30-40 Krag to 6.5mm??

[Doughty]

Does anybody have any information on wildcatting a .30-40 Krag to 6.5mm? More precisely, the .30-40 Krag case, not a .30-40 Krag rifle.

[Der Gebirgsjager]

Back when Krags were plentiful, I believe this was a fairly common wildcat; and that there were several versions of it and that none of them ever became standardized. This is good, because you can develop your own version from scratch, but bad because you'll have to make up a chambering
reamer and reloading dies. I'd bet a custom sizing die can be obtained from RCBS for at least one version. If not, if you supply a sample cartridge they'll make one up.

If you want a rimmed cartridge you can always go to the 6.5X58R Krag, for which reamers and tooling exist, but probably hard to find and expensive.

The best of all worlds is my Norwegian Krag Jorgensen chambered in 6.5x55 mm Swedish Mauser.

[bruce drake]

6.5 Dutch Mannlicher might be a good case to emulate. Its the 303 Case necked down to 6.5mm/ Its a dead cartridge case since WWII also so load data might be scarce although both chamberings -- 6.5 Krag and 6.5 Dutch were rated for 40k psi loads due to the actions they were chambered in were 1st generation smokeless powder rifles. But with modern cases and modern actions, I'm sure your performance would be much different.

Bruce

[richhodg66]

A shop nearby has a nicely sporterized Dutch Manliccher they've had for three years at least. Made a low ball offer they turned down, I'll go back in six months or so and try again.

Had a fairly lengthy thread about case forming for it, seems like a neat cartridge.

[curioushooter]

It seems like it would be pretty straightforward, but why would you want to? You know there are Norwegian Krags in 6.5x55. Very nice rifles if you can find one not rusted to high heavens by the corrosive priming.

[Cast_outlaw]

You might want to consider using a 303british case instead, it’s a ballistic cousin to the 30-40, and a dimensional cousin as well. stand two side by side and there scary similar to each other, but brass is easily acquired for 303british, and at least for me 30-40 krag is much harder to get.

anyway a gun shop here had 30-40 on back order for over 2 years, whereas you can still get 303 at Walmart. 303 can also be resized to be used in 30-40. my two cents best of luck

Edited because it’s late I’m tired and it was a mess

[Wayne Smith]

If you are just thinking and not committed to the 6.5 - Bullberry Barrels now has the reamer for the 25 Krag AI. I have Sierra data for the 257 Roberts AI and 25-06 data is readily available. My case has two grains of water capacity greater than the 257 Roberts AI and two grains of water capacity less than the 25-06. They made my Encore barrel. I'm still forming cases, but I'm using the top loads for the Bob for my starting loads and topping out somewhere in the low 25-06 data. Haven't gotten out the chronograph for this one yet.

[EDG]

The 6.5X53R Dutch Mannlicher cartridge is close to what you want.
The case is made by trimming .303 British brass to 2.110 long.
It is almost identical to the 6.5X54 Mannlicher-Schoenauer except a rim is added.
You can pretty much use 6.5X54 MS loading data.

[Doughty]

Thanks for the replies. Rifle action I'm thinking of is a Ruger #1, which I've got, and brass is .30-40, which I've got. Closest I've seen is the .25 Krag AI, but all the gun rags are sayin' 6.5mm is the really cool diameter. Thought I had read on here that someone had made up a 6.5 / .30-40 Krag. Why? Maybe just because nobody has (or at least very few have) ...done it.

[bob208]

why not just buy a Norwegian krag in 6.5 x 55 ?

[Wayne R. Scott]

Thanks for the replies. Rifle action I'm thinking of is a Ruger #1, which I've got, and brass is .30-40, which I've got. Closest I've seen is the .25 Krag AI, but all the gun rags are sayin' 6.5mm is the really cool diameter. Thought I had read on here that someone had made up a 6.5 / .30-40 Krag. Why? Maybe just because nobody has (or at least very few have) ...done it.

How about a .256 Newton on the Ruger No. 1 action? Not too many people have one laying around. I have seen exactly one, built on a No.1 and it was very effective on prairie dogs.

I do like the looks of a rimmed case for a single shot. If you have a bunch of 30/40 brass laying around I would go for the 6.5 Krag.

[EDG]

I would not build anything on Krag brass unless you already have a lifetime supply. It looks like domestic production has ceased. There is no reason for a foreign manufacturer to make it either.

[bob208]

he is right I think .30-40 krag brass is on the endangered list. joining the .25-35,.25-20, .32-40 and ,35 Remington does not look real good either. the only come back I know of is the 6.5 x 55.

[samari46]

My two cents for what it's worth. Why not go the other way and go for a 375/30-40 Krag?. Plenty of jacketed bullets and definitely a good assortment of .375 cast bullet molds. Since you plan on using the #1 action you could see if you can find a varmint style Ruger #1 forend. And have the barrel taper duplicated in a #1 varmint style. Might cost extra for getting the bbl turned down but a little work on the #1 forend to fit your bbl and away you go. Might be something to do as you can check out a few of the reamer rental companies to see if the reamers are available for both the 6.6 or 375. And Gun Parts may have the 30-40 krag extractors as I believe they fit both the #1 & #3 actions. Frank

[Idaho Mule]

Closest thing I can find in my meager library is in P.O. Ackley's Handbook for Shooters and Reloaders, Vol 2. They list the 6.5/303 Epps.

"This is a cartridge made by Ellwood Epps, Clinton, Ontario, Canada, from the .303 British. It has basically the same case capacity as the .256 Newton, and although it has not been chronographed, from the shooting that Mr. Epps has done with it, it seems to compare very closely with the .256 Newton, and he believes that it should also duplicate the ballistics of the .270/257 Improved Ackley. This is a fine cartridge for the P 14 Enfield."

Sounds like a cool project to me. Keep us posted if you build it. JW

[Doughty]

Thanks for the replies.

To those suggesting other cases and or actions, that's not what I am interested in. I don't own any bolt actions. I WANT to use a Ruger #1 action. I already have sufficient .30-40 cases, and WANT to use them. I am WANTing to know if anyone has information on this particular cartridge. In that there is supposedly "nothing new under the sun" I thought that surely someone here had already done this.

samari46 Good idea, but I already have 2 rifles in .375 Krag. I call them .38 Krags. Good rounds, just looking at going the other way for a change. Also have a .33 Krag (.338) my favorite all around hunting cartridge.

Thanks again. If I ever get one made I'll post up something on it here.

[500Linebaughbuck]

the 6.5x58R krag was made in 1933 and it was Danish target rifle. (handloader's manual of cartridge conversions, page 776)

https://www.soldusa.com/Listing/Deta...idge-No-Powder

that looks like a good cartridge. i have a bubba-uped 1898 springfield armory in 30-40 krag and i love it. if i come across another one, i'll buy it and give it to JES and he'll do a 35 krag.

i doubt that you will come across a chamber reamer, but you never know. you can buy it, i think. just go to google and type in chamber reamer and go from there.


this is for guys who think that 30-40 krag brass is done. grafs, captech and hornady does it too.

https://www.grafs.com/retail/catalog...ategoryId/764?

[EDG]

"this is for guys who think that 30-40 krag brass is done. grafs, captech and hornady does it too. "

Captech has been dead for about a year.
Grafs is a reseller. They manufacture nothing that I know of.
Hornady is probably loading brass made by some one else. Example the 6.5 Jap brass is supposedly manufactured by PPU.
In case you missed it Hornady brass in .35 Rem for example is NOT competitively priced. I expect over priced products to be poor sellers, hard to find and not long in the market. Try buying .405 brass made by Hornady today.

[hockeynick39]

I have QuickLoad and it shows the 6.5 x 58R. If interested in some information or full data table, PM me. All I need is barrel length, bullet, powder, and OAL. Check out link for a reamer:

http://pacifictoolandgauge.com/5mm-6...en-reamer.html

[Doughty]

Not sure about this, but I thought the x58r Danish was made from .45-90 brass???