Got a Mauser 98 in 22-250 need advice

[shinjin]

I bought this really nice old Spanish Mauser with a monster bull barrel in 22-250 Ackley Improved. The old feller who commissioned the work was getting too old and sickly to enjoy his hobby and selling off his collection. He had never shot the rifle after converting it to 22-250 AI so I don't know if it shoots worth a hoot or not.
 
My concern is the length of the action versus the length of the 22-250 AI round. By Gumm but I got all sorts of room left over and yesterday had some cycling issues with the short rounds. I did not get to shoot because I forgot the militray safety would not clear the scope (yes, I was very embarrassed when I had to laod all my stuff up and go home without gun powder on my fingers).
 
Anyway, what I wonder is should I have something in the magazine to take up that extra room or a different cartridge lifter (term escapes me). OR, should this barrel be mounted on a shorter action Mauser like a YUGO? And is the Yugo really shorter than my Spanish Mauser?
 
 

[billy_56081]

AI rounds often have cycling issues. I would also check the length to lands that long magazine may let you load your rounds very long. I would first look at it as an AI feeding issue not the length.

[shinjin]

I probably stated my question vaguely.
 
I read a recent SURPLUS ARMS magazine that focused on Mauser 98's. It mentioned problems in cartridge conversions when the length of cartridge does not match the magazine. Posited there would be feed issues. Is there something I should do to reduce the excess space in magazine?

[smokehouserex]

 
 
  Hello shinjin:
  I too have had problems getting short ctgs. to feed up on mauser actions. If you have the Gunsmith Kinks books by B Brownell, he has some suggestions. I use  a spacer to shorten the mag box, from the rear. It seems to me that the short, small calibers are more difficult than the ones that are 30 cal.+.
  The last one that I built was a .260 rem for my grandson, it fed pretty good with the long 140 gr. RN hornadys. Also the box mag can be shortened and welded up, some shorten the follower also.
  I have a friend that has a old Herter built 22-250 that is a tack driver, it has a bull bbl. and a 12 pwr. scope, so don't give it up too soon because they have potential.
  I hope this helps, I enjoy your posts, keep um coming.
  Gibson Guitar Lover,
  HM

[shinjin]

Shorten the mag box....? Beyond my VERY limited gunsmithing skills BUT there is a local RED ADAMS who can do almosty anything with a Mauser.
 
Got to go see him antway. Took the bolt apart to install a SNIPER Thumb Safety and can't get the silly thing to work.  When am I going to learn, but the parts go see the gunsmith, durn it.

[Rich Cronk]

I have had feeding issues with two of my Mauser rifles, but managed to fix the problem by fiddling with the feed rails and magazine springs. My advice is to try placing only three rounds in the magazine and then try it before fiddling around with feed rails or anything like that.

[Mikey]

shinjin:  Your 22-250 is about .5" shorter overall length than the 308, which makes it even a bit shorter than that for the original 57mm length cartridge the rifle was originally chambered and built for. 
 
Brownells, I believe, has a detachable magazine conversion for 308 barrelled mauser actions that allows the 308 to feed reliably in a converted 7x57 or 8x57 Mauser and I am thinking this should help you without having to change anything internally to the box magazine or rails.  If the chamber has a long throat and you can load the bullets 'out' a bit then I think this could work for you.  Good luck and let us know if you have any success. 
 
ps:  the Yugo Mauser is not that different.  The action may be a hair shorter but those rifles are still built around a 57mm case and you would encounter the same case length problems.

[Mikey]

Shinjin:  Also, get yourself a Bold Trigger with internal safety and get rid of the Mauser wing safety so you can mount a scope low.  Just a after thought.....

[mannyrock]

 
 
Mikey,
 
   Off topic, but I always wondered if you could take the Brownell's mag shortening kit, put it in a Springfield 03-A3, install (with loctight) a .308 chamber insert, and reliably cycle and shoot .308 ammo (or 7.62 Nato) in the rifle.  This would be a cheap and effective way to convert the rifle, in a manner that would be fully reversible.
 
Mannyrock