[j-dave]

Yesterday I got my hands on a 8mm German Mauser and I love everything about the flip up sights and the gun in general but I was looking at it and can't figure out if I'd be able to mount a scope on it hope someone can help

 

[hiwall]

Yes, if it has been sporterized. If original then it is worth way more if you leave it alone. Post some pics.

 

[303tom]

hiwall is right, lets see some pictures first before we do something silly, like drilling holes..........

 

[jeepejeep]

I agree. I got a 8MM Mauser a few years ago that was already "sporterized". I was buggered up some so there was no collector value. I drilled and tapped it for a scope, had the bolt handle bent, cut down the barrel and stock and it's a nice hunting rifle.
If yours is in stock condition, leave it as is and enjoy shooting it.

 

[j-dave]

I gave a hundred dollar bill for it and it's got a big horn synthetic stock on it. So I don't guess I need to worry about it being worth much more. I just don't know how I would start to mount the scope.

 

[Shoobee]

If I wanted a scope mounted I would take it to a professional gunsmith and have him drill and tap it for me.

This is not an easy job, and it should not be done by yourself.

This is mostly a collector's gun, and who knows how much it has been fired?

I am guessing someone brought it back from Germany as a WW2 war trophy.

So before you set it up for hunting, take it to the range, and shoot a few groups at 50 yards with the iron sights already on it, to see how it does. Whatever is your spread at 50 yds it will be twice that at 100, and four times at 200. If the groups are not on an 8 inch pie plate, it won't be very good for hunting. You need to find that out first.

If the groups are touching at 50 yards, then you truly have a gem.

Once you know what the groups look like, then you can pick out a scope and bases and rings for it. Show the gunsmith the scope, bases, and rings you plan to get, and he can confirm for you whether those will mesh with the rifle. You may need high bases to get enough clearance for the bolt to operate. Mausers are known for their large rotations and so a high mounted scop on a Mauser is common.

Then once you actually have the scope, the bases, and the rings, you can give all that to the smith and he can drill, tap, and mount it for you, drilling it to the right position.

The Mauser's are the guns most desired by the collectors because they were the start of the bolt action revolution, which Mauser himself improved upon and patented, in this particular design.

The 1903 Springfield was basically a copy job based on it.

My own favorite rifle, the Remington 700 is based on them as well.

This was ultra high technology as of the turn of the 1900s, and it has never been surpassed in accuracy by any other design. Hence it is popular now as a hunting and sharpshooting platform, when first cold shot precision is the most important thing.

 

[j-dave]

I went to my uncles range and shot it about 100 times with reloaded shells and at 150 yards with the open flip up sights I kept them in about 3 and a half inches on most paddles while I was laying down anyway

 

[Shoobee]

I went to my uncles range and shot it about 100 times with reloaded shells and at 150 yards with the open flip up sights I kept them in about 3 and a half inches on most paddles while I was laying down anyway

I would still try it at 50 yards, because your eyes can see better then.

There is no way to know if 3.5" @ 150 yds is a good measurement.

 

[hiwall]

Yes have a gunsmith drill and tap it for you. About $50 to $100. The bolt might need work done to it(bending or cutting & welding) to clear the scope.

 

[303tom]

If it is a K98k it will all ready have a turned down bolt handle..................

 

[Durangokid]

Mausers come in all manners of quality good and bad. Tons have been shipped into the U.S. over the past 100 years. Some of these have been made by some very 3rd world nations. I would want to know is it safe? Is it an "S" Bore or a "J"Bore important? Check the head space etc.

 

[j-dave]

To be honest all I know about the gun is that it shoots like a dream. I noticed the bolt is already bent way down towards the stock. I guess I'm just ready to try it out at 1000 yards with a good scope and see if I can really reach out and touch someone.

 

[303tom]

To be honest all I know about the gun is that it shoots like a dream. I noticed the bolt is already bent way down towards the stock. I guess I'm just ready to try it out at 1000 yards with a good scope and see if I can really reach out and touch someone.

Pictures, Pictures, Pictures, Pictures, Pictures, Pictures

 

[Shoobee]

To be honest all I know about the gun is that it shoots like a dream. I noticed the bolt is already bent way down towards the stock. I guess I'm just ready to try it out at 1000 yards with a good scope and see if I can really reach out and touch someone.

Just remember, whatever your spread is at 100 yds, it will be 10x that at 1000 yds. So you need less than 1 moa in order for your group size to be 10 inches across, about the size of a kill zone for a human target.

That means if your spread is more than 1/2 inch at 50 yards, you can forget about 1000 yds.

 

[cottontop]

There is a scope mount available that clamps to the original iron sight ramp and requires no drilling or tapping. However, then I believe you would need a scope w/ a long eye relief as is used on a "scout" rifle.
cottontop

 

[huffmanite]

If it does have a k98k turned down bolt, more than likely, handle will probably not clear a scope.

 

[Durangokid]

At 1,000 yards for accurate shooting you need to calculate the Coriolis Effect and the trajectory factors of right twist or "Yaw" at that range. In the Northern Hemisphere a left correction can be 12" to 14" ? Depends. Good Snipers are good students.

 

[j-dave]