Savage Model 99

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lackeyse

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Kingston, On.
I am probably going to inherit a Savage model 99 lever .308 gold trigger. I have no experience with these rifles and would appreciate any input regarding quality, reliabilty, accuracy and handling. I have not seen this gun but it belongs to my uncle and he keeps all of his firearms in mint shape. When he found out that I was searching for a hunting rifle for my GF he called and offered me this gun. Your thoughts please;).
 
the 99 is one of the best levers - and was well before its time being able to handle modern loads/bullets, angle eject, rotary magazine, etc.
its a marvel of gun design if you take into consideration that it was designed in the late 1800s, and a fine hunting gun :)

ive been trying to buy a savage 99 in .308 for awhile now but either they are snapped up before i can get to them or the person doesnt mail pics, etc.
 
I have a 99E in 308 which by the sounds of it would be a lower end model that the rifle you will be getting. As for my experiences with it I would say that it is fairly accurate for a bush gun (as I use it for). The best grouping I have got is 2" at 75 yards with a peep site, but I believe with a good scope and someone competant behind the trigger it would be much tighter at 100 yards.

It was the first rifle I purchased and in the course of 5 months I put probably a good 200 rounds of american eagle through it and it never failed to load, eject, or fire. The things is rock solid, balance perfectly under the reciever and is an all round beautiful gun.

All the old guys comment on it, and tell me their stories about the guy that brought the 99 to camp for the first time. The older 99's are build with a standard of quality not seen on today's production rifles, but the later models show some cut corners and what not but beautiful rifles none the less.

Its not a Remington 700, but it shoots well enough to hunt almost any condition. The rotary mag is sweet, and you will fall in love with it before you finish your first box of shells.

I am a little biased, but the only gun I enjoy firing more than my 99, is someone else's 99.

Enjoy brother.
 
OldSavage said:
It was the first rifle I purchased and in the course of 5 months I put probably a good 200 rounds of american eagle through it and it never failed to load, eject, or fire. The things is rock solid, balance perfectly under the reciever and is an all round beautiful gun.
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I'll agree with that.
 
just a couple of side notes- i've had a 99c since the 70's and learned a couple of things- 1 if it's a mag model, get a couple of mags more- 3 is about right- that way , if any just go"missing" you've got spares- brother, do i believe in spares
2 move the lever with authority , otherwise it'll stovepipe, esp on the upstroke
3 if it's already drilled and tapped or scoped, ( mine was) a 3x9x32 works out real well- there are those that will disparage a scope on a lever, , but it's one way to wring ACCURACY out of it
4) lots of different kinds of ammunition and/or load development- i found the best recepie for mine was 44-46 grains of ww748 and 180 grain bullets- benched properly, with sandbags, she'll do a 1 inch 5 round group at 100 yards- and of course, the 3x9 scope
5- learn how to use the sling and loop- that does more for your off hand shot than anything else
6 don't be dissappointed when the gold leaf wears off the trigger
but it's been my go to gun since the 70's and i won't trade it for anything- you do know at one time the 99 had a special riflemans version
 
Lackeyse...How fortunate you are! 99's are great rifles, and of course the .308 is a very versatile chambering. The only danger is that you may become infatuated with the 99 action, and acquire more of them than you can possibly ever put to good use. I am definitely not in the "collector" ranks, but in the last few years I've gathered two in 300 Savage, one in .308, one in "250-3000", and one in .358W.
 
i inherited a 99-c, .308 win. and i really like this gun, i was the lefthand bolt guy three weatherby mk-5s , and a couple rem.700 l.h. i take the 99 when i go hunting, took my deer last two years, you are a lucky guy, congratulations,,, wade
 
Got me a 99c 308 in very nice cond this spring and the price was real good. I am gettin to really like this rifle although I only found out about a year ago. Managed to get one nearly a virgin but carried a lot. May or may not redo the lumber but the blueing is cherry and tight. Like this one a lot more than my old Winnie 94 and the mag is a beast. Western Gun parts has lots of stuff for them too if anybody needs parts. I can see the urge to collect this one. So many weirdass calibres like 250-3000-WTF is that anyways?
 
Bring Back a Classic

manbearpig said:
the 99 is one of the best levers - and was well before its time being able to handle modern loads/bullets, angle eject, rotary magazine, etc.
its a marvel of gun design if you take into consideration that it was designed in the late 1800s, and a fine hunting gun :)

ive been trying to buy a savage 99 in .308 for awhile now but either they are snapped up before i can get to them or the person doesnt mail pics, etc.
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I want a Savage 99 too. But what is right is right. How can a 99 be sought in anything but a Savage original? It must be in 300 Savage or 250-3000.

Screw the 308 Winchester. Perhaps fans of the Tikka T-3 should buy their guns in 308. The Tikka is an economical gun and should be chambered in a sensible caliber. And all those Tikka loving pansies can shove that cheap piece of plastic and aluminum junk up their own backsides. Real sportsmen, or men for that matter, despise everything about the Tikka $hit box, as much as they love a real rifle like the 99.

The 99 is a man's gun and should be had in tried and true calibers. There is no need for compromise or concession when both gun and caliber are right. Let Tikka fans twist and turn, agonizing over which new cartridge offers the best performance while giving the least recoil. Tikka “men” think like that. When you have no balls, your brain has to work overtime, trying to gain even the most petty of advantages.

Savage got the 99 right the first time, and there is no need to scurry about like Tikka disciples, trying to keep up with the latest “innovation” in cartridge design created by media spin doctors in the pay of the gun industry. Too bad Savage does not step forward and rediscover its greatness by putting the 99 back into production in calibers that work.

BB
 
The 99 in .308 is a sweet gun. Your uncle is a generous man - don't hesitate. You won't regret it. It was my first gun and as someone else mentioned earlier, you may end up liking levers more than anything. Marlins, Winchesters, BLRs, the list goes on. Good luck.
 
Much as I love the original Savage chamberings (mine's a .250-3000), I have to disagree about the .308 Winchester. After 55 years and many millions of rounds and being chambered in literally millions of military and civilian rifles? I think it qualifies as "tried and true." And what about all the Winchester cartridges it was chambered in before the .300 was invented? The .25-35, .32-40, .30-30 and .38-55 are great chamberings as well.
BTW, depending on the model and stock geometry, the .308 model 99 can have substantial recoil (for a .308, anyways). John Barsness wrote once that his first big game rifle was a Savage 99 in .308 and caused him to develop a nasty flinch. Make sure your GF uses some sort of recoil protection if she's a neophyte.
 
If I do get this gun I am wondering if I should take it to the local gunsmith and have him modify the stock to accomodate her small stature. I think a custom fit limbsaver recoil pad would be good idea as well. Although I do not want to modify anything if this gun will lose value.
 
I'll second the vote on a Limbsaver pad. I had a early Rem 7 in 308, and with handloads at the bench, she was a bit snappy. The Limbsaver tweaked that little trait down nicely.

Also, my uncles and many of my cousins (Ukrainian farm boys) used a 99 in 308 for years, from target shooting at the clubs to moose hunting. They had a nice stack of tropies from the shooting competitions, and no one went hungry or complained about 308 not being big enough. I still kick myself for not trying harder to get one of those 99's when they retired hunting.
 
lackeyse said:
If I do get this gun I am wondering if I should take it to the local gunsmith and have him modify the stock to accomodate her small stature. I think a custom fit limbsaver recoil pad would be good idea as well. Although I do not want to modify anything if this gun will lose value.
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no, order a SECOND buttstock from numrich and have THAT one modified- they did have wood made by non-savage makers( fajen) - also get a real LOOONG blade screwdriver to take the buttstock off if you want to get at the innards as the buttscrew is at the end of a real long tunnel- mine was actually just a little short, so i put a slip-on recoil pad on mine to increase lop
 
no, order a SECOND buttstock from numrich and have THAT one modified- they did have wood made by non-savage makers( fajen) - also get a real LOOONG blade screwdriver to take the buttstock off if you want to get at the innards as the buttscrew is at the end of a real long tunnel- mine was actually just a little short, so i put a slip-on recoil pad on mine to increase lop

Great idea. Thanks for the info.
 
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