Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Savage Collectors Accuracy with the M99?? for those who actually still USE their rifles..:)

How many of you folks who collect, enjoy, appreciate the Arthur Savage M99 rifles still routinely shoot them or hunt with them?

How has your experience concerning accuracy been?

Describe your shooting style, targets, hunting, position shooting, with or w/o sling etc..and ammo..jim

My 1955 "F" model in 300 SAvage takes a Michigan whitetail every year. It has a Weaver 2.5X scope in weaver mounts, with no sling. I get 1.5 inch groups at 100 yards with handloads of 150 grain Sierras over 41 grains of Reloder 15. I rest the receiver on a sandbag at the bench and pull the gun tights against my shoulder. It had a trigger job a few years ago that also helped alot.

<img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />Jim,

I shoot my Savages as often as I can. I have several other rifles that take some of my time. I shoot to achieve practical hunting accuracy. I am perfectly happy with 1 1/2-2" groups at 100 yards provided I can do that the majority of the time. My sling stays in my pack until I need two hands free to drag. I have a 99F that is pre-mil going to Anticosti with me in November. It is topped with a Leupold vari-x II 2X7. I'll have my Thanksgiving turkey on a stump in the Gulf of St. Lawrence. The load I'm shooting is .308 cal. 165 grain Hornady spire point, Federal case, 44.5 grains IMR 4064, CCI LR primer, overall length is 2.76", the velocity is 2581 and has a muzzle energy of 2440 ft. pounds. At 100 yards, rested, 5 out of 5 in the X ring consistently. Off hand, 2-2.25" is about the best I can do. I also have a pre-mil F in .300 that I shoot a 150 grain round nose from and it does equally as well, however I haven't chronographed it as yet. Good thought for a thread. I'm glad you asked. I have a nephew that lives in Junction City. Went out there hunting blacktails with him. Took a .257 Roberts. Wonderful state you live in. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

I'm glad to hear that all the vintage Savage M99 lever actions are not 'closet queens'..:0

I shoot and hunt with my 50's vintage M99 in .300 Savage for blacktail, elk, coyotes and black bear, and lion, and have for some years.The .300 Savage cartridge will do the job so long as the shooter does his part and one doesn't think he has a bench rested .300 Win mag..:)

2.5x Lyman Alaskan scope and my shooting distance is typically 200 yards down to 50 yards..I've shot lion and bear and elk at 20 feet..

I like the Speer GS 165 bullets powered up by 43 grains of Rel 15 for about 2600 FPS for elk.
Thry the shoulder shot to the heart-lungs, the GS does very well at delivering the energy and expanding thru tough stuff with medium velocity at impact..

Deer and other critters fall to Rem 150 gr factory CorLocs ..
Black bear and lion are shot close and about any well placed hunting bullet in .300 Savage does them in pretty well...and surprisingly fast.

As an archer-bowhunter of many years, tracking and recovering gun-shot critters is easy by comparison.

Near 20 tears ago, I found that my 'used' M99 "R'" rifle printed about 3" high and right when I first bought it at 100 yards.
I generally sight in for a 200 yard zero and just bring the rifle up and do the reight things for the shot when hunting..

I found that the M99 I had purchased had not been cut at the factory square..It was only about .004" off..but that was enough..
Possibly, from the muzzle cleaning rod action, the exit of the bullet was skewed some but the rifle was almost unshot when I got it so I think it was a factory issue.

In ten minutes I squared the bore exit up and did a slight counterbore to true up the lands.
Now it will consistently shoot MOA out to 250 yards from a sandbag rest or bipod.

The Savage M99 rifles are well made for the most part..tho some of the 60's on stuff leaves me a bit cold concerning craftsmanship.

With proper ammo and a competent shooter( I use the sling always for hunting) the rifles will deliver accuracy for the hunter that is equal to any bolt action in the same circumstances ..but for the hunter, one has to consider the cartridge he is shooting. so he has the proper energy when the well placed bullet arrives..jim.

i'll be stomping about with the blue wood rat this weekend. (99-30/30 1912 mftr). havent' gotten around to slinging it yet but i have a take off sling. BWR does about 1 1/2" @100 yards with rem corelocks. i'll also be using a 300 savage but the scope was sent out for work and it isn't back yet. with a "bad" scope and stripped scope mounts it was still holding 3-4"@100 yards. it'll come in around 1 to 1 1/2" i'm sure. won't need the range til some leaves have dropped ... then i'll be all over my gun smithy! i like the 99s but they have to be old.

I just got back from a trip to Alaska, where I used my 99R-308. The gun was shooting 1 inch groups at 100 yards off sandbags using 165 gr partitions before I left. It is topped with leupold 4-12x. After a 3 hour stalk, and wading thru a bunch of cows, I finally got the bull out of the "brush" and broadside at 185 yards. One shot thru the shoulders dropped him like a hot potatoe. I sent jed pics, maybe he will post them for me.

My 99f purchased by my father in 1955, has exactly 35 rounds through it, of which at least 20 are into deer.
After the original box of ammo was shot some years ago.
I purchased a box of 180's and 150's... corlokd.
Shoots extremely well with either bullet, and terrific with open sights. I have mounted a small Leupold 1.5x5, to protect it's wonderful balance. I find only 2 uses for it's sling: To have a free hand walking into an area in the dark, and for those rare times when I must drag a deer out. Most of the time I string a deer up in the woods with parachute cord and filet.
I have Weatherby, Remington, NEF, Browning, etc. All set up to my particular hunting style. I use them all! However, my 99f will always be my go to deer rifle!
Reason: nostalgia, light, quick to shoulder in all conditions,
shoots as well on the fly as anything I've handled.

tscott, I have encountered alot of hunters who don't have much use for the rifle sling.

Some of that may be the 'slings' they have tried, many of which are carry straps rather than a proper sling, adjusted for position shooting.Some of it may simply be that they are shooting at close ranges and 3 MOA works to put meat in the freezer..
FWIW, I have found that use of a properly adjusted sling even in the 'hasty-sling' mode really enhances the ability to place the shot properly..I also carry a Stoney Point telescoping bipod occasionally.If the scenario fits, the bipod helps give stability and accuracy just short of shooting from a good bench rest.

There's alot of hunting for deer or elk or other large game that is more akin to 'combat' shooting than target shooting and so to be able to bring up the rfile quickly, get on target and make the shot well will always be worthwhile skills to hone..

When I can, I prefer to spot and stalk and ambush which gives me some time to get set up rather than doing the 'jump-up' hunt..jim

Hi,

None of my 99's spend all their time in the closet. All ready for active duty, and all are pre-mil and without extra holes.

All have good accuracy, except for my 22 HP that I am still working on and getting closer the "perfect load" for my rifle. Am very surprised at the accuracy of my 32-40. Had read that the 32-40 was originally a popular match cartride and will hold it's own out to 200-300 yards with the best of the moderns. Would love to take a White Tail with it this year. I think I'll use it on the nice days this year. Have a pretty good load for it that runs about 1900 fps so it's a almost like a 30-30. Have about 300 old Remington 170 Gr. HP bullets for it as well that will perform well on deer and give excellent accuracy. Not much oppurtunity to shoot deer at more that 150 yards in my part of the woods anyway.

Anticosti Island eh? Have heard the deer are thick out there, but remember hearing they are on the smallish side. Is this true?

Have a good hunt.

Chris

I hunted Anticosti back in '96 with my father and brother. Beautiful island, mostly all conifers and mossy ground. I was seeing 10 to 15 deer a day. I took a nice 6 point buck mid week with a Billy Idol like tuft of hair between his antlers and filled my 2nd either sex tag the last day with a fork horn after choosing not to take a 400 yard shot in a field at a buck with a nice rack earlier that day. I was hunting with my 99F .300 and I didn't think I could make the shot (a mans got to know his limitations).
We stayed at the "Jupiter la mer" outcamp on the european plan (brought our own coolers of food) 50 to 60 miles east of Port Menier. "Rock" was our guide and he showed up every morning with an F-350 before sun up to bring us to our hunting spots. GREAT TIMES

Longbeardking, if it's your first trip there, your in for a treat. I had does come in to 10 feet from my position STOMPING the ground trying to figure out what the hell I was. Bring rattling horns and don't forget to go out at night and look up. I never saw more stars. Man, I think i'll have to start talking to my bro about a 2005 trip. GOOD HUNTING. -TomT <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

Just sighted in a 99 DL in .308 this weekend. My dad is the collector but he lets me borrow this rifle for deer huntin. He has quite a few queens that I would prefer he didn't shoot. Save the case colors, ya know. The gun shot very well, I am confident going into the season. He had some trouble with one of his .358 but it looks like a ring problem with his scope. He did bring a TD 30-30 with him that turned into a tack driver. Too nice for me to use in the woods, but he might. I have a bad habit of scratching stocks. I carried an old marlin for years but now the only thing going into the woods with me is a 99. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

<img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" /> CW,



Although you didn't reply to me, your mention of Anticosti was, I presume, directed towards me. The deer there are certainly numerous. Here in N.H. a deer of 200 lbs.+ is not rare. Up there , I would say 175 is about tops. HOWEVER, it's the whole Anticosti experience that thrills me. Last year I took my son and wife. They turned us loose and let us hunt on our own. I took the two there for two different reasons. My son, I wanted to have him have the experience of a hunt away from home. My wife, I wanted her to see so many deer that it would be a confidence builder. That it did. Each of them shot two deer. It was October. Not the best month to hunt, but because I was late, I had no other choice. The food was spectacular and the two guides for our group were second to none. Sepaq Anticosti was our outfitter and I have nothing bad to say about them. My wife and I are going back this year in November for a six day hunt. We will be in Chircott. I hope my spelling is correct. It is going to be a horseback hunt. I am anxious. This will be the last time, because I just can't afford the cost. I saw more deer in four days up there than I have seen in my entire life and I'm 60 years young. ANY deer is a trophy if you hunt it ethically, and Anticosti allows you to do just that. Hunting is hunting just as fishing is fishing. Sometimes you get a big one, sometimes a small one, sometimes none at all. BUT you are ALWAYS far better off than those that haven't gotten anything, because they never tried. I love my Canadian friends. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

Jim...



I'm not a "collector", I'm a hunter/shooter... and own only one Model 99 which is in .300 Savage caliber.



My rifle was a birthday gift from my children and my bestest hunting buddy who found my rifle at a regional gun show in Pennsylvania near his home just north of Pittsburgh.



He looked at several Model 99's that were for sale at the gun show, and knowing my tastes and preferences in rifles, he ended up buying one out of a deceased man's collection that the deceased fella's friend was selling for the widow.



As a result, my rifle... a 1953 late model "EG"... was barely used and looked almost brand new when I received it a few years ago. I immediately set about working up an accurate hunting load for the rifle. I was a little surprised at the fine accuracy of my Model 99 using the hunting loads I made up.



Using my hunting loads consisting a a 150 grain Nosler Ballistic Tip bullet in front of 41.5 grains (a MAXIMUM load) of IMR4895 sparked by a Winchester standard large rifle primer in once-fired, "accurized" Winchester cartridge cases, my handloads yield an averaged chronographed muzzle velocity of 2680 fps and 3/4-inch, three shot accuracy @ 100 yards out of my rifle's 24-inch barrel. Naturally, this accuracy was achieved off the "bench-rest" using sandbags and a rifle rest.



In the field, I use a "rest" if I can... usually I lean my hand up against a tree and hold my rifle's forearm with two fingers while I rest the other two fingers against the tree while I'm taking a shot. This position provides a reasonably steady "rest" and has never failed me.



To me, the Model 99 in .300 Savage caliber is the ultimate eastern deer rifle/cartridge combination... the BEST of the best!!! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />





Strength & Honor...



Ron T.

Ron, sounds like the kids chose a great rifle for you..
Great to have folks who know you well enuf that they don't just get a funky tie as a gift..:)

I disagree tho on one point you made tho.or would elaborate on it..:)
The .300 Savage is NOT just an 'eastern short distance' deer cartridge..:)
I've killed six bull elk(and a whole lot of other critters including bear and lion) with the .300 Savage in the M99.
A man has to be hunter, woodsman and shooter but the cartridge and rifle is far more than a close timber eastern whitetail rifle..:)
I like Rel 12 for my .300 Savage..jim

My ULA (Ultra Light Arm's) In .308 Win. topped w/Leupie 2x7 compact,drops everything I point it at <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

Jim...

Can't disagree with you at all. The .300 Savage cartridge will do anything a .308 Winchester will do, but at a somewhat shorter range.

However, when I say "THE eastern deer rifle", I'm referring to MY use of the rifle... at my bestest hunting buddy's cozy cabin up among the mountain laurel on the High Plateau in the Moshannon State Forest in north-central Pennsylvania where I've got my bestest buddy's "standing invitation" to join him for the annual Buck Season that always begins the Monday after Thanksgiving.

<img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

Being the owner of a meer three 99's... 2 pre-1920 ones- one .22 hp and another that was a "reclaimed" action of unknown calibre that is now a .30-.30, and a "modern" 99C in .308.

Here on the coast my .22 has seen action for blacktails (buckhorn sights) but as I usually chase these guys with my recurve or longbow it hasn't seen the light of day for a while. The 30-30 (topped with a 4X) went on my last bighorn/mule deer backpack trip a few years ago and the 308 (iron sights) gets loaded with 180 RN and tags along with the family if we go backpacking when we're at our cabin in the interior. (Got a few of them silvertip things in the area but they usually keep to themselves.)

Jim- you still carving the odd piece of yew?

RC

RC..Been a busy couple of years for me with work, family etc.Have assisted a few in making yew longbows but my own crafting has been infrequent..Still have ssome nice seasoned yew staves and spliced billets..They'll keep I guess..:)
Son has a short leave from the military in October and we'll hunt the coastal elk during the rifle hunt then..jim

I've got a 99g in 300 Sav. from circa 1931 that I have been using on weekly basis. This gun has been in the family since new, and is my most cherised possesion.

I took a decent little blacktail this past August with it, and am trying for a Mule deer in the CA sierras right now.
End of Oct. I will be heading to CO to try for Elk with it.

I often get 1" groups with handloads and can almost always get 2" groups (on a bench with sand bag close to the reciever). For bullets I'm using Barnes TSX 150gr right now, but am going to see how 168's shoot prior to the Elk hunt. If the 150s shoot better than the 168s, I'll stick with the 150's but assuming the 168s shoot as well, I will probably opt for them for Elk.

I have been using some Stoney point shooting sticks and overall I like them. I shot the blactail off of them, and was able to get setup on them pretty quickly.

I really enjoy hunting with this rifle, it is a classic. I do however feel slightly bad about using this particular rifle since I back pack hunt in pretty rugged terrain, and it does result in some wear and tear. But I figure someday maybe a great grand son of mine may appreciate the extra "character". I know that hows I view the blemishes it already has.

-PA

PA, By all means continue to take your M99 afield. That's a takedown model as I recall?

Concerning wear & tear( tho don't tell any of the more dedicated collectors,..) If any of my rifles starts to look finish-worn, after the season is done, I add some pleasant time in the shop to the enjoyment and refurbish them.

No I don't use a belt sander..:)..but hand-rubbed Boiled Linseed oil ( or Tung oil) applied in succesive coats and rubbed out with 0000 steel wool, pumice with a final Johnson's wax finish.

I'm not rough on things, even hunting back country and bivvy-camping in really wet weather..but IF one gets a dint, they are simple enough to steam-iron out.
The character marks are not entirely removed, but the protection of the finish' integrity is kept up...jim