Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles Best synthetic stock for a Mauser 98?

Looking for a new stock, wondering what folks think is the best. Looking for lite weight, and like a palm swell grip. Houge has one with full bedding but have not heard much about it. McMillian, Bell & Carlson, Ramline, and others.. Does not have to be cheap, but weather resistant and well made. It will be in 280 Remington, so not a real heavy kicker.

You're going to get lots of advice to go with McMillan from everyone here.
I have a B&C on a 98 in 25/06. It's functional, does the job, not too ugly but nowhere near the quality of a McM.

Right now is a good time to order a McM from the campfire during the July 4th sale.

I prefer the MPIs (with-out the pop cycle sticks)

I have one 98 with a McMillen stock, and another with a B&C. Both work well.

Others I know to work very well with a Mauser are Brown Precision and Bansner.

I havn't personally tried Bansner on a Mauser, but on a M70 they are very close to being a perfect shape. The downside is they are shipped out in a pretty rough state, and will need some exterior sanding and possibly some fitting.

Bansner's put one of their stocks on a DWM Mauser 98 for me. It fits me well and IMO looks great. Took last year's deer with it. No palm swell, but I guess that could be arranged.

I have one mauser in a McMillan. Nice stock, but a tad too heavy for my taste. Another is in a Butler Creek that I had to do a bit of alering on the inside to make it fit and then a bit of glass bedding. I filled the butt and hollow portion of the forearm with expanding foam which helped eliminate the "booming" when bumping against something. personally, that Butler Creek stock is one of the best feeling rifles I own.
If all of a sudden I was allowed to own only one rifle, it would be a very difficult decision between my Great-grandfather's old 1911 issue M94 30-30 and that J.C Higgins M50 FN Mauser in that Butler Creek stock. Even my beloved Ruger #1's would go before than old Mauser 30-06.
Paul B.

The McMillians do look nice, not to happy with 20 to 25 weeks, but I guess that is the time frame. Kind of like PJGunner, this old Mauser has a special spot for me. It is/was my first centerfire. Got it when times were lean and it was all I could afford. Just got it back from my Brother in law after 24 years. An old BCD code WWII 98 with a Bishop stock. Still has its original barrel in 8mm. Got a Douglas XX in 280 for it, and now need to pickup the rest. Will cost at least three times what it would be worth on the open market, but in the end it is what I want to do so it is worth it to me. Anybody have/using a Houge stock?

I put a Bell and Carlson Medalist Classic synthetic stock on my JC Higgins model 50 FN action M98 rifle (light contour factory barrel). It is well made. I has an aluminum bedding block. Installation was easy. Needed to remove some aluminum between the trigger and rear of mag area (10 minutes of dremel and file action).

It feels good in my hands, and aligns my eye level well for a low mounted scope.

I bought it from stocky's stocks. about 2 years ago. $200. http://www.stockysstocks.com/servlet/the-33/medalist-aluminum-bedding-block/Detail

They were very helpful. I wasn't sure which stock model (for a FN mauser 98) to select. They set me up perfectly. I liked there service, and value enough from stocky's, I just bought a laminate stock from them for my S&W 1500/Howa.

+1 on the Butler Creek. I know it sounds funny as you don't normally think of them for a quality synthetic stock but I really like the lines and feel of it. It balances well and I prefer the shape of the grip/wrist area compared to some others. It's what I'm using for my 318 Westley-Richards this season. (This is only temporary since I did not have enough time to get the wood stock ready before heading to Namibia.)

I have two Pacific Research/Rimrocks on Mexican Mauser actions and one on a 1903 Springfield sporter. Wouldn't trade them for anything else, but alas you can't get them any more...