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Post by missionary on Jun 25, 2020 5:46:24 GMT -7
Good Morning
It has dawned on me of all the 30-40 rifles we have had at our home over the years we have never had a single shot.
Any one here been the happy owner of a 30-40 SS ? Been pondering one. I see some of 30-40s available and far more 30-30s that are only a reamer job away from a 30-40.
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Post by Bullshop on Jun 25, 2020 7:10:46 GMT -7
Yes Sir for a time I was. Mine was a Ruger #3 put into #1 stock. It was a rifle I had great confidence in. It would easily handle loads that were well beyond anything anyone should be using in a Krag action nipping closely at the heels of 30-06 velocity with equal weight bullets.
I used this rifle to take my largest black bear to date that squared 6' 11" after tanned.
I don't remember the load but I do remember the bullet the Hornady 190gn Spt-BT interlock a bullet I have taken more than one bear with in other rifles specifically a 1903 Springfield.
On the occasion of my record bear I took out a bow hunter for elk and I carried the Ruger 30-40 as it was a favorite at the time. The hunter wanted to be put in a good location to bugle but then left alone for his hunt. We agreed I would return for him at nearly dark for the walk out. With that I went for a pleasant walkabout. In so doing I found where by the looks of his scat a very large bear was journeying out of the timber across about 400 yards of open sage and into a deep ravine filled with choke cherries and sarvous berries.
I decided to go there the next evening and sit between the timber and the ravine and of course I had the #3 Ruger with the 190gn Hornady load. At maybe an hour before dark here came that big bear on a jog headed straight and quickly for that ravine with me in-between. He was a wee bit downhill from me so not coming straight at me so the shot was an angling one from the front. It was not a long shot likely less than 100 yards and my aim was at the point of the shoulder.
At the shot his onside shoulder buckled under him in his stride and he did a summersault and came up running never missing a beat. As is my practice when hunting with a single shot when I sat I opened a six shot ammo wallet and sat it beside me. With a quick reload on the second shot I touched off when the cross hair was just behind the jaw and on that shot he piled up stone dead.
The first shot had broken the onside shoulder but also stopped most of that tough Hornady bullet. This was a big bear I guessed about 600 lb. The second shot broke his neck and ended it. That was a most memorable occasion and endeared me to the Ruger 30-40. Unfortunately being young and foolish and usually broke I sold the Ruger. Another fond memory of the Ruger 30-40 is it was the rifle that opened my eyes to the potential of cast bullets in rifles. That thing was amazingly accurate with the old Lyman 311291 a 180gn round nose gas checked bullet. A friend/mentor gave me a can full of them to try and with great skepticism was again brought to the realization that I had much to learn. BTW this was the same person that eventually gave me a set of Corbin dies and set me on my way to swaging jacketed bullets using 22rf cases for bullet jackets. The lad from NY had so much to learn !
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Post by todddoyka on Jun 25, 2020 12:51:55 GMT -7
i don't have a single shot rifle in the krag, but i do have an 1898 spr armory that i mistakenly made into a single shot. i put on a no drill 102k redfield aperture sight and i didn't install the finishing nail to up were the magazine cutoff goes. the reason i don't have a finishing nail is that the krag shoots so well without it. i use a 165gr ranch dog and h4198 that goes 1930fps and it is awesome for deer. i've killed 5 or 6 deer with it and my oldest son has another 6 or 7 deer with it. its a one shot killer. the furthest shot taken by my krag, goes to oldest son. i think it is 173 yards on a doe, but i'm not sure.
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Post by Bullshop on Jun 25, 2020 13:57:24 GMT -7
Yes Sir the 30-40 and cast bullets is one of those matches that seems was just made to be. Top end pressures and velocities for one are about the same for the other so pair well at there limits.
There are a number of older cartridges with similar performance with a 200/220gn bullet at 2000/2100 fps. One such that I like much is a Husqvarna rolling block in 8x58 rimed Danish. When the 30-06 was just a wee sprout the 30-40 had already earned the reputation of being a very dependable game gun for deer the size of moose and elk. It was that big 220gn load with the big blue tip of exposed lead that gave good expansion and even better penetration on large game even with what might now be considered an anemic muzzle velocity of 2000 to 2100 fps.
With a wide flat nose moderately hard cast bullet it is still a very dependable cartridge for big deer no less so than its original cupronickel blue tip soft point sporting loads.
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Post by missionary on Jun 26, 2020 9:31:32 GMT -7
Good morning
I must agree... since we bought our first Krag years back the round with cast FN heavy slugs makes quick work on whatever happens to be in the way. I have never had the privilege to pop a bear (been awful close to one) all else did not get far after the fn 220 grain GC cast of 50-50 hugging along at 1800 fps.
By the way that is another fine hunting story Dan. You should consider a book of the adventures yo8u have had out in the real bushes.
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Post by missionary on Jul 1, 2020 3:02:19 GMT -7
Looking about and reading I am pondering the Henry single shot 30-30 Shoot that some as is and I may see I like it If it will propel a 220 grainer at reasonable 50 yard velocity that is more than I will need But sooner or later ream it to 30-40. There is something about a case full of 3F in that hunk of brass that is so enjoyable.
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Post by Bullshop on Jul 1, 2020 7:42:57 GMT -7
I have not yet handled one of the Henry single shot rifles but from the pictures I have seen it is quite a handsome rifle. Check the twist rate as I may have read they use a 1/12" twist. If that is true it likely will not stabilize a 220gn bullet.
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Post by missionary on Jul 1, 2020 8:26:06 GMT -7
That issue has come up.. But out to 50 yards do you still think it is an issue ?
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Post by todddoyka on Jul 1, 2020 10:05:23 GMT -7
i just seen a 30-40 krag in ruger #1 or 3? at an auction. i was going to bid on it, but two guys acted like they were on a tennis court. the auctioneer's smile and the rifle was going bigger and bigger  every time. i think it sold for $3200-3300, that's too much fer a poor boy's blood. |
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Post by missionary on Jul 1, 2020 11:20:26 GMT -7
Ruger #3 in 30-40 sell about $8-900 on Gunbroker. And some never sell it seems.
I was also looking at the 223 #3 rifles They sell for about $550 For another $200 I could get a barrel 28 inch 30-40 already threaded no sight slots. Attach it, finish ream and cut for a front sight. Receiver sight on rear.
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Post by Bullshop on Jul 1, 2020 12:33:50 GMT -7
There will always be an accuracy issue with unstable bullets that becomes markedly pronounced with increased range. Often times though at close range like 50 yards bullets that are unstable in flight spinning off their center of axis with a wobble will group surprisingly well.
The bonus for hunting with the unstable condition is that they will usually begin to tumble on impact. A 30 cal bullet with some momentum as with the 220gn weight tumbling in penetration will create a tremendous wound channel. Often times though a bullet tumbling in penetration will not follow anywhere near a straight course as it was aimed but can easily take 90% turns and can even make a u turn back to the direction from which it came, rare but has happened.
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Post by todddoyka on Jul 1, 2020 15:11:17 GMT -7
There will always be an accuracy issue with unstable bullets that becomes markedly pronounced with increased range. Often times though at close range like 50 yards bullets that are unstable in flight spinning off their center of axis with a wobble will group surprisingly well. The bonus for hunting with the unstable condition is that they will usually begin to tumble on impact. A 30 cal bullet with some momentum as with the 220gn weight tumbling in penetration will create a tremendous wound channel. Often times though a bullet tumbling in penetration will not follow anywhere near a straight course as it was aimed but can easily take 90% turns and can even make a u turn back to the direction from which it came, rare but has happened. i don't go to gunbroker, maybe i'll start. those two guys really really wanted it. i was thinking $1000-1100 to let the krag go. i was wrong. |
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Post by Bullshop on Jul 1, 2020 16:46:55 GMT -7
There have been some #3 Rugers in the odd calibers sold recently on GB for less than half what you saw 30-40 included. Mostly what come up for sale are 45-70, 223, and 22 hornet. I would say on average maybe a couple time a year you will see the other chamberings in 44 mag, 375 Win, and 30-40.
I am at GB nearly every day because I keep about 150 running auctions there so send several invoice per day to auction customers.
GB is the cheapest advertising at 5% of sales that I can find. I include a business card with each order so repeat business is steady and there is no fee for me with repeat customers. Often times a single auction leads to a multiple sale but for those I pay only 5% of one.
It also leads to word of mouth advertising from satisfied customers. Most folks shoot at a public range with other folks and well folks talk. All in all its a cheap effective way to advertise.
Usually while there doing business I indulge myself is some shopping and one of the places I shop almost daily is in the single shot rifle isle. I click on used and in the last 24 hours and each day there are half a dozen pages in those categories. This is also a great way to stay up on values as this way you see the prices they are actually selling for and at what prices they do not sell regardless of what any blue book says. The blue book is written to make money selling the book to ignorant people and generally deviates drastically from what things actually sell for and what the book says they are worth. As with all things for sale any item is worth exactly as much or as little as the buyer is willing to pay and salesmanship will in large part dictate what that amount is.
My competition at GB applies zero salesmanship effort in comparison to my adds. I don't know if they get much business but I am maxed out for my possible production rate and have had to discontinue auctions several times since the China virus arrived for a couple weeks each time so we can get caught up.
Anyway GB is a good gig for me and being a gun nut its like going to a gun show every day.
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Post by missionary on Jul 1, 2020 18:12:46 GMT -7
Well said Dan ! I look at GB near daily especially when I see something for sale at another auction place just to get an idea what pries are. Ideas and inforation abound there
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Post by Bullshop on Jul 1, 2020 19:08:44 GMT -7
If any of our dear readers are interested I sell there as bullet man dan. To find our products do a search for that name and all our auctions will come up. If there I would also encourage you to check our feedback.
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every time. i think it sold for $3200-3300, that's too much fer a poor boy's blood.