What model Savage rifle?

[firelegs22]

I overheard a few older guys talking at the range today. they were talking about how the ruger 10/22 rotory mag was actually a idea that was sparked by an old savage centerfire. Does anybody know what rifle this might be?
I MUST HAVE ONE!

[JLA]

They are talking about the old savage 99s with 5 round internal rotary mag.

The design stems from the turn of the century Steyr Mannlicher bolt rifles although some will argue the savage 99 lever action had it first...

[firelegs22]

Great! Thats what I was loking for. Thanks!

[JLA]

if you get one, you gotta get it in .300 savage. That is a great little round and in the savage 99 will not only be very wieldy, but very accurate and pleasant to shoot.

[JLA]

Heres the .300 savage (R) next to the .308 (L)

The .300 savage gave birth to the .308 winchester as we know it.

[tim peterson]

Hello, back in 1977 I had a Savage 99 with a removeable rotary magazine in 22-250.I found a used leopould fixed power scope at garage sale and put it on the 99. This was one of the best coyote rigs I ever used. Never had a single problem with that rifle or magazine. Loading, unloading factory or handloads,Worked perfect, After 34 years I cant belive I sold it to a frind.

[polishshooter]

Savage is back to offering the .300 Savage again...it STILL is about the best deer/Black bear 200 yd cartridge ever made.

Yeah, the .308 Win virtually killed it with it's versatility for other purposes and the .300 Savage is pretty limited to what it's good for, but I still get a kick out of reading the old "Rifle" books from the 30s and 40s, NO rifleman would be caught dead without at least one .300 Savage, and Oconnor claimed it was also good on Elk at one time...

At that time it was more popular than even the .30-06, PROBABLY due to the Model 99 more than anything. America still liked the lever over the bolt between the wars but the bolt action was gaining....

My Wife's Grandfather had a nicely stocked Savage ex-military contract that was originally chambered for 7mm Mauser for some South American country in the 1930s, but before the contract was done, there was a coup, the deal fell through and Savage got "stuck" with the rifles, and restocked them, converted them to .300 Savage and sold them on the commercial market, and he had bought one used. I used it for two seasons in PA for Deer and bear seasons, it was heavy, and kind of neat with that stripper clip guide, and I remember it was accurate, (the two deer I MISSED with it were my fault.....)

My nephew still has that rifle and the dies that I bought for a gift for Gramps after his heart attacks and in ICU when everybody thought he was dying he mentioned to me NEXT season he was going to use the Savage instead of his .30-40 Krag and I made a deal with him if he survived I'd buy him the dies

Count me in as a .300 Savage supporter.

And every 99 in that caliber I see at shows I fondle, and think I may have to own one some day, but they aren't exactly GIVING them away any more! Years ago they were fairly cheap, used, but now they are going up QUICKLY!

[firelegs22]

well, I went in to a local gun store and there happened to be one on the floor rack next to a bunch of mosin nagants! $20 got me a one week hold whle I get the cash together (isn't being broke fun?). It's the 99e model chambered in 300 savage, and for some reason they wouldnt let me take pictures in the store, otherwise you would be looking at them right now!

[JLA]

nice. you will love it. IMO, they are better than a winchester 94 levergun.

[polishshooter]

Firelegs, I envy you.

I still regret the day I found a decent one on a used gun rack for $250 AND had that much money available in my pocket at the time and passed because I had my mind set on something else ...

I have found some SINCE at that price but didn't have the money at the time, and when I DID all the ones I found were $400+ and I passed....


I personally think the Savage 99 was MEANT to be chambered in .300 Savage....it came in a LOT of other chamberings, but a lot of them are better served in a bolt action

I know several guys who own them in other calibers, including one guy I used to work with who has one in .308 that he used in upper Michigan for deer...

But the 99 is as handy as a Winchester 94 in .30-30, maybe better, and the round is SO much better...

The ONLY other caliber I would want my "someday" 99 to be in besides the .300 would be one chambered in .250-3000 Savage...

Keep in mind the .300 Savage is pretty limited, as compared with a .308 Win., it is NOT nor was it intended to BE a 1000 yd sniper round... but the most favored cartridge at the time it was meant to surpass was the .30-30 Winchester, and it did THAT in SPADES....both in accuracy AND power.

I read where the reason Savage is again offering it again in their newest B/A rifles, is that for Deer and Black Bear at normal hunting ranges, about 200yds or less, it is AS good as any other cartridge available, it has been called by a lot of gun writers "the Quintessential Whitetail and Black Bear Round"....I second that! I remember the old rifle I shot with 200 grain SP factory Remington cartridges that Gramps made me buy (Good bear loads but still wouldn't wreck TOO much meat on a deer) was ALMOST an MOA rifle at 100 with OPEN sights from a rest...granted I had 20 some year old eyes at the time, but with a good Weaver or equivalent 4x scope like Gramps used on all his deer guns at the time, I do NOT doubt that it is an inherently accurate cartridge..."at normal hunting ranges."

Anybody that knows me knows I kinda like old guns and loadings with a little "history" and that have EARNED their place...the .300 Savage is one of those in my book....

[firelegs22]

After everything y'all said about being a deer round, I just may have to stary hunting. darn. I was talking to an older friend of mine at church tonight, and I learned that he has a 99 in .308 winchester. I think that I'll do an extensive comparison/range report within the next week or so. I finally got a new camera, so there will be LOTS of pictures.

Thank you all for what you've shared,
Paul

[muddober]

Originally Posted by polishshooter

NO rifleman would be caught dead without at least one .300 Savage, and Oconnor claimed it was also good on Elk at one time...

I got a kick out of polishshooter's comment and thought; you know he is right, I even have one, I have never shot it but I have a real nice one made in the 30's. That is saying a lot for an old model 70 guy. As for Elk hunting at 200 yards I would agree but for the most part I could never get that close to one in the Nevada sage brush.

Ron

[xzqzq]

I have a .300 Savage on a sporterized K98 action...have had it for 30 years, hardly shot it... recently dug it out, did some hand-loads...still working on the accuracy....the short cartridge neck makes firm bullet seating problematic, even with a Lee factory crimp die. Any suggestions ? Thanks, George

[Snakedriver]

Originally Posted by xzqzq

I have a .300 Savage on a sporterized K98 action...have had it for 30 years, hardly shot it... recently dug it out, did some hand-loads...still working on the accuracy....the short cartridge neck makes firm bullet seating problematic, even with a Lee factory crimp die. Any suggestions ? Thanks, George

What about using bullets manufactured with a cannelure and then applying a roll crimp at the cannelure. That should give you plenty of grip.

[redwing carson]

The local hang out [gun shop] has a rack full of these old Savage 99s. I noticed 14 yesterday. They are mostly .300s or .308s. One nice old 30-30 and a newer .243. They are all too high and mostly gather dust. It is too bad collector values have retired these fine old rifles. Good Luck

RC

[steve99f]

The 300 Savage cartridge was meant to approach the ballistics of the 30-06 with a 150 grain bullet when introduced in 1920. The 30-06 wasn't loaded as fast back then as it is now and not many had chronographs to measure velocity anyway. It came close enough.

With regard to comparisons with the 308 W, it doesn't lose much with a 150 grain bullet. Check any reloading manual. The difference won't matter at hunting ranges in the eastern woods. With heavier bullets the 308 gets the nod.

But at usual hunting ranges the 30-30 is fine too.

No bad choices if whitetail deer are in season. Depends on where and how you hunt.

You can't go wrong with the Model 99. Several variants to chose from.

[savage170]

This one has taken more deer then anything else I own. It's a great shooter and not worth much as the barrel is from a later carbine.