Ok, guys, let me step in here for a moment....
Having had a grandfather who fought in WW1 as an Austrian Alpenjaeger, I have acquired (and ever since treasured) the Austrian WW1 service rifle: the M95 Steyr Mannlicher straight-pull bolt action (full-size) rifle, chambered for the 8x50Rmm (244gr RN at circa 2,000 f/s).
All I had to do to make it shoot well was to raise the front sight, as it came sighted for 500 yds. Now it shoots really well, and I take it often on hunting trips due to the cartridge's awesome sectional density and very moderate recoil. I feed it surplus ammo bought from the Old Western Scrounger (see website). However, ammo can be easily made by slightly reforming 7.62x53 Russian brass.
The carbine you are referring to is the much later Hungarian Mannlicher, a modification of the above-mentioned Austrian straight-pull model, and it is chambered for the more powerful 8x56Rmm (206gr at 2300 f/s) - not to be confused with the rimless (and exclusively sporting) 8x56mm Mannlicher-Shoenauer. This carbine came out in the late 20's (if I'm not mistaken) and, for sure, it kicks a heckuvalot more than its 8x50 full-size progenitor.
Now, 8x50Rmm ammo is just as cheap as 8x56Rmm. Between the 2 I would definitely opt for the older, full-size rifle. More fun to shoot, more "rare" and more useful for hunting. However, be advised that for either model you would need to equip youeself with at least a few 5-rd clips, as the Mannlicher system employs a slotted magazine floorplate and, without the clips to hold the rounds together, you would basically be left with a single-shot.
Hope it helps....
Tom
[This message has been edited by 416Rigby (edited October 25, 2000).]