8x68s build

[DM Shooting]

I've just been asked to build a 8x68s on a Mauser 98 action. Not a calibre I've played with before so ordered up some drill rounds and I'll find a reamer etc next week.

How much fiddling is there the guy assures me it was made for the Mauser but I'm not convinced the magazine box will be long enough and I know the feed lip will be to narrow.

So please own up who's done it and what have I let a friend talk me into?

 

[DM Shooting]

No one?

 

[John P.]

No one?

Harald Wolf had an article on building a 8x68 in Hatari Magazine. I will pull the magazine from my file cabinet later today and see what he did and possibly post info.

I think it was a 29 inch barreled Cape Rifle on a 98 action. The rare Cape Rifle style, not the cape gun which has a rifle and a shotgun barrel.

PS what are drill rounds? Dummy rounds for feeding checks?

 

[Gert Odendaal]

I had the same notion to build a 8x68S on a MOD 98 Mauser action...my mentor Johan Greyling advised me not to do it..remember , the 8x68S is a high powered rifle..and you have to remove an extensive amount of metal/opening up the length of the magazine well/magazine box...this is the reason I have embarked on a project where I am making use of 3D printed magnum bottom metal/ trigger guard /magnum magazine box en-longed by six millimeters that will fit on a standard Mauser action, to build a .500 Jeffery and to build calibers like the 8x68S caliber....it is part of the plan to do lost wax casting a lot of these magnum bottom metals/trigger guards and magnum ( 6 mm longer) magazine boxes...

 

[Code4]

As Gert explained, its a lot of work. Cheaper to buy a factory rifle in that calibre.

 

[DM Shooting]

It can't be that much more than the 375 H&H? 2 more of those done this week, I see where people are coming from but some people thank god still like a classic Mauser based rifle.
My preference is to use Mayfair engineering action who build a magnum Mauser as used by Westleys Rigby Purdey etc but for this bulid funds won't allow him that.

 

[Gert Odendaal]

It can't be that much more than the 375 H&H? 2 more of those done this week, I see where people are coming from but some people thank god still like a classic Mauser based rifle.
My preference is to use Mayfair engineering action who build a magnum Mauser as used by Westleys Rigby Purdey etc but for this bulid funds won't allow him that.

DM, I now by has to make a 180 degree u-turn on my statement. Due to my cast exercise of a Mauser magnum action not realizing I had to use a Mauser 98 MOD action. So beggers can not be choosers I proceed with a 8x68S build..there is a thread of the build here on the forum.
I decided to open up the action to facilitate a 91mm round length.
My rationale: the RWS brass has extremely thick base and bottom part brass overall. This ensures less powder capacity. I therefor counter this phenomenon by lengthening the magazine box znd opening up the MOD98 Mauser action.

Mostly removing steel at the back of the action by milling away the stripper clip slot. shortening the extractor as well. I did remove/polish the ramp in the front part of the action/chamber .
Now I am on stage three where I need to ream the chamber to 91mm.
Blue printing the action was done as the first stage , milling work /opening action work stage two .
Will give more feedback on the original thread when putting the rifle together and completing the rifle stock as well .

There are other projects I have to give all my attention to currently and have worked on previously that kept me from making more progress on the 8x68S build..