Krag front sight blade

[Geofois]

Hey guys,
Took the Krag Cavalry Carbine out for the first time today. I'm shooting 4-6" high at 50 yards depending on load but 6" was at 2200 fps with 165g projectile. If I go up to 2350 ish I'll probably end up a little higher. Was the battle sight when the rear sight is flipped down set for a zero of 200 or 300 yards? I saw somewhere mentioning 400-500 yards also. I see Numrich has a front sight blade .413" high and my current one is .294". I think I only need 1mm so .33" ish to get it at 100 yards but I'll have to check next week at the range to say for sure. I'm about 1 inch to the left at 50 yards also but I don't think there is a windage adjustment on the 1898 Krag. If it's supposed to be that high then maybe I'll leave it but I can always switch it back. Maybe I can finangle a piece of brass and trim it till it's right on at 100 yards.

[hambam105]

Targets were much taller in the olden days. That is why it shoot high.

[Geofois]

Hah =P.

I did check with hornady's online ballistic calculator. I ran 220 grain with bc of .294 at 2000 fps and it hits just about 6 inches high at 50 yards with a 300 zero. That's probably what it's zero is supposed to be. Looks like it will be even higher at 100 yards as its still climbing at that point. I am changing a front sight on an M1903 so maybe i can repurpose the old sight blade somehow.

I was noticing the newer 1901 or something krag rear sights were upgraded with a peep. I wonder if I can get a 1903 part from that sight and see if it will fit and then use the peep. Just thinking outloud. It wouldn't be anything permanent.

[operavoice]

The rear sight designs are completely different, but they do use the same screw holes in the receiver (albeit different screw heights).
I just bought a 1902 rear sight to put on my 1896 carbine because it shoots 2" to the right at 50 yards, and the early model sights have no windage adjustment.
I've also been having issues with the front sight because the previous owner had aftermarket Lyman sights installed. I know why he sold it.
Stupid thing shot 1' low at 50 yards when I first got it home.
I've been trying to get it right for a year and a half.

[ar15barrels]

Hey guys,
Took the Krag Cavalry Carbine out for the first time today. I'm shooting 4-6" high at 50 yards depending on load but 6" was at 2200 fps with 165g projectile. If I go up to 2350 ish I'll probably end up a little higher. Was the battle sight when the rear sight is flipped down set for a zero of 200 or 300 yards? I saw somewhere mentioning 400-500 yards also. I see Numrich has a front sight blade .413" high and my current one is .294". I think I only need 1mm so .33" ish to get it at 100 yards but I'll have to check next week at the range to say for sure. I'm about 1 inch to the left at 50 yards also but I don't think there is a windage adjustment on the 1898 Krag. If it's supposed to be that high then maybe I'll leave it but I can always switch it back. Maybe I can finangle a piece of brass and trim it till it's right on at 100 yards.

Shoot it at 100yds before you worry about how far off you are at 50yds.
The bullet is NORMALLY high at 50yds to land on target at 100yds with an iron sighted rifle.

There is 2.9" more drop occurring from line of bore from 50yds to 100yds with a 165gr sierra softpoint going 2200fps.

 Tabular trajectory data at Std.ICAO Atmosphere
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 Gun / Ammunition : 223
 Bullet Type      : .308, 165, Sierra SPBT 2145
 Bullet Weight    : 165 grains or 10.69 Grams
 Muzzle Velocity  : 2200 fps
 Twist Length     : 11.0 in.  (RH)
 Gyro.  Stability : 1.84
 Crosswind Speed  : 10.0 Mph 
 Ballistic Coefficient(s) (G1) :
 C1_1=0.397@V>2400 fps;
 C1_2=0.402@V>1600 fps;
 C1_3=0.412@V>0 fps;
 C1_4=0.251@V>0 fps;


 Optimum trajectory information : 
 Optimum sight-in range (X) = 155 Yds. 
 with max. ordinate above LOS at range (M)= 85 Yds.
 and max. point blank range (P)= 182 Yds.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 Sight-in clicks, 1 click = 9.144 cm/100 yd. or 3.60 in/100 yd.
 Height of sight above bore axis = 1.905 cm or 0.75 inch
 Gun is zeroed-in at 300 yds,
 by sighting-in at level firing
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 Range  Velo Time of  Energy   Path   Spin / Wind-  Total  Sight correction  Target
        city  flight            to     dage, Wind    drop   for setting new   lead
                                LOS    of 10.0 Mph             zero range     33 fps
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
·Yards   fps     s    ft.lbs.   in.    in.     MOA     in.   Clicks     MOA     yds ·
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
|    0  2200  0.0000   1773    -0.8    0.0   -----     0.0   ------    -----    0.00
|   25  2157  0.0345   1705    +2.3   -0.1   -0.26     0.2     -2.5    -8.66    0.38
|   50  2115  0.0696   1639    +4.8   -0.2   -0.43     0.9     -2.7    -9.21    0.76
|   75  2074  0.1053   1575    +6.9   -0.5   -0.60     2.1     -2.6    -8.78    1.15
|  100  2032  0.1415   1513    +8.5   -0.8   -0.77     3.8     -2.4    -8.09    1.55
|  125  1992  0.1781   1453    +9.6   -1.2   -0.90     5.9     -2.1    -7.30    1.95
|  150  1951  0.2156   1394   +10.1   -1.7   -1.09     8.6     -1.9    -6.43    2.36
M  161  1933  0.2325   1369   +10.2   -2.0   -1.19    10.0     -1.8    -6.03    2.54
|  175  1911  0.2543   1338   +10.1   -2.4   -1.33    11.9     -1.6    -5.49    2.78
|  200  1872  0.2940   1284    +9.4   -3.3   -1.60    15.8     -1.3    -4.49    3.22
|  225  1834  0.3349   1232    +8.1   -4.4   -1.88    20.4     -1.0    -3.43    3.66
|  250  1796  0.3767   1181    +6.1   -5.7   -2.16    25.6     -0.7    -2.33    4.12
|  275  1759  0.4194   1133    +3.4   -7.0   -2.45    31.6     -0.3    -1.18    4.59
X  300  1722  0.4631   1086     0.0   -8.6   -2.73    38.2      0.0     0.00    5.06

That rifle has a 300yd battlesight.

[Geofois]

The rear sight designs are completely different, but they do use the same screw holes in the receiver (albeit different screw heights).
I just bought a 1902 rear sight to put on my 1896 carbine because it shoots 2" to the right at 50 yards, and the early model sights have no windage adjustment.
I've also been having issues with the front sight because the previous owner had aftermarket Lyman sights installed. I know why he sold it.
Stupid thing shot 1' low at 50 yards when I first got it home.
I've been trying to get it right for a year and a half.

When I got my M1 Carbine it had a filed front sight so I just had to order another one and file it till it was grouping fine at 100 yards. I'll probably need to do the same for this. I'm only an inch to the left but I'd love to have a windage adjustment. When I looked at prices for Krag sights they were much higher in price than 1903 sights. Where did you get your rear sight and how many clams was it?

Battle sights seem to be zeroed for 300 yards so I'll probably be 10" high at 100 but I'll report back if I go next week. We barely got to shoot for 45 min since I didn't know Burro closed early for Easter =/. I was able to chrono my 3 loads for the krag so that was good. I'll see if I get get to 2400 fps with a 168g hpbt.

[operavoice]

I picked it up on eBay, $138+ tax + 5.95 shipping.
Around $155, I think?

[Geofois]

This might be cheesy but if I found a beat up ladder piece I could drill a hole and mount a piece of metal hanging down with a hole drilled in it so I can tilt a peep hole left or right then I would have windage and elevation using the original rear sight. But don't tell anyone I said that =P.

With slightly more thought maybe just a clip to snugly go over the ladder and it can be shifted left or right a couple mm so no need to drill. It would need to be a pretty snug fit. I've got my mickey mouse hat on now.

[operavoice]

I just shaved about 1.5mm from the bottom of and and re-pinned the front sight, so hopefully I'll be on target height wise next time. It's really hard to say.
My Carbine doesn't have an OEM front sight mount either, it's some kind of Lyman thingamadoogie that's pinned on.

My last two range trips, I had to use the 400 yard rear sight adjustment to get it 3" below center at 50 yards. . . if I can hit somewhere in that range with the standard rear height (0-300), I can learn to live with it, just getting tired of sinking money into a poorly bubba'd gun.

[hambam105]

How to invent a Getto Krag. Page 13.

[Geofois]

How to invent a Getto Krag. Page 13.

Please send me pages 1-12 I won't be ghetto enough

[operavoice]

Here's the thing.
I don't care what it looks like.
I don't care if it's mismatched parts, or a shaved stock, or a cut barrel, or any of that.
I care that it goes bang, and hits what I want it to hit.
It goes bang, but it don't hit what I want it to hit.

Anyway, I went to a sight correction calculator:
If I want to bull at 50 yards, and I'm 3" low, with a 16.25" sight radius, it looks like this:
3" low, 1800" to target, 16.35" sight radius = .027" front sight adj.
SO. . .

if I was able to make a 1.5mm (.059") front sight adjustment, that (ballparked) would take me from -3.0 and put me at +3.55" at 50 yards. assuming the 165gr/2200fps calculations above.

Which, ballparked again, should give me a zero in the 200-225 yard range if my math doesn't totally suck.

If I'm even remotely close to these theoretical numbers, it will at least be a gun I can work with, versus the dirt shooter I first took to the range.

[Geofois]

I just shaved about 1.5mm from the bottom of and and re-pinned the front sight, so hopefully I'll be on target height wise next time. It's really hard to say.
My Carbine doesn't have an OEM front sight mount either, it's some kind of Lyman thingamadoogie that's pinned on.

My last two range trips, I had to use the 400 yard rear sight adjustment to get it 3" below center at 50 yards. . . if I can hit somewhere in that range with the standard rear height (0-300), I can learn to live with it, just getting tired of sinking money into a poorly bubba'd gun.

I was able to get some NOS carbine front sights from Sarco I think and redid mine and my brother's carbine and file little by little and now we're ok. I see a krag front sight blade on ebay with a brass bead that might be nice. The bead might block too much of the sight. I'd almost rather file a point so I don't block the orange of the target so much. I probably don't need to worry about filing so much since I can just move the rear sight adjustment. Since I'm not using 220 grain bullets I'm not going to be able to use it's calibration anyways. I'll be happy to get a group at 100 and just hit the target at 200.

[operavoice]

I have the smaller of the two brass bead sights from eBay.
They are some kind of Lyman sight.
The smaller bead is a perfect fit for a stock rear sight, you just have to get the height right.

[Geofois]

Here is a noob question. I only ask because I read a discussion where someone said to drift the sight blade pin out from the right to the left. I always thought drift to remove things was always left to right but maybe because the dove tail drifts out left to right then the pin is opposite?

I'm dumb and realized I just need to drift the front sight base to the left to get the poi to the right. Just a tap while at the range should do it or maybe I'll use a small vice. I have some other front sight tools for an Enfield and another rifle that might work to shift it.

Edit: I'm reading front sight bases would installed with a brazing. Is this true? If it is then I shouldn't just drift it.