Hypothetical bench build, Mauser.

1957 La Coruña M43(Spanish K98K), sporterized with a nice Monte Carlo stock and Lyman sights. Two downsides, the cheek weld with the Monte Carlo is too high for the iron sights, and 8mm Mauser is a prohibitive round to work with unless you reload or can find bulk corrosive surplus. This was dad's deer gun until it was replaced with a new Ruger American in .308.

I guess the easy button would be invest in a reloading setup and add glass, but I prefer a good peep sight, which it already has, to a scope. My 3 picks for a new stock would be a Hogue overmold, a Boyde's laminate thumbhole(provided it has a low enough cheek), or going back to an original mil spec stock. My answer to the ammo issue would be to rebarrel it in .308.

What are you intending to do with it? If it's going to be a deer gun, then synthetic stock and a short .308 barrel and call it done. If you plan to target shoot, then it gets more complicated. Bench or three-position? What range? Adjustable target stock, heavy barrel (.308 is fine, but there are more accurate options).

I keep my milsurp stuff stock, but if you're changing caliber there's no point in going back to the original stock.

Lots of Mauser info and knowledge here:
MFRC
Disclaimer: I'm a mod there.

8x57 ammo is not hard to come by. Maybe not as easy to get as 30-06, or as "cheap" as 308, but there is plenty of different hunting ammo out there. I think all the big ones load for it. You just might not find it at wally world. Here's 3 loads, granted a bit pricey: https://www.cheaperthandirt.com/category/ammunition/rifle/8mm-mauser.do?sku_instock_b=true and here's a bunch from 50 cents a pop up: https://www.midwayusa.com/8x57mm-js-mauser-8mm-mauser-323-dia/br?cid=19209

The RCBS Rockchucker has been on sale at a lot of places for around a bill. That's so cheap, I've been tempted to get one, just because. I have a RCBS Jr. that I bought 41 years ago (couldn't afford a Rockchucker then) and a Dillon 550B that I bought when I could afford one. Don't really have the bench space to put another single stage press up, but that's cheap. Some judicial shopping for a powder measure, scale and a set of Lee dies and you're reloading for under 2 bills.

Have you priced new barrels lately? Like 3 or 4 bills. Plus the head space gauge, plus the reamer. You're looking at well over the cost of a nice new rifle in any caliber you want at wally world.

Anyway, I suggest putting a $50-100 scope on it and shooting it as it is. Get into reloading. It's fun.

Dr. Hess wrote: Anyway, I suggest putting a $50-100 scope on it and shooting it as it is. Get into reloading. It's fun.

This this this this this.

If you don't like glass then just spend that money on ammo. Check out armslist, I usually find someone selling a few hundred rounds every so often. I use my K98 as my deer rifle, and my "long day at the range" gun (where I'm just out to relax a bit, and not in a hurry to do anything).

You can find 8mm Mauser ammo at almost any sporting goods store, it's not the cheapest but if you get into reloading it's a whole new world I have the RCBS rock chucker for reasons mentioned above and it's perfect for how often I get around to reloading.

I like a good receiver sight / post front combo. If the bore is OK, I'd shop a little deeper for commercial 8mm ammunition, save my brass, and learn to handload with a basic setup.

I'd also Look for a classic stock from Boyd's or, better yet, the bargain list over at Richards Microfit and bed it myself. For that matter, I might just take a rasp to the Monte Carlo and fit it to my face.

Dr. Hess said: You're looking at well over the cost of a nice new rifle in any caliber you want at wally world.

True, but that wouldn't likely be an iron-sighted, controlled round feed Mauser with an integral stripper clip guide. Some of us like that sort of thing. I call it "Swords into plowshares that can still be swords in a pinch."

And if you bought a new rifle, you'd still have the La Coruña taking up space.

Yes to all of the above. If you plan to shoot it much the reloading ia fantastic on the cost side. More importantly the reloading is key to being able to dial in the right load for each circumstance.

Most days when we hit the big bore range I'm luck to get off 50rounds so it isn't an issue that requires a complex press for reloading.

If you're looking for accuracy cheap ammo kinda goes out the window, match grade 308 and 8mm looks to cost about the same to buy and probably isn't any different to load.

Reloading is the best bet. American loaded 8mm Mauser tends to be weak.

Large bore aged long rifles are a good read, having a 7mm mag and two 30_06's somewhere in the house.....