I recently acquired a mauser 98 (I think it's a 98 anyway) in 300 win mag. Nice looking newish barrel, bluing, stock etc. trigger is also nice and sharp. The problem I've run into is in reloading for it I've got to make cartridge OAL very short (approx 3.320") to stack them in the well - so for 180 gr spitzers the bottom of the bullet is well below bottom of neck and down into shoulder region. Is this caliber just too long for the opening in bottom of receiver using standard published OAL numbers? Is there a fix for this? Also the follower is very cranky and want to cock off level and jamb when loading. I presume a smith or maybe I can smooth it out. Suggestions for a newcomer would be very welcome.

quote:

I recently acquired a mauser 98 (I think it's a 98 anyway)

This needs to be straightened out right away....

Can you post a few photos of it?

It sounds like your rifle has the original bottom metal. Usually this is not conductive to smooth feeding of belted magnums.

Quite a bit of money and expense is usually required to correct this problem.

You're going to need a good smith, IMO.

SAAMI max for the 300 Winny is 3.34" so you're not too far short and bullets for factory 300 Winny are already seated down below the shoulder.

If it were me I would take it back for a refund.

I'm guessing someone didn't do a very good job on the rails if they did any work at all and unless the 'smith knew what he was doing, a belted mag on a M98 is something I won't have around my rack...NOT the 300 Winny, I have one of those barrels for a Savage LA.

Done right it's OK, but using a 2.5" belted mag case like the 7mm RM necked up, called the 30 Short Magnum, 30-264, 30-338 etc, would keep your loaded rounds near 3.29 to 3.32" and the bullets seated out.

Some other suggestions.

First take it to a competent MAUSERgunsmith who KNOWS mausers, who has built mausers, who has mauser in his blood...he can ID the action, check how much meat was removed from the front...IF any...But sounds like whoever did it just rebarreled a standard M98 and left the rest standard, and pretty'ed it up...then let him advise you on what to do next...there are several good things that can be done to save it.

With a standard, unscrewed with action, you might just have to eat that 300 W barrel..or... if the barrel still has enough chamber length left it can be cut back and rethreaded/rechambered, you might just save it or do a 300 WSM...THEN you will have a very good shooting tool, with the same or better ballistics and the ability to load the bullets out even with the base of the neck...by the way the 300 WSM suffers from the same problem...bullets seated deep into the case.

If you did this have the smith throat for a 200 gr bullet at 3.30" and get the max volume of that wonderful WSM case.

Luck

thanks for your thoughts but do you all mean to say that there must have been bottom metal removed from receiver to work with 300 w mag and that this is an unsafe situation?
and as for the cranky follower problem, is this a normal smith job? thanks.

I agree that I think the 300 Winchester may be a poor choice for a M98. The little extra length hurts. However, if you decide to live with the short magazine, any decent gunsmith should be able to make it feed. There has been a lot written about the intricacies of mauser feeding, but it generally just takes a little tweaking, just don't start grinding if you don't know what you are doing. There are literally hundreds of thousands of belted M98's out there which work soundly. Keep in mind that there is a huge difference in the expectations of a $10,000 custom M98, and one which is used for deer hunting in the back 40. They might not feed like a 6.5 Mannlicher, but they get the job done. Often, a new magazine spring will work wonders. I have been amazed at how individual the guns are. I have chambered some in belted magnums and had trouble, and others which fed fine with no work. I am building a 425 Westley Richards (putting off the stock work) which, while not belted, is supposed to be impossible to make feed due to its rebated rim (don't tell any 284 based owners). I used a generic eastern european model 98 clone, and found it fed perfectly with no work. I literally have cycled it hundreds of times with no misfeeds. Another one I built on a VZ-24 took a lot of work.

In answer to your question, the gun is not unsafe at all due to bottom metal, it is just a functioning issue. However, if it is not a M98 or in good shape, it could be. From your questions and responses, I assume you have no real knowledge in this area, so you should have the gun examined by a gunsmith.

No one can diagnose ANYTHING remotely...and you aren't FULLY describing what you have OR posted any pictures with would help a great deal...

There are millions of words written about M89 conversions, many good books and videos are available...but as been suggested the best and quickest way to find out is taking it to a gunsmith. It may be a simple fix it may not...if it has a 8mm OEM follower that might be most of your problem and changing to an aftermarket magnum follower might just fix it.

Spend a few bucks and buy Jerry Kuhnhausen's book "The Mauser Bolt Actions" M91 thru M98...Brownells has them. He covers the problems associated with belted magnum "hatchet" jobs.

There is a ton of info on this forum thread and also under "Gunsmithing" on Mauser conversions that will answer your questions...just do a search.

Luck

quote:

Originally posted by robm:
I recently acquired a mauser 98 (I think it's a 98 anyway) in 300 win mag. Nice looking newish barrel, bluing, stock etc. trigger is also nice and sharp. The problem I've run into is in reloading for it I've got to make cartridge OAL very short (approx 3.320") to stack them in the well - so for 180 gr spitzers the bottom of the bullet is well below bottom of neck and down into shoulder region. Is this caliber just too long for the opening in bottom of receiver using standard published OAL numbers? Is there a fix for this? Also the follower is very cranky and want to cock off level and jamb when loading. I presume a smith or maybe I can smooth it out. Suggestions for a newcomer would be very welcome.

3.340 OAL in a 98 (vz-24, arg 1909 etc) is a piece of cake with origional botom metal. Starting with something in 8x57 is less work. I have done 3 on 1909'S & 15 or so on vz-24's. 30-06, 270, 376 Steyr, 7mmRM, 300wm, 338wm, 458wm etc. A folower for a 8mm vz-24 will help also. A 1/2 hour or so with a flat file on the box, a little bit of ramp polishing & possibly some minor rail work & your Mouser be fine. I use 180g Nosler p.p.partitions W/RL22 @ 3100fps in my 300wm vz-24.
Or go buy wiebe or sunnyhill botom metal.
There is a good post in the gunsmithing section called making it feed.
Have a good one!!

quote:

Originally posted by robm:
do you all mean to say that there must have been bottom metal removed from receiver to work with 300 w mag and that this is an unsafe situation?
.

Not nessecarily unsafe. Assuming your rifle IS a Mauser 98 you need to realize that those were made for cases about the same Diameter as an 06 case and "shorter" than an 06!

It is possible to lengthen the magazine box a bit, but even that is rather involved.

It would probably cost less to have it rebarreled to a more suitable case than to make it suitable as a Magnum action.

It is easy enough to open the action and magazine up to take the 300 Win. mag. The Smith just didn't finish the gun it appears. Be sure its a 98 and best to know what kind as you may want to soften it then bring it back up to specs on hardness...

Id you can get your money back I would suggest that first of all, if he didn't know any better than that who knows what else is wrong with it.