I am getting excellent results with 120 grain jacketed bullets in my Norwegian Krag.  I use either Sierra or Nosler and they both shoot well.  However, I get keyholing when I use 140 grain cast lead, gas checked bullets, and the accuracy. of course, is abysmal.  Does anyone have any opinions or experience with this?  Thanks, I appreciate any help I can get.

Making cast bullets work well is a science and an art.  Two things will make it easier.  (1)  Slug your bore and cast your bullets .001" larger than the bore.  (2)  Use the right powder and charge--what works for a 140 grain jacketed bullet will usually not work well at all with a cast bullet.  Many other things are involved, but without these two being right you are wasting your time.

Personally, I use a 200 grain gas check slug dropped from a Lee mold.  It consists of wheelweights dropped into water.  I size my bullets to .311" and lube with Lee Liquid Alox.  I load them ahead of 16 grains of Aliant 2400.  This load works very well for me, but each rifle is different.

daveboy

Thanks.  How hard is it to slug my barrel?  Any advise on slugging a barrel would be appreciated too as I have never done so.  This forum is great.

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Thanks, guys.  A picture is worth a thousand words.  I will work up a load for that 6.5x 55.  Don't worry, I won't use that bullet/load in my Norwegian, but I will give it a try in my U.S. Krag.  I have that 200 gr. mold, but my Krag has not shot it well.  I will use that powder load with it.