At long last it has arrived!

It's in 375H&H and has Recknagel swinging scopemounts machined into the square bridges. This work and the bolt handle was done by G. Prechtl whom I bought it from, and who makes the Mag. Mauser actions used by numerous gunsmiths. The scope is a Zeiss Varipoint 2.5-10x50. Moose (and other animals) beware!

It's very pleasant to shoot compaired to the Blaser in 375H&H I recently sold. And although I haven't had a chance yet to test accuracy, I will hopefully be able to in a day or two. The single shots I've been shooting up till now (with barrel cleaning inbetween each shot) have gone where I've pointed both with scope and open sights.















The recticle looks like this (didn't come out quite right obviously, but it will give you an impression):




I have to admit I'm feeling a bit like a 5 year old at X-mas time playing with my new toy!

Erik D.

VERRY NICE!!!!!

A 375 is on my list someday.

Beautiful! Very nice looking rifle... How much does she weigh? (You can ask a rifle her weight can't you??)

Erik that looks like serious buffalo medicine.

I like the scope too, it is quite small for a 3.5-10x variable. I'm seriously thinking of getting a red-dot scopesight for my .375 too. But prefer one where you do not have to guess where the cross is if the battery is flat.

And the mounts. Grand!

A class gun.

Beautiful, you need never look any futher for a better rifle.

BEAUTIFUL!

Erik,

That's a beautiful rifle--truly a classic. You have the .375 that every right-thinking African hunter dreams of.

Absolutely Outstanding! Thank you very much for the pictures. I wish that the Zeiss ZM scopes were more available in the US. Everyone advertises Z/ZM's but all they have is the Z's. In a perfect world I think there would be a standardised rail mount and every scope manufacturer would use it......DJ

Absolutely splendid rifle - a real work of art!

May you bag many fine trophies with it!

Good hunting!

I know what I will deam about tonight! I hope you will show up at the Scancinavian AR-meeting that cchunter is planning!

Regards,
Martin

That is just an awsome looking gun...I love the engraving on the bolt handle.

The barrel looks like it can't be more than 22 inches. Is that about right?

is that one of the new mauser rifles, their magnum 98?

I think that scope would break my bank. But I like the range 2.5-10x for a medium calibre rifle. I like to get as close to 1x at the bottom end for a DGR as it can be very easy to sight through with both eyes open. Even my 1.5-6x at 1.5x has too magnification.

But I do like the reticle. I will check out Zeiss's (and Swarovski's) web site to see what new ones they have added).

So with that reticle is it true to say:

The reticle appears to stay the same size even if the magnification is increased ie unlike older European scopes ?

You have to come Down-Under one day and shoot a water buff with it (plus numerous other beasts).

John,

The reticle is "enlarged" at 10x compaired to 2.5x. This is to enable you to use the posts to judge distances, as it will always be 120cm between them. As far as I know this is because the reticle is mounted in the middle of the scope and not in the occular. Most US scopes have the reticle in the occular if I have understood correctly. Other AR guys can probably explain it better than me.

Leo,

The barrel is 25 inches.

Byf42,

It is not one of the "new new" Mausers as owned/made by Sigarms, but one built in 1998 by Prechtl for Mausers 100 year M98 anniversary. I've seen some of the new ones and they look/feel good IMO, but are overpriced here in Norway (and perhaps abroad?) if you ask me...

458RugerNr1,

It weighs 4.3 kilos without the scope. Haven't weighed with the scope yet, but that should add about another 750 grams. I don't know hao many pounds that makes. The balance is very nice, so it feels lighter than it actually is if you know what I mean?

Erik D.

ErikD,
Your reticle is in the FIRST focal plane (Focal plane A) so it works like a mildot reticle that is accurate at any power setting. Like the S&B and Springfield Armory scopes do it, the right way. A second (B) focal plane range-finding reticle only works at a single specified/pre-set power.

Excellent setup for any game on earth.

When will the travel diary show entries on Namibia? Last time I checked you and AC were leaving Botswana. I better go look again.

RIP,

Thanks for explaining which was the first and second focal plane. Can never seem to remember that...

re. the Namibia and final RSA update, we had some technical difficulties when we switched webhosts which put the thing on a backburner, and then (I'm embaressed to admit) I've been dragging my ass when it comes to writing the final diary log due to so much other stuff going on... Maybe I also have a little bit of a psychological "hand break" on, because finishing the journal will confirm to myself that the trip is totally finished, while I wish it would basically go on forever...

I am done with a final equipment report (about 10 A4 pages) and will be typing the rest in the next few weeks when we have some vacation time. Hope you've enjoyed the stuff up till Namibia that's already "published"!

I actually get a bit depressed that our african "adventure" is over... The year went so fast, and there's so much more to see and do! However, I've been talking a bit with a friend of mine about shipping the Land Rover down to RSA in a couple of years, and driving up to Norway via Angola, DRC etc. with him to see the central western countrys my wife and I missed, and revisit some of north africa. Kind of a shorter 3 month "guys" trip while our wives are at home with the kids! The "boss" (AC!) has agreed to this (at least for the moment) and his wife seems to agree to the idea too. Since I've gained so much experiance with this type of unusual, unsupported travel from the last trip, doing it again will be a lot easier to plan next time. Needless to say, he's the one person on earth besides AC that I trust with my life. Doing this type of trip would be foolish with anybody else. He and I will keep our fingers crossed, and hopefully make it work out! At least it's worth making a plan to do it, instead of "giving up" and saying "no, it'll never happen". After all, I've made it happen before, against all odds, and everybodys advice!

Erik D.

Congratulations! Beautiful mauser!

Hilsen

Boha

HI,


Looken good,nice rifle,Kev

Erik, what calibers is this rifle available in? Does caliber affect the price?

Are those very nice scope mounts an expensive add on or do all of the rifles come with them?

Dan,

The commemorative rifle was made in 375H&H and 416 Rigby. The rifles that Prechtl makes today (who did the scope mount etc.) can be had in pretty much "all" large caliburs as far as I know. I presume the really big ones are a bit more expensive, but I don't know for sure. Have a look at www.golmatic.com

The ERA/Recknagel scopemounts are an option that can be machined into all square bridges (by gunsmiths who know what they are doing obviously!), and are also available as loose bases for rifles without squarebridges, just like EAW mounts (which for example R. Johannsen uses). The machining + parts added up to about US$550, so it isn't the cheapest option. But it's very solid and precise.

The more I've handled the rifle in the past few days, the more I love it!

Erik D.

That is a nice site. Herr Prechtl obviously knows what he is doing.

Very nice Erik, someday I would like to build something so nice.

I can't get over how cool that bolt handle looks. Every thing just flows perfectly. Nothing fussy or delicate about it. Let's hope that in a hundred years your great grandson is hunting in Africa with that very rifle.
JCN

.

ALF
Very nice and classic, do you know what other calibers they made it in ?
8X68s ? Jeffery, Sch�ler ??

Cheers,

Andr�

JefferyDennmark

100 year commemoration of the M98 was camberd in 375 H&H and 416Rigby



Cheers
/ JOHAN

Thank you JOHAN.

Cheers,

Andr�

Erik,

Congratulations - your rifle simply oozes class.