The Savage Model 99 is a lever action rifle made in the US. As the name implies, the design originates from 1899 and from the serial number range, this particular rifle is in 303 Savage and was made in either 1900 or 1901, so pretty early into the rifle’s 98 years of production.
Savage 99 Specifications & Features
- Around 7 lbs in weight (this one was 6.94lbs)
- 5 round rotary magazine + 1 in the chamber
- Round counter on the side (some models don’t have this)
- Cocking indicator
- 20-26″ barrel
- Hammerless design
Using the Savage 99
Functionality is well thought out on the Savage 99. The internal rotary magazine is very easy to load from the top and the automatic cutoff holds the rounds down in the mag for you.
The coolest thing about the rotary mag is that the receiver is still compact enough that you can carry the rifle by grabbing the receiver. Although other lever actions are even more trim, it’s still not as bulky in this area as a modern bolt action or pump action firearm.
Once cleaned of hundred year old buildup of dirt and oil, the lever is very smooth in operation.
The older-style safety is a bit awkward to use but it’s silent and I do like that it locks the lever closed.
Savage Model 99 Variants
Here’s a short list. The longer list on Wikipedia lists more variants:
- 99C has a detachable box mag. (“C” stands for clip in Savage model names)
- 99E: Economy, cheaper made
- 99R: Drilled and tapped for a scope
- 99F: lightweight
- 99H: lightweight and takedown
- 99DL: Deluxe. Nicer stock, jeweled bolt, sling swivels, gold trigger
Hunting with a Savage 99 in Modern Times
If you choose to buy a Savage Model 99 for hunting, there are a few things to consider:
Because the rifle uses a box magazine instead of a tube, it has a huge advantage over other lever action rifles in that it can use pointed bullets that have a better ballistic coefficient.
The Savage 99 is marginally better sealed against dirt & dust than something like a Win94 (review here). But it also has a unique look that some might not like.
Get one in an easy to acquire cartridge. 250, 303, and 300 Savage are hard to find and expensive. A box of 20 rounds of the above cartridges will cost you $80-100 right now. 308 Winchester would be cheaper, way easier to find, and has good performance on big game.
If you want to scope the rifle, you’ll want one of the later models, ideally a “C” variant so that you can load the magazine off the rifle instead of working around a scope.
Ultimately, you’d be better off with a modern, value-priced bolt action rifle for hunting. You’d only use one of these for nostalgia or to have something cool at the hunt camp.
