HillBilly Rifle

Longun · Jul 23, 2015

So my Dad gave me his .300 savage 20 years ago..He killed some dandy bucks with it...growing up I NEVER hit anything with it except one coyote at about 20 yds...needless to say missed some nice bucks with it..originally it had a 1 1/2 power scope that the mount was in the rear leaf sight and tapped on the back of the stock...first shot was fairly close at 100 yds like maybe hit a pie plate, then it started shooting like a shotgun.
I asked Dad when he bought it..in 1958..I ran the serial number and it was built in 1938...he bought it from a cousin...last year a friend gave him some shells and asked if I wanted them...I said sure.....13 Boxes!!! some of the price tags were like 4.95 a box..
So decided I'll have a gunsmith drill and tap scope mounts and put a nice 3 x 9 Leopold on it... I ran a bore camera thru it and the rifling's were great shape..
So the gunsmith calls and says it has a bulge right under the front sight.. I said cut it off and crown it..
I reloaded some shells with hornady 160 grain boattails and here is the result after dialing in at 100 yds..
I know I ruined the value on it but don't care..sentimental to me,my dad and cousin Charles who sold it to him..
Don't laugh----I have a rubber butt pad ordered..the old one rotted off..

http://www.monstermuleys.info/photos/user_photos3/1593p1040361.jpg

Zeke · Jul 23, 2015

They are actually a beautiful and well make rifle!
There's nothing "hillbilly" about wanting to keep a family treasure and nothing wrong with updating it either.

My dad passed in 1989 and I got his "99". My wife and a couple daughters have used it on deer with great success.

It's a little newer than your since it was already drilled and tapped for scope use but it's still one of the old oil rubbed walnut stocked rifles.

That's just cool Mr Longun!

Zeke

Longun · Jul 23, 2015

here is the 100 yd group....

Longun · Jul 23, 2015

going to use it as a saddle gun this year...

nfh · Jul 25, 2015

LAST EDITED ON Jul-25-15 AT 06:20PM (MST)[p]I like it but the sentimental value is the best part.

The gun's wood stock still looks great

sageadvice · Jul 25, 2015

My Grandfather had a good friend that lived down the road about half way to town. He was retired auto mechanic and was glad to take any little work that came in so Grandpa used him to keep the ranch trucks running.

As a kid, i'd spend most of my time waiting there, looking at the back wall of his shop where this huge Elk Rack was mounted to a support beam. Back then, i didn't know that scoring existed but i remember well thinking that Elk was a super monster and must be pretty darn tough to kill with that big a head gear.

When i asked, the Mechanic boasted that he shot him in Idaho, sitting on a migration trail on a snowy day, with one shot from his "Big Gun" a model 99 in 300 Savage. He talked of that cartridge as being a super mag type of cartridge, capable of hunting anything in north America.

That was then, 50 years ago, but a 300 savage would still take down most anything you care to aim it at. Nice old Iron you got there Longun!!

Joey

"It's all about knowing what your firearms practical limitations are and combining that with your own personal limitations!"