John,<br><br>I used M96 Mausers because they were cheap, very well made, and in one of the "magic" calibers that has proven effective from inception to this day. Because they are small ring Mausers, I did not attempt to load them to the potential of the cartridge in, say a Ruger, even though these German and Swedish made Mausers are probably more than adequate for that (many have been and are converted to 308).<br><br>Loads used range from 100 gr Sierra Varminteer thru Hornady 140 gr I-locked. Bores are Moly conditioned and bullets are moly coated. Velocities are much higher than factory loads; deponent sayeth not further. I have headspace gauges... I did not try the 85 gr bullets as the twist is VERY fast in these rifles - 1 turn in 7.6 inches if I recall correctly.<br><br>The largest one is on a full-length stock. Bbls, as mentioned previously, are long for a Scout - 21.5 inches. OAL of this largest one is 41" and the real-world weight is 8 lbs 12 oz (rifle with 'scope, sling, 5 rounds of 140 gr ammo, and field cleaning gear. We found a long time ago that if the balance is good (superb with these), the boys can carry a 9 lbs long arm for days with no problem.<br><br>Hope that answers your question.<br><br>Regards,<br><br>Tom