Hello Everyone.
I feel I have received a wealth of information here so far and I intend on using it. I received my new Nikon scope 6-24x 50mm the other day and have installed it on the rifle, I am going to get it bore sighted this week to cut down on the amount of ammo to get it zeroed in. it is still too cold to go to the range but reading alot and thinking about all that has been said.
I have tried to slid a dollar bill between the barrel and forearm but it was too tight, I am looking at this as a good sign.
I will start reading up on free floating and bedding, and see if indeed the rifle may need it, after I first shoot it in the early spring, which is right around the corner.
Any info on this subject would be greatly appreciated, I have decided to take a picture of the rifle later today, as we men are so visual and to see what I am working with.
Since you can't get the dollar bill to slide freely it means you have contact and thus it's not free floated.
This is very easy to solve yourself.
Remove the barreled ation from the stock.
Carry the stock down to the hardware store with you.
Find a dowel rod about the same diameter as the barrel channel at the fore end, and one the next size bigger.
Get yourself some 80 grit sand paper, for the rough in and some 120 to finish.
Cut your dowels of so you have a piece about 8" long.
Lay it on a piece of the 80gr and pull it down tight. an insert it into the channel.
Work it back and forth till you have removed enough material to make a bit of a mess with the sawdust.
Now, use the bigger piece and do the same thing all the way back to the lug cut out.
Repeat.
Replace the barreled action and see if you can pass the dollar bill freely. If you cannot repeat until you can.
Personally I want a thickness of about 3 dollar bills clearance all the way. That will give me the space I need below the chamber when I bed it. When I bed one I bed both the lug area and under the barrel for about 3" forward of the barrel lug.
When you have good clearance, then smooth it all up with the 120gr.
I'll then use something like formby's oil finish to season and help seal the wood. When it won't soak up any more coats of it I'll seal it with Minwax or a similar was based finish or shellac. That way you seal in the oil and seal out the elements reducing changes in the stock due to changes in humidity and temperature.
I seriously suggest you do this before you even bother shooting it. Till you've at least done this much you will have no real idea of what kind of accuracy the rifle is capable of.
BTW, beautiful stick there.
Really nice if I could help and encourage you with your fantastic Mauser. Do as Roninflag considers and try out first with the not modified gun! I think he might be right.