Best barrel, K98 / hunting?

[dmachine]

A buddy of mine called me last night and wanted to know what was the best barrel for him to buy? He want's to build a 300 Win Mag, using a Mauser K98 rec. he has. He wants a medium weight barrel, not to heavy so he can carry it. (And not to expensive, he's not rich.) He also need's to know how long to make it?

So who makes a good barrel that won't break the bank? One that maybe he or his gunsmith can install? Or a place he could send his reciever to that can do a good job? And, how long should he go with it?

My question is, will he even be able to use that bolt with the 300 WM? And if not, what would be a good round that would work in that reciever? (He really wants the 300 WM because of the power it has and because you can buy ammo pretty much anywhere.) What do you guy's think?

 

[dmachine]

Re: Best barrel, K98 / hunting?

Nothing?

 

[wadebrown]

Re: Best barrel, K98 / hunting?

I have heard ITD Custom does a good job with barreling Mausers, these use Douglas barrels and their prices are good. here is the link
http://itdcustomgun.com/index.html

For more reports on ITD go to the 24 Campfire site and search the forums.

 

[dmachine]

Re: Best barrel, K98 / hunting?

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: wwbrown</div><div class="ubbcode-body">I have heard ITD Custom does a good job with barreling Mausers, these use Douglas barrels and their prices are good. here is the link
http://itdcustomgun.com/index.html

For more reports on ITD go to the 24 Campfire site and search the forums.
</div></div>

Now we're getting somewhere. Dougles barrel's should work good, can you buy them ready to go all threaded & chamberd?
What about the bolt working with the 300WM?

 

[wadebrown]

Re: Best barrel, K98 / hunting?

ITD will do threaded and chambered barrels but then you will need to headspace them and install them. For only one barrel if you do not have the tools (headspace gauges and reamer at a minimum) it is probably cheaper to have them do the full install.

The bolt face will have to be opened up to accommodate the larger rim diameter and the mag box will need some machining to handle the additional length. Additional bolt work will be needed if a standard eye releif scope is to be used and finally the receiver will need to drilled and tapped for a scope base if desired.

The total cost is not insubstantial especially when compared to the cost of a new non-custom gun. The resale on the Mauser is not very good. I understand some of the desire of working with the old mausers, I have done a number of them.

 

[DMann]

Re: Best barrel, K98 / hunting?

Hook him up with Mark Lammers at LOSOK Custom: http://www.losokcustomarms.com/

Lammers is one of the go-to guys for Mausers.

 

[bohem]

Re: Best barrel, K98 / hunting?

You can get yourself into trouble opening the mag up on mausers for magnum length rounds because the feed ramp is also 1 of the receiver lugs. Just be careful doing that.

Depending on just how badly he wants a 300 WM you can make a 30-06 do some pretty substantial things with the right loads, is he a reloader?

Here's a couple pics of the k98 that I am refinishing. My dad and I built it from a $19 Turk I bought years ago, we decided to accurize it and built a 30-06 on it. The Adams and Bennet barrel is pretty decent, it's not a match grade rifle, but it's a very good shooter, generally much better than I am. For a hunting rifle and whacking a steel gong at long range it's well suited to that.

 

[ArcticLight]

Re: Best barrel, K98 / hunting?

My smith is a residential expert on mausers - builds 3 position safeties for them as well.

Check his stuff out and give him a ring..

http://www.edlapourgunsmithing.com/customs.html

 

[ecdbcd]

Re: Best barrel, K98 / hunting?

Bohem,
What stock do you have on that K98? My roommate just bought a K98 with the same stock, re-barreled with a fluted .22-250.

 

[dmachine]

Re: Best barrel, K98 / hunting?

You can get yourself into trouble opening the mag up on mausers for magnum length rounds because the feed ramp is also 1 of the receiver lugs. Just be careful doing that.

Depending on just how badly he wants a 300 WM you can make a 30-06 do some pretty substantial things with the right loads, is he a reloader?




He's got his heart set on the 300WM for now. He has a few 30/06's and wants something that will reach way out the and still have pretty good power. He also wants something he can just go into most gun shop's and buy ammo off the shelf when he's hunting out of state. Is there a better round for the Mauser that will do all of this? He does some handloading but less & less I think. Thanks everyone.

 

[bohem]

Re: Best barrel, K98 / hunting?

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Bohem,
What stock do you have on that K98? My roommate just bought a K98 with the same stock, re-barreled with a fluted .22-250.</div></div>

It's a Fajen Vented Varmint stock, if you manage to find a source of them be sure to let me know, I want another one. It needs to be bedded still, and I'm going to hog some material out of it to pillar bed it properly in the wood. The narrow rear tang on the K98 action has a tendency to crush the wood over time under the bedding and you have to cut it out and rebed it after 1000 or so rounds with heavy calibers. The 22-250 probably would be much less of an issue, but I'm shooting heavy stuff in a 30-06, so it will need help again if I don't do it right from the start.


<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: dmachine</div><div class="ubbcode-body">

He's got his heart set on the 300WM for now. He has a few 30/06's and wants something that will reach way out the and still have pretty good power. He also wants something he can just go into most gun shop's and buy ammo off the shelf when he's hunting out of state. Is there a better round for the Mauser that will do all of this? He does some handloading but less & less I think. Thanks everyone. </div></div>

The 300WM will certainly do that, but being that it's so long I'm leary of taking material out of the feed ramp like that. Since you have to open the bolt face up anyway, you would be better suited going to a 300 WSM or 7mm WSM. Both will reach long distance, the 300 WSM is popular enough that I see ammo for it on Walmart's shelves still, I don't know about 7 WSM for availability.