Mauser Long Ranger?

[longrange7]

I have a mauser 98 action and was thinking of making a budget friendly long ranger,maybe a .308. Mostly target shooting (no competion or anything) and a bit of hunting. Are they accurate enough just to have a cheaper long ranger?I mean they were snipers way back when you'd think they'd be good enough..

 

[Buffalobob]

The action will need to be squared up just like any other action or perhaps even more so. If you don't square up the action or at least let a gunsmith look at it you may waste your money by just screwing on a barrel. Mine was only making 15% lug contact before it was squared up.

It will need a good trigger and to be bedded properly.

You may find an issue with the top of the receiver not being level.

It will need a good stock.

I have an old FN that is chambered in 240 Wby and it is consistently under 0.5 MOA and usually down around 0.3 MOA and has made a lot of kills on antelope out to 1140 yards.

In the end, the only way you save any money is if you already have the action in your cabinet.

Sorry about the bad news but I just do not believe it is cheap.

 

[Rustystud]

Don't Let anyone tell you a Mauser can't be a long range rifle. Kent Reeve of Cary NC won Camp Perry a couple of years ago shooting a Mauser chambered in 300 Win Mag.

Rustystud

 

[Guy M]

Rustystud - I was just thinking of that. Kent Reeve did a fine job of driving that good old Mauser chambered for the big magnum...

 

[Chopaka81]

In 1988 I picked up a Styer 1912 M98 in 7x57. I have the barrel re-chambered to 280 Rem. (BTW - this was a stupid move.)

The rifle is a shooter, the gun smith told me that if I were to ever find more of those actions in particular to buy them and he would buy them from me for his custom builds.

These days, and with todays standards - I believe action would need to squared using the now normal blue printing processes.

Makes me wonder how battles were won and big game animals harvested with those "old rifles."

I guess ignorance is bliss...

 

[30-06 boy]

gun)longrange7,
i have shot competition at williamsport pa's 1000 yard benchrest range range. there are many different actions that are used there. i do however remember some the "older heavy" class rifles. they are not the new ones with the aluminum stocks/nightforce scopes etc. but these rifles were built in the 1960's/1970's. they looked like stock was made of a 4x4 from lowes and a largediamerter stainless steel barrel at least 30" long. the most interesting thing was the action a lot of these rifles used. 98 mausers and 1903 springfields. both very similar. i dont know the gunsmithing ways back then but some of these rifles shot and still shoot very well. maybe not good enough to win a competition match but certainly good enough for hunting. i saw several groups fired there with these rifles. 10 shots under .75 moa at 1K. i have several mausers. love em. i just aquired an "old" williamsport rifle chambered in 300wm that wears a 1903 springfield. my new winter project. jason

 

[Boyd Heaton]

I have a gun built on a 98 action that I shot at Williamsport for a few years...It started as a 300 Ack then I rechambered it to a 300 Ultra then to a 300wsm.It won its share of relays down there..Been thinking about making a carry in LR gun out of it