I had a VZ24 action barreled to .358 Win. I've got the cartridges tailored to the chamber now, and single rounds feed fine. However, when I fill the magazine, they go in about half way or so, and then stop, not wanting to feed. They seem to angle up steeper than necessary, and don't seem to come up under the extractor as easily as they should.

Any suggestions?

Thanks in advance!

waksupi--

The 'smith that barreled it usually does the feeding alterations unless you're shooting really odd-ball ammo.....then it's quoted seperatly.

Contact him and tell him how it's acting. Depending on what bullets you're using, a short follower and magazine spacer might help.

Sometimes a bowed-railed Mauser just don't like 308-based cases.

I am shooting an oddball bullet, and there is some interference with the nose on loading. The cartridges don't seem to come up under the extractor properly, not engaging until the case has cleared the magazine.
With the bolt out of the rifle, it takes several pounds of pressure to slip a case in place. Should it be this tight?

ric--

The feeding of a M-98 is a fairly complicated ballet of forces, geometry, friction and tension. There are MANY more steps and stages and processes that happens when force is applied to the bolt than what it appears.

The GOOD thing about a 98 is that they'll *sometimes* feed well enough to say "it do", but NOT well enough to continue the Model 98's reputation of feeding slicker than a warm gut pile going through a hole in the ice.

If it takes more than three pounds at any point between full back with a loaded magazine and the bolt fully closed but not locked down, there's a PROBLEM!! Most will feed every cartridge in the magazine and never register over 3 pounds on a recording force guage.

I really can't say what's wrong with your's without sitting down and feeding a couple dozen times and comparing that with what I remember as right......I also have a couple original military rifles here to compare it to.

A 308 case is shorter and fatter than what the action was designed for. The action HAS to be altered to be a hundred percent reliable with a cartridge that wasn't even thought of when the rifle was built.

Take your action out of the stock and really LOOK at the magazine opening. See all those little bumps, humps, radii, notches, angles, recesses, and ramps?? EVERY single one of them DO something to an 8x57 cartridge with a military bullet to make it go in the chamber exactly the same way each time, no matter the conditions.

If you could compare that VZ-24 8x57 *military* with an 8x57 *commercial* you'll notice those little pieces of feed rail geometry are DIFFERENT!! That's because when Mauser Company made an action it was made for one *cartridge*, not one caliber.

For a custom Mauser to feed like it *should* the riflesmith has to KNOW what those differences are and how to alter an action, by subtraction, to make it suitable for the new caliber.

That can't be done by long distance any more than a prostate exam can.

Thanks for the replies. I found a couple people here who could solve the problem, and things are working properly now.

As for that mail order prostate exam, I believe I'll pass!