The Yugo M48 is a decent shooting gun and the 8x57 cartridge can be used on any game that a 30-06 can be used for, IF YOU RELOAD.
I have one M48, I also had an M48A that I bought at the same time, but sold it right away. Both rifles are the same though the M48A has stamped parts that aren't as pleasing to look as as those on the M48.
The M48 I have has shot 10 shot groups under 2" with the iron sights and handloads at 100 yards. With a scout mounted scope correctly mounted and a rifle with a better barrel than mine (mine is slightly pitted) you can probably expect as good as if not better results. The trigger on mine is very light and crisp though a 2 stage trigger, but these will vary from rifle to rifle.
I mentioned that you need to reload... Domestic cartridge manufacturers have either been reigned in tight by lawyers or have no respect for the cartridge whatsoever. Remington loads them equal to in performance to the 30-30 cartridge, I haven't seen any other manufacturers loads on shelves but would guess they would be loaded the same. You can get some foreign loadings from manufacturers such as Sellier and Bellot which load the cartridges to respectable velocities, but most likely you would have to special order these. This cartridge should be able to launch a 150 gr bullet at velocities exceeding 2900 fps if carefully loaded.
Downsides to the M48:
-It has a short stock- its a carbine- so it kicks like a mule to tall people like me.
-Metalworking isn't the best. M48's are pretty low in the quality department and really don't compare well to german made K98's, sticky bolts, scratched cases, and safeties that are too stiff to move are common problems. These problems can be resolved by lapping the bolt lugs, polishing the receiver rails, and replacing the cocking piece.
-has intermediate length action which is shorter than a standard mauser 98 or k98 action, so 30-06 length chamberings will not work the best.
-sidemounted sling- isn't the best setup for using a sling to aid in shooting and tends to get in the way if you aren't used to them. they also tend to snag other rifles in your gun cabinet and take them along for the ride.<img src=icon_smile_wink.gif border=0 align=middle>
upsides
- isn't very heavy- about the same weight as a scoped rem 700, m48's are a bit shorter and lighter than german k98's
-cheap
-tend to have decent accuracy with handloads
-most haven't had much use and tend to be in grreat condition.
A word about Mitchell's Mausers. I've seen some of the rifles sold through Mitchell's in shops and can say that they are very nice rifles however, they are grossly overpriced. They are marketing mainly to people who don't have much knowledge of what they are buying or what the rifle's are worth, which isn't necessarily a bad thing, as the customer will get a very nice rifle but will pay a huge premium. On the other hand, there are a handfull of other companies that also sell the same rifles for much less. The one I recommend checking out is cdnninvestments.com They have unissued m48's for around $160 and the same rifle in excellent condition ( virtually the same as unissued, but might have a few small dings in the stock) for even less. They don't have them listed on their website, but do have a phone number you can call them at and order a catalog, or download the catalog from their website.
Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms... who's bringing the chips?