Best Target Ammo?

Ammunition, reloading, shooting, etc
Andylit
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Joined: Fri Nov 16, 2018 4:43 am

Best Target Ammo?

Post by Andylit »

Yes, yes, I know. Never ask a room full of junkies what the best buzz is :P

But seriously, I did some archive searching and didn't find much on ammo preferences for the 1898.

I've decided to purchase the rifle listed in the classifieds. Now the big question is, what ammo do I want?

The Poyer book doesn't have any mention I saw on ammo specifications. When searching online I see several bullet sizes/shapes and a variety of manufactures.

My plan is for range shooting, no hunting, so penetration and expansion are not a factor for me. I do want to avoid any rounds that are overpowered for the rifle.

Powder has improved quite a bit since those old days, so I wouldn't be comfortable just comparing powder loads of the day with modern ammo.

So, with all that said, what do you guys recommend? Or at least, are there any rounds you would avoid?

Thank you,

Andy

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butlersrangers
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Re: Best Target Ammo?

Post by butlersrangers »

'Andylit' - U.S. factory ammo (Remington and Winchester) has long taken in to account the pressure limitations of the Krag action.

The commonly available commercial round is a 180 grain, Soft Point, hunting load, with the bullet moving at around 2,400 f.p.s. Most Krags shoot and feed this load without problems. Pressures are below 40,000 pounds per square inch.

Save your Brass. Most Krag shooters become reloaders. This opens endless possibilities.

If you start reloading, get a good recent reloading manual that mentions the loads being intended for the Krag and offers lots of bullet and powder options.

Andylit
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Joined: Fri Nov 16, 2018 4:43 am

Re: Best Target Ammo?

Post by Andylit »

'Andylit' - U.S. factory ammo (Remington and Winchester) has long taken in to account the pressure limitations of the Krag action.

The commonly available commercial round is a 180 grain, Soft Point, hunting load, with the bullet moving at around 2,400 f.p.s. Most Krags shoot and feed this load without problems. Pressures are below 40,000 pounds per square inch.

Save your Brass. Most Krag shooters become reloaders. This opens endless possibilities.

If you start reloading, get a good recent reloading manual that mentions the loads being intended for the Krag and offers lots of bullet and powder options.


My plan is to pick up a case of 400 rounds or so. That should give me more than enough range time to decide if I'll be shooting this rifle frequently.

If yes I will get a die set. Do these rifles want jacketed or can they digest plain lead? Casting my own slugs would take the cost down even more.

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butlersrangers
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Re: Best Target Ammo?

Post by butlersrangers »

A Krag with a nice bore is a 'cast bullet shooter's dream'.

400 rounds of factory ammo will cost on the scale of $600.

IMHO - For that kind of money, you can buy a few boxes of factory 'fodder', a couple of hundred new unfired cartridge cases, primers, powder, jacketed bullets, Dies, a reloading press, scale, and manual (and shoot a lot more)!

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Kerz
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Re: Best Target Ammo?

Post by Kerz »

Absolutely agree with bultersrangers. Reloading is the only way to go for "target" quality ammo. You'll only be taken a chance on the purchase of several 100 rds of factory ammo. What shoots well in my rifle may not repeat in yours. ImageImage
Preparedness + Opportunity= Luck

NRA Benefactor Member
KY & WV State Rifle & Pistol Association Life Member

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Culpeper
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Re: Best Target Ammo?

Post by Culpeper »

Don't listen to any of those guys! Dear lord! Krags are dangerous. Send all of your Krag stuff to me for proper disposal.

Hehehehe

Several things:

I have heard, heard mind you, that hornady brass is a hair shorter than Rem or Win brass. Just a thing I need track down to verify.

Buy up a hundred rounds of commercial ammo and run off of it as you decide what you want to do. Just remember that Remington and Winchester only make production runs every couple of years. We are fat with Krag ammo at the moment because of the latest batch in the last year. It was what, three or four years, trying to find any thing more than a couple of boxes here and there. So buy up a couple of cases and set them back for the long haul. Work off of two boxes and replace as the brass wears out. Psteinmayer says he has reloaded his tens of times without brass failure using low pressure loads.

Speaking cast bullets.

http://www.lasc.us/ArticlesFryxell.htm
http://www.lasc.us/FryxellCB30-40Krag.htm

Madsenshooter has posts about his adventures with cast bullets.

Sources

I am a fan of Winchester and Remington brass. Call me fickle. Soooooo. Book mark the ammoseek web site for future reference.

https://ammoseek.com/ammo/30-40-krag

Frankly buy as much as you can afford. It'll never go bad as long as it is stored properly as you may well know. Then you can post ammo porn photos on the days you are bored and want to liven things up a bit.

http://www.kragcollectorsassociation.org/cgi-bin/yabb2/YaBB.pl?num=1534775315 :D

Deacon in the Church of the Mighty Krag. Member of PETA (People Eating Tasty Animals).  Liberty Works Radio

Andylit
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Re: Best Target Ammo?

Post by Andylit »



Frankly buy as much as you can afford. It'll never go bad as long as it is stored properly as you may well know. Then you can post ammo porn photos on the days you are bored and want to liven things up a bit.

http://www.kragcollectorsassociation.org/cgi-bin/yabb2/YaBB.pl?num=1534775315 :D



So....you're saying that size (of your cache) does matter?

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Culpeper
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Re: Best Target Ammo?

Post by Culpeper »

Well, yeah!

Finding the right load that wrings out the best accuracy in a given rifle is the important thing. Oh we can go merrily along and just shoot at deer or groundhogs or paper with guns that are minute of barn door accurate but where is the challenge? Shooting an inch group at two hundred is interesting. Having the materials to get to that end is a good start. Like say eighty-five pounds of new linotype for .309 cast bullets.

All I need now are a couple of molds.

Brass - check
Powders - check
Primers - check
Jacketed bullets - check
Time - um, check
Brain power to put it all together at the range - working on it





Deacon in the Church of the Mighty Krag. Member of PETA (People Eating Tasty Animals).  Liberty Works Radio

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butlersrangers
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Re: Best Target Ammo?

Post by butlersrangers »

'Cache'? You waiting for an insurrection or Zombie Apocalypse?

Ammunition is intended to be shot!

Components are intended to be loaded into ammunition and then shot!

Andylit
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Joined: Fri Nov 16, 2018 4:43 am

Re: Best Target Ammo?

Post by Andylit »

'Cache'? You waiting for an insurrection or Zombie Apocalypse?

Ammunition is intended to be shot!

Components are intended to be loaded into ammunition and then shot!


Yes, yes, and I agree.

We rotate stock. Typically keep 5k of 5.56 on the shelf, 2.5k of .45 ACP, 9mm, .357, etc.

We go through that in a year or so, replenishing as its used.

Now that I have a permanent home in the sticks with 100 yards I will be picking up a progressive press. Lots of brass in buckets already, small melting pot for my cap and ball shooting already in use.

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