30-40 Krag reloading

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  • Melnic

    Ultimate Member
    MDS Supporter
    Dec 27, 2012
    15,278
    HoCo
    Maybe a slight adjustment to hold or how you control muzzle jump will help to get your groups centered.
    The Krag barrel is so long that there is plenty of room between the action screws, middle and upper band.
    It would be easy for a rifle that old to possibly have some shrinking /drying going on that may be working against you to some extent.

    Right now, I"m holding left hand on the lower front and holding down on a plastic rifle rest during loading testing. I"m trying my best to hold the same and put the same point onto the rest(just behind rear band/middle sling poing) No rear bag.

    I guess once I settle on a load, I should do some offhand shooting onto paper (or even just putting elbow on the table)

    What is interesting is that the slower loads are shooting right and the faster loads are shooting left.
     

    Doco Overboard

    Ultimate Member
    I was just reading last night where ordnance tests had both the 03 and Krag shooting left short at short range targets with period ball ammo. Then at extended ranges the bullet drifting right back past center over extended ranges.
    My 1896 rifle shoots high and left too so what I do is allow the forearm to rest entirely on its own weight just behind the lower band when bench shooting.
    Then I sort of use my left hand to wrap around the rear of the butt stock and make a cup with my first three fingers and then buttstock resting on the little finger to pull the stock inwards towards the shoulder.
    Seems to help some. With a sling it will still shoot high but not to the same extent when from the bench.

    The 1896 sights are hard to use too.
    I don't know why they placed the notch forward when they're folded. If they were reversed I think they would be easier to use even only if they are only that much closer to the eye.
    I use 4064 and the Hornady #3070 180 spitzer in a few different rifles for pretty decent results.
     

    Topher

    Ultimate Member
    MDS Supporter
    Sep 8, 2008
    4,817
    Fredneck
    In my original post, I recommended 4064 for powder... It had been a while since I had loaded and I went back and checked. I used 4064 because I could not find any 4350.
    I concur with SquareGroups post. Try 4350 if you can. It worked well for me.
     

    Melnic

    Ultimate Member
    MDS Supporter
    Dec 27, 2012
    15,278
    HoCo
    Ok
    Now that I have a bunch more in coated 200gr Bullets I can now see visually the advantage of this that noahhh was saying

    Here is a powder coated one and coating them won’t let them fit the nose into the bore but uncoated it can.
    4505d98a9dcae4f5f290170c20e9abe8.jpg



    a58daefaa54bc8be1ebc75fe3e780f75.jpg



    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
     

    Pinecone

    Ultimate Member
    MDS Supporter
    Feb 4, 2013
    28,175
    Note that Hodgdon themselves say that IMR 4895 can be used for reduced loads too: A charge of no lower than 60% of published maximum loads is safe with IMR 4895, and can return nice accuracy when used in that manner. (Do not go any lower than that, and do not substitute any other powder in that "60% formula"!!!!! Detonation can occur and wreck your gun and ruin your day- not to mention yourself!! I honestly don't know why Hodgdon only recommends IMR 4895 for that trick. I have some theories but I'll keep them to myself so as not to start any "Internet false truths")

    Are you sure about that?

    https://imrpowder.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/h4895-reduced-rifle-loads.pdf

    Page clearly states H4895. Which is NOT the same powder as IMR4895.
     

    Melnic

    Ultimate Member
    MDS Supporter
    Dec 27, 2012
    15,278
    HoCo
    Got in the xlox lube as well as did the trade for 2400 powder
    I loaded up 15.0-18.0gr with the Lee 309-200gr bullet.
    I adjusted the depth to 3.025" which gets me to the point recommended to ride on the Lands. I pulled the firing pin and verified all 20 of what I loaded up would chamber and close the bolt w/o resistance.
    Here are the velocities and POI

    Grains velocity (avg)
    15.0 1474fps
    15.5 1505fps
    16.0 1540fps
    16.5 1554fps
    17.0 1575fps
    17.5 1592fps
    18.0 1612fps

    Pretty much every load had decent group size (taking into consideration my requirements of 2-4MOA @ 100 yards) but I was mostly just looking at the POI since I can't adjust windage on this rifle. Most of the loads were to the right (my 180gr factory loads were to the left). As I got to 18.0 they were centered and high (at 50 yards). I'm inclined to run a load test centering around 18.0 and see what happens next.

    I think the velocities are good and still in a safe range. (Lyman data on a 208gr bullet shows 21gr Max).
    No signs of over pressure on the primers
     

    Melnic

    Ultimate Member
    MDS Supporter
    Dec 27, 2012
    15,278
    HoCo
    I ran an Optimum Charge Weight (OCW) test today on 17.6-18.4 in .2gr increments (5 different loads) and shot at 50 yards today from the bench.
    Rounds 10-15 started getting vertical stringing so let it cool a few minutes for rounds 16-20. Per OCW process, you shoot 1 each cycling from charge to charge onto unique targets.
    So I saw how both the POI as well as grouping settled down when I was at 18.2gr of 2400. So winner winner chicken dinner.
    All except 17.6 were 3" high and 1" right @ 50 yards
    Excluding the vertical stringing shot, the group at 18.2 was 1" @ 50 yards so I'm eager to try this load again with more rounds the finally start shooting steel @ 100 yards
    18.0 as well as 18.4 were all still within my minimum requirements

    Again this is Lee 309-200 mold with xlox tumbled, gas checked and 18.2gr 2400 powder with OAL 3.060" @ 1625fps
     

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