The Yugo 48s have been on the market for sometime considerably cheaper than Mitchell's asking price. Military 98s are commonly found in 8x57 which is underloaded in american cartridges ( liability with older actions) and in superb, but expensive loadings in most european commercial ammunition. 7x57s are harder to find and a superb choice regarding ammunition. The Belgian, or Argentine 7.65x54 was Paul Mauser's first cartridge in 98s and ironically basically a .308. Except for a very few .30-06s these are your caliber choices. All will serve the user well with the caveat of supply. Mausers are very collectable and you may pay a premium just for a national crest or variation. The only needed modifications are a carefull stoning of the trigger to improve creep and pull- retain the two stage triger, it is a very usefull feature in a survival weapon of this type, and improving the crude ladder sights. A simple filing will make a durable British broadleaf. MOJO sights makes a long relief peep aperture that fits the ladder mount and is very durable, or you can drill and tap for a lyman or Williams receiver unit. Brook's Range Alaska homesteaders use 8 mausers almost exclusively for moose and caribou. My longtime rig was a 7 mauser with the above modifications. I went to a DCM shoot with it and almost shot the high score of the day against a field of more contemporay firearms. I say almost, a gentleman in his 70s took top honours with a unmodified Krag <img src="/images/graemlins/blush.gif" alt="" /> We compared rifles after. " what are you going to do with your Garand? Sell it, you? Sell it. <img src="/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />"