Savage 99 F ?

[bear]

won a .308 on a gun actuction . What can I expect in the way of accuracy, smoothness and reliability ? What does the F stand for ? I plan to make it a deer hunting rifle
What size scope should it have to keep it's balance ? What does the f stand for ? it has a tang safety,jewelled bolt,gold triggerand rotory magazine. Any comments appreciated. I paid 450 for it is that too much ?
Do people still use the 99 for hunting ?

 

[cloverleaf]

Cant tell you what the F designation stands for, but in 308 that is one heck of a rifle. Grandpa deer hunted with one. Wonderful balance as I recall. 308 can be wonderfully accurate. The 99 action is reputed to be as strong or stronger on lock up than any other lever action. Play with some different ammo to find one it shoots best or load yer' own. I would be disappointed if you cnat find a load that will go sub 2 inch at a hundred yards. A 2-7x32 leupold would be my choice unless you can find a K-4 Weaver. That steel tube would look classic on that classic rifle. I would guess the price was fair. It could be a shooter. Let us know. CL

 

[HunterJim]

bear,

As I recall the F was a model designator, and IIRC was the next in the series. Those rifles were chambered for newer higher pressure cartridges, mine was a .358 Win.

They generally shoot well unless somebody has boogered the muzzle cleaning the rifle. Re-cutting the crown will fix this.

jim

 

[elkslayer308]

Yeah that rifle should shoot good. My sister has one in 284 WCF and its a sweetie. I have a 99E in 308 and a 99 EG in 300 Savage, they both shoot good with pet loads though below 1" groups are VERY rare. I have a Leupold 4x on my 308 and shoot a 180 grain bullet over 45grs of H414 with a WLR primer. Shoots about 1.5" at 100 yds. My 308 also shoots the 190gr Hornady BTSP over a dose of 4064 pretty straight too! My 308 also doesnt shoot slugs lighter than 165 grains worth a hoot.

 

[JD338]

bear

Congratulations on your Savage 99 F. The F version is a Featherweight. Should make for a dandy deer rifle. A Leupold VX3 2.5x8 would be a nice match up. Plenty of magnification for those 300-300 yd shots and very bright for the low light hunting when the big boys are on the move.
Loaded up with a 165 gr BT, it will be a great buck slayer.

JD338

 

[SJB358]

Great rifle, and a good price. I have looked for a Savage for awhile, and if you can find a decent one for under 600, I think you did well. I am with JD, that VX3 2.5x8 is an awesome scope. I realize what he was preaching about. Compact size with alot of capability. You are a lucky man, with a scope, I couldn't imagine a better walking or treestand rifle. Scotty

 

[Antelope_Sniper]

Great rifles. I would suggest not shooting military ammo in it ( I believe Nato spec might be hotter than Saami spec). I've seen it stick chamber on the 99's.