Old-style hunting clothing questions and comments.

My grandfather owned a pre-60 Savage Model 99 lever job in .300 Savage with a straight stock and no checkering. I like the earlier-vintage 99's with the rotary magazine and round counter. The gun of my grandpa's was sadly lost in a home burglary in 1999. So, I'm on the market of a similar rifle of my own. Gramp's old dearly-departed Savage was on my mind much lately. I just have a hankering to take up hunting deer with such a slick and sweet American classic as that old Savage, not with a scope but just iron sights. I would want factory checkering and pistol grip stock on my Savage. This is one honey of a practical time-honored American woods gun combined with bolt-action rifle slickness in style.

That said, I also want to buy some Woolrich style hunting clothes for Novembers and Decembers. Which boots do you like better: Bean or Herman Survivors?

Does any person here hunt with a Savage 99 and/or wear traditional American deer hunting clothing that has a red/patchwork/stag/plaid design? Which retailers including Johnson Woolen Mills do you buy such clothing from these days?

Seeing this man in this video just makes me want a gun like that (not necessarily a takedown model) and dress like that for a nice deer in America's great woods!! Just old-fashioned fun and simplicity.

Welcome to the forum

Collectors Firearms in Houston is your best bet other then a gun show of Savage 99 collectors!


I wore wool as a kid much more up north then in Texas. Wool still insulates you even when wet! Wore Maine Hunting boots too as a kid. When I moved south I left the boots. With new felt liners my dad wore them for years

Savage Arms produced many variations of the Model 99.
You’re looking for an EG, R, or F model.
An easy ID on the 99 is the safety selector location. Originally the safety was on the lever rearward from the trigger. About 1960 the safety was moved to the top tang of the receiver. Purists insist on the lever safety.
Good luck in your search.
Unfortunately pre-1960 99’s have reached collector status and most have disappeared into collectors vaults never to see daylight again. Damn shame really. They’re wonderful rifles. Especially in .250Sav.
A really trick set up is a 99 with a Lyman receiver “peep” sight. I used to swap out the large factory front sight to a fine brass bead on mine. It’s not a permanent mod so putting things back was easy.

Can’t help you on the clothing thing. I always wore camo while hunting.

It is hard to beat a Savage 99. Talk about a with of art! They just don't make things like that anymore!

Moonpie said:

Savage Arms produced many variations of the Model 99.
You’re looking for an EG, R, or F model.
An easy ID on the 99 is the safety selector location. Originally the safety was on the lever rearward from the trigger. About 1960 the safety was moved to the top tang of the receiver. Purists insist on the lever safety.
Good luck in your search.
Unfortunately pre-1960 99’s have reached collector status and most have disappeared into collectors vaults never to see daylight again. Damn shame really. They’re wonderful rifles. Especially in .250Sav.
A really trick set up is a 99 with a Lyman receiver “peep” sight. I used to swap out the large factory front sight to a fine brass bead on mine. It’s not a permanent mod so putting things back was easy.

Can’t help you on the clothing thing. I always wore camo while hunting.

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There are still a bunch of non-collector-grade pre-'60 Model 99's on the market. The ones in mint shape are expensive, rare and not likely to be marketed. I just want an ordinary hunting-grade one anyway. No engraving, no fancy receiver silvering, just plain-jane. One in really good shape should not likely exceed $1,000. The clothing I seek is probably more common in the colder northern mid-western, rust-belt and New England states. That traditional hunting garb is mainly for cold deer-hunting climates and was made of wool. There probably is not-so-warm thinner flannel hunting garb in that plaid or checked pattern. How cold does later deer season get in Texas, say November through early January? Ideally, the colder, the better for harvesting game to keep the meat fresher to the processor. I would like deer hunting with temps down in the 40's with maybe at least a little snow or frost on the ground.

How might have fall/winter Texas deer hunters dressed, say, back in the 1930's-1950's? Speaking of Texas deer hunts, does Texas have any areas where deer can be hunted in relatively thick woods as opposed to a field or open plains environment? That Savage lever job just seems to fit the American woods so well. Using iron sights, I would want closer deer shots. For sights, either the stock notch sight mounted on the barrel dovetail or a peep sight mounted in the same place as one from Skinner. If I had to put a scope on that particular gun, it would have to be a vintage steel (made in El Paso) Weaver low fixed power as a 3x or 4x with the proper vintage rings and mounts. I just can't stand the looks of a rear sight mounted on the receiver of a Savage lever job. It makes the smooth rounded lines of the gun look cluttered. Redfield receiver peep sight used to common in the old days but it looks big and clunky. I want my 99 to have a clean, sleek classic look.

IDK if this fits your criteria, but here is what looks to be a beautiful 99 in .300 savage for a starting bid of $499, buy now price of $599

https://www.gunbroker.com/item/875388634

MTA89 said:

IDK if this fits your criteria, but here is what looks to be a beautiful 99 in .300 savage for a starting bid of $499, buy now price of $599

https://www.gunbroker.com/item/875388634

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Yes, the price is more than doable for me but I would rather buy a gun at a local shop where I can inspect her in person. I will never purchase any firearm, even new, over the Internet or by mail. That particular gun obviously has an aftermarket recoil pad and I don't know if the original metal butt plate still still available. I think those are correct Weaver bases but I would pull them off. The leather sling looks nice and swivels/studs are a must for me. Many a Savage 99 hunter would carry the gun with his hand wrapped around the bottom of the smooth rounded receiver as she would balance so well there. Bluing wear on the bottom of the receiver is therefore common. The wood on the stock looks a little rough, dented, in the pictures. I wouldn't mind paying at least $1,000 for a 99 of this vintage with wood in really nice shape. The trouble with some guns like this is that some owners went crazy on gun oil and that saturated the wood and made it dark and ugly.You are only supposed to put an invisible coat of gun oil over the surface of the exterior gun metal and in the barrel bore with a patch after cleaning and that's it. I think rubbing a light coat of Old English lemon oil over the wood periodically would keep it nice and pretty as well as preserved. A modern bolt-action to me just doesn't have that same charm as a woodsy old Savage lever gun.

d_holliday,

WELCOME ABOARD.

I'm "addicted to" the old-school Model 760 PUMP-rifles by Remington from the 1950s & "my pet' is a circa 1965 Model 760 in .300SAV.

yours, satx

d_holliday said:

Yes, the price is more than doable for me but I would rather buy a gun at a local shop where I can inspect her in person. I will never purchase any firearm, even new, over the Internet or by mail. That particular gun obviously has an aftermarket recoil pad and I don't know if the original metal butt plate still still available. I think those are correct Weaver bases but I would pull them off. The leather sling looks nice and swivels/studs are a must for me. Many a Savage 99 hunter would carry the gun with his hand wrapped around the bottom of the smooth rounded receiver as she would balance so well there. Bluing wear on the bottom of the receiver is therefore common. The wood on the stock looks a little rough, dented, in the pictures. I wouldn't mind paying at least $1,000 for a 99 of this vintage with wood in really nice shape. The trouble with some guns like this is that some owners went crazy on gun oil and that saturated the wood and made it dark and ugly.You are only supposed to put an invisible coat of gun oil over the surface of the exterior gun metal and in the barrel bore with a patch after cleaning and that's it. I think rubbing a light coat of Old English lemon oil over the wood periodically would keep it nice and pretty as well as preserved. A modern bolt-action to me just doesn't have that same charm as a woodsy old Savage lever gun.

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No worries. I can respect trying to find exactly what you want. If that thing gets relisted, I am going to buy it

satx78247 said:

d_holliday,

WELCOME ABOARD.

I'm "addicted to" the old-school Model 760 PUMP-rifles by Remington from the 1950s & "my pet' is a circa 1965 Model 760 in .300SAV.

yours, satx

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I only own one gun, a shotgun, at this moment, speaking of Remmy: a later-model Remington 870 Express Tactical police pump for home security, it was a total dog I bought used three years ago from a private sale. The previous owner monkeyed with it so there is a deep scratch inside the extended mag tube near the shell loading area. It's possible for a shell rim to get caught on this scratch causing them not to feed but the gun cycled flawlessly when tested at the range. At least I know about this now. The left side of the forend was slightly hacked to make room for a stupid saddle to be mounted which I promptly pulled off after purchase. Thankfully the two original takedown pins were included as aftermarket receiver screws and nuts were used in their place to hold the shell saddle on. Those stupid nuts wore off the bluing slightly around the takedown pin holes on my receiver right side. The mag tube on 870's ain't easy to replace. It's a job for a gunsmith as the stupid things is silvered permanently to the receiver. The Mossberg 500 and 590 police pumps I formerly owned were much better in design than the 870.

The build quality of these newer Remmys ain't so hot also. The steel receiver is machined kind of rough with sharp edges about the shell loading area underneath. The shell elevator is down and spring-loaded and gets in the way of stuffing in shells. It's slow, deliberate and awkward to push shells in the tube. My big fingers get pinched. Nice checkered black synthetic stock though.

I inspected the gun at the point of sale and the seller was quick to point out that the barrel had no rust or pits inside but who'd ever thunk it that the mag tube would be ever screwed up on the inside and who'd ever think to inspect inside there carefully? I took the gun to a local gunsmith and had him give the gun a good look over for safety. He did not catch the scratch inside the mag tube either. I should have told him to check the gun for both safety and reliability in mechanical function. I keep six #4 2 3/4" fowl shells and an empty chamber for this gun at home for safekeeping in my bedroom.

Last I heard, the Big Green Giant from Ilion, NY filed for bankruptcy. My shotgun is not your grandpa's Remington for sure. Like the giant from Jack's fabled beanstalk, Remington fell flat on its face from way on high and landed hard.

I'm contemplating a new Benelli Super Nova 12-ga. police pump to replace this gun. Them Italians can do pasta, wine, pizza, salami, cheese, fine art, motor scooters, classical music and shotguns like you wouldn't believe. The cheap cowboy gun replicas from Uberti are crappy-looking to me however.

My FIL had a 99 in 308. Sweet rifle. With 6 boys I was never going to get that gun. Bought a 99 in 300 Savage at a gun show. I paid around 350 for it 15 years ago. I could likely triple my money now, but I won’t sell it. That is a sweet round. I reload for it.

My wife remembered her dad hunting elk with his. At this point mine is an heirloom.

FYI, I bought a green Woolrich shirt years ago. Never wore it. It’s still in my hunting gear. Don’t recall where I got it.

Welcome to the forum.

Wool is still very popular in europe for hunting clothes. An oil skin coat & pants are another option.

Do you plan on shaving and using dogs while dove hunting?

Hoji said:

Do you plan on shaving and using dogs while dove hunting?

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I have been thinking about taking up dove hunting. Need a shotgun for that: maybe a Benelli Super Nova 12. That classic late summer opener is around the corner once again. I would use a lab retriever and need to buy and train a pup. My current pup is a shepherd. I do shave every day.

baboon said:

Wool is still very popular in europe for hunting clothes. An oil skin coat & pants are another option.

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I looked at Johnson Woolen Mills site: my goodness the prices there, dam near $300 for a pair of wool pants and another $300 for a wool jacket in large stag red/black pattern. I think I will just get a pair of black winter britches, a nice Pendleton wool jacket in red/plaid, trigger mittens and a hat to match the jacket

what hunting boots and socks does people here like for Tx deer seasons?

Are you wanting to dress up for someone?

d_holliday said:

I looked at Johnson Woolen Mills site: my goodness the prices there, dam near $300 for a pair of wool pants and another $300 for a wool jacket in large stag red/black pattern. I think I will just get a pair of black winter britches, a nice Pendleton wool jacket in red/plaid, trigger mittens and a hat to match the jacket

what hunting boots and socks does people here like for Tx deer seasons?

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Flip flops. It's still almost 80 degrees here in East Texas when deer season starts!

Axxe55 said:

Flip flops. It's still almost 80 degrees here in East Texas when deer season starts!

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Hahaha. No kidding.
I’ve gone hunting in mid January in shorts, t -shirt, and flip flops.

Moonpie said:

Hahaha. No kidding.
I’ve gone hunting in mid January in shorts, t -shirt, and flip flops.

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Sometimes the weather can be crazy. One winter you will be sweating your ass off, and the next, so cold you can't find enough clothes to stay warm.