Krag loads with Reloader #7 ?

[Krag1902]

I got a couple pounds of RL 7 at a gun show recently and want to use it in my Krag rifles. I intend to use only the 308284, 290, and 299 bullets of 210 grains or thereabouts, and want to keep velocities about 1400 - 1,700 fps. I'm having a hard time finding published, chronographed data. Can anyone provide?m I used to use R-7 in a '06 and .308 and was really impressed with the accuracy, but I have never tried this stuff in a Krag.

[Outpost75]

Lyman Cast Bullet Handbook, 4th Edition (2010) p. 147
#311284 #2 alloy 3.025" OAL
RL7 start 18.5 grs. 1437 fps
RL7 max 29.0 grs. 2015 fps

[Gewehr-Guy]

I recently tested some Krag loads and used 22grs and the 311284, the 10 shot group was 1in by 4inches with vertical stringing, so I'm going to try a little Dacron and maybe go up a couple more grains.

[500Linebaughbuck]

https://archive.org/details/Modern_R...by_Richard_Lee

http://marvinstuart.com/firearm/Manu...-%20Reduce.pdf

[Larry Gibson]

I use quite a bit of RL 7 in similar cartridges. I suggest you start at 16 gr, use a 1 to 1 1/2 gr Dacron filler and work up in 1/2 gr increments to 20 gr. That should put you in the velocity range you want with probably good accuracy.

[Streetwalker]

Reloader 7 is one of my favorite go-to powders and seems to be readily available these days. I agree with Mr. Gibson's suggestions for loading but would add that you might want to try using a magnum primer instead of a filler. I use a dacron filler in many of my loads but I have found that with Reloader 7 in the military calibers, the use of a mag. primer can produce better grouping in some loads and would be worth the time and effort to experiment with in your Krag.

[RPRNY]

IMR 4227 (21 grs) is my go-to for the Krag and 311284 so I can't comment on RL 7. Larry has probably forgotten more since breakfast than I know on a good day about the subject, so I will not gainsay him, but I will say that I do not like fillers and especially do not like Dacron, Kapok, etc. for a number of reasons including the impossibility of uniformity of load. So, my suggestion would be to try a set with filler and another with Streetwalker's approach of a Magnum primer and see which works better for you.

[Hrothgar]

I've several Krags and for Rl7 I generally use 19 to 21 grains with 314299 bullet depending on the rifle. 311284 were okay in one of them but the 299 was generally better. No fillers or dacron. The mag primers may help too and I use them most with the larger cases like 43 mauser and 45-70. Hope it helps.

[curator]

20.5 to 21.0 grains of Rx7 and the Lyman #311284 boolit cast of 50/50 AC COWW + 2% tin then sized .313" and lubed with LBT "Blue" lube will give me 1 1/2 inch 5-shot groups all day at 100 yards off the bench shooting my "Bannerman's special" 1901 Kraig rifle on a "carbine" stock. Mine has the windage-adjustable "Buffington-type" rear sight. A "tuft" of dacron between boolit and powder prevents vertical stringing. The guys at the gun club are always surprised how well a 100+ year old rifle will shoot when their plastic semi-auto-shuckers can't do as good. Eat your hearts out AR guys!