Eagan MX3-30-G experiment - 30-40 Krag

[madsenshooter]

I got an experiment I been getting together a long time all loaded, just got to get out. It's the Eagan MX3-30-G. A fully tapered bullet from PA gunsmith and mold maker Don Eagan. The bullet tapers from .301 at the ogive to .314 at the rear band. I had a few molds made with the cherry that I got from his estate. Weighs around 205gr in my alloy, which is about the same BHN as lino. Lube is an experiment too, LLA thinned with mineral spirits, a bit of Marvel Mystery Oil, but only a tad as it won't dry if you use too much despite MMO being mostly mineral spirits. I pre-foul the bore with a quicker drying version of the lube. I had some RL19 that I've had a long time, and put 37.5gr under the bullet. Should give me around 1950fps. I'll likely use my cutdown 92/96 Krag, the one with the 12X scope on it. After much hand cutting with the cherry, I finally got the mold halves to line up and the bullets drop true to Eagan's catalog drawing. The mold is a nose pour design and I have problems with trapped air in the nose and upper bands.

[Bent Ramrod]

I'll be interested in seeing how your experiment goes. I shoot my Krag off the bench at 300-500 yards at gongs, at present with Ideal 311467. Eagan's designs were the darlings of the 30-caliber cast boolit bench rest set back in the day; it would be interesting to see if they shoot better than the standard designs.

[madsenshooter]

I've got some super results with a couple of his other designs. After I get the Krag experiment over, these 30Gs really fill up the throat of my Garand with the check even with the neck/shoulder junction.

[madsenshooter]

Drove to the nearest rifle range today and found that the posts of the bench had rotted away. It was a pretty shaky rest and I had to stretch into an odd position to reach it. I wasn't always getting my eye in the right place behind the scope. In retrospect, I should have set up atop my car. I shot over 20 of the loads and was getting some high fliers, but for the most part hit close enough to bits of clay pigeon on the berm to make them disappear. No indication of any sort of leading. Last eight are 2.9Tx1.5W. After all the cast I shot a couple of the 2200fps 168gr Nosler jacketed loads and they were touching, about 4min higher than the Eagan loads.

[Bent Ramrod]

My standard load is 19 gr of 4759. I haven't chronographed this exact boolit, but others in the same weight class go about 1800 ft/sec ahead of the same powder charge. My Krag is rebarreled with a Douglas 12 inch twist. For some reason, it prefers having the boolits sized to 0.308". Have you tried sizing to different diameters?

[madsenshooter]

I have some, never below .311 for my Krags, and .310 for my Garand, but .314 fits the Krag better I'll get back to this in a few weeks, the bullets shot above were cast before the final cutting of the mold. I've got some good ones that are really true to Eagan's drawing. Got to check, lube, and allow some drying time. Next time around I'll get rid of the magnum primer and raise the charge a tad. Eagan recommended at least 2000fps with the bullet in a 1/12 twist, 120,000rpm. Out of a 1/10 it should be stable down to 1670fps. I'd like to find a solvent that will cut this red grease I have, so I can use it as a dip lube. Nothing wrong with the LLA/MMO though.

[MT Chambers]

NOE's version of that bullet is lights out, the best in 3 of my .30 cals....a .308, .30 Br. and .300 Whisper.

[madsenshooter]

I wasn't aware Swede tried the 30G, it's fully tapered, as in each band is tapered. If you meant the 30H, it's a good one no doubt. I will do some of the .314 version of it soon. I can dispense with the dip lube and use C-Red with them, which is less of a pain! The .314 version, with its .305 ogive throats up nicely in my Krags at an OAL slightly over magazine length, but I don't mind single shots. I expect some good results.

I was just comparing the 30H with a PRVI 168gr BTHP. They have the same length, and very nearly the same center of gravity. My original 30H seemed to like 2175fps.