Cast boolits for the 30-40 Springfield Krag

[RPRNY]

My preferred cast load is Lyman 311284 and 23 grs 4227.

[gnoahhh]

My current Krag has a new Criterion barrel, with conventional .30 dimensions. The ball seat is .309, grooves are .308, so I size to .309 and life is good. Going with this barrel was the smartest move I could've made during this build project. It is scary accurate, and since I finish reamed it to achieve absolute minimum headspace, brass lasts better too.

Speaking of brass, I bought 240 pieces of .30-40 brass at an auction a couple weeks ago, once fired & zero stretch marks, $42. I did the happy dance afterwards.

In the same vein, I bought a complete '98 Krag action last Saturday at another auction- with headless cocking piece, new-in-box Redfield no-drill receiver sight, Bold single stage trigger, and a bunch of other small parts-- for $25 (it is missing the exctractor and safety though, so I guess it's not "complete"). A minute later I snagged a bare receiver for $5. It would seem i was the only Krag guy there...

[Lance Boyle]

Nice.

I have one from CMP with some barrel pits. I tried what I had before asking for help. I tried 311291 that was ok but not fat enough. A retired co worker gave me some of his 314299 sized to 312 and they were the ticket. I bought a mold but mine aren't as good as his.

[RPRNY]

.312" is at the upper end, but by no means uncommon, for original barrels. The key is use a boolit that fills the throat and as chambered sits no more than a tenth to an eighth inch off the lands. The xxx299 is a good bullet but I find the 200 grs + zone ideal. Look for a British 303 heavy design would be my advice.

[Buckshot]

..............I have a M96 Krag x 30-40 but only have a couple pictures of it. It's stock has been "Sporster-ized" but thank God they didn't cut the barrel off.



But I do have a M95 Steyr straight pull I had re-barreled to 30-40. May not exactly fit in this thread, but I figured whatthe heck?!







There are no flies on the straight pull action, lemme tell ya. The trigger still sucks, but the rifle is one shooting essobee!

...............Buckshot

[John Boy]

Give the 170gr Ideal 311413 a try. It is accurate to 600yds per the old Ideal handbook. I shoot it to 500 meters

[John Boy]

Henley & Gibbs produced the Ideal 311413 - look here
http://www.hensleygibbs.com/TCD/arti...0One%20Fat.htm

[craig61a]

..............I have a M96 Krag x 30-40 but only have a couple pictures of it. It's stock has been "Sporster-ized" but thank God they didn't cut the barrel off.



But I do have a M95 Steyr straight pull I had re-barreled to 30-40. May not exactly fit in this thread, but I figured whatthe heck?!







There are no flies on the straight pull action, lemme tell ya. The trigger still sucks, but the rifle is one shooting essobee!

...............Buckshot

Interesting...

[madsenshooter]

The 99 wasn't Hensley's 413, it was heavier. The #20 was H&G's version of the Squibb, an earlier Hensley version, before Gibbs, had an additional band on it, to help it fit longer throats. I shot a few equally loaded rounds to compare with the B&M 311169, both too fast for accuracy, but the old Hensley was the wilder of the two. Early Hensley #20 on the right B&M 31169 on the left. Different alloys.

[craig61a]

I got out to the range yesterday, and with 311407 sized to .311 over H4198 in a range from 25 gr. to 27 .gr with 1 gr. of Polyfil got pretty good results, the best accuracy was with 25 gr. I had some 311407's that dropped at .314 over 23 gr. of H4198 that shot pretty accurately too - no signs of pressure, although I wasn't expecting any.

[Rich/WIS]

My 1894 sporter gives me good results with the NOE 311284 cast from approximately Lyman #2 and pushed by 10 grs of Blue Dot. Lands are smooth but grooves are pitted from chamber to muzzle so I am quite happy that it shoots well. I size .310 as it slugged just shy of .309 and seat the bullet out so the bolt will just close. Tried the NOE 311291 but it doesn't seem to like it as much as the heavier bullet. I don't load heavier because (a) I don't want to challenge 120 year old steel and (b) I don't care for any more recoil than needed. When I resize I have adjusted my die to just touch the shoulder and have avoided problems with case head separations.

[blixen]

My rag tag Krag, is easygoing about what I feed it and does just fine with the Lee 185gr. Enfield boolit sized to .311 and 16 grains of 2400. It also shoots accurately with 18 gr. of 4759, but I can't find it any more. About 2.5 " at 100 with a peep.

[Dan Cash]

1895 Winchester, relined by John Taylor, 215 grain bullet from Accurate drops at 312. It is sized to .303 and paper patched. It is a gas checked bullet which I have used both with and without gas check and find equally staisfying results. Propellant is Alliant R19 and MV is 2250. One deer slaying piece of equipment.

[iron brigade]

My 1894 sporter gives me good results with the NOE 311284 cast from approximately Lyman #2 and pushed by 10 grs of Blue Dot. Lands are smooth but grooves are pitted from chamber to muzzle so I am quite happy that it shoots well. I size .310 as it slugged just shy of .309 and seat the bullet out so the bolt will just close. Tried the NOE 311291 but it doesn't seem to like it as much as the heavier bullet. I don't load heavier because (a) I don't want to challenge 120 year old steel and (b) I don't care for any more recoil than needed. When I resize I have adjusted my die to just touch the shoulder and have avoided problems with case head separations.

I use 14.7 grains of blue dot and the 314299 sized to .311. 1.5" group at 100 yards. Like your barrel, mine is pitted the same. But you would never know it by the way it shoots. I also use a .308 neck die to size the brass. All loading is done on a Lee load master. Fine machine it is.

[Rich/WIS]

In my 30/06 I use Bullseye, 5 grains with a 125 gr Lyman 311576 with good accuracy out to about 50 yards in a 1903A3. I do GC with aluminum checks, but probably not needed. Loads for BE were 4-8 grains in 06 size cases, in any normal weight 30 cal bullet. Have used 4 grains in my Rem 788 243 with 70 gr PB bullets (modified a damaged 245496 mold), with excellent accuracy at 25 yards, 50 yards not so good. These loads are subsonic make less noise than 22LR HV.

[Char-Gar]

.312" is at the upper end, but by no means uncommon, for original barrels. The key is use a boolit that fills the throat and as chambered sits no more than a tenth to an eighth inch off the lands. The xxx299 is a good bullet but I find the 200 grs + zone ideal. Look for a British 303 heavy design would be my advice.

Townsend Whelen was a young Army Officer when the Army transitioned from the black powder 45-70 Springfields to the new smokeless powder 30 caliber Krags. He wrote about his experience in a series of articles called "Days of the Krag", which appears in Guns and Ammo magazine back in the early 60's and were latter gather together in a book about him, which was published posthumously entitled "Mr. Rifleman". It is a treasure trove of information and rifle lore.

Any any rate Whelen mentions the wide variety of groove diameters found the barrels of the early Krags. He relates that some went as high as .314. The biggest one I have personal encountered is my four digit SN, first year production that goes .312 in the grooves. It shoots very well with .313 bullets.

Seating bullets that don't have to jump to the rifling is quite a challenge, if we want the rounds to work through the magazine. I have learned to live with that limiting challenge, but have never yet accepted that reality. I seat which ever bullet, as long as I can and still have smooth function from the magazine. The longer/heavier the bullet the less the jump.