For my next firearm purchase, I want to get something that is accurate, inexpensive, capable of easily accepting a scope, and a larger game caliber.  I figure it will most likely be a bolt action.  My uses for it are pretty much a long range weapon for having fun at the range, although I may use it to deer hunt in another state someday.  I want it to hold tighter groups than my sks. Unfortunately, for deer hunting in ohio, its muzzleloader, bow, or shotgun only.  K98 sounds like a good choice, however I dont know how easy it is to put a scope on them.  What would you guys recommend?

An m48 yugo is cheap and a good rifle if you want to sporterize (blasphamy) after market stocks and scope mounts are prolific and cheap.

Quoted: An m48 yugo is cheap and a good rifle if you want to sporterize (blasphamy) after market stocks and scope mounts are prolific and cheap.

the only sporterizing I want to do is the scope, the rest I want to keep looking original.  I just realized I dont have any guns with optics, I own a lever action 22, yugo sks, romanian ak, and a mossberg 500.. None of those guns are really scope guns.  It would be nice to have a german mauser, however finding one that is in good shape is hard to do and if you can, its very expensive.  The yugos are readily available in near brand new condition am I right?  Hows the accuracy and range of them?  

swiss K31.

ammo is .50 cents a round though.

the St. Marie scope mount is a solid mount, I have it on one of my K31s.  And it's a clamp on mount, approved by the guys at www.swissrifles.com.

and probably the most accurate surplus bolt action you can find.  $100 for a decent one usually.

that's true about the mausers.  One's with great bores are hard to find, and the price usually reflects that.  Iron-elite does make a non-gunsmith mount that secures to the rear sight base, and extends over the receiver, giving close to the same effect with a regular drill and tapped mount.  I've been waiting on them to get back to me for the last week, and they haven't responded.

-mark

Quoted: swiss K31. ammo is .50 cents a round though. the St. Marie scope mount is a solid mount, I have it on one of my K31s.  And it's a clamp on mount, approved by the guys at www.swissrifles.com. and probably the most accurate surplus bolt action you can find.  $100 for a decent one usually. that's true about the mausers.  One's with great bores are hard to find, and the price usually reflects that.  Iron-elite does make a non-gunsmith mount that secures to the rear sight base, and extends over the receiver, giving close to the same effect with a regular drill and tapped mount.  I've been waiting on them to get back to me for the last week, and they haven't responded. -mark

sounds good, but .50 a round is too rich for me..

Find a CZ 98/22.  They are relatively cheap, solid as an anvil, and reasonably accurate.

Stop.  don't do that.

Putting a scope on a military rifle does not a target rifle make.  Most militaries were satisfied with 3-5 MOA.  The rifles were good enough if they could hit a man's torso at about 300 meters.  If you want a tack driver, look for a used sporting rifle.

If you try to homeboy a Mauser, you will be disappointed.  It will look like your typical pawn shop Bubba abortion.

Find something in a .308 or .30-06 that readily accepts a scope.  Otherwise, leave the milsurps alone.

Quoted: For my next firearm purchase, I want to get something that is accurate, inexpensive, capable of easily accepting a scope, and a larger game caliber.  I figure it will most likely be a bolt action.  My uses for it are pretty much a long range weapon for having fun at the range, although I may use it to deer hunt in another state someday.  I want it to hold tighter groups than my sks. Unfortunately, for deer hunting in ohio, its muzzleloader, bow, or shotgun only.  K98 sounds like a good choice, however I dont know how easy it is to put a scope on them.  What would you guys recommend?

If $.50/round is too expensive for you then you are in for a real shock when you decide to use any round for hunting, unless you already have reloading equipment, brass, powder, bullets, etc for the caliber you will be shooting.

Surplus ammo CANNOT be counted on to produce better than 2-3 MOA groups, scope or no scope - EXCEPT FOR THE SWISS AMMO IN THE K31.

Quoted: Quoted: For my next firearm purchase, I want to get something that is accurate, inexpensive, capable of easily accepting a scope, and a larger game caliber.  I figure it will most likely be a bolt action.  My uses for it are pretty much a long range weapon for having fun at the range, although I may use it to deer hunt in another state someday.  I want it to hold tighter groups than my sks. Unfortunately, for deer hunting in ohio, its muzzleloader, bow, or shotgun only.  K98 sounds like a good choice, however I dont know how easy it is to put a scope on them.  What would you guys recommend? If $.50/round is too expensive for you then you are in for a real shock when you decide to use any round for hunting, unless you already have reloading equipment, brass, powder, bullets, etc for the caliber you will be shooting. Surplus ammo CANNOT be counted on to produce better than 2-3 MOA groups, scope or no scope - EXCEPT FOR THE SWISS AMMO IN THE K31.

.50 a round or more is fine for hunting, but its a little expensive for blastin away at the range all day.

How about a no-gunsmith scout mount on a Mosin Nagant? Cheap ammo for blasting, capable of good accuracy, inexpensive.  If you find a good one, some of the old Turk Mausers are capable of quite exceptional accuracy. An Enfield with a removable magazine is a nice feature when you are deer hunting, and you can buy scope mounts for them. Other than that, I would look for a used .30-06 that someone has already scoped.  You can usually find a used Savage fairly in-expensively.  In the long run, unless you do all the work yourself,  you will probably be happier and it will cost you less than having a gunsmith drill and tap  an old military rifle. I have done it, I had a Mauser that was not salvageable as a collector, too many issues, I was able to have it drilled and tapped and added very high scope rings to clear the bolt handle. I really would not recommend the route I took, I used a rifle that I got for $50, and it works after a fashion, but it is not the rifle that I enjoy shooting for long range or best accuracy.  

Pthfndr made a good point.  No surplus will give you MOA or sub MOA except the Swiss GP11.

I still think the K31 with a st. marie side mount is the best way to go.  These things are accurate..... ask Pthfndr.  Yes the GP11 is more expensive than surplus.  But the money you'll save by buying a $100 tack-driver can go towards a case of GP11.  Take your time with your shots, you'll see that your ammo doesn't run out as fast.    this helped me adapt to shooting the swiss rifles, vs. plinking with a mauser or mosin nagant.

Quoted: How about a no-gunsmith scout mount on a Mosin Nagant? Cheap ammo for blasting, capable of good accuracy, inexpensive.  If you find a good one, some of the old Turk Mausers are capable of quite exceptional accuracy. An Enfield with a removable magazine is a nice feature when you are deer hunting, and you can buy scope mounts for them. Other than that, I would look for a used .30-06 that someone has already scoped.  You can usually find a used Savage fairly in-expensively.  In the long run, unless you do all the work yourself,  you will probably be happier and it will cost you less than having a gunsmith drill and tap  an old military rifle. I have done it, I had a Mauser that was not salvageable as a collector, too many issues, I was able to have it drilled and tapped and added very high scope rings to clear the bolt handle. I really would not recommend the route I took, I used a rifle that I got for $50, and it works after a fashion, but it is not the rifle that I enjoy shooting for long range or best accuracy.

I will consider that, Im not sure what I am looking for yet, but I'm definately going to pick somethin up at the next berea gun show in March, depending on how much I get back on my tax return decides on what I will be able to afford.