1898 .30-40 vs 1894 6.5x55 for action stregnth?

[scottz63]

I'll be shooting the Krag at 500 meters this Saturday. 185 grain BTHP over IMR-4350. Hoping the rifle does well.
Also 220 grain RNFB as well.

Cool! Let us know how it goes.

[Rapidrob]

I was at the range this morning. The wind was supposed to be light, it was 15-25MPH. Not the best for 500 meter shooting.
The range Albuquerque Shooting Range Park in over 6,500 feet in altitude. Sea level designed sights are always off in the thinner air.
I set the sight to 500 yards, the range is 500 meters. The bullet went over the impact berm which is 25 feet high. I dropped the rear sight down to 400 yards and that placed the bullets into the man torso AR550 steel target with bullet hit flasher.
I fired the 185 grain Hornandy SST loads first and the hits were pretty good. The wind was gusting so any real groups were not going to be shot. I used the peep-sight reticle. I'm not a big fan of this sight due to its placement up in front of the receiver.
Hits were easy to do providing I did my part. Recoil was mild. Barrel heat once again was an issue after ten shots.
I then went to the 220 grain RNFB bullets. I had to hold at the targets head and still hit the target. If I moved the sight up one notch the bullet went over the target.
Recoil was stout but manageable.
The 220 grain bullets could be clearly heard over the wind. I only fired 6 shots of the 220's as the wind got much stronger making any stable shot very difficult.
He is a ten times telephoto shot of the 500 meter range.

My rifle on the front support only, sling not used.

Rear sight setting

185 grain bullets

220 grain bullets

[butlersrangers]

Wow, you have 'long-range' Krag shooting opportunity, that most of us can only envy!

At those distances, I would focus on 185 grain and 172 grain Match-King loads for better velocity and wind bucking.

[Culpeper]

That's some kind of good shootin' I tellya what.

[Rapidrob]

My range goes from 25 meters to 500 meters on the west side and 200-1,000 yards on the east side. This months match will be 500 meters. Next month will be 800 yards if the long range weather says the wind will be calm. We have a windy season here in New Mexico. There is nothing between our range and the North Pole except a three strand barbed-wire fence, and two of the strands are down!
As it turns out, five of my clubs members own Krags. I may even hold an impromptu Krag rifle/carbine match, perhaps at a fun distance of 300-385 meters just for giggles.
The rifle portion of the range starts at 200 meters, which is our sighting-in range.

[butlersrangers]

Hold the "First Annual KCA Forum - Gong Matches".

You might lure some of us with our Krags, out to New Mexico, and teach us all how to eat humble pie!

At 6,500 foot elevation, I would probably get out of breath, just working a smooth Krag bolt!

Your altitude would adjust my attitude. You guys play a whole different game.

[psteinmayer]

My son and I shot in the Long Range Match at Camp Perry back in 2019. We shot at 1000 yards with my 1903A3 and did well enough to be encouraging... however, long distance shooting is definitaly NOT for the faint of heart... especially since we were shooting a military rifle with iron sights against wayyyyy more experienced shooters with actual long-rance rifles (many of which were Palma qualified rifles)! At one point, I actually did consider using my Krag to shoot the 1000 yard match, but in the end, I went with the 03A3 and some slightly hot loads (178gr ELD-Match bullets with 60.0 grains of H4831SC and a CCI #34 primer) that beat the crap out of our shoulders!

[scottz63]

Nice shooting! Longest range around here is 200 yards with a steel gong.

[Rapidrob]

I started NEW MEXICO MILITARY SURPLUS RIFLE PISTOL SHOOTERS( NM MILSURPS) back in 1994.
Since then we have shot every weekend, 50 a year, at long range. I built stationary and remote control armored targets that ride rail road rails to simulate various targets one might encounter.
We are not para-military. We just have fun shooting as issued military firearms.
800 meters is the most popular with open sights.
We have not found a rifle or carbine that cannot hit the 800 meter target, even the AK47 type rifles will hold their own in trained hands.
IMHO in my collection, the Swiss 1911 rifle is hard to beat. With its floating barrel, accuracy does not suffer from a tight stock and barrel heat.
As for US rIfles, the 1917 Enfield comes in at a very close 2nd. Ian McCulllan of Forgotton Weapons came out and shot with us and won 2nd place using my M1917 and hand loads!
He posted a video shooting with us at 800 meters.
You can see it on YouTube.
A Krag match would be fun.