1898 Springfield Krag as a hunting rifle? (pics)

[davek]

I've recently inherited a sporterized Springfield model 1898 .30-40 Krag, and upon studying up on it, the word "inferior" keeps popping up. I'm interested in some knowledgeable input on how good it would be as a hunting/mutant zombie sniping rifle.

Here are some pics:















Thanks.

 

[ACP230]

With the engraving and the nice wood, I wouldn't want to use that rifle too hard.
If it's in .30-40 Krag it's a capable deer and bear rifle.
I wouldn't put a scope on it unless it'd already been drilled and tapped.

I have a sporterized Krag, but it is quite austere compared to yours.

 

[davek]

With the engraving and the nice wood, I wouldn't want to use that rifle too hard.

Yeah, it was sporterized back when form was almost as important as functiion in a "working" gun.

I wouldn't put a scope on it unless it'd already been drilled and tapped.

I don't know if it has or not. My grandad put a Lyman peep sight on it, but I don't know enough about rifles to know if it had to be drilled and tapped or not. I do know that I haven't figured out how to get the damn thing off though.

I have a sporterized Krag, but it is quite austere compared to yours.

Austere yeah, austere <flips quickly through dickshunery>

Yeah you're right. Mine was made in the U.S.A. <rimshot>

 

[ReadyontheRight]

It's value as a military collector is diminshed because of the stock and the engraving. However, the .30-40 Krag is an excellent deer cartridge and the 1898 should be very accurate. Others who track ballistics can chime in, but I think the .30-40 Krag has ballistics at least as good as 30-30.

It would be a shame to drill holes in the receiver unless they're already there. Since zombie "sniping" would be better with a scoped rifle, I suggest you keep the Krag as-is, use it for a year or two and save up for a used Remington 700 or Win 70 in .30-06 if you want more power and a scope. As far as zombie invasion or SHTF, scopes break a lot more readily than iron sites. You've got a good battle rifle there disgused as a parlor decoration.

Don't sell the Krag -- especially if it was a family member's. Someday "sporterized" military rifles will have collector value -- kind of like the 50's hot rod cars -- simply because they don't make the base rifle anymore. Decorative work like this may someday be worth a lot, who knows?

Again -- don't sell or trade it, but if you do plan to get rid of it, I'd make you an offer.

 

[ReadyontheRight]

If it was your Grandfather's, DO NOT sell or trade it.

Get out and shoot it like he had it set up w/ the peep sight. Get the 200 yard targets they use for highpower competition and see how accurate a good rifle can be. I bet you'll like it.

 

[davek]

Don't sell the Krag -- especially if it was a family member's. Someday "sporterized" military rifles will have collector value -- kind of like the 50's hot rod cars -- simply because they don't make the base rifle anymore. Decorative work like this may someday be worth a lot, who knows?

Oh, I wouldn't think of selling it. My Grandad's collection (what was left after he donated a huge portion to the NRA) got split up when he died. I don't know what's going to happen to the others, but at least my portion will stay in the family.

 

[Jim K]

Keep the peep sight and shoot the rifle. You just might be surprised.

Jim

 

[ReadyontheRight]

Oh, I wouldn't think of selling it.

Good! Get out and shoot that beauty!

 

[Brad Johnson]

What a work of art - that's an absolutely beautiful gun!

Just be careful to use moderate loads. The locking lugs on the Krag action will not stand up to repeated hot loads. I have seen, first hand, a Krag action with the lockging lugs noticeably deformed after ONE extremely "hot" handloaded round.

Brad

 

[davek]

Readyontheright and Brad Johnson,

Thanks! I'll be sure to only feed it spec ammo.

 

[Legionnaire]

No, don't sell it. But if you decide to, drop me a line!

 

[davek]

I'd have to adopt you first.

 

[Vern Humphrey]

Quote
-------------------------------------
I think the .30-40 Krag has ballistics at least as good as 30-30.
-------------------------------------

At least!

The .30 US Army (which civilians called the .30-40) drove a 220 grain round nose bullet to about 2,000 fps. When loaded with lighter bullets, it gains about 2-300 fps on the .30-30.

Old timers used to say there was something about the .30-40, and it killed elk and moose better than the .30-06.

They were right!

In those days, bullet design wasn't as advanced as it is now -- a 220 grain bullet with a soft jacket and core would open up nicely, and with it's great sectional density just keep plowing on, penetrating deeply.

The .30-06, with lighter bullets at higher velocity was more prone to bullet failure.

Nowadays, of course, you can use premium bullets and drive them as fast as you wish -- but the old .30-40 will still do today what it did then. No one who considers the .45-70 to be an elk or moose rifle can sneer at the .30-40.

 

[ACP230]

Let me rephrase:

"I have a sporterized Krag, but mine looks awfully darn plain compared to yours."

 

[4v50 Gary]

While it might be inferior to other cartridges out there, it is superior to others. So how much umph[/] or MV or ME does one need to kill a deer? Heck, there are still guys using black powder rifles that don't approach the 30-40 Krag in ballistics. Using a 30-40 Krag beats using a bow too.

It's a beautiful rifle and it's tastefully sporterized. The stripes on the wood is gorgeous and the engraving tasteful. It's a keeper.

 

[tex_n_cal]

Maybe this will tell you what I think about Krags...

 

[tex_n_cal]

And yes, that group was really shot at 100 yards - before I mounted the peep sight.

What other folks have said - the Krag has a smooth, reliable action. It is similar in power to a .300 Savage, more than a .30-30 and much more than a 7.62x39. It can and has taken anything in North America. I guess its contemporary, the 7mm Mauser, was a better rifle, but not by much.

Add me to the list of those who'll buy your rifle if you don't want it.

 

[MrAcheson]

I guess its contemporary, the 7mm Mauser, was a better rifle, but not by much.

I think the real superiority of the Mauser was that it reloaded with stripper clips and the krag is shoot one, load one. It technically had better range too, but I bet that was somewhat less important to ROF issues.

 

[theCZ]

Now that's a beautiful Krag! My grandfather has a winchester model 95 in 30-40 Krag. We went out to shoot it a year ago and found out that the rear sight was stuck on the ~300 yard setting. Aparently, that's about the range that he took most of his mulies growing up. I'd sure love to see what yours can do!

 

[davek]

That makes two of us. It took me a while to find a place locally that sold the ammo. The first five places I went I kept getting the same reaction when I asked for .30-40 Krag...

Now that I've gotten some, I haven't been able to get to the range. :banghead:

 

[Cosmoline]

That's no bubba job! Very nicely done. I would not discount its value just because purists poo-poo it. Vintage sporterized rifles still fetch good prices.

That aside, the rifle is excellent for hunting. It favors heavy, RN bullets at moderate velocities. In the same category as the old 1891 Argentine Mausers. Ballistics with heavy bullets are superior to the .30/30 and can drop heavy game.

 

[30Cal]

I just like how well they're built. If you look at how well the bolt is fit, the polish of all the parts--you won't see that on any military rifle made since. Heck, it's probably better built than the vast majority commercial rifles put out these days.

 

[David4516]

Nice Rifle! If you don't want it, I would be more than happy to take it off your hands...

My limited experiance with Krags has been very positive. The one my friend had was very accurate. Don't let anybody tell you that it's not a good hunting rifle. 30-40 is great for deer, and should work just fine for elk at closer ranges.

Stick with either the round nosed bullets, or the boat tailed ones. These kinds of bullets should expand better at Krag velocity than spitzer type bullets. Also, if I remember right, Krags like heavy bullets. Try not to use anything lighter than 180 grs...

 

[schromf]

Krag

Thats a very pretty Krag, and I wouldn't fiddle with it. The Krag action is a very slick action, very smooth and that contributed to a lot of customised Krags. The bad news is they are not a real strong action, do not be tempted to soup your 30-40 Krag up to 30-06 or .308 ballistic's. The rifle wasn't made for it and a lot of old timers found this out the hard way, it not the strongest action, its not an old 98 Mauser and never will be.

30-30 ballistics hardly. Its closest contemporary cartridge to compare it to would be the 300 Savage or a 303 British, although the 30-40 wins by a small margin against the Savage and equals the British Service round. Without hot roding it, in a sound servicable Krag that can be safely loaded with 165gr bullets at 2450-2500 FPS, or 180gr @ 2400. Which makes it more than adequate for all game in the continental US. It would be not be my first choice of rifles in Alaska, when dealing with big bears in close cover, but was once a very popular round with the old sodbusters. I think at one time a Krag could be bought for $7-10 which put a lot of old Krags in civilian hands. There is a saying that any round that was adopted by the US Army, will maintain a certain popularity, and I think the 30-40 is no exception to this. Not as popular today as it was 40 years ago, the round is listed in all current loading manuals, and Winchester still sells factory ammo for it, in 180gr Powerpoints.

Your rifle in no way looks abused, but if you are in doubt have a gunsmith check the headspace ( a safety precaution I like to do in older rifles )

 

[Ironbarr]

Still Learning...

30-40 Krag...

When was the ammo born? What's the 30-40 mean?

And better still, (searched, can't find) where online do I find other older caliber info/history?

Thanks.

-Andy