Coyote Ammo

[Paul Kelly]

Hey folks. I just inherited a Krag and would love to use my carbine for the coyotes that attack my animals a few times a year. Ideally the ammo I would want would be something like lead so I don't cause wear on this awesome weapon that my great grandfather owned. What would be an ideal load for this situation, and is it possible to buy it, or do i need to buy the dies and cases and just reload? Not looking for high stress on this gun. I want it to last.

[madsenshooter]

I don't know of anyone loading lead bullet ammo right off hand. You can buy lead bullets and reload. The first and foremost thing to determine, what size bullet do you need. Krag bores can run from .308 to .312 and sometimes larger. You'll need to slug the bore and see just what you have. I use a pellet of #1 buck or a soft cast bullet for the 32 caliber pistols and a couple rods. One rod is a stop, the other a driver to make sure the lead is fully expanded to groove diameter.

Oh, wait. There's supposed to be a run of Cowboy Action 30-40 coming out soon. Don't see it in stock just yet. I can't find ballistic data either. A 165gr RN, at usual cast velocities it would make a nice hole in a Coyote. Hard cast, 1850fps or so would be easy to attain. I'd want more technical data before jumping into buying them.

[psteinmayer]

Just out of curiosity... why not jacketed? The Remington 180gr Core Lokt ammo should work great for the coyotes. Remember, the Krag was designed for jacketed ammo... and we've been shooting them for more than 100 years, and with little enough wear to still be accurate after said 100 years! Keep it clean and lubricated, and it should still be shooting great for years to come.

[madsenshooter]

Something I found while digging around for you is a thing I've not tried yet. That's coated cast bullets. It takes away the need for gaschecks and lubes and allows higher velocities without leading up the bore. I'd buy them large and let the throat do any sizing that might be needed. I'm still doing things the old fashioned way with gaschecks and lubes. https://www.grafs.com/retail/catalog/product/productId/75136

[butlersrangers]

I wish those long .309 cal. 'coated' bullets were 45 grains lighter!

[Paul Kelly]

I was thinking lead just to get more spreading when it hits something as small as a coyote. Also, it would be gentle on an older barrel. Last time I had one going after a chicken I only had my 30-06 at hand and the fully jacketed round went through its chest without slowing down. Not a very quick kill.

Has anyone tried those lipstick rounds? How are the Rem rounds? This gun is an inheritance, so I want to preserve it and put big holes in coyotes. :)

[Hoot]

I have used the lipstick bullets but only in handguns. 9mm and .380ACP. No complaints other than they smell a little like burning plastic (no surprise). I was advised to use a Lyman M-Die (broken record anyone?) to avoid shaving any of the coating. I do and they load slicker than conventional lead. Light crimp, if any, again to keep the coating intact. I intend to try some rifle bullets one of these days...too many projects.

[FredC]

I am thinking the reasons Krag barrels last so long is the modest pressures and velocities. At the lower pressures the heat of the powder burning is considerably less than a 308 with the same powder capacity. It seems like a 150 grain jacketed round nose might be the best ticket for lightly constructed varmints. The round nose 150 will be a little shorter than the 220 round nose the Krag was designed for but close enough that it should feed well. Each Krag has its own preference for loads but if the barrel is near .308 in diameter I might start with this.
Before I converted my sporter to 35 caliber I had used 130 grain 30/30 flat tip bullets and I do not remember any difficulty feeding, which would be another possibility as they should expand well at the higher Krag velocities.