A hunter's M98

[jon_norstog]

This is the rifle I used for a season hunting elk in the Lolo country of Idaho. I actually took a moose with it. That was before I got my latest Krag. Paul put this one together from gun show and yard-sale pieces. It now has a really nice Leupold 1.5 power scope. He got a whitetail doe with it a couple days ago - a head shot. He was using his elk loads, a very stiff load of 4895 and a 220 gr Sierra Gameking.paul_mex_2015.jpgpauls_mauser.jpg

This one I think has a German action. His other 8 is a Turk. He has dropped back to the 8x57 from the 35 Whelen he had built up on - guess what? - an M98 action.

My own feeling is the 8x57 is a great round. I'd love to have a Norwegian Krag rebarreled to that caliber,

jn

[barretcreek]

Looks like nice work. How'd he trim back that four pound steel butt the Germans put on their 98s for busting doors and noses? Yes Jon, the 8x57 is under appreciated here.

I finally broke down and bought a JC Higgins Model 50 a few years ago for $220, with a lyman 48. Those are FN comm'l actions put together by High Standard with chrome lined barrels. Best buy out there.

Speaking of bargains, are there still Burgerville USA joints in Portland?

[bruce]

Great rifle! Have been shooting the 8x57mm since about 1980. Tremendous round. Extremely effective on any game. Domestic ammo is not loaded to it's full potential. Foreign loaded 8x57mm ammo is loaded to get the best out of the round. In a M-98, this round can handle just about anything in the lower 48 at least as well as the .30-06. Sincerely. bruce.

[jon_norstog]

Who knows where the stock came from. Yard sale maybe? The buttplate looks like from a Swede but the rest of the wood is kind of like a K-98. Paul did work down the fore-end and clean and oil the stock. Yes! The Burgerville franchise is going strong. They use a lot of local-grown stuff in their food, unlike the bigger, booger, burger chains.

One thing I like about the 8x57 is it does what the '06 does with about 10% less powder, and the brass runs through the dies real easy. And it handles 220 gr bullets better than most '06es do.

Barret, you stole that JC Higgins. Those were really fine rifles.

jn

[barretcreek]

There always seem to be one around in one of the shops for under $300.

[RED]

I have had a post war Spanish LaCaruna M-98 for years. It was a mix-match in a cut down stock with zero collector value. I paid $70 for it 25+ years ago. It was my "beater/truck" gun. I almost never cleaned it but one day after my 60'th birthday, I decided get the bolt bent and drilled and tapped for a scope mount. 2 years later I added a Timmney trigger and a Leupold scope.

Over the the next ten years I killed 5 or 6 whitetails with it and loaned it to some young guys (sons, nephews, friends sons, and nephews,) that took over a dozen whitetails. A couple of years ago I added a Hogue Overmolded stock and a brand new barrel.

Bottom line, I have a accurate (2MOA) hunting rifle that can hold it's own with the belted magnums, out shoot 99% of the factory rifles produced in the past 30 years. The bad news is... I am too old and weak to use it and 99% of today's young men have no idea of what it is or what it can do.

[mike webb]

I have seen a few K98's that have been through the mill and it is surprising how well they will still shoot. As good as most sporters new off the rack if the bore is still decent.