At Industry Day, we at The Firearm Blog got our first look at the Mauser 98 Magnum, a dangerous game rifle that will soon be imported into the United States. Mauser was happy to have us shoot the weapon, which features case hardened and temper colored accents.

The M98M I shot felt like it weighed 9-10lbs, which is fairly light for a dangerous game rifle. The balance, however, was impeccable; it felt lighter shouldered than it did in the hands. Despite the great balance and reasonable weight, the rifle managed its recoil extremely well, partly thanks to a generous rubber buttpad. The folks at Mauser even managed to catch the gun in full recoil on my decidedly modest $80 Sony camera:

This gun isn’t for everyone; specifically it’s not for anyone who doesn’t have $13,000 to spend on a rifle, and a burning desire to kill animals that are happy to kill them right back. Even so, I was thoroughly impressed.