Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters Winchester 88 or Savage 99... school me.

Calhoun: is there a place on the web that describes the different variants of the M99, EG, F, R, C, etc? thanks

I have both also, my 99R 358 was made the first year Savage offered that caliber.
My 88 started out as a 308 post 64 (which actually is the better 88) I had it rebored to a 338-08 (338 Federal). The 88 is more like a bolt action operated by a lever, the rotating bolt head makes for great lockup and excellent accuracy. Triggers can be a little mushy but it's a hunting gun not a bench rest rifle.
One nice thing about the 88, if you're a lefty the safety can be easily changed.
I use both for hunting and reload for both, you can't go wrong with either.

Unless it's some sort of gee-whiz antique where you want to preserve the markings or an octagon barrel, it'll be cheaper to rebarrel than to rebore.

Did anyone mention the triggers yet? 99's have good triggers that can be tuned to a nice crisp pull by any competent gunsmith, 88 triggers are mush and can't easily be improved. Pre-mil 99F's are drilled and tapped and are hard to beat as far as handling goes, also, mine have been accurate.

Winchester 88's are like carrying a 2x4 compared to a savage 99 ! Don

Really? how much is a new barrel in 358?

Rebore is $225.

I'd love to know this too....!!

I don't know about the web, but there is a book by Doug Murray titled "The Ninety-Nine" that is a history of the Savage 99. It is a great book.

+1 on Don's book selection!

here

My brother has a .308 in the 88 and really likes it. I have owned a couple 99EG's in .300 Savage. It is a great caliber and both guns were surprisingly accurate with favored loads.

A 99F or R in .300 is on my to-do list. A .358 would be pretty nifty, too.

Prices on the 99 are alot higher than they were 5 years ago, but the prices on the 88 are unreal. 99 wins and not only on value for the dollar.

I own and enjoy both. That said I would not strongly recommend one over the other counselling instead to buy the one that appeals to your eye and wallet.

I need the contact info on that one! That is the cheapest I've seen it.

http://35caliber.com/
Jesse Ocumpaugh, he does nice work. Last I talked to him a few months ago, it was still $225 for boring job, and that includes return shipping back to you. He has done work for me before, and now I'm just about to send off a 7600 to become a 358.

Actually, it is quite a bit less expensive to rebore and rechamber, than it is to rebarrel.

Ted

OOPS, see someone else has already brought this to your attention.

Probably be easier & cheaper to rebore a 88 than a 99, if you have to get a different spool for a 99. Tried to feed .358 in my 99 in .308 and it would not work with more than 2 rounds.

I remember reading one of Jack O'Conners books awhile back
and he describes the Winchester M88 as a Savage 99 that
had been scared by a Winchester M70.

I have both and like both. I think 88's are more accurate on average than 99s, but nothing that would matter in the deer woods.....

Something to think about for sure if I'm going to round-about my way to a 358 lever via a 308 rebore job to save some cash.

You guys that have both the 88 and 99 make me quite jealous.

Ideally, here's what I would LOVE to have happen. Buy a 'hunting gun' 308 lever (leaning towards 88) and send it off for a rebore job into a 358 that I will use often. Nothing pretty- stricly a hunting gun without thought to future value down the road. Then take my time and find a nice 358 99 AND 358 88 "just to have" in the safe. I think that might be the goal for the next couple of years.... Gotta have something to work towards. Rifles make me happy.