That’s sweet! Been lusting for a .358 lever in either a 99 or BLR. The 99’s keep getting fewer and farther between, and really pricey. You don’t see the BLR’s every day either. Have a .308 99 I could turn into one, but nahhh. Waiting for the right one to hit me in the nose. Seems like such a great cartridge for big woods whitetail and black bear… odd to me it’s so obscure. Beauty you have there.
How does it shoot and what did the whole project cost?
I had a BLR 358 - an early model. I sold it with a couple magazines for $600 to a friend. He hasn’t shot it, bought for a fight against inflation I suppose. Those early BLR’s had issues with their magazines. I re-barreled a 700 to 358 and I love it.
I prefer classic. Semper Fi I used to run with the hare. Now I'm envious of the tortoise and I do my own stunts but rarely intentionally
I've looked foor a 99 in 308 to rebore to 358, never found one cheap enough as I already have a BA 35 Whelen and a 99 in 375 Win. My big woods whitetail hunting is winding down as the boys I hunted with are getting older and it is a 1500 mile run to get to the big woods on northern WI. I'm now having to live with hotsteppers for these desert critters.
Yes it was actually a 250 action and I’d been informed that they couldn’t be converted to the larger cartridge and actually called my smith about it but when I approached him on it he told me it had all ready been done. I’ll find out tomorrow or next couple of days as he planning on shooting it in the next couple of days. He only had three rounds but I sent him a box of Hornady 200 grainers and a box of Buffalo bore 225 grain.
Nice rifles. Mine isn’t factory obviously but I won’t have any more funds in it than I would of had trying to buy a decent shaped .358, at least for the prices being asked or I got darn lucky.
Came out looking nice, like an early uncheckered EG. I'd be curious how many hours it took to convert the receiver, whether he modified the existing rotor, etc.
“The Savage 99 Pocket Reference”. All models and variations of 1895’s, 1899’s and 99’s covered. Also dates, checkering, engraving.. Find at www.savagelevers.com