1899 22 Savage Hi Power

[dromia]

I finally got some rounds down this rifle last night.

I'd been cleaning the barrel for a couple of days beforehand to try get the copper out but the patches were still coming out blue when time to leave for the range came.

I was just shooting on a 25yrd indoor range so I went for a light load, 5gns of Vihtavuori N310 under the RCBS 22-60 boolit, gator gas ckecks and 2500 lube, cases were necked down 25-35 Winchester brass, PPu LR Primer.

First shot went straight on the target at point of aim using the lowest leaf, the next four gave a group just under 2" and the rest of the 50 rounds kept within that 2" cluster.

I am very happy with that as the leaf sights are not of the easiest to use and I was struggling to keep the foresight in focus and it was all shot of a shoogly bench and rest.

So all in all I was a happy bunny.

Rounds were doing about 1400fps.

Just need to get an aperture sight for her now, a bit of load fiddling and those groups will shrink I'm sure, there is also a bit more copper to get out of the barrel.

So if anyone comes across a suitable sight give me a shout.

[Southern Son]

dromia,
Mate you should know that around here you cannot talk about a Savage M99 and not show us a photo!!!!!!!

[dromia]

Ask and ye shall recieve. :D


http://img.photobucket.com/albums/1003/adamsutherland/Pukka%20Bundhook/FAC%20Required/Savage%201899%2022%20Hi%20Power/IMG_1218A.jpg


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http://img.photobucket.com/albums/1003/adamsutherland/Pukka%20Bundhook/FAC%20Required/Savage%201899%2022%20Hi%20Power/IMG_1263-1.jpg

[gnoahhh]

Good honest looking 1899 there Dromia!

That's the first set of express sights I ever saw on an 1899 Savage. I hope that you'll be able to retain them on the barrel if you add a tang sight because they're just too cool! (But the reality of it is it'll probably have to come off if you put a tang sight on the gun. That fixed lowest leaf will surely interfere with the sight line of the tang sight-to-front sight. I'm speaking from experience here. On the dozen or so 1899s here, 10 have tang sights and rear barrel sights with leaves that fold down entirely out of the way- Lyman #6's. On the other hand you might get lucky!)

[dromia]

I wouldn't remove the rear sight for an aperture as I want to leave the rifle as is, I'm only interested in no gunsmithing modifications.

What tang site should I be looking for?

[gnoahhh]

Lyman #1A (no screw in aperture, just a fairly large fixed aperture and a smaller little flip-into-position aperture), Lyman 2A has standard 7/32-40 threads to accept a wide range of apertures. Neither model has windage adjustment so windage correction is a pain in the ****. (But it can be accomplished by shims under the base to cock it in the direction you need to go.) Something to consider when dealing with a rifle like yours with a fixed front sight blade. My favorites for these rifles are the Lyman #29½ (no screw-in aperture, like the 1A) and 30½ (accepts screw-in apertures). Both models have identical bases which are screwadjustable for windage. Nifty items, but rather pricey- about double the cost of the 1A/2A.

Marbles made one similar to the 2A, and still does, but the new ones are pretty flimsy and a lot of fellow Savage guys don't like them. The old ones are good though.

I have seen pics of a neat tang sight made by Parker-Hale for the Savage 1899/99, but never saw one in the flesh. I gather they're pretty rare.

If you mount one, whatever you do don't try to squiggle the stock off the gun with the sight in place. All of those I described above overhang the tang out over the wrist of the stock partway. It's impossible to slide the stock out from under it without bending the sight base a tad. I thought I accomplished it once- the sight looked normal at first blush- but after missing a shot at a deer I found it truly was bent slightly high, enough to throw my shot a foot high at 100 yards.

Hope this helps.

[Jack Stanley]

Another admirer of the express sights here , I've never seen another on a savage and agree they are just the coolest thing .

Jack

[Fishman]

Really cool gun! The express sights seem so out of place on a 22 hi velocity cartridge logically but they are really neat.