8x60r Kropatschek

[pdgh59]

Today I made up a batch of 8x60r Krop using .348 Winchester cases. Started off with a RCBS forming die and a set of 8x60r CH4D dies. The forming die would not push the should back far enough so I had to use a Lee 8x50r as an intermediate die. The face of the rim was chamfered off on a small hobby lathe. A Lee 205g 330 mould was used to cast projectiles that were sized to .327. I need to ream out the neck so that .330 projectiles can be used. I started to ream out the neck by hand using variable reamer set to 8.3mm but this will take for ever to do. Any ideas on a faster way of reaming out the neck?

[Ballistics in Scotland]

I've used that cartridge and brass for the falling-block Guedes, but my RCBS die was form and ream in one operation, with their reamer, which guarantees alignment and concentricity. They didn't catalogue any other type at the time (the early 90s), and I found the formed case chambered correctly. Are you sure you don't have the wrong die?

I don't really like adjustable reamers for anything, since about the only time they don't chatter or make the hole imperceptibly star-shaped, is when they do it perceptibly. A solid reamer would be better, and 21/64in. is .3281in, and the letter Q reamer is .3320in. I think the former would be fine with the sized case, or the latter with a fireformed one. But you would have to rig up some way of keeping it straight. It isn't impossible that some reloading presses might form this case with the base very slightly inclined, which doesn't matter for most purposes, but does for this.
.3281in.

[chevyiron420]

I have one box of brass I had to turn the necks on, and another box was ok. I have a LBT mold for it and love shooting it.

[aap2]

Pdgh59: I load for my Kropatschek using a CH4D 8x56R Kropatschek 2 die set and don't use a forming die since I'm cheap. Using Imperial die wax and a strong press I FLS .348 Win brass which I do a few times on each case. The necks are annealed and the rims are beveled. I swapped the original CH4D expander ball (.321) for one measuring .325 since I use a Lee 8mm Max boolit (237gr and drops at .327 in lino/range scrap 1:4). I have 2 suggestions: if your die isn't setting the shoulder enough have the mfgr take a little off the bottom of the die or you can face off the top of your shellholder (I use a beltsander) until the shoulder is in the right spot. Secondly, you might well find that you don't need to ream or turn the brass at all. My current Kropatschek is .329 groove to groove and .315 land to land just like the 4 others that I have owned. A boolit diameter of .326 or .327 shoots just fine especially with a long boolit (they slug up to bore diameter). You don't need a boolit that is "bore diameter"..I went nuts when I tried to get a bullet that big to fit in the .348 case.....and it's not necessary. The original Kropatscheck round had a 247gr jacketed bullet of only .321 diameter and they shot fine. The heavy bullet/boolit slugs up to fill the bore and the deep rifling lands swage the boolit larger also. I also have the same Lee mould that you have but haven't tried it yet but I'm sure that it will work fine if the boolits are sized to .327 or so. I will try to attach a pic of an original Kropatscheck round and my handload with 18-20gr of 2400 or 22gr SR4759. Hope this helps.

[pdgh59]

Thanks for all the advice. The former die is correctly stamped but who knows. I will run with .327 projectiles and see what happens.

[halftrack]

I thought you might be interested in hearing of my Kropatschek shooting experience...
I've been shooting original Portuguese, all 1909 or earlier, wood bullet blanks that have had the wood replaced. I've shot hundreds of these and gotten very few duds over the years. First, my rifle slugged out .320" groove. I have read so many others having much larger bores. After pulling the wood projectiles, I began by seating lead cast bullets. I must have went through a half dozen brands and bullet weights. All fired CHBSB! (Can't hit broad side of barn.) At 25 yards I seldom even hit onto the white. My only success was using regular jacketed bullets. Then I tried Gardner Cache's cast gas checked bullets. These work too. With jacketed bullets .320-.323" I can shoot into the black at 100 yards. Yes, using the same black powder although I have shot some using Pyrodex and even some using a 4198 load.
Some background: I was a member of a Civil War cavalry group and converted a Spencer carbine to centerfire. After many frustrating attempts I happened upon an old Navy Arms ad selling 8mm Kropatschek blanks. WT?? I looked this up in my CATRIDGES OF THE WORLD, with there life size illustrations, and thought - I might be able to get those to work. I did with much work. You can see me shooting in the background one shot in the film, GLORY, as I pretended to defend Fort Wagner. Time passed on. After giving up the mounted services and my Spencer I thought that someday I should get a Kropatschek as I still have over 2,000 of the blanks.
Then it happened, a Kropatschek showed up at my local gun show and a deal was struck. My stash of fired & cleaned brass is growing. If only I could source the .254" Berdan primers. All I needed to load my Kropatschek ammo is a used set of 8mm Lebel dies. I only need the bullet seater to insert some real lead. If I could source the primers I could reload as my Lebel sizing die will work for neck sizing and for about half the length of the larger Portuguese brass.

[Gobeyond]

I have formed 348 brass in one pass by annealing first. Worked for me. I annealed every three shots and my brass lasted 10 times before I sold the thing. I shot 323-329 bullets/boo lite and none were very accurate. Excellent bore but never found the. BP combination. Reloading for it was an experience.