Savage 99 or Browning BLR?

Great thoughts, Hornhunter. My main rifle (Parker Hale 1200C in .270) was my 16th birthday present from my Dad. Had it out hunting a few weeks ago (with my dad and my son) and took a deer with it. Great three-generation hunting trip!

I'm leaning towards the 308 pretty heavily now. 270 for long stuff, 308 for bush hunting. Dad has a 30-06 - dare I ask which one is the best cartridge?

d:h: :stirthepot2:
 
gtrussell said:
Good post..
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X3. Great post.

I'm with the BLR on this one as well. I lke the Savage, but for god sakes don't get a 99C. May as well buy him a M-1 garand. God those things were heavy and unwieldly.

The .308 can be loaded with reduced power factory loads. Hornady makes a "Custom Light", firing 125 gr SST's @ only 2675fps. Made especially for small or new shooters. Check out their website. It's got energy for whitetail out to 100yds.
 
I agree with John Wesley Hardin (who i thought was long dead), of the 2 choices, I'd go for the 99 in .250 savage, it's just right. I also believe that a Marlin or Winchester in 30/30, .307, etc. is/was a better made rifle.
 
I would love to have my Savage 99 in .243 back. I sold it in a moment of weakness. Fantastic rifles. I really like the Browning BLR's too, but there is just something nostalgic about the 99's in just about any caliber.
 
First choice would be a new BLR. It's good to know that their is a reduced load for new shooters. So that makes the 308 a real good option. As the young lad or lass matures they could move up to the standard or hand load stuff. As mentioned before, it's good for just about everything. I like the Savage 99 but do not know enough about them to know if I would be getting a good gun.
 
I've had 3 different BLR's, all in .308 Win. Nice rifles. I prefer the one with the flush fit mag, though.

Currently own a pre-mil Savage 99F in .308 Win. It's a "keeper".

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NAA.
 
I like both but currently favor my BLR. Perhaps could make an argument about marginally better accuracy (in my rifles anyways), but doesn't matter for hunting purposes.
 
BLR hands down. Rotating bolt/multiple lugs creates probably the strongest action in a lever you can get, giving the inherent accuracy of a bolt gun. The speed of a lever with a removable box mag, and the fact that the lever is a solid loop and the trigger it attached minimizes shooter error (and pinched fingers) with a new shooter. What's not to like?
 
Barnes_270 said:
Don't worry, both kids will be getting lots of time and careful instruction on a bolt action .22 long before either moves up to the BLR...
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Even so, cold/small hands and hammers do not mix well...That, and kids will play with the hammer..I have not seen too many that do not.
 
captonion said:
Even so, cold/small hands and hammers do not mix well...That, and kids will play with the hammer..I have not seen too many that do not.
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My first "big" rifle was Dad's Marlin 336 in 30/30, and I used it to help Dad finish off a moose when his rifle failed after the first shot when I was 13 years old. Quite the experience - running through a cut block stuffing cartridges into the tube, shooting offhand with iron sights at about 125 yards, spined moose dragging itself with its front legs hell bent for the tall timber... put the first shot through the palm of one antler and knocked it down, when it got up again 30 sec later the second shot was heart/lung and anchored it but it took a while to expire. Dad later got the antlers mounted and told the taxidermist NOT to repair/hide the bullet hole. :)

So, a lever worked fine for me as a kid. I knew not to "play" with it, because Dad drilled safety into me from day one. I was taught not to chamber a round until I was going to shoot, not to try drop the lever to half-####, ever, and to cycle the action to clear the rifle with my finger off the trigger and pointed in a safe direction. With the BLR it's even easier - just drop the mag instead of cycling the cartridges. If my kids goofed off with a rifle in any way they'd catch hell from me. If you can't trust a kid with a lever gun with an exposed hammer just giving him a bolt action isn't going to solve the problem.
 
I have had the pleasure of being around youngsters and shooting 22 rimfires out
in the bush.
When they fail to totally understand what they are told or start pissing around, they
get a time out.
Nothing harder on a kid than having to watch others having fun.
I have taught my daughter and her boyfriend how to lower a hammer and they both
practice it. I get them to hold their left thumb in front of the hammer while they are
doing dry runs.
Just stay on top of them with the safety and soon they will be watching out for you
and giving you chit for one thing or another.
 
Barnes_270 said:
Well, I decided to go with a takedown BLR in 308 - can't wait to get out and give it a try.
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Congrats on your choice. I've never owned the takedown, nor the newer model with the folding hammer.Please read the owners manual and follow the safe handling of lowering the hammer for your particular model.

On my BLR81, circa 1986, the hammer was to be carried over a chambered round in the fully lowered position. Reason for not using the half #### was it had an inertia firing pin which did not touch the primer and hammer simultaneously, therefore in fully lowered it was fully safe, could not be accidently discharged. The half #### on these was mearly serving to catch a slipped hammer at full #### if the trigger was not depressed at the time of lowering.



I've had the debate here before with others using the newer folding hammer and there are discreanices in the safe carry of a chambered round, so read the manual and understand the hammer.

As to the people who have mentioned a slipped hammer with cold fingers, I used an Uncle Mike's hammer extension for 25 years, and I can say it's worth every penny. It allows a low scope mount and with it's knurled surface I had zero problems during any conditions from downpours to -17C. When you are stalking and expect action, the thumb rests nicely on that extension, ready to bring your rifle into action at a seconds notice.

Enjoy the BLR.
 
RememberTheSomme said:
On my BLR81, circa 1986, the hammer was to be carried over a chambered round in the fully lowered position. Reason for not using the half #### was it had an inertia firing pin which did not touch the primer and hammer simultaneously, therefore in fully lowered it was fully safe, could not be accidently discharged. The half #### on these was mearly serving to catch a slipped hammer at full #### if the trigger was not depressed at the time of lowering.
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This is good info to know.
 
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