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

I had it rebarreled, not rebored. I kept the factory .308 barrel in case I ever want to put it back. Not likely though.

You can look at examples of almost all the models at www.savagela.org in the pictures section.

You can get kind of accurate data on some characterists of the models by the chart at savage99.com - http://www.savage99.com/models.htm

The best documented area is Doug Murray's The Ninety-Nine, as stated above by others. Look on Amazon and a store by the name of Aurora Books sells it for $33'ish. 95% of the time will tell you what you have with no problem.

But the very, very best place to get accurate information on 99's is here.

Thanks for the links, the pics help a lot.

WOW, Savage 99 DL! High comb stock!! THAT'S what I want- did they make that DL in 358?

Is the DL the only model with high comb stock? That Savage99 site doesn't even mention the DL designation.

....I think I'll be ordering that book.

The 99DL did come in 358 for 5 years, and some of the later 99C's (clip model) and 99CD's (deluxe clip) came in 308 with high combs.

Here's a DL in 284 - ones in 385 would have nicer cut checkering than my impressed checkering.

Having never worked a 99, to unload the gun (with internal rotary) do you have to cycle all the rounds through the action to eject each one?

And did any models of the Winchester 88 come with a high-comb stock?

The rotary mag does require you to cycle the action, but you don't need to seat the bullet into the chamber. Work the bolt about halfway and it will pick up the next bullet in the mag and start feeding it, then you reverse the lever movement and it will eject. So no chance of an AD.

If you climb in and out of a truck all day, the clip is a nice feature for rapid loading/unloading.

I realize beauty is in the eye of the beholder but IMHO both of these rifles are just plain butt ugly!

SO your choices are M88=UGLY or M99=REALLY FUGLY!

the 99 would be my choice.

Both the Savage 99 and the Winchester 88 are an acquired taste. I like both rifles.

88 junk,99 good.

3 shots fired fired from a 1940 EG 300 Savage, 150 grain factory Remington core lokts, receiver sights, 75 yards.

I have four Sav Mod 99's, a .243, .250-3000, .300 Sav, and .308. I have a Win Mod 88 in .308. I like them both. I would never consider rebarreling the .308's to .358, especially the Win. To me the .308 is the perfect chambering for these rifles. But an already chopped up Mod 99 rebarreled to .284 might trip my trigger.

My advice is to save your money and spend a little more for an original .358 over spending money for the rebarrel. The difference will be obvious in just a few years.

The only downside to the Sav 99 is like eating chips, "bet you can't buy just one". The Mod 88 has a downside, too. After I got the 88, I had to have a Mod 100 auto in .308 to go with it.

These guns haven't been made for years. All are great investments. Replaced barrels hurt value. Good luck.

It's true.. spending $1000 on an original 358 will produce much better sale value than spending $800 on a gun and shipping and a rebore.

And buying a pre-1960 358 would be the best investment and provide the best looking gun, unless you're a lefty want want a brush gun.

Being left handed I have tried to like the 99 since 1975. The receiver is really long as is the lever throw. A 99 with a 22� barrel is about as long as a bolt action with a 26� barrel. Finally got a 99 in coincidentally 1999, caliber .308. Forget which model, it had a Schnabel forend. Anyway, accuracy was so-so, about like my best Marlin 30-30�s, but what I remember vividly is that it kicked me worse than I would have figured, far worse than a one pound lighter bolt rifle in the same caliber did. Unless they have a tang safety left handers still have the same issue with that safety we do with any other trigger guard mounted one � it�s very inconvenient to operate.

They are really neat looking and definitely have a certain savoir faire. I still pick them up at gunshows and try to like them but they never float my boat.

Guess that just leaves more for the rest of you.

That's what I'm not crazy about, I'm a carbine kinda guy. Long rifles just do not work well with the way we hunt, and every extra inch seems to catch on every little branch and twig in the thick woods. I'm always surprised at the difference in carrying one of my carbines with 18.5" barrel vs another gun with 22" barrel.

I'd love to have some 99's just to own them, but for hunting uses I think I'm leaning towards a beater 88 308 with a bore job and cut/crown at 18.5". I would not be concerned with future value of a gun like that- it would be simply a tool modified for my personal use.
The removable mag is a factor as we sometimes are in/out of trucks several times a day during the later part of the season.

That said, I still want to own a 99 358. I may not hunt with it, but I want one.

Hmmm...I dunno. Just laid my M99 (24" bbl) up next to a 270 M70FWT (22" bbl) and the 99 is only about 1" longer.

The 99 and 88 or both great deer rifles but i have never owned a 99 that was as accurate as the 88 which will out shoot a bunch of bolt guns. I would buy which ever feel the best in my hand.

Savage 1920, Savage 250-3000 with 22" barrel, Savage 99T with 22" barrel but 1" missing on the stock, then a Savage 11 with 24" barrel.

Can't see where the 99's are a LONG rifle compared to a bolt action with 2" more barrel???

My 99A has the 20 inch tube in 308 Win. The perfect size for a lever gun in my opinion.

Now that I've been quoted I can't edit so will have to correct a poor choice of words - to me they feel as long as a much longer bolt action.