M98 Mauser, best bolt action there is..

[Pondoro]

Try this with a Blaser....

 

[WildRose]

I think it was incredibly stupid to shoot that weapon without making sure the barrel was clear of sand.

The Mauser 98 is a great action but it is certainly not "the best" bolt action ever produced.

The way the Blaser is constructed there's no reason it would not perform as well in a similar situation and it is probably even better since it's almost impossible for sand, dirt, and other debris to get into the bolt assmbly to begin with since it's a sealed unit.

As for what is "best" there's no objective criteria for "the best bolt action" to begin with. There are benefits to and problems with each so it's mostly a matter of personal preference.

 

[BRICKBURN]

I think it was incredibly stupid to shoot that weapon without making sure the barrel was clear of sand...............

Was wondering if the guy was nuts.
Check out time stamp 1:50

"In the sand the muzzle was protected with a tape."

 

[Hank2211]

Not at all clear what this proves, if anything. My guess is that if the barrel is clear, almost any bolt action could be fired wet or sandy.

That's not to say the Mauser 98 isn't a great action; it clearly is, but so are others (many based on the Mauser 98), such as the Dakota action. I have both and I can't say I find much to choose from between them.

I would think that it would be more important in a great action that it feed reliably with a variety of ammo, solid and soft, round nose or not; that it have a sturdy extractor; that it work in a wide range of a climatic conditions; that it have a reliable safety, and a few other factors.

My Mauser - which is on a Rigby - meets most of these tests, but I've had trouble with reliable feeding with certain types of ammo. I solve the problem by not using unfamiliar ammo, but my Dakota action seems to be more forgiving.

 

[WildRose]

Was wondering if the guy was nuts.
Check out time stamp 1:50

"In the sand the muzzle was protected with a tape."

Good Catch, I missed that.

That should have been put in LARGE PRINT right at the beginning.

I can see some future Darwin Award Nominees blowing one up in their faces trying this.

 

[Witold Krzyżanowski]

I think that the action Mauser M98 is the best and reliable.
Witold

 

[Pondoro]

Okey....so what other bolt action is as good as or better than the M98 or the other derivated Mauser actions such as Dakota 76, ZKK 602/CZ 550, when it comes to reliable feeding with all ammo, function when dirty, extraction and ejection..??

 

[ZG47]

Okey....so what other bolt action is as good as or better than the M98 or the other derivated Mauser actions such as Dakota 76, ZKK 602/CZ 550, when it comes to reliable feeding with all ammo, function when dirty, extraction and ejection..??

The all ammo part is key,

not just because of excessively straight cases and blunt or very long bullets; but because ... actions such as the SMLE No. 1 Mk III are superlative when used with the rimmed ammunition that they were designed to handle; but can be caught short when used with rimless cases that are inherently weaker at the base!

 

[Witold Krzyżanowski]

Okey....so what other bolt action is as good as or better than the M98 or the other derivated Mauser actions such as Dakota 76, ZKK 602/CZ 550, when it comes to reliable feeding with all ammo, function when dirty, extraction and ejection..??

I think that ZG47, considered a peak in action development Mauser M98.
Witold

 

[Velo Dog]

My two pennies worth is that the M98 Mauser is the very best of the best of any hunting rifle ever designed, any place any time, in the history of the entire world.

The only real "improvement" to the M98 is the Model 70 style "safety" tab because it allows for a low mounted scope.

All descendants of the M98 and all other improvements except the above M70 "safety" tab, only came into being for the purpose of either lowering manufacturing costs ("cutting corners") or, for the purpose of trying to avoid being sued by Mauser for patent infringement.

If I was to have only one hunting rifle for the rest of my ever shortening life, it would be a Model 98 Mauser in .375 H&H, 4 or 5 shot magazine, with Austro-German 4x scope, set down low over the bore in best quality German style claw mounts, 24" medium weight/taper barrel and stout open sight rear / large white bead front sight.

(Promise you I would never bury it in sand or sink it in a swamp though, at least not on purpose anyway).

 

[stug]

I agree Velo Dog, although I might go for a 9.3x62.

 

[Witold Krzyżanowski]

I think the same as Paul and Stug.
Witold

 

[S.W. Smith]

Eh, a CZ 550 will perform as good or better than any of those rifles, and it will still leave you with enough money to pay for extra trophy fees.

 

[WildRose]

Okey....so what other bolt action is as good as or better than the M98 or the other derivated Mauser actions such as Dakota 76, ZKK 602/CZ 550, when it comes to reliable feeding with all ammo, function when dirty, extraction and ejection..??

I"ve never had an issue with my M77 Rugers or M70 winchesters.

Any controlled round feed action is going to feed whatever you feed it just fine unless there's some problem with the feed ramps.

 

[WildRose]

Eh, a CZ 550 will perform as good or better than any of those rifles, and it will still leave you with enough money to pay for extra trophy fees.

Very true and I have yet to pick up a CZ that was not extremely accurate out of the box.

 

[WildRose]

I thou I remembered an Article by Chuck Hawks on the merits and operation of the controlled round feed actions compared to push feeds so I did some digging around and found it.

http://www.chuckhawks.com/controlled_push_feed.htm

 

[Hank2211]

. . . the M98 Mauser is the very best of the best of any hunting rifle ever designed, any place any time, in the history of the entire world.

You've got to stop waffling Velo Dog! Don't be so shy!

Gotta love a guy who knows what he likes.

 

[Code4]

Eh, a CZ 550 will perform as good or better than any of those rifles, and it will still leave you with enough money to pay for extra trophy fees.

My .308W CZ550 clogged with wind blown dust on the grassveld. A quick wipe out with my fingers got it cycling again. My sons' Parker Hale M98 in .243W was just as clogged (if not more so) and kept working. Loose tolerances in the M98 allow this to happen. I've had a push feed rifle jam with twigs when hunting thick bush.

A lot of custom Mauser clones are made with tight tolerances for accuracy and 'feel' but simply don't work when hunting hard on foot.

 

[Clayton Holland]

When guiding in Oz I use a 1907 Jeffery 404 which was built on an ex mil action. I like to do a lot of belly crawling pushing the gun ahead of me and get real close. That action can have boulders and logs in it and still cycle and that is why I use it.

 

[Pheroze]

Anyone else think that Zastava is a bargain when considering a mauser action? I think they make a reliable platform for a bit of a project build.