Couple Mausers – Which to Glass?

[GS455]

I know – a potential topic of blasphemy.

BUT I just can’t shoot irons anymore. Pretty much all I shoot has to have glass on it. I have many thousands of rounds of corrosive 8mm and only one bolt gun, a Yugo M48 wi ZRAK ONM76B, basically I turned it into a clone of a Yugo Civil War, field-expedient sniper. Shoots GREAT.

I have a few semi auto 8mm’s but I don’t like to shoot corrosive out of them. I’d like to put together at least one other bolt gun to run the corrosive through. I’m considering putting a scope on a either a Czech BRNO 98/29 Persian Mauser, all matching in VG condition or a Yugo 24/47 also all matching in good condition. Both have mirror bright bores wi razor sharp lands

Question is, before I just drill & tap either I’m wondering if there was some kind of Sniper I could seek to clone. No, I’m not interested in scout mount scopes. Scoping the longer barreled Persian is intriguing and I already have an M48 Yugo glassed. Also, I already have a MINT museum piece 98/29 I got from Samco years ago (the ultimate wall hanger, safe queen). I’d have to get spare bolts for either and turn em down. Is there some pattern Persian that ever came with glass I could seek to clone?

 

[GS455]

I’ll go with a scout set-up here on the Persian. The Bad Ace mount seems most common

Gen 2 Ultra Low-Profile Scout Mount for Mauser Yugo M48, K.Kale, Spanish M43, VZ.24 and Argentine M1909

NOTE: Works on the following Mauser models: Yugo M48, M24/47 Turkish Model 1938, including K.Kale, ASFA/ANK ARA Czech VZ.24 German G24(t) Spanish M43, Spanish Air Force M43 Argentine Model 1909 rifle (not Carbine) Persien Mauser M98/29 Belgium FN Mauser 30-06 (FN 24/30 M1950) Serbian/Yugoslavian...

www.badacetactical.com

However, when it comes to scout scopes, I’m hoping BDC reticle with FFP. About the only thing I have turned up is the Hi-Lux LER 2X-7X with 308BDC reticle .

https://hi-luxoptics.com/products/hi-lux-optics-long-eye-relief-2x-7x-riflescope?variant=36901033485

Should be, but I’m not a ballistics guy. How will the 308 BDC reticle serve with to use with 8mm? (out to 400yds) Are there any other LER, FFP, BDC scout scopes that could be appropriate for a 29” long, 8mm barrel such as the Persian 98/29 ?

 

[Rookie]

That 308 bdc shouldn't be too far off out to 400yds. Especially if you handload. I load a 150gr in 8mm that's pretty accurate in my Prestine Yugo 48B.

 

[Athos300]

It would be a shame not to fit something period. RSM make a variety of mounts that are pretty good in my experience. Pair it up with some old German glass, Zeiss or something along those lines.

 

[GS455]

Now, that's what I'm talking about.

I'm going to go to the temporary BadAce route first and see how this Persian prints.

 

[Calfed]

I've got two longer barrel Mausers which were D&T'd when I got them...a Persian 98/29 and a 1909 Argentine. Both shoot pretty well.

The Persian is particularly good, shooting just under 1MOA, usually.

I'm not aware of any sniper versions of the 98/29. If you want to cook up something that kind of looks like a period sniper, you might try some repro turret scope mounts from Accumount for that 98/29.

 

[Calfed]

This is what the Mausers looked like when I won them at auction. I would have a hard time D&T'ing a surplus rifle in good shape myself. Plus, the d&T'ing had driven the price down to an amount that probably approximated the cost of the sporterization.

 

[GS455]

I think those are wonderful looking rifles. Exactly what I was seeking to do. And I wouldn't describe them as sporterized by any means. They're simply D&T'd.

By the way I have a VG+, near mint 1909 as well. Just never wanted to spend the money on Argy caliber shooting. Then my eyes went south and I can't really shoot irons now anyway.

 

[Calfed]

I think those are wonderful looking rifles. Exactly what I was seeking to do. And I wouldn't describe them as sporterized by any means. They're simply D&T'd.

By the way I have a VG+, near mint 1909 as well. Just never wanted to spend the money on Argy caliber shooting. Then my eyes went south and I can't really shoot irons now anyway.

My '09 Argy is a fine shooter also. The 7.65x53 cartridge is very similar to the 7.62x51 and can be hand loaded with excellent results. Here is a target shot at 200 yards with a handload of 43.5 grs of IMR 4320 and a .311 174 gr smk bullet.

First round was at 12 o'clock, next four grouped nicely at 8- 9 o'clock

 

[akwarmike]

Great looking rifles, I purchased a couple Mitchell Mausers several years ago, need to get them set up like these and use. They are tack drivers at 100 yards

 

[GS455]

Look what I got for Christmas. A BadAce mount and a LER 4x Burris wi FFP, BDC reticle. How could my wife have known !!! It was a very peculiar experience for me to shoot via an LER scope for the 1st time. Will take getting used to. Initially I really do not care for it at all. I always thought these set ups look goofy. Even more so in person.

BUT I was able to target out to 300yds. No-go on the 1950’s Yugo M49. Will need a high-power spring in the bolt. I was able to get 2-3” groups with 1990’s Yugo M75 as well as that WWII Nazi 178gr MG ammo that’s been around lately. Actually, I have been VERY pleased with that German stuff. Was getting at and under 2” with my Yugo M48. This last trip was pretty cold and I was irritated by the LER scope so I’m sure when I have some patience it’ll do much better. Plus I forgot a gel pad and after a few boxes of ammo my shoulder was quickly DONE.

After 12-14 years I’ve literally never had this rifle out to the range. It was very difficult to feed the 1st couple rounds of each magazine fill. They’d almost feed angled up steep and over the breech. Never seen that before. A weak follower spring ? Back at the house I wanted to do a full field strip and ran into this little gem holding the rear barrel band on. Seriously? Were they trying to dissuade grunts from taking em apart? I’ve never come across this on any of my Mausers. A Czech thing? So where do I find the special driver and what’s it called?

 

[GS455]

Turns out several are correct. Removal of this spanner nut is not required. I did order a #14 spanner bit which was just a skootch small. A #16 would probably do BUT the blades of the bit are a bit thick.

The end of the screw is not staked, seems more milled out. No protrusions or apparent interference with threads.

Anyway, upon second trial I was able to carefully pry the band forward w/o marring anything after pulling the cross "pin screw". Wasn't budging on first attempt.

Absolutely spotless with action removed. Interesting little crown stamp inside the stock.

 

[Calfed]

Sounds like it is a good shooter.

Be sure and give it a good cleaning after shooting with that corrosive ammo.

 

[GS455]

Arctic yuk setting in for a while. Prob gonna be a bit b4 I'm back to the range

 

[GS455]

Got her back out today. Nice 61-degree break from the recent deep freeze. Using 1990’s 8mm Yugo M75 I was able to zero in with repeatable 2” (+/-) groups. Could stretch out to 400yd, 12” steel with ease. I moved over to 1956 Yugo M49 on stripper clips. Despite overall less than favorable reports, I loaded up on a healthy stash 15 years ago for just under .20cpr. I learned early on not to run this through my M76 nor any semiautos (another story) so I buried it. Unfortunately, during the 2010 Nashville floods it sat under water for almost 2 days. In recent years I’ve had good results with it through my only other scoped 8mm bolt gun, an M48 Balkan Civil War DMR clone under an ONM76B scope.

I tried it a few weeks ago through this Persian 98/29 and got almost 100% fail-to-fire. I broke down and cleaned the bolt (very dry old cosmoline crud in and about), installed a 22lb Wolff bolt spring and now I’m getting an acceptable light strike from only 1 in 20 rounds (+/-). 2nd strike always goes bang.

Here's what’s pretty killer: Without a single click adjustment to the scope my buddy and I were reliably able to whack that 12” plate, @ 400yds, time after time with pretty much 8 out 10 hit ratios. That’s 70 year old ammo though a 90 year old rifle !!! As another well known member on some other forums says: “whatta hobby” !

(Still hate shooting through an LER scope, although, it's bright and clear. Just a PITA to acquire sight pic.)

 

[GS455]

Back to the "Topic of blasphemy" (for some). I'm going to clone the 24/47 into a Balkan "Conflict" DMR via a set of ZRAK Swing Mounts + ONM76B scope. And I bought an M48, bent handle, bolt body off eBay and swapped internals wi the 24/47 bolt.

I transferred a BadAce + LER Burris from my 98/29 Persian last night just to see how she shoots today.

Bottom line:

• I can't shoot anything w/o glass anymore.
• I did the same wi a minty-bore M48 that was gathering dust for years and now it gets to go out and play quite often.
• I have two lifetimes' supply of 8mm that I'd just assume not run through my semi autos.
• I like shooting military config "History".
• Oh, and I really REALLY don't care for the scout+LER set up / solution. I was pounded into submission from the hive for even suggesting I would tap and drill the Persian. This is my insubordinate, pushback with a less valuable collectible that woulda/shoulda/coulda worn the hardware I'm putting on it in real life. Actually I've read that 24/47s came in DnT'd or even wearing Mauser / Zrak bases so . . . . .

. . . . and going to enjoy the company of her siblings.