Welp, got my old rifle back from my 'Smith today, the old girls buttstock had began to crumble at the tang, kinda splintering and oil soaked, 'Smith buddy loves old Winchester lever actions, Colt 1911's and SAA's, he's also a Mauser nut, he offered to spruce the old girl up, complete with a new set of stocks, correct re-blue, he even color cased the butt plate, fore end cap, and a little flat, what i assume to be a spring retainer plate behind the load gate.
The old rifle turned out beautiful, it should now last close to another hundred years, shot it today in a hell of an East wind shooting dew North, 3 rounds of the old heavy jacket 250gr Barnes's landed into a couple inches, also a couple inches left of center, i'll go back in calm weather and center the rifle, chronoed a couple at 2188 fps, i dont lean on the old rifle, and where i come from that's plenty of velocity for bolt peep sight hunting within 200 yards.
Bought some of the Alaskan Bullet Works 250gr Kodiaks, thought i'd have to use those or the big 250gr Woodleighs, learned right here from North61 and others the old 250gr Barnes is not so bad after all, i was glad to read/learn that, have only shot one deer and one pig with this rifle before it went in for a makeover, it done a fine job.
