Those mausers offer lots of bang for the buck. You can still get military ball ammo cheap for practice, and if you get a 98 action, theres no end to aftermarket parts available. The 8x57 cartridge is plenty powerful enough for deer and even bigger game too. Bullet selection is a little sparse, but theres an adequate assortment to be had for the handloader. Not sure whats available in factory ammo, probably just 150 gr bullets.