I originally wanted a .50 AE made from this action, but finding a .500 RIFLE barrel yeilded dead ends. Now I have to decide between a .416 Taylor or a .444 Marlin in a 'fun toy' bolt gun.

I like the Taylor because it is a big bore bottleneck round that is short. Brass can easily be had from .458 Win Mag run through the sizeing die. It can reach higher velocities than the .444 with heavier bullets.

I like the .444 Marlin because the brass is cheap and bullets come in a variety of designs & weights. Also, .429" bullets come in bulk packs. This makes the bullet cost about 1/4 that of the Taylor. Even though the Taylor easily edges out the .444 in velocity, the .444 can get 2499fps from a 240gr bullet with H4198.

As I stated earlier, this will be one of those 'fun firearms' that is in the safe. I do not plan on using it in Africa, but a whitetail or unlucky rabbit/squirrel might see the muzzle end.
I'm leaning toward the .444 Marlin because of component cost and intended use. I just want to see what others think about these two choices for a Mauser action. Thanks

BMG-I've always thought the .416 Taylor was a neat cartridge and it should be a piece of cake to build on your 98 action. How are you going to deal with the Rim on the .444?-Rob

You might look at the 411 Hawk on Z-hat's web site.
You can use 41 cal pistol bullets for small stuff as well as Woodleighs, North Forks and Swifts when you hunt.

There's no shortage of brass as its just '06 necked up. There's no cost to open the bolt face and minimal if any magazine work on your mauser.

Go with the .416 taylor. I've owned one for several years now and thoroughly enjoy the rifle. You might give Brian's web page a gander. Here's the link.

http://www.geocities.com/bw_99835/