I started my rifle building on Mausers. But you could get a clean 98 for $50 and a small ring for $19. So if you screwed up something you hadn't lost a lot. So go for it. My only advice is on the small ring Spainsh keep it in an appropriate caliber for the action. And in today's world no you can't com out building one. To many very good entry level rifles on the market.
