I acquired a nice Savage 99 in 300 Savage recently and now need to load some for it. Now I know that there are some automagics and pumps that do better with small base dies.

Question: Does this 99 need "small base" dies or does the regular die sets work just fine? Just need to know which ones to get.

thanks
Ray

Ray -

It's really a gun and/or die specific thing. I've loaded for a number of 99's (as well as a bunch of 760 Rems) in different calibers over the years, and, there is no hard and fast rule. Most of them did fine with standard dies. I'd try a set of quality (Redding or RCBS, uh-oh, here come the flames )standard full length dies first, and, if they don't work, get the small base sizer die separately.

R-WEST

Will brass fired in this gun go back into the chamber and allow you to close the breech before any resizing? If so, small base dies are not needed......

Good test eldeguello. Thanks for the jog of my grey matter. I knew that cobwebs just kept it in.

Ray

Most 99's will work with regular dies but they will be a little squashy closing...I would use the small base dies...the fact that a fired round will go back in means nothing, they will all go back in the chamber it was fired out of but when you resize, it moves stuff around and swells it in the web section....

If you have to buy dies then by all means get the small base X die and ALL the problems are solved. thats what I have for my .308 Sav. 99...wish they made the X version in 250-3000..