Just to take the pressure off, and answer your questions, yes, they hold the National Matches every summer (end of July/early August time frame).  The Roosevelt Match is new this year to commemorate and Honor Theodore Roosevelt, who is the father of the CMP and the National Matches.  Now, I will have to admit, I've never seen someone shooting a Krag Carbine at the matches... but there's no reason someone couldn't... and I think it would be a welcome sight!  As Cat-Man stated, there are always local matches to get you started in match shooting... and there will be plenty of people there that will help you get started.

Cat-Man, I started with that Hand Loader at the kitchen table, LOL!  Can't tell you how many primers I set off with that stupid priming tool that came with it (a little too aggressive with the hammer). 

You should go and check out a local Vintage match too... just to see how they are conducted... and to see how much fun they are! 

As for progressive presses, my feelings are this:  if you are loading a thousand rounds of pistol ammo a month, then get one!  If you're loading a couple hundred rounds of Rifle ammo a month, they are (IMHO) totally unnecessary!  I load (on average) 200 to 250 rounds each month to support my son and my self with three relays per match a month.  I do all of this with my 30+year old LEE Challenger press at a rate of around 100 rounds per couple hours, after work in the evenings.  It does me well.  Heck, My press doesn't even have the quick change die capability that the newer presses have!  Oh, and just in case you were wondering, I load for 5 different rifles calibers (30-40 Krag, 30-06[1903A3], 30-06[Garand Rifle], 7.7x58MM[Arisaka], 7.5x55 Swiss[K31]), and 6 different pistol calibers (.45 ACP, 9mm, 38 Special, 357 Magnum, 44 Magnum, and a very rare 10.4mm Italian Ordnance [I have to convert .44 special brass for this]).

Also, with regard to those automatic charge devices, many use them with great success... but I am just a little too OCD, so I weigh each and every charge (if something went wrong and I blew up my Krag because I got the charge wrong, I have no one to blame but myself... and I'd also never forgive myself!).  Also, you have to clean them very carefully when changing powders.  One grain of Bullseye in with a charge of 4064, and it's goodbye Charlie!

I think the main reason Carbines are not used has to do with the sling.  An "As-Issued" Krag carbine would not have sling swivels, and most of us use the sling for position shooting (they are not permitted for off-hand/standing).  However, if you're good, it wouldn't be necessary.  I would think the Carbine would have the advantage in Off-Hand, as you wouldn't have that heavy 30 inch barrel to heft and steady for each shot.

Yeah What Steinmayer says.  I use Corbin's Mega-mite 2 fifty cal press.  Don't buy one unless you are insane then by all means knock your self out.  I was going to shoot fifty cal benchrest rifles but life got in the way.  This press weighs 70 pounds.  So instead of buying another press I just put in the adapter and pressed on.  My first go at reloading Krag ammo was 140 cases and it took me an hour or so.  All primed first then one powder and one bullet and repeated 140 times. You can never be too paranoid to load ammo.

The thing you can really do for yourself is get Hornady locking rings for your die sets unless you are using Hornady dies.  They clamp to your dies, do not damage your threads and have flats so you can use an open end wrench to get the dies off the press without moving your settings

You all have suck an awesome wealth of knowledge! Thank you so very much.

Are Hornady presses any good? I was thinking of jetting over into PA to hit up my local Cabella's and I think they carry Hornady presses on the floor. Unfortunately the People's Rupublic of New Jersey deems firearms 'weapons of mass destruction' so many of the local sporting goods stores have a rather anemic stock of accessories.

Also what is this annealing that I am hearing / reading about? Is that a process that is needed to reload your own? How about casting your own bullets? Does lead work well in Krags? I also assume that there are different types of powders and that a Krag would like a slower burning powder since it's an older rifle and the tech back then can't match the newer faster burning powders.

All in all thanks again. If I have more reloading questions I think I should probably just make a thread in the reloading section! Haha.

~Man-Goat

Hornady or LEE are about the same, with LEE being a little less in price.  Both use quick change adapters for the dies, although each uses a slightly different system of quick change.  Both are a great value too! 

Cast bullets work great in Krags. Lead is less forgiving in size than jacketed, so you will want to slug your barrel to know the exact size.  Madsenshooter is a wonderful resource with regard to loading and shooting cast, and taught me a great deal.  He makes the bullets for me that I shoot in my sporterized Benchrest Krag. 

Now, for powders, you will want to stick to the load tables in the manuals until you're well versed in loading and the exactitudes of the different powders.  Slower-burning powders are better with heavier bullets, and slightly faster with lighter... etc.  With cast, most use much faster burning powders, such as pistol/shotgun powders.  The Lyman 49th has extensive data for both jacketed and cast bullets.

Yes, if you post in the ammunition section, or even just read, you'll gain a wealth of knowledge.... and there is no shortage of helpful people (including myself) to be found there!  Fear not buddy... we'll get you headed in the right direction!   

I would guess that whether or not the Roosevelt runs again next year depends on turn out this year.  With a lot of fellows rebuilding old Krags, I would expect to see a lot of them on the firing line.  Cheapest way to get into the game, considering the price of an 03 vs a Krag put together from parts, or the bargain basement prices one occasionally finds for a Krag in good condition.  New barrels for both carbine and rifle are available from the CMP, that'll put a lot of "shot out" Krags back into action.

I would not worry about not having a trimmer. With low pressure rounds, I do not think the cases will lengthen very much. I got a trimmer a few years ago and only used it once to see how it worked. I have not fired any cases enough to really need it.

The Lee trimmer is inexpensive and almost fool-proof.

It has a cutter and base that works for most calibers.

You then buy a (preset) shaft and head-holder for your specific cartridge.

It is a hand-held tool. You can do case trimming while watching TV.