Bought a Krag, where to start?

[Flatlander15]

Forgive me if this is obnoxious. It's a multi parter so bear with me. So I ended up purchasing my first Krag! It's a cut down (nicely) 1896. I've been reading as much as I can on reloading and casting bullets plus watching YouTube videos galore. Safety is my priority followed closely by doing it right the first time.

Immediately after the deal was done I purchased 50 unprimed 30-40 cartridges from Grafs.

Over the next few months I will be getting the necessary equipment to cast bullets, and reload the rounds. Here is where my confusion begins. I'm not exactly sure what to get. I'll be casting 50 bullets at a time so I don't *think* I'll need a large furnace.

I was thinking this
http://www.midwayusa.com/product/1262210973/lee-melter-furnace-110-volt

What else aside from a dipper and skimmer do I really need?

What kind of lead is best for these old gals? Pure lead or a mix? I keep seeing people mention wheel weights so I'm more confused.

As to a mold, I will hold off until the bore gets slugged but I was thinking a two cavity mold. Are gas checks necessary? I was thinking round nose only since that is what it was designed for.

I'm only going to use the rifle for 50-100 yard plinking and want to have the lightest recoil possible. 2-5 inch groups will keep me more than happy. What combination of powder and bullet weight has worked for such a load? I know every rifle is different and I will need to tailor but a good base at the lowest end of power is a good starting point.

[Flatlander15]

For dies I plan on there

http://www.midwayusa.com/product/128795/lee-pacesetter-3-die-set-30-40-krag

And for a press I will be getting this

http://www.midwayusa.com/product/121744/lee-challenger-breech-lock-single-stage-press

From research I keep seeing that if you only reload for one rifle, you only need to resize the neck. Ive read that with the lee full size resized you can adjust the die to only do the neck. Is that correct/easy to do? I'll probably only shoot 1-200 rounds of low power plinking ammo a year. How long does new brass usually last?

I'll be buying loading data, purchasing digital calipers and a primer pocket cleaner. What else am I missing aside from primers and powder?

Thank you in advance and sorry for being so long winded.

[Tom Butts]

I have used a Lee turret press for years and have been very happy with it.

[RichWIS]

Suggest a bottom pour, a bit faster and no handling dippers full of lead each casting session. You will also need some way to size and lube the bullets. Lee makes a kit and there is also the old Lyman/RCBS/SAECO sizer lubricators that size and lube in one operation.

I cast with an old Lyman ten pound bottom pour pot and size and lube with a Lyman 450 sizer lubricator. I size at .310 d use either Hornady or Gator gaschecks. I have an old sporter that like the Lyman 311284 cast hard and pushed by 10 grains of Blue Dot.
I get the impression from your post that you are new to casting, if so go to the Cast Boolits forum, full of good info on tools, alloys, etc.
The moderate report and recoil with cast make the old Krags a lot of fun. You might find that your 50 rounds becomes one trip to the range.

[psteinmayer]

For what it's worth... I've been using LEE Pacesetter 30-40 dies for more than 30 years now, as well as the same ole Challenger press, and I've never had a problem! Yes, when keeping brass with the same rifle, it's always best to neck-size only. I have brass that I keep designated for my cast Bench Rest Krag Sporter alone!

Madsenshooter got me going with cast, and he also casts my bullets for me. He... along with Rich and others are a wealth of cast knowledge! I shoot a NOE 311365 sized to .310 and at 185 gr gas checked. I load these with 19.0 grains of AA-5744 and a CCI-200 primer. I can almost plug the same hole twice at 200 yards with this round in my BR Sporter Krag (1898 cutdown to 24", Bishop Target stock, and with a KragHaus long mount and LER scope). Recoil is quite modest with this round also!

[Hoot]

For dies I plan on there

http://www.midwayusa.com/product/128795/lee-pacesetter-3-die-set-30-40-krag

Flatlander, I'll make you a deal. I have an extra set of Lee dies that I will send you if you PM me a mailing address. It's not the Pacesetter dies as it is missing the Factory Crimp Die but it is a 2-die set complete with shell holder, scoop and paper insert. They were originally in a round 'box' but it will mail much easier in a flat one. Just let me know.

[Flatlander15]

That is very kind of you! I'll gladly pay for it. If you won't accept that then I will find something to pay it forward with.

I slugged the barrel today with an old lead sinker, did it per instructional guides and youtube videos. Seat, 7" sections of wooden dowel rod, lightly tap until it falls out. Then I ran out and got calipers.

Upon measuring, the diameter was between .3030 and .3070 after six or seven measurements all the way around at different points on the slug. Does this seem right? The barrel looks brand new, not a speck of frosting anywhere. There were also no loose spots when slugging and .

I keep reading on the 308-312 range is what people seem to use for bullets, would something as large as that be unsafe in the gun? This is all brand new to me so I'm trying to absorb like a sponge. The thought of shooting a 100+ year old rifle is exciting!

[reincarnated]

Flatlander, welcome. There are lots of how-to videos, etc. but I think you are better off asking questions of guys who mess about with old rifles. Since you slugged the barrel, hopefully with a SOFT lead sinker (no idea of the alloy, but if you could push it down the bore with a wood dowel, it is probably soft enough). And you learned a lot with that all that tapping. What sort of calipers were used for the groove measurement? Some of the low end jobs do not do a good job. You get what you pay for. Most original Krag barrels run .307 to .312, but a lot of remodeled Krags have barrels from other sources.

On cast bullets: Conventional wisdom says to use bullets about .002" oversize, to seal the bore & to prevent gas leaks around the bullet that cut the bullets & tend to leave lead the barrel. I've been casting a long time (almost 70 years). I use a Lee bottom pour pot because it is easy to empty. But I use a dipper with a nozzle. Once you learn how to use the dipper, your bullets will be more uniform than from a bottom pour. Use the dipper to stir the pot. Flux early.

Double cavity moulds mean greater variance & at least 2X as many rejects. Single cavity moulds are lighter, easier to use and easier to keep at the right temperature. Don't think you are only going to cast 50 and quit. Your first 10+ will probably be rejects unless you have a really good custom-made mould. Get an old bath towel & fold it double the long way. Drop your first bullets at one end and keep dropping them in a line. Cast 100+, when you are done, inspect and weigh each one. Keep notes. The learning curve is steep.

Sizing dies & lubri-sizers are not necessary for beginners. Pick a lube that can be melted in a double boiler and learn to pan lube. That is good enough for starting. Same thing for gas checks. Those can come later.

Priming: I use a Lyman 310 tool for my Krag loads. You only have 50 cases. High capacity not needed. More anon.

[reincarnated]

Part 2 of my rant: Primer pocket cleaners are nice, but a little flat-bladed screwdriver is just as good.

Lead: Get a batch of known alloy lead, 20 parts lead to 1 part tin. Or get a Lyman #2 alloy. That has more tin and a smidge of antimony. You can shoot #2 faster than 20:1 lead. I buy from Rotometals. They are good folks to deal with. Stay away from wheel weights, dive weights & fish sinkers. That is unknown crap. You can ruin a good pot in a hurry. That crappy alloy cannot be good for your rifle barrel.

Loading press: You are loading a few Krag cartridges, not mass production for some auto-jammer. 1950s technology does fine. I bought a Herter's C press (made by Pacific) in 1958. I've had others & got rid of them. Still use the Herter's, with the RCBS shell-holder kit. The other guys like Lee dies. I prefer C-H 4D. It is just personal choice. RCBS is unnecessarily expensive.

Powder: Cast bullets in a Krag is jumping back a century, back to steam engines, passenger trains & Model A Fords. Most new manuals are for jacketed bullets & high velocity. Find 3 or 4 old manuals, plus Phil Sharpe's Complete Guide to Handloading (1937) (available on the net). Look for loads in the 1300-1500 fps range. Think about starting with IMR powders, because they were used in the 1930s. Get yourself a relative burning rate list. Remember that fast powders & heavy bullets in a Krag case can lead to problems if you overdo it.

Some of the handiest things you can get or make are wooden cartridge blocks. They hold the cases rim down, just by sticking the case in a hole in the wood, so you can complete one step in loading on all your cases and then move on to the next step.

You need a good scale for weighing each charge of powder, and a funnel for pouring the weighed charge into the case.

Be sure to keep notes on everything. And get a couple of good cartridge boxes to take your loads to the range. Take more notes & save your targets.

[psteinmayer]

As for primer pocket cleaning, there's another option if you have the equipment: If you have a Dremel rotary tool, get yourself a few No.405 brass end brushes. This really cleans the pockets... and quickly. You could also use the bristle end brush but they wear out very fast (after a dozen cases or so). Do NOT use steel because they will wear away the brass and destroy the pockets. I've been cleaning my pockets this way for several years now.