Krag Collectors Association Forum

My go-to load for my 1903 cartouched M1898 is 40gr IMR 4350 pushing a Hornady 220gr RN to 2000fps. The rifle loves this load and routinely shoots MOA if I do my part. I also seat the bullets high to make up for the ridiculous amount of freebore in the Krag barrel. Just enough to fit in the magazine. I have all these dimensions in my notebook. I measured the freebore with my overall length gauge and just barely touch lands with a 220gr RN before it's out of the case. You just can't make up all that space built in there.

I believe the mandate of the 1901 sight came about in 1903. My theory for this is that they knew the 1903 Springfield was in the wings with a nearly identical except for windage rear sight. It was probably thought that training could be streamlined with an extremely similar rear sight on the standard training rifle with what will be the issue rifle. I love my 1901 sight and an very glad my rifle came with it.

The 1901 Buffington-style sight appeared after the NRA's U.S. team lost the 1901 Palma Match to the Canadian team. It was made an official U.S. Army sight so that it could be used in competition. Target shooters loved it, but ordinary soldiers hated the thing. That's why the Model 1902 sight appeared for the Krag.

Lots of good information here, thank you all! I need to order some 220 gr. RN .30 cal bullets and load some up.

That's a great group for iron sights, even assuming it is off the bench at 100 yds? Just for grins, do you recall if the four shots in the arc were consecutive, perhaps indicating the warming of the barrel or some other harmonic? With my old eyes, I'd have been afraid to fire the third shot!