300 Savage- Model 81

[Burnston]

Good morning all,

Over the last ten years I've made an effort to collect guns used by Texas Rangers, (models, not actual firearms.) To that end, I am working towards a Remington model 8/81. While availability stretches between .25, .30, .32, & .35 Remington, the most common sighting is the .300 Savage. 
If I am looking for a rifle for no more than periodic brush use with reasonable ammo availability, is .300 Savage my best bet? 

[halfmoon]

@burnston

300 Savage is probably your best bet for factory loads though buying off shelf might be problematic depending on region. Father In Law had been looking for a Model 99 in 300 Savage ( his first hunting rifle when he was a kid back east) awhile up in Oregon. Down here in New Mexico you see the 99's and ammo all the time so we bought him one as a gift last year. He's been pleased as punch with it but still has trouble finding ammo at the store. Pretty much a special order. Wife's actually looking at taking some ammo up when she goes to visit this summer.

[bradshaw]

Jun 26, 2018 12:05:19 GMT -5 Burnston said:

Good morning all,

Over the last ten years I've made an effort to collect guns used by Texas Rangers, (models, not actual firearms.) To that end, I am working towards a Remington model 8/81. While availability stretches between .25, .30, .32, & .35 Remington, the most common sighting is the .300 Savage. 
If I am looking for a rifle for no more than periodic brush use with reasonable ammo availability, is .300 Savage my best bet? 

*****

The ammo situation may be regional. The Savage Model 99 with spool magazine enjoyed real popularity in deer woods of years gone by. The .300 Savage was toted regularly. As for John Browning's Remington Model 8 long recoil semi-auto and the M81, seems I encountered more of ‘em in .35 Remington. And Marlin made beaucoup .35 Rem lever actions. I would think .35 Rem ammo much more available. The excellent Hornady .358 200 Round Nose I loaded in prototype Ruger .357 Maximums was made for the .35 Remington. Likewise, the Sierra .358 200 RN.

Just a few decades ago, the old Remington autoloader----and Savage 99----festooned many a hunting camp.
David Bradshaw

[ericp]

Up here you see lot more 35 Remington than 300 Savage in the local shops. A pair of cousins down the road from me both hunt with Model 8s in 35. Only big game rifles they own and they do fine work with them.


Eric

[halfmoon]

Went to ammoseek.com to see what availability online looks like and set aside regional differences:

25 Rem, 2 listings, $1.65 - 3.61 per round
30 Rem, 2 listings, $1.90 - 2.41 per round
32 Rem, 1 listings, $2.49 per round
35 Rem, 198 listings, $0.90 - 1.39 per round
300 Sav, 215 listings, $1.10 - 1.54 per round

So small differences between them online: 300 Savage slightly more common, 35 Remington slightly cheaper per round. Based on the varying experiences posted above might be good to look around your LGS's and see what they're stocking.

[halfmoon]

Of course it bears mentioning, since your interest is the Texas Rangers, Frank Hamer's Model 8 was in 35 Remington with an extended aftermarket magazine.

[win1894s]

I have a very early mdl 8 in 30 rem. I buy ammo when ever I can you don't see it on dealers shelves anymore. Hope to have grandkids shoot there first deer with it.

[dougader]

Jun 26, 2018 12:33:49 GMT -5 halfmoon said:

@burnston

300 Savage is probably your best bet for factory loads though buying off shelf might be problematic depending on region. Father In Law had been looking for a Model 99 in 300 Savage ( his first hunting rifle when he was a kid back east) awhile up in Oregon. Down here in New Mexico you see the 99's and ammo all the time so we bought him one as a gift last year. He's been pleased as punch with it but still has trouble finding ammo at the store. Pretty much a special order. Wife's actually looking at taking some ammo up when she goes to visit this summer.

Cabela's has both 35 Remington and 300 Savage ammo at their Tualatin store. Where in Oregon is your FIL?

I got lucky and ran across a guy who was unloading some 35 Rem ammo so I bought the 200 round lot he had.

[halfmoon]

dougader

He's a little bit south of Roseburg. I've been betting he'd find some at Cabela's Springfield if he'd go there but as he's gotten older he hates to drive. He doesn't get much out of Douglas County anymore. Don't know how much you know the area but, Douglas County lost their best gun shop years back when the Cow Creek bought out the surplus store in Roseburg for the land.

[dougader]

Jun 26, 2018 22:21:04 GMT -5 halfmoon said:

dougader

He's a little bit south of Roseburg. I've been betting he'd find some at Cabela's Springfield if he'd go there but as he's gotten older he hates to drive. He doesn't get much out of Douglas County anymore. Don't know how much you know the area but, Douglas County lost their best gun shop years back when the Cow Creek bought out the surplus store in Roseburg for the land.

Oh, that's too bad about losing the gun store down there. I used to work with an attorney from Roseburg and have been down that way several times.

Agreed, too, that it's a bit of a drive to Springfield from the Roseburg area. My lucky find with the 35 Rem ammo was on Gun Broker. Never hurts to check for 300 Savage ammo there.

I have purchased ammo online from Cabela's in the past. I waited for a sale and free shipping and got a pretty good price for some 5.56 NATO ammo. Around Thanksgiving and Christmas they have sales and lots of Remington CoreLokt ammo on display, if that shoots well in the Savage 99.