I picked up a Yankee Artifacts Krag a couple months ago I finally had time to load some ammo and get to the range. Overall Iam happy with the rifle and it probably shoots as good as can be expected.

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Nice groups ... were they shot at 100 yards?

Did all projectiles feed well through your magazine?

(Bullet diameter is .308", not 3.08, unless you have an Artillery Krag).  :o

I'm glad you are enjoying your rifle.

Griff
Nice groups!  One of my 1898s prefers 160 gr bullets rather than the 180/220
Vic

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butlersrangers wrote on Feb 2^nd, 2020 at 3:29am:

Nice groups ... were they shot at 100 yards? Did all projectiles feed well through your magazine? (Bullet diameter is .308", not 3.08, unless you have an Artillery Krag).  :o I'm glad you are enjoying your rifle.

5 rd groups @100yds off a rest. 3.08” is the C.O.A.L the bullets were all .308 dia. For the most part everything feed well it seemed if there was an issue it was with the first round out of the mag after that they feed fine

Excellent work. The Krag shoots wonderfully!

I have been able to achieve close to or right at 1 MOA with my M1898 Krag rifle made in 1903 at 100 yards.

I have been working down at 200 and 300 yards though. I can get around 1 1/2 MOA at 200 and 300 yards now. I'm still trying to tweak my loads for longer distances. I've found the M1901 rear sight to be easiest for me to use with my Krag. I tried the M1902 with a larger peep hole in the Sgt Peep sight but just couldn't get the best sight picture compared to the raised ladder peeps on the M1901 rear sight. Make sure your front sight blade is nice and sharp and squared off. A blurry front sight blade doesn't help.

Keep up the good work!

Whig wrote on Feb 2^nd, 2020 at 1:56pm:

Excellent work. The Krag shoots wonderfully! I have been able to achieve close to or right at 1 MOA with my M1898 Krag rifle made in 1903 at 100 yards. I have been working down at 200 and 300 yards though. I can get around 1 1/2 MOA at 200 and 300 yards now. I'm still trying to tweak my loads for longer distances. I've found the M1901 rear sight to be easiest for me to use with my Krag. I tried the M1902 with a larger peep hole in the Sgt Peep sight but just couldn't get the best sight picture compared to the raised ladder peeps on the M1901 rear sight. Make sure your front sight blade is nice and sharp and squared off. A blurry front sight blade doesn't help. Keep up the good work!

After I settle on a load at 100yds Iam going to go out to 200yds-were our local “100yr old rifle” are shot. Hopefully the 100yd results will transfer out to 200.

I opted for the 1902 sight on advice from this forum and CMP Forum members for the windage adjustment. I made a complete new “peep” sight with a larger hole but I get a blurry ghost image with it so I’ve been using the regular rear leaf. Iam wondering if the 1901 sight might have been a better option. 

Nice Shooting and thanks for the additional details!

You should go back out to the 100 yard range and use the same loads and try out the M1901 sight, if you have one. I found a big difference, for me, and am sticking with it.

This is definitely an individual experience. Many find the M1902 better!

I was out shooting my Krag with a friend over New Years. He was shooting a Model 700 Remington in .308 with a nice scope on it. I was shooting my M1898 Krag made in 1903 with mint rifling and the M1901 rear sight with hand loads. After zeroing at 100 yards and shooting at 200 yards some, he started setting his scope for the 400 yard target which, at a friend's range, has a big metal plate with a 6 inch white round plate in the middle that swings back when hit.

My windage was set good and I started shooting just by holding over the center white plate. You could easily see misses. It took me three shots to hit the middle plate and I hit it three times in a row before he got his scope set on that same plate. He couldn't believe that with open sights and a 117 year old rifle I could outshoot him!

That's why I love Krags!

Whig wrote on Feb 2^nd, 2020 at 3:03pm:

You should go back out to the 100 yard range and use the same loads and try out the M1901 sight, if you have one. I found a big difference, for me, and am sticking with it. This is definitely an individual experience. Many find the M1902 better! I was out shooting my Krag with a friend over New Years. He was shooting a Model 700 Remington in .308 with a nice scope on it. I was shooting my M1898 Krag made in 1903 with mint rifling and the M1901 rear sight with hand loads. After zeroing at 100 yards and shooting at 200 yards some, he started setting his scope for the 400 yard target which, at a friend's range, has a big metal plate with a 6 inch white round plate in the middle that swings back when hit. My windage was set good and I started shooting just by holding over the center white plate. You could easily see misses. It took me three shots to hit the middle plate and I hit it three times in a row before he got his scope set on that same plate. He couldn't believe that with open sights and a 117 year old rifle I could outshoot him! That's why I love Krags!

New to Krags...my understanding was the rear handgaurd is different between a 1901 and 1902 sight?

Before I bought the rifle I was leaning towards a 1901 sight but I kinda got talked into a 02 sight

You are correct that the hand guards are different for these two sights. But, for shooting purposes, you can just remove the hand guard and mount the M1901 rear sight and go to the range. The barrel should not get so hot that you'll burn yourself without the hand guard. You can always look for the appropriate hand guard in the future if you want to keep the M1901 sight. It's all up to you!

The photo from the KCA home page below shows the different hand guards for the different rear sights.

Just a thought. You can certainly keep what you have and learn how to use it well like many others have done.

Good luck!

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Do the logical thing and buy another Krag with a model 1901 sight, like the rest of us do!

Krags are more contagious than the "Coronavirus".

I caught Kragovirus from the president of my cas club, I made the mistake of shooting his correct carbine, and bought 2 [my fake carbine and a Constabulary/school rifle] and then he and I infected another member of the club who bought a carbine and rifle. And then I got reinfected again last year and bought my 1896 rifle. As far as I know there’s no known cure.

I'll say, with an illness like Kragovirus, who needs to be healthy??

(Just kidding, God!)

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WOW!! 17, you are a very sick man. I like your Constabulary rifles and the brown carbine third from the left. Beautiful collection.

Oldest ones are on the right. Third from the left is M1899 carbine which is parkerized and looks rather nice. Has a M1901 carbine rear sight and short nosed 32 inch stock.

You better buy a couple of carbine crates!

Whig, you collect Krag carbines the way I used to collect Colt Woodsmans but I have cut back and haven’t bought one in a while. I’m thinking that the last 2nd series Match Target that I bought looked so terrible in the photos and everyone else thought so to, so I was surprised when I won the auction. When I got it the nastiness that the photo showed was red lint from what it was stored in not rust. Wiped it down and it was gorgeous. Got it for half to a third of it’s value. Kinda like my Krag rifle last year. Don’t think that I would buy a carbine carbine after realizing that my constabulary rifle is actually a carbine in disguise. I do like the extra walnut.

You're right that treasures are still out there often disguised as junk. I have come across a few great Krags that way, carbines, rifles, parts guns with great parts, etc. That's how I even gotten a couple M1896 carbine sights.

There are fewer and fewer like that out there, though. Too many people on to it!

I do hate to see so many Krag parts and stocks for sale on ebay and Gun Broker from good Krags disassembled for profit. I'm also seeing more Krags being sold even at auctions without hand guards because those are selling for so much.

I think I have an old Woodsman put away somewhere. I'll have to dig it out and see where it falls in the collectible market. Never have collected those.

But those Krags sure do multiply, don't they!

It is sad that the sum of a Krags parts are worth more than it’s whole. But most of that is where a seller overprices a rifle that has flaws that no true collector wants or casual shooter will pay so he sells it off a bit at a time to another probable collector or casual shooter who is willing to pay an inflated price and needs a certain bbl band, rear sight or handguard to complete his piecemeal rifle. A vicious cycle indeed.

Ok Whig... It's official:. I want to be adopted by you!  I want in on your will!!!

My son, Mr. Steinmayer- a 190 pound bouncy Krag Lover!!

You're in the will!

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That's a group to really drool over! If you don't mind me asking, how many RIFLES do you have? Thought I had a lot at 20 including all types - but clearly I'm not even in the running. :D :D :D

38-40, Dick. And a large box of parts, to boot!

I've loved every one I've bought! I get them, look them over, disassemble and clean each one carefully and reassemble. I've learned a ton with your's and every one else's help. I enjoy finding different details that I search for and learn about with what I have.

I've always loved collecting and have a passion for different things I've collected since I was about 8 (coins). Krags give me the ability to have another collecting passion, I learn the mechanics and gun smithing from them, have been working up good loads at the reloading bench and shoot them. The history that Krags have and the many changes they have endured over their short military lifetime has made this an excellent pursuit.

I don't have the time or drive to write a book about these like some of you guys. I just am doing it for myself.

One of these days I'll get a family picture of the rifles. Some of them below but not separated.

But I do like those carbines.

Thanks.

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What's that Italian "Zouave" doing in the 'woodpile'?

Good pickup. It was my oldest brother's who died 13 years ago. Repro .58 caliber from the 70s. I have a ton of bullets and powder for it but I've only shot it once.

Fun to see and smell the old black powder!

I've got an 'Antonio Zoli' Zouave, that I bought in 1967. I put many rounds through it, (8 to 10 thousand), during seven years of North-South Skirmish Association matches.

I had to replace the original sear and one percussion 'nipple'. It was quite accurate in 50 & 100 yard 'offhand' shooting.

I haven't shot it in 40 years, but, it always served me well and my eldest son wants it someday.

I wish I still had the original Smith's carbine that I shot in matches. That was a fast and accurate arm at 50 yards!

Boy did I get tired of casting Lead Bullets.

I keep mine in a 1910 (or so) vintage cast-iron 20-gun 1903 rack, with ring raised to the top. I use spacers at the bottom to keep all the muzzles at same height for locking.

I like what I have seen with some of those round racks. When I get some time and motivation, I would like to make one, or more, of those racks.

I recently had to reconfigure the lower part of my safe from 2/3 long guns, 1/3 shelves to all long guns and no shelves to make enough room for the critters. Need to pare down a bit probably. This is when I was swapping the shelving out....not everything.

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Nice Dining Ambiance at Your House!

Heck with circular gun racks.

Glass topped tables, with firearms under the glass, is what is needed!

BTW - Is the Australian Cadet Martini still in .310 caliber? B.S.A. or Greener?

Wow, what a great display!!
Vic

Trying this
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Thanks Ned, sorry 'things wandered off'.