Your experience with .30-40 Krag loads

[tacotime]

Thinking of trying some 180 grain cast loads and at or below factory speed of 2430 and don't want any leading to clean out. Anyone having luck in this area?

[rintinglen]

2300 fps with a 311-291, @ ~170 grains. I used 2 medium coats of LLA, Hornady gas checks and crimped in the crimp groove. I used WW748, but no longer have the data for it. IIRC, I got the load data from Speer #12, but it has been a while.

I sold that rifle last year, a 1924 1895 Winchester 28" BBL takedown, but no regrets. It was a bit too much for a 69 year old man to carry through the woods and was an unlucky gun. I never saw a deer while carrying it. These days, a .303 Savage or a Ruger American fills all my hunting needs.

[flintlocke]

I am not well qualified to comment..but here goes. 175 gr Lee, checked with Hornady's, basically unsized at .310", 2 coats of LLA. Win cases, Win LR, 27 gr of RL-7 (max load but published in Lyman Cast book) for about 2,000 fps. 1.8 moa load in two cut down '98 sporters original sights. I have shot up to a 40 round string at clangers on a warm day with no leading. Not near the velocity most people prefer, but I'd prefer to jerk triggers than cleaning rods.

[Krag 1901]

I started loading for my Krag with 150 gr FMJ's and 4895. I got in to cast boolets and found that the Lee 312-165-2r's worked very well at 3.00' OAL with ~20 gr 2400 or 25 grs 4198, Hornaday gas checks and two coats of LLA sized .310". A friend loaned me a Lyman 314299 mold and I found that worked even better sized .310".
I swapped out the barrel for a new Criterion barrel but it didn't make much difference from my pitted 1901 pipe, except it is easier to clean. The Krag is fun and now I'm trying 120 gr PB Hy-Tek coated, with 7-8-9 gr 700x for a plinker load. I have about 3 Lb of 700X left over from Trap shooting so I thought the 840 Brazos 120's would shoot it up, maybe?

[Texas by God]

My Lee C309170F average 180grs PC, GC, sized .309” and on top of 32 grs of IMR3031- shoots mild and good. You can work up from there if needed.
I’ve had good luck with 4198 and cast, also.
For jacketed, I just use 4350. Easy button.
The Krag is easy to load for. It doesn’t need hot loads to do what it does best.


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[Rodfac]

My US Krag Infantry Rifle does well with Lyman's 311291GC sized to 0.310" and seated to OAL of 3.090".

I water quench with wheel weight alloy, anneal the Hornady gas checks and neck expand with a Lyman "M" die. I do not crimp this load. Using 20.0 gr of SR4759, I get a chrono'd 1825 fps with an Ext Spd of 14 for 5 shots. Accuracy at 50 yds was right at 1" for 5 shots.

With the same bullet, and the same charge weight, 20.0 gr of IMR 4198, does equally well accuracy wise, but I did not chrono the load. Neither load gave me any leading issues.

HTH's Rod

[BCB]

In the past I was shooting a MGM 30-40 Krag barrel on an Encore frame

I was shooting the NOE 311-202-RN that dropped at around 210 grains

I was using surplus powder WC-852 (near 4350), WC-860 & WC-872 (both of these powders are slower than 4350, likely use 4831 data)

I know these powders are slow for the Krag, but I was pushing the 210 grainer to only about 2000 fps

Quite accurate. With a good ‘scope that you can change the holdover and then return it to zero, I was hitting groundhog-sized silhouettes at 300 years. Quite a rainbow at that distance but the 210 stayed stable

Good-Luck...BCB

[madsenshooter]

I haven't pulled any of today's factory rounds, but I'll bet they're loaded with a ball powder. Work up with powders in the 4350/760 range to keep the pressure building low and slow. With a hard alloy, that factory velocity shouldn't be too hard to get too. I haven't worked much with bullets of 180gr myself however. With a Krag, make sure your bullet is bigger than the bore to start with.