30-40 loads

[psteinmayer]

Speaking of looking for a shooter... believe it or not - sometimes you'll see a good one at Cabelas. I found a pretty nice 98 about a year ago at the Dundee, Michigan Cabelas... with a great bore and a 1901 rear sight (They also had a cutdown "Bubba" sporter in a 99 carbine stock that was being touted as a "True" carbine, and way overpriced... so just be careful when looking). I also usually see quite a few Nice Krags at the Michigan Antique Arms Show. They are out there waiting to be found!

[madsenshooter]

Mark, I've had my Krag for quite a long time but have only put maybe 100 rounds through it. I want to make a chamber casting and slug the bore to see where I am in that regard. I load and shoot lots of cast bullets for handguns, but have never gotten into casting my own, although I'm seriously thinking about it and have been looking at the available moulds for rifle bullets in the 200-220g weights. Thanks for your input!

I've built a couple out of parts, working on number 3, an 1898 with Italian walnut stock that I had to get a custom forearm made for of European walnut to approximate the right color. Mark has restored a few too. The Krag is the perfect cast bullet rifle in my opinion. The most one is going to try to get out of a cast bullet is around 2000fps, though I've had little bullets faster in an AR15, and my K31. The low pressures needed to get 2000fps or less is right up the Krag's alley. Case has a nice long neck to keep the base of the bullet above the neck/shoulder junction, and it just seems to work right. Since I live in the middle of the squirrel woods, I could just imagine loading the cutoff down to squirrel shooting speeds. That'd be fun, and pretty easy as I already have some cast loads one can shoot golf balls at 100yds with. That'll be the project once the Camp Perry party is over, as the season ought to be in toward the end of the month. I love my tree rats!

[Bob S]

For what it's worth, I believe that in older military rifles, the load that works best is what it was designed to shoot. For this reason, I only shoot ... 150 gr FMJ in my Garand,

Paul

Paul,

The M1 rifle was designed around the M1 ball cartridge: Frankford Arsenal 172 grain FMJBT at around 2600 fps. The M2 ball cartridge and 150 grain FB bullet (not to be confused with M1906 Ball) came later. I shot my last supply of FA 37 M1 Ball in a match at Reading, Mass in 1984. The lot that I had shot better than all of the M72 Match that I have fired before that or since.

Most .30 1:10 barrels are remarkably flexible, but I can tell you for a fact that a 1:10 twist will not shoot the 155 grain Palma load worth a damn at 1000 yards.

"Make RANGER run!" (My boss in the shipyard in Boston had been the Chief Engineer in RANGER)

[MAG-63]

That's actually the USS Ranger CV-61... I was stationed on her from 87 to 91, and did three deployments, including Desert Shield/Desert Storm. It's a Forrestal class!

As for your Arisaka, Norma brass is available from Cabelas online, Midway, or Cheaper Than Dirt. I load a 174 gr FMJ bullet over 39 grains of IMR4064, which works very well. Beware though... the Arisakas have a rather roomy throat, and the case neck expands quite a bit... when sizing, you will need to lube the hell out of the cases! You should post pictures on the Japanese rifles forum... I'm sure we'd all love to see it!!!

Paul

Very good! I was lucky enough to go aboard the Saratoga just before she left Mayport for her final cruise. Like I said, I couldn't tell from the photo, so I didn't realize that was a super carrier. My father served on 2 Essex class CVs in the 1950s. I started my military career in the Navy, but in Lockheed P-3 Orion sub hunters. Never did any "boat time" myself.

I probably will start doing something with the Arisaka, especially since my son is showing an interest in reloading.

[psteinmayer]

The M1 rifle was designed around the M1 ball cartridge: Frankford Arsenal 172 grain FMJBT at around 2600 fps. The M2 ball cartridge and 150 grain FB bullet (not to be confused with M1906 Ball) came later.

Roger that Bob... Understood.

[Bob S]

Paul,

Yabut shoot whatever works *for you*!

Resp'y,
Bob S.