Thread: 30-40 Krag

Grandpamac I will keep you posted...it is a very ordinary SMLE but I have a good feeling about where this is heading and already feel the need for another CBR, perhaps a 303-25... always wanted one of those...then a 308 Souper or 308-25 but that's another story.....to be continued..

Originally Posted by Mangle

Grandpamac I will keep you posted...it is a very ordinary SMLE but I have a good feeling about where this is heading and already feel the need for another CBR, perhaps a 303-25... always wanted one of those...then a 308 Souper or 308-25 but that's another story.....to be continued..

Greetings Mangle,
One thing that is probably worth doing once you get your hands on it is to measure the barrel twist. It may be as slow as 1 in 14 inches. This would limit your choice of projectiles so it would be good to know sooner rather than later.
Regards Grandpamac.

Originally Posted by grandpamac

Greetings Mangle,
One thing that is probably worth doing once you get your hands on it is to measure the barrel twist. It may be as slow as 1 in 14 inches. This would limit your choice of projectiles so it would be good to know sooner rather than later.
Regards Grandpamac.

Greetings Mangle,
Thinking about the above post I realised I should have given rather more background so here it is.
Many Lee Enfield and other .303 rifles have been re barreled with take out target barrels from the days when the standard NRA target pill was a 146 grain boat tail FMJ. These were pretty crappy bullets but shot well in slow twist, tight groove barrels. The accuracy life of the barrels was quite short, barely 1,000 rounds with that pill. These barrels piled up in gunsmiths and target shooters sheds and someone, perhaps more than one, got the idea to re barrel the piles of .303 rifles with these barrels chambered for .30-40 Krag. The breech end was cut off so the worn bit wound up in the scrap bin leaving the barrels damn near new.
The slow twists however will not stabilise really long projectiles. Projectile stability is however determined by projectile length not weight and the 146 grain projectile is about 28 mm long. This is longer than any flat base round nose projectile up to 180 grains and flat base spire points up to about 165. My Martini Krag has a 1 in 12 inch twist and your rifle may do as well. Let me know when you are ready to load for it and I will send such data as I have. No point on starting from scratch again. My Martini shoots the 150 grain FB RN into about 1 MoA.
Regards Grandpamac.