Hello there . . .

Your Model 99 in .308, assuming it shoots accurately, is not far from being close to a perfect rifle for what you want, but only if you handload. If you do, you can take varments with Sierra 110-grain Hollow Points or Nosler 125-grain Ballistic Tips out to 350-400 yards, and you can take anything from deer to elk with Nosler Partition or Accubond bullets, or Swift A-Frames, or Barnes TSX or MRXs, or a variety of high-end bullets by other manufacturers, in weights ranging from 150-grains up to 180-grains, or even higher. Bullets weighing 165-grains are probably as heavy as you'll want to go if you intend to take shots out to 300 yards on any large game with horns and hooves.

If you do not handload, then you need a smaller caliber rifle, a .257 Roberts or .25-06 likely being most ideal for your intended use, although a .250 Savage in a Model 99 would certainly perform well if you do your part. Likewise, if you are an excellent shot and know your rifle really well and keep your shots on large deer within 300 yards (and preferably 200 yards), then a .243 Winchester or 6mm Remington--again, with the right bullets--will suffice.

You can buy over the counter loads in .257 Roberts and .25-06 in 100-grain through 120-grain weights, and you can custom-order loads in .250 Savage, .257 Roberts and .25-06 using perfect-for-varmints 75-grain Hornady V-max bullets.

Browning BAR autoloading rifles can found in .25-06 and probably .257 Roberts, too. Browning BLR lever action rifles can be found, I suspect, in all three .25 calibers. There are almost certainly Model 99s available in all three .25 calibers. There are almost certainly Browning BARs, Browning BLRs, and Savage 99s in .243 Winchester, if you get online and look for them.
But unless you handload, your .308 is too much rifle, with too much kick and too much muzzle blast, to spend a day (or even an hour) taking numerous shots at varmints with.

Not withstanding your preference for autoloaders or lever actions, you might discover that a well-made RH bolt action rifle will perform wonderfully for you, even though you will shoot it from your left shoulder. Like you, I am left-eye dominant. I shoot rifles from my left shoulder although I shoot pistols with my right hand and throw a baseball with my right hand, etc. (I am ambidextrious.) All of my centerfire rifles are RH bolt actions, except for a semi-auto .308 I have in an AK-47 frame. I am completely comfortable shooting a RH bolt action from my left shoulder because I've done it tens of thousands of times. If you practice, it will eventually become completely natural for you to shoot a RH bolt action rifle from your left shoulder, too, with comfort and accuracy.

If you would ever like to sell or trade your Model 99 in .308, please let me know. If it is in good shape and will shoot accurately, I am very interested in it. Indeed, if you would like to trade your Model 99 for my AK-47 scope-equipped semi-auto in .308, I'll consider it.

T.W. Davidson

But why get a compromise gun when he already has the deer gun covered? Not to mention the fact that the guns you list aren't compromise guns anyway. They're varmint guns. A Savage 99 in .308 is about as good as it gets for deer. A .22 caliber rifle is about as not a deer gun as it gets. A .243 or .257 Roberts would have been a good suggestion, but again, he already has a deer gun so now he needs a varmint gun.

your .308 should be good at about any reasonable range, it will just be a little pricy to use for prairie dogs. Really its hard to say a good round that can be used for both, any good deer rifle will work for prairie dogs, I would look at a .243, .270 or something in there or use your .308 for deer and get a .204, .223, or .22-250 for prairie dogs remington has a good autoloader but I'm not sure what calibers they make it in

308 or 25-06 will fill the bill. If your 99 Shoots accuratly it'll do fine, you may want more than a 3-9 for dogs though.
AR10s are great rifles, 308 semis the problem is they are bringing a premium at the moment.
Browning BARs are another good choice and will come in all the favorite flavors, problem there is they are not overly accurate rifles. You will probably run into that on any semi or lever though. you'll need MOA or better for the dogs.

Hang on to your Savage 99. They keep going up in value!

i would not get a varmint gun. let me correct myself, i would get a "deer killing varmint gun". the 223 will take deer. 22-250 will also take deer. 220 swift is THEEE fastest gun. incredibly accurate.

Mr Davidson

Take it from this “Crusty OL’NCO” that’s been dar and dun dat! Get’ya a 25-06 and be done with it! Simply put it’s by far the most all of the above cartridges on the market. Easy on the pocket with brutally awesome performance and is 100fps faster than the 257WSSM and everyone knows how much the ammo cost for this$$$$ In open country the 25-06 is better than the 22-250 or 243 because it bucks the wind a lot better and the knockdown power from rodents to Elk with less recoil than a 270. Recoil? LOL! I call it a loud dry fire!! I make all my 25-06 cases out of Lake City Military brass 30-06 cases. Granted, I’ve taken more deer with my 22-250 than all my other rifles put together but if I’m going to single one cartridge out, it would be the 25-06 hands down. My Grandson Alex dropped a nice buck this last season at 250 yards and moments later a doe at 150 yards, both with one shot and this kid has to stand 3 times to cast a shadow which means he is recoil sensitive. And yes, I lost a rifle; he will not give it back!!!!

I’ve been thinking about your dilemma with your Savage 99 in .308. Did you know a Hornady 130 grain will give you less kick and reach out and will knockdown any critter from varmints to the biggest mule deer to the maximum distance of your ability of “MOP” or Minute Of Pie plate and give back change!!
Your Model 99 has more tricks than you know, you just got to find them out and reloading for it is the first step!!!!