Jimmy S
I hunted for the first time in forever this year and used a friend's 99 in .308. She had 6 or 7 rifles in the range for deer, and it was the one that stood out...and eventually dropped the deer in place with the one shot I took. The lever in the 99 can't be compared to the Winchesters I grew up with, the damn thing leaps into place and has no trouble with pointed bullets. I really do think people who are convinced bolt action is better should try a Savage 99.
This year I'm very seriously considering getting my father-in-law's 99 in .300 Savage up and going again. There are two downsides. It's a WWII relic (although scope tapped) that I would hate to damage in any way hunting and reloading supplies are almost impossible to get right now, because everyone is so freaked out.