Originally Posted by
coopersdad
Hi all, I could use some advice with an m1898 Krag I've had for years but never fired, so decided it was about time. It has a decent bore, not super shiny but sharp rifling. I have no desire for a hunting rifle or hot loads, just paper punching targets. I've loaded large bore BPCR cartridges but never a small bore rifle with cast.
Bore slugs .308 groove, chamber cast shows a throat of .3114.
Boolits cast from 20-1 alloy in Accurate's version of 314299 drop about .313.
Gas checks are aluminum flashing, made using the checkmaker plans I found here.
Lube is White Label Lube 45-45-10, then size/seat checks in a Lee-type push through sizer, they come out about .3115. Then I lube again.
Necks expanded with an M-style mandrel, leaves about .001 neck tension. I can turn the bullet after seating, before lightly crimping. OAL is 3.12, bullet just touching the rifling but not enough to pull the bullet if I unload.
Here is the progression at 100 yds, all five-shot groups, total 30 shots, barrel to allowed to cool between groups:
2400 loads:
15 gr., 1417 fps, 2.85" group (2" with a flyer). Wow, this is promising.
15.5 gr., 1449 fps, 2.75" group (1.25" with a flyer). Even more promising.
16 gr., 1474 fps, 2.2" four shots, fifth one was 3"+ low. Hmmmm, that one felt OK....
Then some 5744 loads:
18 gr., 1540 fps, 5". Rats, try harder next group.
18.5 gr, 1580 fps, 8". What?
19 gr. 1601 fps, shouldn't there be holes?
The bore looked like a sewer pipe, could hardly make out rifling. After mining lead for an hour or so it's about back in shape. Lead seemed to be spread throughout the bore, based on roughness of the first patches.
My first thoughts are lube and alloy. Others seem to love 45-45-10 and have no issues. If I should use a harder alloy than 20-1, what should I go with? Maybe something else in my description screams out "wrong!!"?
Thanks for any advice, from those first groups I think this rifle should shoot well if I figure out how to do it.