What long range LA caliber?

The OP already has a long action. Which is unusual in a K98.
Thinking it might be a commercial action?
06' is a fair bit longer than the 57mm length cartridges that the K98 was built for.

I'm shooting 284 Win out of a long commercial Mauser type action.
Whether for the long action, or the intermediate Mauser(K98) action you are going to have to open up the feed lip on the magazine for anything 284 based due to the larger case diameter for smooth feeding.

Having shot a 600 yard match with a sporter barrel, i can attest thst it's not just shooter. Mostly shooter ability, yes i'd agree, but some equipment is involved for small groups at distance.
I can also tell you that a Mauser with a 1.5 contour barrel will weigh 10 lbs.

If you want lighter weight, but also shoot small groups consistently at distance i would recommend a Proof Research barrel. Which would set you back about $900.
 
Hi. What makes you think the barrel is shot out? Did you slug it? Check it or have it checked with proper gauges? Most milsurps have been carried a lot but shot little. Mind you, "I want another chambering." is a reason.
However, building a long range(that's 600 plus yards on a range. 1 or 2 miles is not a recognised distance except for playing. 'Playing' is a reason too though.) is an expensive proposition. Isn't a DIY thing either. Unless you have the skills and tools. It's not just the match grade barrel. It's the trigger, sights, stock and having all that put together. So the first thing you need to do is decide on how much money you can/want to spend. You're basically using the receiver and selling the rest of the rifle.
A Shilen(for example), SS, chambered and threaded, match grade, barrel starts at $483.00USD. $112.43US for a Timney trigger. Sights can be iron or optical. Figure on a grand at least for optics. Irons will need a front and rear. Figure on about $200 + for that, installed.
Then there's the ammo. Assuming you're reloading (Target shooting gets really expensive if you're not.), you'll need to work up the load using match grade bullets(175 or 178 grain bullets for past 600 yards. A-Max, Match or Sierra Match Kings) for your rifle. Working up the load is probably the easiest and most enjoyable part of the whole thing.
"...Which is unusual in a K98..." The 8mm Mauser uses a long action. S'why they could be chambered in .30-06 for all those South American armies.
The 57mm length is the case length, not the COAL. SAAMI max OAL for 8mm Mauser is 3.250". 3.340" for the '06.
 
Don Fischer said:
I suspect that long range is more about ability and bullet's than about what caliber cartridge you use. I fool around with 500 yds once in a great while. I'm not good enough to compete.
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BINGO!!
There are guys shoot the 1 and 2 mile matches (King of 2 Miles for the very long shots) with everything from .338 LM to .50 BMG, with a lot of speciality wildcats in between.
 
T. O'Heir said:
However, building a long range(that's 600 plus yards on a range. 1 or 2 miles is not a recognised distance except for playing. 'Playing' is a reason too though.) is an expensive proposition.
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Maybe not in Canada but 1 and 2 mile are recognized match distances.
(Wanna see my 1 mile trophy?)

(And ironically the real “Kings of 2 Mile shots that count” are Canadian Army snipers.)
 
T.O.
The 8X57 Mauser is the cartridge, not the action. Same with 7mm Mauser, 6.5mm Mauser,
6mm Rem, and 257 Roberts.

I did look up and find that there are indeed 2 lengths of the M98 action, one of which being an intermediate length.

Most of the Mausers i've run accross from South America are 7.62X51, or 308 Win.

Also there are so many more weights and manufactures of bullets out there.

For my 7mm-08AI i was using the 140gr. Berger VLD.
For 7mm Rem Mag i'm using 168gr. Berger VLD.
While they are "hunting" bullets i've been having good results with the Nosler Accubond Long Range in 150gr.
 
The barrel on the old 30-06 is shot, its been used a TON! Including when my father used it in matches. Or at least the gunsmith examined the rifle and said the barrel looks like its been shot out.

Now I know the new Kool-aid is the 6.5 creed. I imagine this helps with my bullet selection. Any recommendations for bullet selection? What do you all use? I have been a fan of matchkings and the accubond LR. But still haven't decided for sure.

And thanks for all the advice!
 
Brazilian,

Lots of choices in the 6.5mm bullet selection.
Sierra MatchKing, and Tipped MatchKing.
Hornady ELDM ( the old AMAX bullet with a new tip), and Hornady Match.
Nosler Match.
Berger makes several types of match bullets, including the VLD.
Lapua Scenar.

For hunting there are even more.

I've heard the 6.5 Creedmore called the 6.5 Manbun on other forums. Only suitable for guys with manbuns.
Only thing it does that 260 Rem doesn't do better is fit long heavy bullets into an AR magazine.
 
I am very impressed with the nosler rdf bullets I have run some test on that round and it seems to be a great long range bullet. Besides that I think for hunting I am unfamiliar with the eldx, but would like to do some testing on it. What rounds do y'all like in the 6.5 for hunting? I don't plan on using this besides for some deer or sheep if the chance comes.
 
Brazilian,
Pretty much any of the premium hunting bullets will do well.

I shoot mostly 25 caliber and 7mm. The Berger VLD Hunting have done really well for me.
The Nosler Ballistic Tip has worked well also.
Lots of people like the Hornady ELDX in the 6.5mm.

For some reason the Nosler ABLR doesn't get a lot of love. It is my go to bullet for my 7mm Rem Mag and my 284 Win. According to Nosler it will expand down to 1,300 fps. Which gives a longer mechanical hunting distance.
 
I don't plan on using this besides for some deer or sheep if the chance comes.
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Sheep hunting will dictate how you build the rifle if you're serious about sheep hunting. Be mindful of the weight if you're building for a future sheep hunt. Of course with some of the options available OTC such as Kimber, Barrett,and Tikka you can buy light cheaper than building.
 
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The OP went from Target to Sheep hunting.
Probably a good 1st idea is trade or sale Mauser and use money for more suitable rifle or action to build on.
I've been through the custom Mauser builds and they tend to be heavier than a commercial action you can go buy mostly.
I also have a love for Mauser actions that keep me building on them, but I don't shoot Long range too often, and I do not hunt sheep.
If your father shot this rifle in matches, it seems to me you'd consider rebarreling in same cartridge and shoot.
If your looking for a superb cartridge to shoot 6.5 bullets, use the 6.5 PRC, SAUM, Creedmoor, 6.5 magnum, .264 win mag, 6.5/55 sweet, .260 rem, these are the cream of .264 cal. cartridges.
As for manbun comments about my handy little Creedmoor cartridge and rifle that shoots it, If you cannot spell it right then don't bother picking on it anyway....
 
If it was used enough to shoot out a .30-'06 barrel, and you want to keep shooting it as much, then if you switch to 6.5 Creedmore, ya may as well buy 5 or 7 extra/spare barrels while you're at it. :)
 
Nothing out shines the 270 for accuracy and down range wallop.
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Almost everything outshines 270 for long range use. It is a good, and classic hunting cartridge for most big game out to 300-400 yards, but it can't compete with most anything for target grade accuracy, especially at extended ranges.

I'd not use a long cartridge. Lots of good options for shorter cartridges in the long action. Something in 6.5 caliber would be a good place to start.
 
rebarrel

If the barrel really is toast, I think I would just rebarrel it in '06. Especially if that's the way your Dad ran it.

Brass is common, as are .30 slugs. The '06 will do 1000 yds, not as flat as the 6.5CM and others, but as flat as .308, which is commonly shot to 1000 yds competitively. One thousand is a long way, and 1000 yd ranges are not all that common anyhow. And the '06 will take any deer or other NA critter you choose.

A 6.5-06 would be a wildcat proposition, forming cases, trimming cases, which is fine, but only if that is how you want to spend your time. It is also terribly overbore, and if you shot it much in strings, I don't think your barrel life would be long, ie, not as long as a .308 or ;06 shot competitively. And it would burn more powder to get useful 6.5 velocities than a SA cartridge like the 6.5CM.
 
RC20 said:
First, ER Shaw would not be my choice for a c8utsom rifle. Ok low cost barrels, but if you want a real keeper, Shilen or Criterion.
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RC20,I used to have the same feelings towards E.R.Shaw barrels until I bought a couple of them on a group buy several years ago.
The best groups that I've ever shot were with an E.R.Shaw barrel,and I installed another barrel on a friends rifle that shoots almost as good.

I have barrels from many custom barrel makers,and the Shaw barrels that I have will shoot right with any of the others no matter if they're button rifled or cut rifled barrels.
I can remember when everyone used to think Savage rifles were junk too!
 
Stop over-thinking this. The easy answer is the 270 Win:

- Brass is so abundant it's basically free, and no fire-forming, neck turning, etc.
- You can shoot EXTREMELY high BC 150 grain bullets with ease.
- Recoil is minimal.
- Factory ammo is easy to find in a pinch.
- There's tons of load data available.

And the list goes on.
 
Std. LA cartridge for long range?

.270 Win./150 gr.

Conventional Hunting bullets will get you meat to 400 yards, steel to 600, and paper to 1,000.

...and the AccuBond LR will stretch that considerably, and is still supersonic out to 1,700.


For a wildcat?

6.5-06/140 gr. out of a 24" 1:8 twist Bbl.




Red
 
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^^^^^^^

This.

My only variation would be that his assessment of the capabilities of the 270 with hunting bullets are too short. Not theory either. I have done it a number of times.

It gets meat to 850 (did it, 4 times)

Steel to 1000 (did that too, using 150 grain FLAT BASE bullets on 12" Steel squares at 1000)

and paper to about the range you go trans-sonic. As Red Devil said, that's just about a mile with the best B.Cs available in the .277" size.

I do not think the 270 is the perfect choice for a long range target round, but it's much closer than most people think.
 
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A barrel threaded for a brake, or suppressor would be my first suggestion. If you do not want to go go the 6.mm route then I would go with .300 Win. Mag. with a twist rate that will stabilize the 200 grain bullets. With a brake on a heavy barrel recoil will not be much of a factor. Otherwise 6.5x55 is a good one.
 
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