Similarly, the 30-06 military spec is a good 1000 yd killer, but the similar, but slightly slower 762 nato/308 starts running out of energy and accuracy at about 750-800 yds which made a big difference for our snipers in 'nam.Д«ut to the original point, personally, I make no distinction in my rules between the spanish mauser and the Krag. By comparison, if you can do it, a 45-70 is a 1500 yd killer, and stays on point out to that range. The Kraig, and 7mm mauser have the characteristic that at about 600 yds, they are slow enough that the round wanders and hasn't the energy to be deadly. I love shooting the trapdoor at very long ranges, in excess of 1000 yards, which brings us to a different sort of discussions. Army ammo in a 9 pound weapon isn't unpleasent, but some of the 'factory' loads for the civilian market in a 6 pound sporter is very unpleasent to shoot. There is a huge difference shooting a standard 03 springfield with army loads, and civilian loads in a lightened action. We are talking about 2moa for most mausers in optimum condition versus 2.5moa for the Krag.ДЄs for the 30-06 whole different thing. But operationally, there is nothing to chose between them. It doesn't have the slick feel of the mauser. While I have owned and shot a lot of things, I have never cared for the Krag. But if the Spanish Mauser was anything like the weapon I fired I can understand how troops in the Spanish Civil War were able to identify civilians who had been shooting at them by looking for bruises on the right shoulder. I never learned if the round I fired was based on the M1928 or the M1906. By comparison that of the larger bore 45-70 was quite mild. In spite of an honey-combed rubber butt stock the 30-06 recoil was murderous.

I can remember going shooting with a friend who owned both a sporterized star gauged 30-06 and a 45-70. It had been replaced in the regular army by the Krag before the war. Roosevelt's insistence on swapping out the Krag for the Mauser was not based on the shortcomings of the old 45-70. It used black powder and thus gave away the shooter's position. It was a single shot weapon based on reworked rifled muskets, but was rejected by the Rough Riders.

The 'Trap Door,' or Springfield 45-70 was carried by most militia (National Guard) and some volunteer units. Had the Garand been able to handle the new cartridge there is no telling how long it might have taken for the Army to recognize that nobody was likely to see, let alone hit, a man 3,000 yards away, let alone 6,000 with a rifle. The earlier cartridge was used, best I can tell, with both Garand M-1 and the Springfiel 03 (which was retained in some cases as a sniper rifle. However, the more powerful M1928 cartridge would kick its auto-loading apparatus to hell. I believe that the introduction of the new cartridge ran afoul of the Garand, which, being semi automatic, was indeed a better close in weapon. Army actually stuck to the theory of long range musketry longer than anyone else, beginning to replace the 30-06 cartridge in the 1930s with a Model 1928 'Boat Tail.' the former, aimed at a 45 degree angle, would strike the ground in 3,000 yards (1.7 miles.) the latter at the same angle would not come down for 6,000 yards. And at any distance the Mauser was more accurate. But given the practices of the era, much musketry took place at long ranges. In practice the Krag was probably equal or superior at close range. When he became President he made the Army replace the Krag with the Springfield (Mauser.) The cartridge was also upgraded in 1906.

He (and they) were being shot at with the other brand. Volunteer Cavalry or 'Rough Riders' carried the Krag. Teddy Roosevelt apparently appreciated the difference. The Mauser 93(?) was the basis for the U.S. For hunters, the difference is between the 30-30 cartridge and the 30-06.

Spanish mauser rifles