Any a you fellas familiar or have any experience with the Model 99 Savage in .358?? Real curious about preferred powders, safely achievable velocities, how many of these are out there? ETC.ETC.
Thanks

I have one but have not done very much with it. I do feed four other rifles in .358 Win. so hve an idea of what works. One load that shows promise is 48.6 gr. of AA2230, CCI 200 primer and the 200 gr. Sierra round nose bullet. (CAUTION: hot load. start a couple of rains below that level.) The load seems OK in most of my rifles but is definitely way too hot in a 98 Mauser I have chambered to that round.
Be very careful with that savage 99 in .358. They have some serious collector value. Mine is the last model with that somewhat funny looking forearm and I've been offered $1,500 plus for the gun. It is a really clean one though which does not hurt.
At least Savage and browning did it right in staying with the 1 in 12" twist that Winchester used when they brought the round out. Ruger went with 1 in 16" and they are not as accurate as my 99 and BLR. The mauser also has a 1 in16" twist and like the Ruger 77s, do not shoot as nice a set of groups. At least mine don't.
Other powders that should work well are W-748, H-335, IMR-3031 and IMR or H-4895.
Paul B.

Any medium burning powder such as H-4895, H-335, IMRs 4320,3031, and 4064 work as advertised. Be sure to work up loads from the starting load listed (which should be SOP with any rifle) as the 99 will partially unlock when pressure is too high.

Savage 99s are rear locking actions. As with the rest, they are somewhat springy/stretchey so really high pressure loads are not good in them. But, it's a GREAT hunting rifle!

And the .358 is a great game cartridge, vastly under apprecitated.

I have one.....hunted with it for over 20 years. Have taken a LOT of deer with it. It is probably overkill, but I have never had any trouble tracking.
It's one of the first to come out, I THINK a '56 model, but I really dont' remember, just know it was one of the first to come out in .358 Win.
Was a shooter when I got it and it still is. I hunt with an OLD load based on H 414 using a Hornady 200 grain spire point. I don't push it to full .358 potential, it is roughly equivalent to a .35 Rem +P.
I have taken it to full .358 potential recently with some new handloads, and it was very accurate. I have just had such good luck with the load I have worked up, I have never really wanted to hunt with anything else.
I have worked up some loads using .357 pistol bullets (146 Speer JHP and Hornady 180 XTP) that show a LOT of potential as a plinking/varmint round. I wouldn't use the 146 load on deer, but I feel confident that at less than 50 yards, the 180 XTP load would be just the ticket in a tight swamp stand I have.
But not this year, the H 414/Hornady 200 SP load got the job done, quite nicely, as usual. Exactly 50 yards, 8 point, mid 120's to low 130's buck, tracked about 30 yards. Efficient and dependable.
and no.....it's not for sale. Too many memories with friends gone on. I will pass it on to the right person, when time comes.