Bustin' Caps with a Miroku .30-40 UPDATED

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HawkCreek
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Bustin' Caps with a Miroku .30-40 UPDATED

Post by HawkCreek »

Went out earlier to take advantage of the overcast morning to test my latest load for my Miroku 1895 .30-40 Krag. I'm trying to find something it liked with these cheaper Hornady 220 grain RN before I test out the much costlier Woodleigh version. I'm so smart I forgot to take pictures of the target but the first two 5 round groups were just under 1.5" at 50 yards, acceptable but I'm looking for more. After letting the barrel cool the next group was a bit over 3" and the last group right around 2". I love how thing thing comes up to my shoulder and points but the silly brass blade (remember my complaint about my .45 Trapper?) makes it hard to focus on for shooting groups.

So since I forgot the target picture here's some beauty pictures:

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The most worrisome part of the day... The Hornady 220's are not a super tough bullet, in an email they told me though should open reliably down to 1700 fps. IF my loads are leaving the barrel at 2200fps then by 50 yards they should have shed over 100 fps in speed. The only penetrate into the dry sand/clay mix that makes up the backstop to a depth of a few inches and the majority are found with separated cores and jackets. I know this is much harder on the bullet than a game animal but it makes me worry about shooting a mule deer with one come the fall.
Top row: 8 and a half separated jackets
Middle: 6 "intact" bullets
Bottom: 5 identifiable lead cores and 2 other fragments
Note: Some of these separated jackets and cores go together, so somewhere around 12-14 recovered bullets out of the 20 fired.

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Last edited by HawkCreek on Thu Jul 12, 2018 4:02 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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GunnyMack
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Re: Bustin' Caps with a Miroku .30-40

Post by GunnyMack »

I shot a 225 .338 into hard pack southern Colorado river bank to check penetration.
It penetrated about 2-3" mushrooming nicely. When I rinsed the dirt off the core came loose. Years later I shot a cow elk st about 170- 180 yards away, it went clean through the boiler room and thru the off shoulder. I dont think you need to worry much.

Also, just for kicks look at Hawk bullets they have some real nice bullets!
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Bill in Oregon
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Re: Bustin' Caps with a Miroku .30-40

Post by Bill in Oregon »

Dang me that's a handsome rifle!
Lefty Dude
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Re: Bustin' Caps with a Miroku .30-40

Post by Lefty Dude »

My custom barreled Ruger #3 in 30-40 liked 180 gr's very well, would clover leaf 3 shots at 100 yards. I shot several Elk using 190 gr. Nosler partitions. All were hand loads using IMR 5350 powder.

Nice looking Rifle, that for sure.
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2ndovc
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Re: Bustin' Caps with a Miroku .30-40

Post by 2ndovc »

Nice, my favorite Winchester had always been the '95 SRC!

My Cimarron/ Pedersoli also likes the Hornady 220s.


jb 8)
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HawkCreek
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Re: Bustin' Caps with a Miroku .30-40

Post by HawkCreek »

Thanks guys!
GunnyMack wrote: Tue Jul 03, 2018 3:25 pm I shot a 225 .338 into hard pack southern Colorado river bank to check penetration.
It penetrated about 2-3" mushrooming nicely. When I rinsed the dirt off the core came loose. Years later I shot a cow elk st about 170- 180 yards away, it went clean through the boiler room and thru the off shoulder. I dont think you need to worry much.

Also, just for kicks look at Hawk bullets they have some real nice bullets!
I got to thinking about it this afternoon. I usually use 165 grain NBT's in another .30-06 for deer. I'm sure those ballistic tips would come apart just as fast hitting dirt at that range (though they are going a lot faster). I forgot about Hawk bullets! Thanks for the reminder.
Lefty Dude wrote: Tue Jul 03, 2018 4:39 pm My custom barreled Ruger #3 in 30-40 liked 180 gr's very well, would clover leaf 3 shots at 100 yards. I shot several Elk using 190 gr. Nosler partitions. All were hand loads using IMR 5350 powder.

Nice looking Rifle, that for sure.
I tried IMR4350 first, I really the like the light recoil of the factory duplication load but nothing I tried was giving me any better than 3 or 4 inch groups at 50 yards. I really don't like the smell of 4350 haha but I've tried it in a few rifles and it's never been a performer for me. With the slow twist rate I've had the best luck pushing these 220's up toward the top end. I realize a 180 would be more than sufficient for deer but I want to shoot 220's because that's what a .30-40 Krag should be fed!
Pisgah
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Re: Bustin' Caps with a Miroku .30-40

Post by Pisgah »

I wouldn't worry too much about your round's effectiveness on mule deer. If penetration of the earth is important, I think the USAF uses a 20,000# bomb with an armor-piercing case...
Rusty
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Re: Bustin' Caps with a Miroku .30-40

Post by Rusty »

That is a very nice looking rifle! :mrgreen:
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Nath
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Re: Bustin' Caps with a Miroku .30-40

Post by Nath »

Don't try to make that rifle a bench rifle brother.
Put a row of targets up and pick the rifle up and shoot two rounds off hand and cease. Repeat five mins later.

That will fill you with loads of confidence.

N.
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Because I wish I could!
HawkCreek
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Re: Bustin' Caps with a Miroku .30-40

Post by HawkCreek »

Here's the target from the previously reported on range session. It's hard to see but there are several different loads on that target. Just above the receiver you can barely see the pencil mark circling the best 4 round group I've fired from this rifle. The load shows promise but it's not quite "there" ye, I just need to play with seating depth and neck tension to find the "just right" spot. As I said I fired several loads on this target, all hit several inches to the right but all were relatively decent for elevation (so the groups on the left are actually 180 degrees from when they were fired).
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My supply of Hornady 220 grain RN's is for now depleted so todays ammo was playing with the other end of the spectrum.


Even at sedate .30-40 Krag velocities there is quite a difference in the recoil when you drop from 220 grains down to 100 grains (they look goofy as heck also).

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As with the other target I'm cheap and reused this one, turning it every so often. So all of these loads shot fairly well for windage (one to two inches right) but were (obviously) very high. One group measured about 3/4" at todays extreme distance of 35 yards which is just fine for barn yard loads.

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The following two pictures are the only two recovered projectiles next to an unfired bullet. Interestingly the recovered jacket is the only time I've seen this bullet do that. I found bits of green grass as well as old dead grass inside the jacket when I picked it up, so somehow it dumped it's lead core and continued on through the grass still flying relatively "straight" until it came to rest on the berm. Usually (even in soft dirt) these bullets basically disintegrate, the theory is that the jackets acts as a large gas check while the lead is pretty soft. Hence why I like them for the afore mentioned "barn yard load", it's rare in my experience that these ricochet.

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