.30-40 Krag Range Report part deux

[selmerfan]

I finished up load development with the powders I have on hand that I thought would work well for my .30-40 Krag. I figured out how to put the text right in the photos, and I hope my cropping and resizing helps the layout here at the board. All were shot in one range session this morning, 32 degree F, light wind, chronograph 10 feet from the muzzle. I'm not sure why, but I got an error reading on each of the Varget loads, but it should be humming at 1900-2000 fps - as hard as I want to push in this gun. Should probably work for hunting deer. All loads are sized to .311" in a Lyman 4500, first sized nose-first, then I go back and check and lube. All boolits lubed with Bullshop's Lotak Hard, I believe they are Hornady gas checks, copper, in any case, and light crimp applies, just enough to remove any belling from Lyman "M" die - it seems to work well, so if it ain't broke... All boolits are my approximation of Lyman #2 alloy, brass is 2x and 3x fired R-P with Rem 9 1/2 primers. Firearm is my great-grandfather's Stevens 44 1/2 with a CPA Rifles .30-40 Krag Douglas XX 28" half-octagon barrel with a Nikon 6.5-20x44 UCC scope mounted for load development. It has already been removed and the Pope Scheutzen tang sight (Lyman 17a front sight on this barrel) and original Stevens No. 368 (6x) external adjustment scope mounted for off-hand shooting paper and steel until hunting season rolls around again. All loads shot from my portable bench (booger bench design) with Caldwell "The Rock" front rest and a rear sand bag. No excessive waiting between shots, but I did let the barrel cool for about five minutes every other group. That's when I shot the 12" steel plate with my Ruger Mk III from 100 yds.

[Dan Cash]

Looks like you about have your gun and load figured out. I have satisfied myself with my PP .30-40 loads in my 95 Win. I am close but not as good as yours.

[selmerfan]

I've determined that pretty much any load that shoots 1600-1800 fps is going to shoot MOA or better in this gun. It's almost boring. But it also means I have enough powder in the basement to load many thousands of rounds for this gun - most of them at a lower price than current .22LR prices if you want to buy it right now.

[RPRNY]

Interesting stuff. Thanks for sharing. My newly arrived at pet load is the Lyman 311041 GC (186 grs) over 22 grs IMR 4227. Shoots 1" - 1.5" groups in both my Krag spotter and Ruger No 3 at just over 1800fps. Great load.

[Idaho Mule]

Good report selmerfan, and some nice shooting too. JW

[Pb2au]

Excellent report sir. thank you for sharing.
I caught your trick for sizing.
"first sized nose-first, then I go back and check and lube."
I had never thought about that, what a simple idea.
I am in the middle of load development for my Krag, and noticed that some of my bullets were getting sized ever so slightly of center. It was my suspicion that this was the source for random "erratic" shots. Hopefully this trick will cure that!
Thank you very much

[selmerfan]

Early in my casting experience I noticed little lead shaving only on one side of the die, no matter how perfectly I aligned the boolit on the way in. So I figured out that if I took the die out of the 4500, unscrewed the stop assembly at the bottom and pushed the center pin out of the die, I could push them through nose first - like a Star - but without the lube and check. I put a dab of Imperial case lube in a tub with the boolits and swish them around first to lube the boolits slightly before nose first sizing. When I go back and lube/check - no shaving! Yes, it's an extra step and more time, but I do them in batches of several hundred at a time and I enjoy OCD aspects of casting/reloading...

[Pb2au]

Early in my casting experience I noticed little lead shaving only on one side of the die, no matter how perfectly I aligned the boolit on the way in. So I figured out that if I took the die out of the 4500, unscrewed the stop assembly at the bottom and pushed the center pin out of the die, I could push them through nose first - like a Star - but without the lube and check. I put a dab of Imperial case lube in a tub with the boolits and swish them around first to lube the boolits slightly before nose first sizing. When I go back and lube/check - no shaving! Yes, it's an extra step and more time, but I do them in batches of several hundred at a time and I enjoy OCD aspects of casting/reloading...

That is the trick sir. Thank you very much for sharing and explaining.

[madsenshooter]

Did you get to chronograph the varget load?

[selmerfan]

No, I only had four of the loaded rounds for target purposes, and for some reason all four through an error code on the chronograph. I'll load a few up and get the velocity data next time I'm out.

[selmerfan]

Pb2au - you may find it interesting that my great-grandfather was a tool and die machinist for GE and lived in Kings Mills, Ohio. I'm not sure where you are in SW Ohio, but he purchased the rifle as a smallbore match set and shot in competition with it.

[madsenshooter]

No, I only had four of the loaded rounds for target purposes, and for some reason all four through an error code on the chronograph. I'll load a few up and get the velocity data next time I'm out.

We have days like that sometimes.

[Pb2au]

Pb2au - you may find it interesting that my great-grandfather was a tool and die machinist for GE and lived in Kings Mills, Ohio. I'm not sure where you are in SW Ohio, but he purchased the rifle as a smallbore match set and shot in competition with it.

That is too cool.
Between Dayton and Cincinnati, the area was a hotbed of technology for years and years. Lots of machine tools were created, and on the heels of that, the people that made the tools. Tool makers worked and supported the industries for years, and in my mind were the heart beat. GE, Millicron, Cincinnati, NCR, GM, and many more companies employed them, not to mention Wright Patterson AFB, Mound technologies (they worked on atomic weaponry there!), and so many more.
That is awesome you have his rifle!

[TXGunNut]

Good report, those 4227 loads show lots of promise. Any pics of the rifle floating around?

[selmerfan]

Top photo is the .30-40 Krag barrel installed with the original 6x Stevens No. 368 scope. Bottom barrel is the factory.22 LR barrel.

[TXGunNut]

Very nice! Don't see something like that every day, thanks for sharing.

[Pb2au]

Beautiful rifle.

[GMW]

Thank you for the GREAT pictures of you rifles and groups! The 30US is among my top three favorite rifle calibers. I have excellent luck with the 311284 over 18.5grs of RX7 through my Miriku 1895 Winchester.