mine seems to make it easy to put that bullet in the right spot.

I have one of those and it is very mild mannered with standard 300 Savage loads which are quite effective at "normal" deer hunting distances.

Speaking of efficiency, years back I remember reading one of the gun writer scribes writing that of all the center-fire cartridges at the time, the .300 Savage got the highest bullet weight and velocity from the least amount of powder. Only the rimfire .22 LR was more efficient power to powder. That might have changed with the advent of the Creedmoor and others, but that .300 Savage and the Model 99 were both way ahead of their time.

You all make the .300 Savage sound so good, maybe I should consider moving up from my .303 Savage....I don’t know....

I have a 99 .300. And will just say it will never be for sale!!!😀





Take care, Willie

My only 300 Savage at present is a M110 Walnut Limited Edition made back in 1988-89 22" barrel, they are much stronger than the M99, 2800 fps isn't a problem for them, got the loads out of the old Pacific and Hornady manuals and carefully worked up. I'd be the first to say though those loads shouldn't be used in a M99. If I was loading for a 99 I'd go to SPS site and see if I couldn't score a pile of 150 NPT's regular or try to find some of the discontinued 150 gr Protected Points and work up a load the 99 was comfortable with and shoot anything at all without reservations. That 2 cases of 150 gr WW Power Points sounds like a damn smart idea. Best of luck Jorge. MB

I use a 99 T, a 99F, a 99G and 99 E. They were built in the 1920 s and 30 s.

The 160 grain Hornady FTX made for the Marlin 308 express. It has a cannulure that matchs exactly where the brass wants to crimp, looks like factory when it's done.

I found the lever evolution powder will give more velocity out of the shorter barrels compared to H 4895.

I have harvested medium sized bulls and several cows with the 99. Three hundred yards plus on several cows. I use a LRD reticle, right now my T has a minox variable scope, but I prefer fixed six power with a smaller bell. I also use detachable rings as I am riding mules and have had trouble with the rocking motion in the scabbard. With detachable rings I have a peep sight set up for quick engagement.

More than once I had a lonely bull during archery season come up and try romancing my mules!

I also totally agree with MD and Mathman, them camel humped snake necked black maned buggers make it appear the vitals are farther back in the animal than they are. To predict mortality ....It ain't so much what they get hit with.....it is where they get hit!

I have never owned a Savage 99.I did however have a Remington Classic in 300 Savage and would say it was everything any 308 Win. is.Maybe someday I will own a Savage just for chits &grins.

Good point.

I meant to call out that a 150-grain .308" bullet at 2,700 is much gun. I assumed that people here would realize that I also meant "with proper hunting bullets."


Okie John

Besides the fact the 300 Savage is a great hunting round, the 99 is a classy rifle.

Life's too short to hunt with an ugly gun.

No doubt!