I found out several months ago that my step dad intends for me to inherit his guns after he dies. He is now in his 80's but is in good shape. One of the rifles he has is a Savage M99 300. I do not look forward to his passing away but I would like to have the 300 Savage to shoot and reload for. Is there still much of a following for these guns? I have done some searching on this site and have found the information very scatered. I wonder of the merit of having a section for the M99 on this forum as you do for the Marlins and Winchester lever guns. At this time I am interested in reading what I can find about this rifle. I would appreciate any information or even links to information on this different and interesting lever gun. I currently have a Marlin 336C in Win 30-30 and a Winchester 94AE in 357 Mag. I reload for both guns and enjoy both of them. The Savage would be a nice addition to my lever collection.

They are nice guns. I have a .250, shoots good. Brass is available, and load data in many of the manuals. I'm sure you'll have no trouble loading for it.

I found out several months ago that my step dad intends for me to inherit his guns after he dies. He is now in his 80's but is in good shape. One of the rifles he has is a Savage M99 300. I do not look forward to his passing away but I would like to have the 300 Savage to shoot and reload for. Is there still much of a following for these guns? I have done some searching on this site and have found the information very scatered. I wonder of the merit of having a section for the M99 on this forum as you do for the Marlins and Winchester lever guns. At this time I am interested in reading what I can find about this rifle. I would appreciate any information or even links to information on this different and interesting lever gun. I currently have a Marlin 336C in Win 30-30 and a Winchester 94AE in 357 Mag. I reload for both guns and enjoy both of them. The Savage would be a nice addition to my lever collection.

Try www.24hourcampfire.com

They have a forum for Savage, and it has a lot of info on the 99.
good luck.

I have 99's chambered in 300 savage and 308 winchester.
Both shoot just about ANY 308 bullet just fine, but the 300 will take some work to find a "sweet" load.

The best results I've had with the 300 is Hornadays 165BTSP and Marshall's 160grFNGC lead bullet.
Get a good set of dies, as the 300 has a sharp shoulder angle and can be tricky for some. 90% of my dies are Lee...no issues at'all.

If you PM me, I'll give you the load that works in my 300 savage.

You'll be coming into a fine gun that you will cherish and remember because of your relative.

Thanks for the link to the Campfire Forum. It looks like a good source of info lefty41. m141a I have sent you a pm about that load data. Thanks again guys.

I have a Savage 99 in .300 as well, and I love it. It shoots a 150 gr Hornady Interlock at 2600 f/s, and is accurate as well. It has dropped two deer in their tracks in the last two years. Can't ask for more than that.

Before WW2, 300 Savage saw widespread among western elk hunters. My Dad and his buddies swore by this cartridge and their Savage rifles.
TR

There was another Savage 99 post a few months back that stated
" there was a time when you said you hunted with a 300, it automatically known you meant the Savage..."

kinda weird how now a 300 could be so many options.
It has proven for me to ba an accurate round.
It has proven for me to be a powerful round, when put into the perspective of the 30-30, 250-3000,32, 35rem...."woods guns"


I plan to load some 100 or 110 grain ammo for it to see how it would function as a "critter gun"

300 savage accellerators....Hmmmmmm:cool:

There is a web site devoted exclusively to Savage 99s but I don't recall the URL. A good search engine should find it for you. A friend of mine has taken many deer, including a Boone and Crockett buck and gets an elk every year with her 99 in .300. My friend is an 80-year-old lady rancher.

http://www.savage99.com/

I love that calendar on their front page...

I have a 99 in 300 Sav. It's not an old one but still holds the nostalgic appeal. Bought a 250-3000 in the same deal but let my bro-in-law have it. I've only loaded a few boxes for this one but the Speer 180gr Mag Tip was a good performer, on paper at least...and on the Chrony. I hit 2500fps without even going to the top of Speer's #13 data for Re15 ... but stopped there for safety. Wouldn't want to damage my only 99...

An older friend gave me a box of 180 factory loads once...there was one catridge missing. It says $4.95 on it written in pencil. I've always wondered how big the elk was that fell to that one.

Ever try the Sierra 150 gr RN? I know, it is not pointed and the 99 handles pointed bullets. But talk to the techs at Sierra and try their recommendation. You will be gratified. Good luck. Bandito

I shoot one in 358 Win. I'm working on loads from the Speer 180 sp up to the 250 Speer sp. That also includes 4 different powders and 4 different bullets; Speer, Hornady, Nosler and Sierra.

my son is shooting and reloading for the 300-3000. He has a nice laod worked up for the Hornady 150 gr. SP. The ballistics on the SP are much better than a RN. but the RN is better for the brush. All depends on what you are loading it up to hunt for. ;)

There was a time when a man would tell his friends he was headed out into the woods with his trusty "300" and the only question was what kind of game would he be serving at the next gathering of friends and family. I still see .300 Savage factory ammo on the shelves of a few places here in Texas, so chances are you can start shooting w/ factory & reload w/ once fired brass real quick. And it's the folks who reload that keep such good calibers and great firerams going even after production has ceased.

I just wanted to let you guys know that I appreciate all the input you have given me on this. I have read every one of your posts. I think there is still a lot of these Savage 99s out there yet.

Glad to know that the input and comments helped. Please add to the pool with yours when you get a chance. Happy shooting!

In a round about way I found another forum for Savage shooters. I thought some of you may want to check it out if you are not already aware of it. http://www.savageshooters.com/forum/
So far it looks quite interesting.
Another site I ran onto in the Rifle Shooter is http://www.savageparts.com/
This owner according to what I read in the Rifle Shooter used to work at Savage. You can get diagrams of almost all the Savage rifles from this site.
Enjoy

I have one too, got it from Dad. Grandfather had one too and took a lot of deer with it but the one story that is told most often is the 500+ pound bear he took with it. About 75 yards, dropped it with one shot to the boiler room. He went up and poked it, bear rolled over and took a swing at him then fell dead.

Mine shoots great, using 150gr bullets and IMR 4320 powder (eact load escapes my memory right now). I used the Sierra 150gr Game King BT which produced excellent groups @ 100. I also loaded some with 170gr Lyman cast FN bullets. Accuracy was good enough for hunting at least to 100 yds. Lighter load was needed on these, not much above what you can get with the 30-30 but more than sufficient for a well placed shot.

Couple things... watch the OAL so they clear the magazine. Make sure you lube the cases very sparingly when sizing or you can get dimples in the shoulder. Best I found is to put some lube on a rag and wipe it onto the neck and walls.

I remember having (4) out of 6 hunters using Model 99's at our camp in the 60's. My cousin still uses his in .308...I had a hand me down in .300 a 99G that I traded on my Model 700.

Great guns but they did wear out. Mine was around 40 yrs old and clamped in a rest it shot all over the paper...

The safety tang that hooked on the lever used to freeze internally in cold rain & would discharge the weapon as you tried to get it off...

Gents,

I own a couple, but my 300 is one that is like one of my kids, it doesn't behave very well all of the time, requires a great deal of time and attention, but I love it nonetheless.

I have owned and reloaded this for this rifle for years, and when I think that I have found the "sweet" load for it, the next batch is all over the place.

I have found generally speaking though, that lighter bullets work the best, and those with a short ogive normally function better with less hassle. The prefered load once upon a time was the Horn 150, but I had to be really careful during overall sizing. Sierra 180s did pretty well, as did their 150 Pro-hunters, but the current lead runner is the 150 grain speer flathead.

I have done allot of work with this rifle, and have an impression that you ought to take a little more time between shots, as it will walk when the barrel is warm. Also, I normally load at about 90% of max, which is rare for me.

Good luck, enjoy it!

Steve

I just wanted to let you guys know that I appreciate all the input you have given me on this. I have read every one of your posts. I think there is still a lot of these Savage 99s out there yet.

There were probably over 900,000 99s made over the years and most are probably still functional. I have seen examples with a dozen holes left in the receiver and/or the butt held on with wire. They are very hard to kill! Also, prices have been skyrocketing in recent years as folks have begun to appreciate the quality and functionality built into these guns.

There were probably over 900,000 99s made over the years and most are probably still functional. I have seen examples with a dozen holes left in the receiver and/or the butt held on with wire. They are very hard to kill! Also, prices have been skyrocketing in recent years as folks have begun to appreciate the quality and functionality built into these guns.
Six weeks ago I was able to see the gun my step dad plans to give me. Time did not allow me to inspect it but I did notice it has checkering on the grip and fore arm. The gun was very dusty as it has been on the wall for many years and not used. When I get a chance I am going to get the serial number from it and go over to the 24 Hour Campfire forum and see what I can find out about the gun. That forum has a section devoted to Savages and there are several hard core Savage collecters that frequent that site that will be able to help me. From what I could tell the gun looked to be in good condition. I think he only used it during the yearly deer season. I believe it had a Weaver scope on it as well. As I said in my original post he has in his will that his guns are to go to me when he is gone. I am anxious to get my gun loving hands on the Savage but do not look forward to my step dad passing. It will be a bitter sweet experience.

Congrats - and condolences. It will be a fine thing to remember him by, and we can't ask for much after we are gone but for people to remember us.

Six weeks ago I was able to see the gun my step dad plans to give me. Time did not allow me to inspect it but I did notice it has checkering on the grip and fore arm. The gun was very dusty as it has been on the wall for many years and not used. When I get a chance I am going to get the serial number from it and go over to the 24 Hour Campfire forum and see what I can find out about the gun. That forum has a section devoted to Savages and there are several hard core Savage collecters that frequent that site that will be able to help me. From what I could tell the gun looked to be in good condition. I think he only used it during the yearly deer season. I believe it had a Weaver scope on it as well. As I said in my original post he has in his will that his guns are to go to me when he is gone. I am anxious to get my gun loving hands on the Savage but do not look forward to my step dad passing. It will be a bitter sweet experience.
CT, Some of the important parameters to identify before you go seeking info, in addition to the SN, are caliber, barrel length, straight or pistol grip (yours has checkering so I am assuming pistol), straight or schnabel forend, and whether the "Savage Model 99" on the top front of the receiver has the scope mount holes through it (centered, not factory D&T) or is off to the left side (factory drill and tap). There are a lot of variations but this will narrow it down.

CT, Some of the important parameters to identify before you go seeking info, in addition to the SN, are caliber, barrel length, straight or pistol grip (yours has checkering so I am assuming pistol), straight or schnabel forend, and whether the "Savage Model 99" on the top front of the receiver has the scope mount holes through it (centered, not factory D&T) or is off to the left side (factory drill and tap). There are a lot of variations but this will narrow it down.
Rufus
I'm going to print off your list of things to look for and take it with me next time I examine the gun. You sound like you may know a few things about them. Thanks a lot.

Rufus
I'm going to print off your list of things to look for and take it with me next time I examine the gun. You sound like you may know a few things about them. Thanks a lot.
Hello,
Another important vriation is the location of the safety.Newer ones are on the top tang(like a shotgun);older ones are on the lever,behind the trigger guard.
Frank

Hello,
Another important vriation is the location of the safety.Newer ones are on the top tang(like a shotgun);older ones are on the lever,behind the trigger guard.
Frank
I have added the safety location to the list of things to look for that Rufus mentioned. Thanks guys.

I found out several months ago that my step dad intends for me to inherit his guns after he dies. He is now in his 80's but is in good shape. One of the rifles he has is a Savage M99 300. I do not look forward to his passing away but I would like to have the 300 Savage to shoot and reload for. Is there still much of a following for these guns? I have done some searching on this site and have found the information very scatered. I wonder of the merit of having a section for the M99 on this forum as you do for the Marlins and Winchester lever guns. At this time I am interested in reading what I can find about this rifle. I would appreciate any information or even links to information on this different and interesting lever gun. I currently have a Marlin 336C in Win 30-30 and a Winchester 94AE in 357 Mag. I reload for both guns and enjoy both of them. The Savage would be a nice addition to my lever collection.

I have lusted after a model 99eg in .300 with the snauble forearm...for years ......following..I know a guy that has about 25 of these things...

Recently had the good fortune to acquire a Savage 300 Mod.99. w/scope. After I checked into it, I've found the 99 to be somewhat of a collectors piece, not to mention the scope has dramatically increased in value. It's going to the range tomorrow, and shoot the 180 and 200 grn old ammo that came with it.
But it looks like the 150gr would be best for deer. 200gr for larger game.
I don't know why, but just cleaning this rifle, I have become attached to it. Now I need surgery to get it off, just kidding. They sell generally from 450. to 900. from what I've read.

Recently had the good fortune to acquire a Savage 300 Mod.99. w/scope. After I checked into it, I've found the 99 to be somewhat of a collectors piece, not to mention the scope has dramatically increased in value. It's going to the range tomorrow, and shoot the 180 and 200 grn old ammo that came with it.
But it looks like the 150gr would be best for deer. 200gr for larger game.
I don't know why, but just cleaning this rifle, I have become attached to it. Now I need surgery to get it off, just kidding. They sell generally from 450. to 900. from what I've read.
riergarde
I have found that there is quite a following for the Savage Model 99. Like the Winchester and Marlin lever guns there are a lot of people that have good memories regarding them. The Model 99 was another work horse hunting gun that the average guy could own when they were still being manufactured. As the years go by they are increasing in value. When my step dad passes his on to me I will shoot and enjoy it. I will add it to my small collection of lever guns and not sell or trade it. I hope you enjoy yours and keep it.
Cary

http://www.thefiringline.com/forums/showthread.php?t=98180 (http://www.thefiringline.com/forums/showthread.php?t=98180)http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=81748 (http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=81748)http://www.graybeardoutdoors.com/phpbb2/archive/o_t__t_4776__.300-savage-99.html (http://www.graybeardoutdoors.com/phpbb2/archive/o_t__t_4776__.300-savage-99.html)http://www.thefiringline.com/forums/showthread.php?t=95519 (http://www.thefiringline.com/forums/showthread.php?t=95519)http://www.chuckhawks.com/sensible_cartridges.htm (http://www.chuckhawks.com/sensible_cartridges.htm)http://www.24hourcampfire.com/ubbthreads/showflat.php?Number=346676 (http://www.24hourcampfire.com/ubbthreads/showflat.php?Number=346676)

riergarde
I have found that there is quite a following for the Savage Model 99. Like the Winchester and Marlin lever guns there are a lot of people that have good memories regarding them. The Model 99 was another work horse hunting gun that the average guy could own when they were still being manufactured. As the years go by they are increasing in value. When my step dad passes his on to me I will shoot and enjoy it. I will add it to my small collection of lever guns and not sell or trade it. I hope you enjoy yours and keep it.
Cary
Quite right, and lately the price of "servicable" 99's in my area reflects the same prices that one in fair condition brought just a few years ago. It's a shame Savage couldn't continue production of this wonderful rifle, and long before the wonder-magnums became the rage, when a man set out to go hunting with his .300 (Savage), you weren't really sure what kind of critter he'd come back with. Seems the .300 Savage along with the model 99 are destined to live in gun safes and not in the woods like they oughta be.

http://www.thefiringline.com/forums/showthread.php?t=98180 (http://www.thefiringline.com/forums/showthread.php?t=98180)http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=81748 (http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=81748)http://www.graybeardoutdoors.com/phpbb2/archive/o_t__t_4776__.300-savage-99.html (http://www.graybeardoutdoors.com/phpbb2/archive/o_t__t_4776__.300-savage-99.html)http://www.thefiringline.com/forums/showthread.php?t=95519 (http://www.thefiringline.com/forums/showthread.php?t=95519)http://www.chuckhawks.com/sensible_cartridges.htm (http://www.chuckhawks.com/sensible_cartridges.htm)http://www.24hourcampfire.com/ubbthreads/showflat.php?Number=346676 (http://www.24hourcampfire.com/ubbthreads/showflat.php?Number=346676)
Sure-Shot,
That is a lot of interesting reading on the Model 99 Savages.
Thanks.

When I first starting hunting, I had one of the old 99-E's in 22 Savage Hi Power with an old K-3.
I'd give about $1000 to have that gun back. It was sure pretty!

Along those lines.... I saw a Remington Mohawk in .250 Savage today at a gun show. It had suffered through some home gunsmithing, but dang.... I'd have snapped it up, except it was listed on-line by the gun shop, and already pasesed the reserve :(

Oh well, gun show this weekend!!! :D

That's the spirit we gun gatherers need in order to carry on; good luck at the show this weekend and tell us of your your recent gatherings (of guns) if you found something that just needed to come home with you! :p
Along those lines.... I saw a Remington Mohawk in .250 Savage today at a gun show. It had suffered through some home gunsmithing, but dang.... I'd have snapped it up, except it was listed on-line by the gun shop, and already pasesed the reserve :(

Oh well, gun show this weekend!!! :D