Accuracy from barrel with weak rifling

[bobgar]

I recently bought a 1899 carbine with has weak rifling. I bought it primarily as a collector. I still took it out a put a few rounds(new factory ammo) into a target. At 100 yards it will put 2 or 3 rounds that can be covered by a small trash can lid. Then about every 4th round it will put it 2 feet high. Is there any thing I can to increase accuracy maybe using reduced loaded reloaded ammo any ideas?

[Griff Murphey]

I have a 96 carbine, heavily rusted bore, found with some odd bullet stuck in it which I was able to tap out, that would shoot about as you describe. I experimented with it for quite some time to try to produce hunting accuracy. After about twenty rounds through it it was sometimes fouled enough to tighten up to about a 6" group which lasted about 10 rounds more. I tried various combinations of a precise amount of brushing out the bore etc. but it was too hard to get the accuracy results consistently enough to make the rifle predictibly useful to any degree. I explored the option of relinjng but could not find anyone to do it. I wound up putting one of the slightly screwy Numruch barrels on it, which shoots well. I still have the original barrel which can certainly be reinstalled in the future, and probably should be, for the sake of collectibility.

[psteinmayer]

Krag barrels with worn rifling love the jacketed bullets... but it would probably be a good idea to slug it. You may have a bore that is more 0.310 to 0.311. Krag barrels sometimes tend to be a little oversize, so finding out the size and then shooting bullets sized to the barrel will definitely help.

[JimF]

Krag barrels with worn rifling love the jacketed bullets... but it would probably be a good idea to slug it. You may have a bore that is more 0.310 to 0.311. Krag barrels sometimes tend to be a little oversize, so finding out the size and then shooting bullets sized to the barrel will definitely help.

That was my first thought also! --Jim

[Mark Daiute]

Clean clean and clean some more and then I'd suggest cast bullets. My personal favorites are the 311299/314299 or the 311284. I had a rifle that sprayed bullets, jacketed or cast, all over the place at 50 yards. Truly, I mean like all over the place on a 36" X 24" sheet at 50 yards and then I tried a cast bullet sized to .312. Vvouila! accurate rifle, as in accurate enough that the limiting factor was mostly my eyes. A friend has that rifle now, I wish I had it back.

I had my 1899 re-lined by Bobby Hoyt/Frieshcutz Rifle shop in PA. It shoots just fine.

Keep us posted and good luck!

[bobgar]

I am looking at sluging my 1899 today. I was going to ask you, I have only shot jacketed bullets is there anything special I have to do to fire a lead bullet? I always see that someone is coating their bullet in some type of Lube. Do I have to Lub lead bullets before firing?

[Mark Daiute]

Send me your email address and I will send you some cast bullets that have been gas-checked and lubed. Gas-checks are little copper or aluminum cups on the base of the bullet. The bullet has grease grooves that are filled when the cast bullet is sized in something called a lubrisizer.

yup, there's some things to do in order to shoot cast bullets. Casting will become a whole new part of reloading, but when you are shooting a rifle that is more than one hundred years old and holding the black with bullets you cast yourself, well, it's pretty damned satisfying.

Keep in mind that I am cheap and I am financially challenged. The ammo I loaded with cast bullets today cost less than 15 cents a round.

[bobgar]

Mark, My email is bobgar58@hotmail.com