Savage 99 in .358 Winchester

[Rodfac]

I've had a bunch of luck lately...ran into a friend who wanted to sell his 99 Savage in .358 Winchester was the first bit. Used as a saddle carbine in his former guiding/packing business, it had nearly perfect metal work but a well worn finish on the stock and fore end. I refinished the woodwork, relieved the fore end screw with a neoprene washer, mounted a venerable Leupold M8 2.5x scope and set about working up loads.

I've got a .35 Whelen that I use with RCBS' excellent .35 caliber 200 gr FP mold. My alloy of WW+1% tin drops boolits at 0.360" dia. and 216 gr +-. About as perfect as I could want for the new to me .358. With a starting point of 18.0 gr of Bartlett's reclaimed 4759, I got 1600 fps in the new gun and groups that hovered below 2" at 100 yds. More than enough accuracy for KY white tails as the pic below shows. Recoil is mild for as big a slug as this one and accuracy is steadily improving as the barrel gets used to cast boolits. I hunted this year with a 19.5 gr load that I estimate at 1650 fps, though I haven't chrono'd it as yet.

As always, these are my loads, assembled for my rifle. Before using them, consult a GOOD manual, consider all pressure implications, and work up slowly. With Bartlett's 4759 reclaimed powder, there were no unusual pressure signs.

The buck below went 180 lbs dressed and I couldn't have asked for better boolit performance. I water quench these .35's for use in the Whelen and used the same boolit in the .358. I got complete pass through penetration at 55 yds, with the boolit breaking a rib on entry and on exit. It also clipped the bottom of the spine enroute. The exit hole was the size of a 50 cent piece, not surprising with all of that bone penetration on impact, and it was DRT shot. Muzzle velocity was an estimated 1650 fps.

I've also had good results, with Hornady's excellent 200 gr RN jacketed offering. Groups run about the same as the cast boolit, but impact 7 MOA higher!! I estimate this load using 748, at 2200 fps, but haven't chrono'd it either.

So here's the third piece of luck. I had both my sons with me this deer season. Both scored as well. Nate got an 8 ptr a half hour after I shot the 9 pt in the pic; and his brother got a 10 pt the next morning. With good hunting in the morning and a libation of KY fruit juice as the sun sets, (bourbon for the uninitiated); it just doesn't get any better for me.

Hope all is well with you and yours in this season of Thanksgiving...Best Regards Rod

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[richhodg66]

I have one of those 99 Brush Guns in .358 as well. Worked well on a nice Kansas doe last year, didn't get any other shot opportunities.

Mine hasn't been picky at all, but it shoots well with the NOE clone of that RCBS bullet and 40 grains of IMR 4320. I had one cavity of my mold hollow pointed, but used a solid one on the deer.

To me and my methods/conditions for hunting, that rifle is about as close to teh perfect deer combo as exists.

[Rodfac]

I agree on the deer potential for it as well. And that RCBS boolit seems to have a broad sweet spot, at least with 4759. I'll give 4320 a try as well, thanks for the reply. What are you sizing yours to. Mine are right at 0.360" as cast, and I use my 450 Lyman sizer only for lubing. White label is what I'm using currently; their 50-50 prescription. Also, I water quench. Recently I found a suggestion on one of the other forums to try annealing the nose of the boolit. You do this supposedly by standing the slugs, upright in a pan of water, then applying a torch to the exposed noses until you note a color change. This is all done after lubing!. Gotta give it a try, but when my wife's out of the house. I suspect there'll be some smoke produced. Rod

[021]

I have Brushguns in .358 and .375. The .358 was bought new about 1979 and has killed many deer over the years. The 99's are great guns, hope you enjoy yours as much as I have mine! 021

[richhodg66]

I think I sized mine to .360, I'd have to check. I cast mine of what I call "Larry Gibson Alloy" because he tuned me into it, basically wheel weights with 2% tin added then mixed 50/50 with pure, or in my case, range scrap that was mostly from FMJ pistol bullets. Sorry not more scientific than that. I used standard NRA formula lube too, in fact, I think it was also White Label stick lube in a Lyman sizer.

I love Savage 99s and hunted with a different one for the past three years using cast in all. This year, weather permitting, gonna use a .250 and will have to resort to a J-word. Next on the list after than one will be a .303.

[Good Cheer]

Reckon the Indiana regs will govern my choices.
A .358 WSSM wildcat is legal but a .35 Remington isn't.

(insert here image of drooling bureaucrat)

[Blackwater]

I'm envious. Not long ago, I sold my .308 M-99A, and I'm sorry I did. I've succumbed to the alure of the .35's, and I COULD have had it rebored to .358, but didn't think I wanted to do that at the time. I also didn't like the forend in particular, and the stock to a lesser degree, but I could have fixed that, too. They're great guns, and rare in my neck of the woods. You rarely see one here.

They make really NICE rifles with a little dolling up, too. I like the e-nickeled receivers. A little engraving on those big, flat sides is nice, too. A border around the edges with something in the center isn't terribly expensive, and really transforms the gun into something very special that steals the heart, instead of being just a good tool. Being a gun nut is TOUGH! We all have many regrets and 2nd thoughts AFTER a trade or sell off. Very nice rifle, and well done.

[Shuz]

Nice job! Great looking rifle and buck!

[Artful]

Nice Pictures and congratulations on you deer scores. I have never had a deer escape when using my 358 Savage 99

[flint45]

Nice deer and nice 99 .358 is a good cartridge!

[TXGunNut]

Congrats on all three accounts, you are indeed a lucky man. I don't think there's a better deer cartridge than the 358 and there's a lot to like about the 99 as well. Nicely done!

[Rodfac]

Thanx for the replies, guys. Looks like a lot of us have had a mini-love affair with the old 99 Savage. I've got a pair of them now and regret a cpl others that I let go on by years ago. They're heavier by at least a pound than the Marlin and Winchester lever guns of 336 and 94 models, and fatter around the mid-section for 'trail arms' carry; but then the Savages shot some pretty hot cartridges: .243, .308, .358, .250-300, .284 and probably a cpl I've forgotten.

I've worked with 4 over the years, and all were very accurate, ie. on the order of less than 2" at 100 yds, and not finicky about the loads either. With their solid top receiver, rotary magazine with counter, and easy scope mounting on the more modern examples, they are well suited to the guy who wants modern loads but prefers a lever gun.

Thanx for the replies, and pass along your pet loads and bullets if you will...I'm always interested in new ground to experiment over.
Pics: Son#1 [Known in the family as "Gandolf" when wearing a Stetson and orange toboggan] with his 10 ptr; using a M94 in .38-55
Son#2 with one of his cuties and this yr's 8 ptr)

Best Wishes to you all for a full freezer this season, Rod

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[Pumpkinheaver]

Gotta love those Savage 99s.

[Nicholas]

The family spirit is impressive, too!

[dragon813gt]

Congrats. I have a 99 is 358 Winchester. But it didn't leave the factory as such. Started as 99E in 308 and was sent off to JES for a rebore. Then Goodsteel worked his magic and it's almost to pretty to shoot :)

[Rodfac]

Got a pic, Dragon...I'd like to take a peak at the rebore. What kind of accuracy to you get out of it in .358? Rod

[dragon813gt]

This was before
http://i198.photobucket.com/albums/aa39/dragon813gt/Firearms/A55B52C7-14D1-4B6C-BE34-DA7E7F7D864E-9910-000005BCC9445839_zps961f43ae.jpg (http://s198.photobucket.com/user/dragon813gt/media/Firearms/A55B52C7-14D1-4B6C-BE34-DA7E7F7D864E-9910-000005BCC9445839_zps961f43ae.jpg.html)

And after
http://i198.photobucket.com/albums/aa39/dragon813gt/Firearms/E37AE768-808A-41D5-9461-C43AE9C08DF5-5569-000005F2EDAF2926_zpsc33b89bf.jpg (http://s198.photobucket.com/user/dragon813gt/media/Firearms/E37AE768-808A-41D5-9461-C43AE9C08DF5-5569-000005F2EDAF2926_zpsc33b89bf.jpg.html)

http://i198.photobucket.com/albums/aa39/dragon813gt/Firearms/338F5579-D2CC-402A-9D47-6A256F7DD24E-5569-000005F2E8FBA253_zps87d800c1.jpg (http://s198.photobucket.com/user/dragon813gt/media/Firearms/338F5579-D2CC-402A-9D47-6A256F7DD24E-5569-000005F2E8FBA253_zps87d800c1.jpg.html)

http://i198.photobucket.com/albums/aa39/dragon813gt/Firearms/78EC3807-4920-4A47-B0DD-E7F21A89DCC3-5569-000005F2DB9E3305_zps89c16008.jpg (http://s198.photobucket.com/user/dragon813gt/media/Firearms/78EC3807-4920-4A47-B0DD-E7F21A89DCC3-5569-000005F2DB9E3305_zps89c16008.jpg.html)

http://i198.photobucket.com/albums/aa39/dragon813gt/Firearms/1CC79951-AC83-4BD2-A6EB-1595613772B3-5569-000005F2FC0B16B4_zpsb30ed834.jpg (http://s198.photobucket.com/user/dragon813gt/media/Firearms/1CC79951-AC83-4BD2-A6EB-1595613772B3-5569-000005F2FC0B16B4_zpsb30ed834.jpg.html)

I haven't done a full load workup for it yet. I have to many projects going. I've been focusing on my hunting rifle which is a Marlin 336 in 35 Remington.

I plan on working up a load for this after I send another 336 off to JES. I'm going to have it rebored to 356 Winchester. Pretty much the same cartridge, I actually plan on using the same converted cartridges, so it makes sense to do both at once. I know each rifle will like a different load. Just trying to cut down as much time as possible.

[Rodfac]

Very nice indeed. That length should handle very well too. I'm not a fan of 24" bbls for that reason...too much length for what little ballistic improvement is gained. And that's a hellofa color case-hardening on the lever as well. Great looking gun.

I'm a fan of the 336 in .35 Remington as well. For me, the Hornady 200 gr RN shoots into 1-1/2" at 100 for the first 3 shots...with a 2.5x Leupold Alaskan mounted. Remington's 200 gr Core lock does almost as well, but is a better hunting bullet for me...easier to get good expansion at somewhat lower velocities. But lately, I've taken up with the gummy tip FTX bullets from Hornady. In .35 cal. they really do shoot nicely and I didn't have to change out the follower in the magazine. With all three, 39.0 gr of Bartletts 4895 surplus powder gives me 1900-2000 fps and 1-1/2" gps for 3 shots at 100. My loads for my gun of course...work up if you want to use them. For varmints I like Remington's bulk 125 gr JHP .357 bullet with 18 gr of SR4759. A 1800 fps+ load that produces sub 2" gps at 100 yds. It's a fun gun, easy to pack and looks great too!

Here's a pic of the Marlin...non-factory checkering and stock finish as you may have noticed...tung oil - 5 coats.

Best Regards, Rod

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[dragon813gt]

And that's a hellofa color case-hardening on the lever as well. Great looking gun.

Thanks, Tim did an outstanding job on it. The lever was done by Turnbull. I wouldn't expect anything less from them. I want to send one of my Marlins out to have the receiver done just because :)