The pistol grip buttstock just didn't look right.

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This is the pre-mil 99F I posted a few months ago. I had the barrel shortened due to a bulge just behind the front sight. I didn't like the pistol grip/rubber recoil pad buttstock so I put this straight grip stock which I believe came from Numrick. The forearm is a recycled TD forearm and the scope is a Leupold M8 2.5 compact. I'll take it elk hunting this Fall. David

David, I like the pistol grip, especially on my carbines. It makes them easy to grip them as they hang down on one arm. One-handing a really short 99 in the woods is a whole different experience from the usual EG'esque pipe shuffle. When bears are on the menu it gets downright Robert Ruark'ish. You just dare em to charge!

Pistol grips and short barrels are the chipotle sauce of the woods.

As always, JMO.

Nice rifle David. That light rifle is a great elk rifle. On all my elk hunts, I had to do a lot of vertical travel. Every ounce saved matters.

Looks like a great handling little carbine David, nice job recovering the takedown forearm, ...but I never imagined you'd join the tinkerbell club David (that'll never make it in the third edition)!

Have you seen Roy's tatoo? (...chipoltle sauce?)

Roy, but it looks so good. The stock is actually heavier than the PG stock and it balances pretty good carrying it with my hand under the receiver. I'm going to do a little wood work on it. It feels too thick at the grip, the wood is proud at the top tang and there is a slight lump that holds the lever out very slightly. It locks up all right but I don't like the partial gap between the lever and the wood. I don't consider myself a tinker bell but just doing the best I can with damaged goods and creating something I won't feel too bad about if it gets damaged while hunting. David

David,

Do you plan to checker the buttstock to match the forearm?

Forgot to mention that. The only guy around here who does checkering moved away a few years ago. I would like to get it checkered in a way that goes with the forearm. David

Cartridge?

Back in another lifetime when I did more manly things, I thought nothing of cruising the timber for miles and hiking up to the tops of mountains (ok, you western guys- tall hills) with a rifle in hand. A lesson I learned was that weight in a rifle was important. When I was winded from a long climb and my heart was racing and muscles quivering, I found that a light air-weight carbine was a detriment- sights/crosshairs wavered way more than they normally did and steady aim was impossible until my metabolism slowed down. On the other hand, heavy rifles under the same circumstances were much more hold-still-able. I took to carrying "heavy" rifles as a result, and simply shed a few extra pounds out of my day pack to compensate. When I say heavy, I refer to Model 70, Mauser or Springfield sporter, etc. that weighed 9+ pounds with scope. Nowadays that's a moot point for me. I ain't 50 anymore! No more mountain hiking in my future, thank you very much. Light carbines have again caught my fancy- as long as they're well balanced. (And since my hunting spots are limited to distances where aperture sights are dandy, I eschew scopes on my deer rifles to further their carry-ability. I might sing a different tune were I plopped down in some of y'alls spots.)

Check out Sherry Abraham at checkering.com. Very reasonable prices, quick turnaround, and very accommodating.

try Natalie at Oak Tree Checkering, also reasonable prices and dependable schedule

Thanks guys, I'll check them out. David

I think a plain (non-capped) pistol grip looks fine on short carbines like yours. I'm talking about something like what was used on pre-64 Model 70s or the first year production 99E.

In working up a load for my 16" 358 carbine, I could't adjust the scope far enough to the left, so I switched out the Weaver bases for a two piece bases with windage adjustment on the back and a rear peep. Redfield maybe? Nice little base set up, but then I couldn't get the bullet impact high enough without running out of scope adjustment. Next up, Burris offset ring inserts and signature rings. Wondering if anyone else has had trouble like this with factory drilled and tapped 99's? This was originally a Brushgun with a 22" barrel.

...Yet another reason to ditch the scopes. Just saying.

I only owned one extremely short barreled rifle, a M94 Swedish Carbine with a 16" barrel. It was nasty loud and had a vicious muzzle jump, so I got rid of it. What are these shorty .358, .308, .300's like in that respect?

Yes, I had a .308 CD that ran out of windage with the Weavers. I swear the barrel was not lined up with the receiver. It wasn't bent, just not in the same plane.

I'm the wrong guy to ask, I have a hard time finding fault with most 99's. I certainly don't mind shooting the short barrel considering the benefits of carrying one. It sure carries nice, ESPECIALLY without a scope! But, I need optics for my eyes. No, I don't want to have the peep sight conversation!!! LOL.

Optics are essential for hunting bucks that come out the last few minutes of daylight. The big blacktails are basically nocturnal and hold to the dark timber till dark.

In rereading all of the above posts I realize I forgot to mention that the carbine is a 308. I shot it a few months ago with the old buttstock. It's pretty loud. I was using a lead sled but could tell it had some pretty healthy recoil. I remember it was pretty accurate but can't find any notes or the target. Gotta get it back out to the range ASAP. David

I also have a couple of uncheckered forearms. May try one of them on it. I also like Sherry Abraham's checkering so may go that way. David