Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Savage Collectors Redfield JR ?

I picked up a .300 EG that was topped with a I beleive, to be a Redfield jr., with flip up ghost ring (peep sight). Mid 50'S born on date EG. Would this be period correct with this rifle? It has the three mounting holes, and the only mark on it is a "R" stamped on the side of the base? I've been looking around the web and this is what I found so far. In order to use the peep sight you would have to remove the rings from the base?

Nick Strobel in his book "Old Gunsights and Rifle Scopes" states that particular mount with the peep was a "late sixties" remodel of the JR. Hope that helps.

I'm trying to understand the concept of this rig. Why would you need a peep sight on a scope base that you could not use without removing the scope?

Maybe you bashed the scope, removed it and continued hunting with the peep sight.

wyo1895 is right. That was the intention. Or if for some reason you just wanted to shoot irons you could. Not sure why one would but it was an option. I always understood it as backup for a damaged scope though.

If the scope fogged up on you during a hunt, you would remove the scope and hunt the peep sight. We're spoiled with good scopes nowadays, but scopes that fogged up weren't uncommon if you read the hunting magazines of the day.

Yeah, the peep is a back up for what harm might befall your scope. There are two types of Jr. bases. One has the rotary doetail in front of the front two screws and the other has it located between the screws. The former fits factory drilled holes and the other does not. I figure the base with the rotary dovetail between the screw holes likely predates the factory drilling the 99 for scope mounts.

I would like to find one of those, or at least know the hole spacing. The 250 takedown I'm working on is drilled and tapped with that pattern, I believe.

The spacing is distinctive. I don't know of any other scope holes which are similar.

Yeah, that's it. Thanks for the verification Calhoun!

They work just fine, too.

I think I have one. Let me take a look and get back to you.

Thank you!

I have an adjusto mount stamped as a savage 99 that doesn't fit standard d/t holes. Anyone care to post hole distances for the Redfield JR?

I had a buddy in the mid 70’s that bought a new rifle and put those tall, see through mounts on it. I asked why he put those silly things on it? He got this vacant look on his face and said, “What are you going to do when the scope goes bad?” By the 70’s I think scopes were pretty dependable, but if you hunted with old guys, they still didn’t trust them. I’ve bought 3 99’s out of PA, and all 3 had see through mounts. I thought it was just a PA option? Ricky’s dad was from PA.

I understand how it would work if scope failed, and I see that alot of rear sights were removed, and replaced with a blank, to allow room for the forward bell on optics on the model 99,but one would need tools to;
1. Remove rings screws, (do not lose)
2. Take off scope,
3. Put rings back together
4. Have a dowel or stick to rotate forward ring and remove from base
5. Have tools to remove rear ring (maybe a coin)
6.Flip up peep sight and continue hunt?

All you had to do was ask.

Yep, and you would have probably have been greatful to have done it if you found yourself with a fogged scope in a place far from home. You got to figure that fogging was probably the most common problem with scopes "back in the day." I've heard guys mention that Weavers were nitrogen filled but all I think they ever got was a big charge of El Paso hot air. I used to live in Las Cruces NM, about 45-minutes up the road from El Paso, so I know there's a lot of hot air to go around down there!

PS - Most guys probably didn't take off the rings to remove the scope, thus eliminating steps 1, 3 and 4.

You could do all that with the stuff laying around at the hunting camp or trunk of your car. Out in the wilderness, a trusty Swiss Army knife and a stick will get it done.

Or, do what I do and patently ignore putting a scope on a 99 to begin with. It honestly never crossed my mind to scope any of the Savage lever guns I own.

I should just add you to my checking account Mike! LOL