Surplus bolt gun for plinking?

[SteveHamn]

Got a couple of Semi-autos, but would enjoy getting a surplus bolt gun for shooting too. What are good cheap options these days that won't blow up in my face? A Mitchell Mauser seems like an intriguing option, what do you guys suggest?

[Ora Serrata]

Surplus ammo can be expensive for plinking. The Yugo Mausers are 8mm. Not that cheap unless you're into reloading. And not everybody stocks it.

Maybe find an Israeli Mauser that's been rechambered in 7.62. Not that that ammo is much cheaper. But you can get it anywhere including Walmart.

[G-Man WC]

I'd stay away from the Mitchell's myself as they seemed to be over priced.
Lot's of good options here with some people getting out of MilSup collecting.
Some great stuff at good prices comes up here if you know what your looking for or want.
One big plus here in Ca would be to reload, or at least save brass to learn to reload down the road. Good prices on surplus bulk cases have sailed with the no shipping direct law.
It all depends what you want to spend. Mosin, Enfield, and US rifles continue to go up in price as supplies dry up. Some more than others.
-g

[SteveHamn]

Thats the thing Im not sure what Im looking for. I live pretty close to LAX ammo so I have a good source of ammo. Not really into reloading but since its a bolt gun I dont expect to be going through gobs of ammo anyway.

[kygen]

Go with a Yugo M48 and reload. Best of both worlds. Solid rifle, and you can fine tune your loads for pretty accurate groupings. Or find somewhere with cheaper PPU 8mm. Sadly the Yugo/Romanian surplus is pretty much either stocked away by people, or outrageously priced.

Or you go the Israeli Mauser/Spanish La Coruna route, buy/reload .308.

[elSquid]

If you really just want an inexpensive bolt gun to play with, and aren't tied to a military history, the Ruger American in 7.62x39 would be one of my first choices...

https://ruger.com/products/americanRifleRanch/specSheets/16976.html

~$400-450 street price, takes Ruger Mini30 mags, shoots cheap 7.62x39 ( 20c/shot vs 60c and up ), just add a red dot or scope/rings and you are GTG.

Surplus? Yugo mauser. $300-400. Though, the last time that I bought Prvi 8mm it was 75c/shot...

-- Michael

[Milsurp1]

[Rorge Retson]

I got a CZ 527 in 7.62x39 and love it.

[Bull Elk]

CZ 455 American

[WartHog]

Thompson Center Compass is still the King of inexpensive bolt rifles. Current price runs $275 on the Gun.deals site and T/C is kicking you back $50 in the form of a pre-paid VISA card so $225 for a decent rifle before tax, DROS.

[Ora Serrata]

Another relatively inexpensive route is a Mosin. They're still cheap and mine doesn't mind steel cased ammo (I'll only shoot that out if my Commie guns).

For 8mm I have VZ24's. They're as close as you can get to the K98's in terms of interchangeability, etc without the high cost. The Yugos have a smaller bolt. Turkish Mauser's are still cheap too.

[Kokopelli]

If you really just want an inexpensive bolt gun to play with, and aren't tied to a military history, the Ruger American in 7.62x39 would be one of my first choices...

https://ruger.com/products/americanRifleRanch/specSheets/16976.html

~$400-450 street price, takes Ruger Mini30 mags, shoots cheap 7.62x39 ( 20c/shot vs 60c and up ), just add a red dot or scope/rings and you are GTG.

Surplus? Yugo mauser. $300-400. Though, the last time that I bought Prvi 8mm it was 75c/shot...

-- Michael

^ This. The Ruger in 7.62X39 is cheap to feed and ammo is everywhere. I've handled one at the LGS and it is on my short list. It is a nice handling rifle. Made in USA.

I got a CZ 527 in 7.62x39 and love it.

Handled the CZ 527 as well. It is light and screams "quality". Beautiful wood & finish. The set trigger is excellent. It is almost 2X the cost of the Ruger and has a not so common magazine. If I were not retired and on a fixed income, I'd buy it over the Ruger. Made in the Czech Republic I believe.

[strakill]

If you really just want an inexpensive bolt gun to play with, and aren't tied to a military history, the Ruger American in 7.62x39 would be one of my first choices...

https://ruger.com/products/americanRifleRanch/specSheets/16976.html

~$400-450 street price, takes Ruger Mini30 mags, shoots cheap 7.62x39 ( 20c/shot vs 60c and up ), just add a red dot or scope/rings and you are GTG.

Surplus? Yugo mauser. $300-400. Though, the last time that I bought Prvi 8mm it was 75c/shot...

-- Michael

+1 This is a good value for OP. This or go to your nearest pawn shop and find a beater that shoots readily available and cheap ammo.

[bruss01]

Got a couple of Semi-autos, but would enjoy getting a surplus bolt gun for shooting too. What are good cheap options these days that won't blow up in my face? A Mitchell Mauser seems like an intriguing option, what do you guys suggest?

Depends on what you like and the kind of shooting you want to do.

I acquired an old Swiss sporter straight-pull milsurp - not K-31, an earlier version - that came to me with excessive headspace. It'd been rebarrelled in the 60's apparently in .308... that was the problem. The .308 pressure is too high for the metalurgy on this rifle's receiver.

My solution was to rebarrel it in .300 Savage which is still within the pressure spec for the gun as originally built. This is a decent round for hunting and has taken countless deer in the 20th century and every major ammo maker still offers factory ammo in this chambering.

One of my long-term project ideas is to build a bolt gun to accept M1 Carbine magazines and shoot M1 Carbine in a lightweight platform. Some kind of re-worked mini-Mauser, perhaps. I hear the Hornet is close on bolt face dimensions, that might be a starting place.

[Beetle Bailey]

Find a nice Yugo M48 and get a case of the Privi Partisan 8mm ammo. Save all your brass and when you shoot up the entire case, sell the once-fired brass to a reloaded.

Yugo Mausers are good solid guns.