Krag Collectors Association Forum

A couple weeks ago, I picked up a quantity of Eggleston Bullets .309 dia 200 gr polymer coated bullets. Normally I use the Hornady 220 gr RN... but I wanted to try and eke a hair more accuracy out of the ole girl at Camp Perry this year... so I decided to give 'em a try. I loaded up 50 rounds to shoot at Kalamazoo on Sunday in a trial match. Here's my load data:

42 grains of H4831, CCI #34 primer, 200 gr Eggleston polymer coated RN bullet sized to .309, Winchester case (WW Super).

I'll let you all know how this works out.

Well, that didn't work at all. I only shot 5 rounds and they were all over the place... and must have been tumbling because one round went through the paper sideways! I immediately switched to my normal load of 220 gr Honady RN and 40.0 grains of IMR 4350 and proceded to shoot all 9s, 10s and an X which was dead center!!!

Curious to learn more about the bullets. Can you show picture?

Fascinating experiment. Key holing Krag from the bullets. Somehow they are really destabilizing down that barrel from the polymer tip. Keep us informed if you try them again or in a different Krag. I'll stick with my 220 gr RN bullets!

Paul, if it is a 'coated' Lead Bullet, maybe you are pushing them too fast.

Try cast bullet loads moving the projectile at 1500-1600 f.p.s.

Pretty sure they were coated lead Chuck.

Anyway, after switching quickly to the standard 220gr RN/40 gr 4350 loads I've been using for more than a decade, it's obvious that I shouldn't have messed with what worked... at least not without spending a lot of time doing more research, development and practice with it! I thought I could just load 'em up and go, and I know better than that (WTH was I thinking?)

Dr. Hudson and other fine Krag shooters of the early 1900's fired lots of practice matches using lead projectiles, out to 600 yards.

Economy and success were the motivators, plus some of the jacketed projectiles were problematic.

I am sure those coated lead bullets can be accurate, at a lower velocity, in your Krag and Swiss rifles.

Try them with a cast bullet load. After cleaning your barrel.