- Location
- Invermere, BC
So I'm looking at buying a Savage 99 as my first firearm bought off the EE. What is a round counter? Anything that I need to be wary of/ asking about?
Cheers.
Tyler
Cheers.
Tyler
Savage 99
- Thread starter CheeseBurger
- Start date
- Location
- In lalaland, that is Ottawa.
Do not buy a .303 Sav. or a .300 Sav. Hold out for a .308, preferably with the Savage rotary magazine.
- Location
- Invermere, BC
That is exactly what I'm looking at - 308 with the rotary magazine. What is a round counter? Is it something permanent on the rifle?
burnt_servo
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- right in the middle of b.c.
i don't know about the savage 303 , but i do own a 300 savage .
absolutely nothing wrong with the 300 savage .
the only disadvantage compared to the 308 win version ..... the 308 has more different types of ammo available .
with the 300 savage all i have ever seen for sale is 150 grain and 180 grain factory ammo .
if a person starts to handload their own ammo , the 308 and 300 are almost identical in performance ...... ( btw this does NOT mean you can interchange reloading info between the 2 rounds ) .
as to what to look for in a savage 99 rifle ...... these are very reliable , dependable rifles . just find one that was well cared for , and if it is taken care of , it will outlast you and your grand kids
.
absolutely nothing wrong with the 300 savage .
the only disadvantage compared to the 308 win version ..... the 308 has more different types of ammo available .
with the 300 savage all i have ever seen for sale is 150 grain and 180 grain factory ammo .
if a person starts to handload their own ammo , the 308 and 300 are almost identical in performance ...... ( btw this does NOT mean you can interchange reloading info between the 2 rounds ) .
as to what to look for in a savage 99 rifle ...... these are very reliable , dependable rifles . just find one that was well cared for , and if it is taken care of , it will outlast you and your grand kids
.
There is a small window or opening on the left front side of the receiver with a number showing how many rounds are in the rotary mag. It turns as you load and displays a number. A unique way to see how many rounds are left.
If this rifle is of the slide lever safety, work the lever to #### the firing pin. (empty chamber of course) Put the safety on and pull the trigger a few times. The safety should not let go.
Take the rifles safety off and listen to be sure it doesn't fire. If it does, there are internal links that are worn out.
If this rifle is of the slide lever safety, work the lever to #### the firing pin. (empty chamber of course) Put the safety on and pull the trigger a few times. The safety should not let go.
Take the rifles safety off and listen to be sure it doesn't fire. If it does, there are internal links that are worn out.
- Location
- Invermere, BC
Thanks, that is what I was wondering.
- Location
- In lalaland, that is Ottawa.
i don't know about the savage 303 , but i do own a 300 savage .
absolutely nothing wrong with the 300 savage .
as to what to look for in a savage 99 rifle ...... these are very reliable , dependable rifles . just find one that was well cared for , and if it is taken care of , it will outlast you and your grand kids
My negative take on the Sav. .300 is only the very short neck as compared to the .308.
It was said pre WW2 that the Sav. .300 in a 99 was the closest that you could come to a .30-06.
what's wrong with the 303 savage?? its a good gun a little pricey on ammo who cares
If you can find it. I'd like to find some.
heavyBullet
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Just off the island of MTL
Been looking for one in .243 for a while. One came up in the EE this week, but its the clip model, and I am looking for a rotary, but even then you do not see a .243 up for sale very often. I keep hoping I do NOT find one right now because I do not have the funds available lol.
Do your home work, there are many different models. I believe the .308 comes in 99F, 99EG and 99R. If I remember correctly the .308's made prior to 1960 hold a higher value than post 1960, the reason I believe was the older models were all hand fitted. The post 1960 ones, and I think its the ones with a serial number over one million have a different trigger set up and the tang safety.
Do not take any of my post as 100% true, I am just trying to remember what I learned when I was looking for a 99. There are some guys here who really know the 99 well, hopefully they will add to your thread.
Just wanted to add to keep an eye open for any tang cracks.
Do your home work, there are many different models. I believe the .308 comes in 99F, 99EG and 99R. If I remember correctly the .308's made prior to 1960 hold a higher value than post 1960, the reason I believe was the older models were all hand fitted. The post 1960 ones, and I think its the ones with a serial number over one million have a different trigger set up and the tang safety.
Do not take any of my post as 100% true, I am just trying to remember what I learned when I was looking for a 99. There are some guys here who really know the 99 well, hopefully they will add to your thread.
Just wanted to add to keep an eye open for any tang cracks.
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..... and 308 would be a LOT easier to find in a LOT more bullet weights.
OTOH ....... A reloader would have no troubles with a 300 Savage. It would be the classic chambering in a classic rifle. Nice combo actually.
Have you ever tried to buy ammo or brass for a 303 Savage?
.
They are great rifles. I have a model F in 300 savage and I just got a model C in 308. The 300 claimed when it came out that it matched the 30-06 with 150 gr bullets. since then powder have improved and it no longer matches the 30-06 but with careful hand loads you can get pretty close to 308. Mine likes 165 gr Hornady and RL15. Not sure of velocity , but 1 1/2" groups at 100 is good enough for me for a deer rifle that only weigh 7 lbs. Can't wait to try the 308 with the peep sights I just put on it.
- Location
- Invermere, BC
How much do these tang cracks affect rifle performance? If it is simply cosmetic, I could care less.
Tang cracks shouldn't cause any concern, though they can become larger and split the stock over time if not filled in. Not likely, but it has happened. My only warning about the 99 is to keep your self-control. They are addictive! I currently own 2, a .250-300 takedown, and a .32-40 takedown. But I've owned just about every other calibre over the years, and I'm always coveting more. They're like chocolate chip cookies; you can't be satisfied with just one.
It's true that one can't just walk into any old sporting goods store and buy it. If that's a concern, you would be advised to steer clear of it.
But it's like anything else: seek and ye shall find (if you can afford the delay). The slight advantage for reloaders is that they only need to find the brass. There's also a labour-intensive option, of re-forming 'parent' brass into the desired dimensions.
In the reloading forum there was a thread a couple of months back http://www.canadiangunnutz.com/forum/showthread.php?t=572772&highlight=savage
Some experienced reloaders suggested that .30-30 brass could be re-formed to .303 Savage. However, the re-formed casing might not last more than one firing, due to resulting expansion of the case forward of the rim. Other brass, like .30-40 Krag, or .307 Winchester, can also be reformed to .303Sav.
While it is an interesting round, it really does seem to be more practical for reloaders, than those who don't reload, unless the latter are lucky enough to have a good supply of ammo fall into their hands.
