Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Savage Collectors 38-55 or .375?

Pennsylvania recently passed a straight walled case law similar to other states. I hunt almost exclusively in a shotgun zone that I can now use either a 38-55 or a .375 or even a 45-70 for that matter plus all the more modern cartridges like 450 bushmaster etc.

So the big question is do I use the 1899 in 38–55 or the 99 in 375?

My gut is telling me that the 1899 has waited a long time to bark again and needs the chance to show its’ stuff. I have a ton of ammo for both so that is not an issue. Heck, with the price of slugs these days I’m saving money to use either one.

So anyway what says you?

Is both the wrong answer?

No wrong answer.

The property is 400 acres of super thick woods surrounded by farms. A long shot is 80 yards.

I guess I should have said “opening morning “

I love em both. My 375 shoots 200 grain Sierras, the 38-55 likes 220 grain hornadys.

Same/same

I’d grab whatever 99 grabs your fancy the minute you go to grab one and give it not another thought until then. Sounds like neither will disappoint.

Too bad savage didn’t make a 45/70 or 444

38-55

"Games afoot, Watson. Bring your .38-55."

Well, Holmes woulda said that if they had one.

I don’t think it will matter to the deer which one you bring.

My decision will be based on whether or not I'm going to sit in a tree stand all day. The heavier 1899 with the steel crescent butt for tree sitting, the 99 Brush for walking/stalking. I'll use both for sure. It's a long season and I've got plenty of doe tags if I get a buck early.

Have fun, that’s the most important thing

38-55 or 375... Good problem to have Romac!

I have neither, so I used the 250 again. Life is so boring when you have a 250.

I think of the 250 as a damn fine antelope and coyote cartridge.

A little over gunned for WV deer though....

38-55

250 has worked good for me on antelope

I'm not trying to start a debate on if the 250 is a deer rifle or not.

I was just funnin my Buddy a little...

Landowner said no Bueno to a straight walled rifle cartridge because he had not thought about it and wanted to give it some thought.

So I had to punch a hole in this nice Pennsylvania 7 point with a Browning A-Bolt slug gun using Lightfield Hybred Supremes.

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Yikes, nice deer. Too bad about the shotgun though.🤪

Always stumped me why idiot bureaucrats imposed shotguns-only regulations on us when a lot of those slug loads are way more fearsome than stuff like .30-30's and .38-55's.