My favorite rifle

Gene L

It could be my .22 Hornet, or my .222 788, or my 30-06, but it's not.  It's one of my Savage 99s in .300 Savage.  Why, I don't know.  Both of them have peep sights and I'm not more accurate with more than 200 yards, and that's probably stretching it.  I like the action, the magazine, and the action.  It's a long way from being the most efficient rifle I have, most of which have glass on them. I don't have a rifle I don't like so this is a decision I've come to with much thinking and may change.  I like older rifles.  I doubt I'll ever have to defend my life with a rifle, and if that need occurs, I've got other guns to fall back on.

But I LOVE my 99s.

earlyagain

I've never shot one. I do like them. The silence and solitude as well as the excitement of waiting for that perfect shot makes deer hunting addictive. Could be worth your while to retry it one season with Arthur's masterpiece.

Zee

Always dreamed of having one in .308 Win. 

JerryBobCo

I know how you feel, except for me it's Winchester Model 88s.

bisley

JerryBobCo said:

I know how you feel, except for me it's Winchester Model 88s.

Same here. My Model 88 in .308 was stolen in 1975, but I bought it with a year of penny-pinching and lawn-mowing, at age 15, plus a trade-in. It was the first rifle I hand loaded for, and the last rifle that I fondled on a regular basis.

I llke my post-'63 Winchester Model 70 bolt gun in .30-06, a lot, and my Model 600 Mohawk Remington in .243, with approximately equal fervor. But I loved the Model 88.as much as I am capable of feeling love for an inanimate object. The Bisley Colt in my avatar is the only other 'thing' that I have felt the same way about.

Of course, if we're just talking about 'feelings,' I have never outright sold any gun, though I have traded up a few times, and gifted a few away. Then, there was that terrible boating accident, over the Marianas Trench....

bullsi1911

Shot my first deer with a borrowed Savage 99 in .243.  A 99 is #1 on my list of Grail guns. 

shootbrownelk

A friend of mine had a then new Winchester model 88 in .284.  It was a deer killing machine. I got to shoot it in a sighting in session before the season opener. Quite accurate, more so than I expected. I haven't seen one for sale at gun shows around here, and I do look.

bellcat

Thanks for opening up like that, very emotional and good for the soul. I’d have to say my M70, 30-06 makes my heart sing. Accurate with every load, reliable in all weather, and aims like an extension of your body!

JerryBobCo

shootbrownelk said:

A friend of mine had a then new Winchester model 88 in .284.  It was a deer killing machine. I got to shoot it in a sighting in session before the season opener. Quite accurate, more so than I expected. I haven't seen one for sale at gun shows around here, and I do look.

I have a pre-64 .284 that I traded a Walmart special Winchester M70 .270 for.  Straight up.  I've taken an antelope and a mule deer with it.  It's one of my favorites.  I also had a post-64 that I took an antelope with.  I have had it rebarrelled to 338x284, which is what I used to kill the elk in my avatar.

As for all of the comments from folks wanting a m99, why don't you just go buy one?   They're not that hard to find, especially in .308.   Gun Broker and Guns America would be a good place to start.

LMLarsen

I’ve always been intrigued by the 99, and have often thought about getting one. 

Freezer

I have a Savage 99f in 308 and it's my go to gun. I paid $300 for it because it had been ridden hard and put away wet. After cleaning it, polishing the bore and having the internals polished and cleaned I replaced the stock. It is by far the best handling rifle I ever had. 

Big Al1

My takedown 1899 in .38-55 has become my favorite!

JerryBobCo

cpj said:

JerryBobCo said:

shootbrownelk said:

A friend of mine had a then new Winchester model 88 in .284.  It was a deer killing machine. I got to shoot it in a sighting in session before the season opener. Quite accurate, more so than I expected. I haven't seen one for sale at gun shows around here, and I do look.

I have a pre-64 .284 that I traded a Walmart special Winchester M70 .270 for.  Straight up.  I've taken an antelope and a mule deer with it.  It's one of my favorites.  I also had a post-64 that I took an antelope with.  I have had it rebarrelled to 338x284, which is what I used to kill the elk in my avatar.

As for all of the comments from folks wanting a m99, why don't you just go buy one?   They're not that hard to find, especially in .308.   Gun Broker and Guns America would be a good place to start.

I saw an 88 in .284 at the Bass Pro fine gun room today. 
They wanted something like $2400. 

I think I paid about $2100 for one, and traded it for a .358.  Even then, I had to kick in an extra $900, if I recall.

The .308 and .243 can be had for a reasonable cost, especially the .308.  The other two chamberings, or one of the carbines, are a whole 'nother story.

I'm guessing that there are better deals to be found for the 99 simply because they were in production for nearly 100 years as opposed to the 88 only being production from 1955 to 1973.

I still kick myself for selling a 99 chambered in .243 for $240.  I bought it for $200 at an auction, mostly because no one else was bidding on it.  I wish I had kept it.

JerryBobCo

cpj said:

Dang. I thought it was just Bass Pro being outrageous. 

Chris, look for one on the internet, and you will quickly see it's like buying gold.  Like most Winchesters, the pre-64 versions are more expensive and desirable than the post-64s.  Since the .284 came out in 1963, a pre-64 .284 is the rarest of the breed.  Oddly, though, even though the ..358 was in production for several years, ending (I think) in 1959, they are by far the most expensive of the lot.

wizard78

Wambli Ska said:

JerryBobCo said:

cpj said:

Dang. I thought it was just Bass Pro being outrageous. 

Chris, look for one on the internet, and you will quickly see it's like buying gold.  Like most Winchesters, the pre-64 versions are more expensive and desirable than the post-64s.  Since the .284 came out in 1963, a pre-64 .284 is the rarest of the breed.  Oddly, though, even though the ..358 was in production for several years, ending (I think) in 1959, they are by far the most expensive of the lot.

Which is funny because as far as I know except for the stock the pre-64 88 is exactly the same gun as the post 64, no?

"Other than the checkering change on both guns, there were no other wholesale changes to either the Model 88 or the Model 100 in 1964, so the easiest way to recognize pre and post '64s is by the checkering alone. I actually prefer the look of the cheaper basket weave pattern. Such is my appreciation for the "classic." Anyway, one of the big reasons I like both of these rifles is because of their stock designs. The Model 100's stock, however, is a bit beefier than the Model 88 stock."

https://www.chuckhawks.com/winchester_100_rifle.htm