Kropatschek 8x60r
- Thread starter desporterizer
- Start date
Desport: confirm green's advice, however 8lebel expander is for .323 bullet, you may need a larger expander for .328 bullet such as is available for 8mmx56RHungarian. Rifle I'm helping to load for slugs .331, so .323 and .328 both keyhole some, but still hit target at 100 yds. Will try paper or teflon tape patching next.Contact later when we get a good load going. Good luck glycerin
I'm about to prepare some brass for my Krop and this info has been useful. 348 Win into an 8x50R Lebel die. Has anyone tried neck-sizing with the 8x56R F/L die. Proper (or at least better) 0.329" neck, and there seems to be sufficient die to brass clearance to allow for at least 0.250" of neck tension.
As for bullets, if it slugs at greater than 0.329", you can pretty easily lap the Lee sizer to 0.332" or so, and then size down a cast 338 bullet. With lots of case lube a thin jacketed 338 like the Speer Hot Core can be brought down, but will "bounce back" in diameter a couple of thou, so the 329 might yield 331.
As for bullets, if it slugs at greater than 0.329", you can pretty easily lap the Lee sizer to 0.332" or so, and then size down a cast 338 bullet. With lots of case lube a thin jacketed 338 like the Speer Hot Core can be brought down, but will "bounce back" in diameter a couple of thou, so the 329 might yield 331.
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I have shot mine with Bertram brass and I have the dies but bullets are a tricky one to figure out. The cast bullets I was using probably weren't expanding enough to stabilize and my shots were not consistent. I promised myself I would revisit it and see if I could figure out a good cast bullet size for my rifle.
I will say the Kropatschek has a super smooth action considering my example was in South Africa for the longest time.
I will say the Kropatschek has a super smooth action considering my example was in South Africa for the longest time.
Thanks Andy, that is some great info to re share on the forums.
I have three different models of the Kropatschek rifles and really like them.
I had a supply of .329 diameter Hornady bullets but it was only two boxes and after it was gone, I switched to paper patched cast.
These rifles are extremely well made and IMHO unsung Jewels in the milsurp collecting game.
I just use the cast lead bullets as they come from the mold and wrap them with "one thickness of any off the shelf "masking tape"
I use the tape because it works just as well as the wrapped paper method and isn't nearly as tedious and time consuming.
I haven't shot my rifles for years. I shot both "black powder" and "smokeless" through mine, because these rifles were one of the last to use black powder by a major world military.
I never did find any Bertram cases with boxer primers so I just used surplus military cases, which I picked up randomly.
I came across a bunch that were loaded with "wood" bullets, pulled them and punched out the primers. Had to make a special punch to fit the rather small flash holes. Luckily the Berdan primers I had on hand fit the primer pockets.
If you try the black powder route, fill the case appx half way up the neck with FFFG and compress the charge.
I did shoot some BP milsurp and it was much hotter than the above load. The powder charge of the cartridge I disassembled had very fine BP, compressed to a very hard pellet which filled the case to the base of the bullet.
I'm not going to post my smokeless load as some of these rifles are not in good enough condition to shoot.
Mine are all VG to EXC
I had a supply of .329 diameter Hornady bullets but it was only two boxes and after it was gone, I switched to paper patched cast.
These rifles are extremely well made and IMHO unsung Jewels in the milsurp collecting game.
I just use the cast lead bullets as they come from the mold and wrap them with "one thickness of any off the shelf "masking tape"
I use the tape because it works just as well as the wrapped paper method and isn't nearly as tedious and time consuming.
I haven't shot my rifles for years. I shot both "black powder" and "smokeless" through mine, because these rifles were one of the last to use black powder by a major world military.
I never did find any Bertram cases with boxer primers so I just used surplus military cases, which I picked up randomly.
I came across a bunch that were loaded with "wood" bullets, pulled them and punched out the primers. Had to make a special punch to fit the rather small flash holes. Luckily the Berdan primers I had on hand fit the primer pockets.
If you try the black powder route, fill the case appx half way up the neck with FFFG and compress the charge.
I did shoot some BP milsurp and it was much hotter than the above load. The powder charge of the cartridge I disassembled had very fine BP, compressed to a very hard pellet which filled the case to the base of the bullet.
I'm not going to post my smokeless load as some of these rifles are not in good enough condition to shoot.
Mine are all VG to EXC
