Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Savage Collectors Who Inspired You To Collect Savages?

My earliest memories of deer hunting in my family was the grown ups shooting at the tops of small Pine trees with punkin balls to sight in. Tress about 8' high. Then I have a vague memory of my mom buying Dad a new marlin 336 for Christmas. My Aunt got my Uncle a new scope for his model 94. Dad traded the new Marlin for the old Whinny, so his brother could mount his new scope. In 1968 my Dad won a Remington pump 30-06 at the Deep Creek Lake Volunteer FD Raffle. He gave me the old 30-30, which I promptly stripped and refinished. Around the time they bought the property in WV, the early 70's, I noticed my Uncle and his SonIL had 99's. My uncle's is a 308F, my cousin has it now. I think his SIL's was a 300. Unfortunately the SIL Started drinking and couldn't stop, he lost his business, and his family. Move to Florida and quit drinking. I saw him at my Uncles funeral and asked about the rifle. He said he sold it when he was drinking. This picture was taken in 1975 and I think is the seed to my enjoyment of the 1899. But, I went through years of hunting with my own 336 in 35 Rem, and a Thompson Center Contender in 35 Rem.

Me

The first rifle I hunted deer with was a Savage 99 TD in 250-3000. It belonged to my grandmother. It wore a Lyman Alaskan with the dot reticle. Now I have several. - T.S.

Now that I think about it a little more, I think Charles Bronson may have given me a little nudge.

Another thing that helped was being a poor kid and tripping over 99's at gunshops/pawn shops that could be bought for pennies on the dollar, compared to the new, shiny bolt actions.

This is the only picture I have of my Dad and I together, when we both got a deer the same year. Dad has his Remington pump. I think Bronson in Death Hunt may have given me a nudge also.

My wife's uncle from Connecticut. He gave me a model 99eg in 308 with the agreement that I would give him a package of deer meet from the first deer I shot. Well he got all
the tender loins for a few years.

I’d have to say you guys. My first deer seasons was spent carrying a 99C in 284, and I ended up buying an early engraved 1899 from my father-in-law’s collection…

But you enablers got me hooked on collecting. It’s all YOUR fault!!

My Dad piqued my interest in 99's with his 50's 99F.

The rest is my own problem.

My great grandfather. He had a 99F 303 that he killed deer with after ww2 most notably one in 1945 and damn nice buck in 1946, and later he had a 99F in 308. We have some vintage photos at camp. My grandfather loves them too. I bought one and became addicted, you guys sure haven’t helped !!! Hahah

Nobody in particular, I came into them fairly recently.

I'm left handed, so I've always had a preference for pumps and levers, but I never had much interest in the Savages until 5-ish years ago. I had just casually shot a few rounds through one off a bench in 308 quite a few years back, and found it pretty unpleasant.

I finally really handled one in 300 Sav at a LGS, fell in love with it, and it came home with me. The accuracy I was able to squeeze out of it didn't hurt, either.

Makes me wish I had bought a few when I was in MN years ago. Quite a few were floating around lgs and pawn shops cheap. I always thought they were pretty ugly at the time and never really gave one more than a passing gaze.

I only have 3, so not much of a collector, but definitely an 1899/99 enthusiast. Actually, I guess it would be 4 Savages, counting my 840 in 222.

I had started hunting with a Model 94 Winchester, and I inherited a Model 73 and a Model 1886 Deluxe with a 30" barrel and full magazine (talk about heavy!). I was interested in collecting Winchesters, but prices were just too high for my budget at the time. In the early/mid 1980's a co-worker opened a sporting goods store just down the road from me. One day I was in the shop and I spied a nice 1950's EG, and the price was right. As the saying goes, the rest is history.

Roy and this forum. He did warn me!

my brother LOGGAH is the blame for my savage collecting !!! at one time i had well over 100 1899 and 99s . Now down to around 80 and still looking for really GOOD ones getting harder to find .and a lot more money

Pops had a 99E in .300 savage cal as I was growing up. When I was around 14, dad picked up a used 99EG in .300 savage cal and gave it to me for my BDay. This was back in the mid 80’s. Today, I have pops 99E and my 99EG in the cabinet. My son will get pops 99E in another 5 years or so. I’m pretty confident this would have put a smile on pops face. His only grandson taking possession of his old savage hunting rifle.

I grew up in a house full of guns, including a couple hundred pre-WW2 Savages.

Sounds like you and Loggah need to open a museum. It would be a fantastic museum if you partnered with LBK and Fug. And none of you would have to travel very far!

Between my Dad who owned one, and the guys at camp, it was sort of a given that I would own them. At camp, there was usually one bolt action 30-06, one Win 94 and 3 or more 99’s.

Dale

I don't remember, but they need a butt kicking as it is an illness. GW

Gun/hunting magazines, ie. Outdoor Life, Sports Afield, Field and Stream with their pictures and articles back in the 50's and 60's of a hunter laying a bead on a deer, elk, moose with the hunter holding a Savage 99, Remington 8/81, or maybe a Winchester 94. Used to dream of being one of those hunters. As a kid I used to pour over those article and drool over the pictures. But since Iowa had no moose/elk to hunt and for years only shotguns were allowed for firearms use to hunt deer (besides shotgun, muzzle loader rifles and certain straight wall cartridges are now allowed). Having and shooting such rifles was on the back burner, but the 'want' of such rifles never left. Being a certified 'gun nut' attributed also. A collector of Savage 99's who was selling some of his collection got me into the idea of 'why not' around 3 years ago. My first 99 was a 99G in 250 Savage, since have added two more, 99R (300 Sav) and 99 EG (250 Sav). Also have two Rem 81's in 300 Savage that are a joy as the 99's are to look at, handle, and shoot. Should have made the plunge years ago.

I actually inherited (so to speak) my HP 22 from my best friend and drummer of 14 years when he passed at 44 in 1998. His wife didn't know what to do with his guns, and asked if I wanted them. I gave her $100 for the HP, not knowing what it was, and here I am all this time later, still reading and learning. I did own a 1952 EG in 300, but had to part with it when I became unemployed.

Still looking for that elusive T in HP22....