30-40 Krag reload question

[Sando]

I'm loading 180 gr LRNGC using a light charge of BLC-2 powder. This leaves large volume of unfilled space in the cartridge. Sometimes when I fire these, I get a delayed ignition like the powder isn't near the primer. If I "top off" the brass with corn meal before seating the bullet like black powder shooters do, will I get a more consistent ignition? Will the corn meal increase the chamber pressure or is it inert as far as comustion goes? Don't want to blow up my 112 year old rifle

[plain old dave]

People have used a number of inert fillers to ensure the charge stays near the primer over the years. Dacron, corn meal, and kapok are 3 I have heard of. I generally avoid this problem by using bulky powders.

[leadman]

A filler will raise pressures. Corn meal seems to raise pressure more than others. I use the dacron, or some call it poly-fil. About 1 grain is all you need. Use a pencil or something to get it in the case. Leave it level with the mouth and let the boolit push it in.
If the load is already reduced enough to get a hangfire you should be ok to add the poly-fil as is. Getting the hangfires is a sign that things are not good with that load as it is.

If you have any 4895 this would be a much better powder for reduced loads. Check the Hodgdon website as there is info there that you can use 60% of the MAX listed load for a reduced load of 4895.

[Char-Gar]

Anytime you use a filler, you are adding to the weight of the ejecta. So, if you have 20 grains of corn meal and a 180 grain bullet you are having 200 grains of ejecta and the pressure will rise accordingly.

I would caution against the use of any natural material as a filler, particularly in a bottle neck case like the 30-40. These grains can take on ambient moisture and harden in a cake. A hard cake of stuff in a bottle neck case will increase pressures and perhaps to the danger point.

You are better off using a faster powder with no filler or a heavier charge of a medium powder like BL-C2 so there is no filler required.

Fillers do have a place in cast bullet rifle shooting, but that roll is not near as large as folks think. I try to avoid using them if I can.

[adrians]

maybe try Trailboss powder it's a med- fast powder and also very bulky.
fill to just below boolit base ,don't compress the load .
YMMV.
adrians,,,

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

I have had great luck with the old "tried and true" load of 16 gr. of 2400
Jon

[adrians]

I have had great luck with the old "tried and true" load of 16 gr. of 2400
Jon

A+
yup i always overlook this one .

[4570guy]

4759 is a great cast bullet powder for the Krag - no filler needed. You can make an excellent 200 yd load with 19 gr of 4759 under that 180 gr bullet.

[frnkeore]

+1 to 4570guy's recomendation. My best Krag load is 18.5 gr 4759 with a 210 gr bullet using (important) 2 1/2 Rem primers.

Frank

[tacklebury]

Bullet: Lyman # 311644 190 gr. (#2 alloy)
Powder: RX7 (Reloader 7)
Start grains:19.5 = 1522 fps.
Max grains: 28.5 =2062 fps
Over all length @ 2.925" BC: .272 SD: .286

[Haggway]

I have used sr4759 and trail boss in my old krag both have been great for the old gal.

[303Guy]

Anytime you use a filler, you are adding to the weight of the ejecta. So, if you have 20 grains of corn meal and a 180 grain bullet you are having 200 grains of ejecta and the pressure will rise accordingly.

That's only the half of it. The filler also takes up volume, plus in a bottleneck case, poses at least some restriction as it compresses through the shoulder. The moisture caking is a very real concern but I've got some cornmeal that's been lying around for a few years plus some wheat bran (but that gets bonded by silk from moths and other bugs) as well as corn flour and nothing has changed with them - no caking. I wonder whether the vapours from the powder causes flour to cake? Wheat bran should be baked to kill bugs before use.

[leadman]

I use 13grs of PB in my Krag with a couple different boolits. PB is an overlooked powder, very clean and meters well.

[KCSO]

If I use corn meal in a 303 I only use a little on top of a case full of slow powder. Never more than just below the neck. I also don't use ball powder for very reduced loads and would recommend Red Dot or Unique as preferable. Some folks have good results with dacron ect fillers but since I use a faster powder and ignite with a pistol primer I haven't needed them yet. I will say that I have had real good luck with Trail Boss in the 30-40 and since the powder fills so much case I use standard rifle primers with good accuracy.

[Bulltipper]

Boolit 311290 - Powder IMR 4198 25 grains. Load is awesome at 200yds and still 5 grains under recommended max in my Lyman loading manual.

[QUON]

This little trick may help some of us using lite loads in rifle rounds. Tip the firearm barrel up first. Then lower, aim and fire. I use this on my 45/70 and 43 mauser.

[Larry Gibson]

sando

Lots of good info on other loads here but if you want to use the BLC-2 powder then, as mentioned, use a dacron filler instead of the cornmeal. You don't mention the load but you might reduce it a couple grains and work back up in 1 gr increments. Use a 3/4 gr tuft of dacron. Directions and other info for use of a dacron filler is in this thread;

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?t=109280.

Larry Gibson

[Echo]

Anytime you use a filler, you are adding to the weight of the ejecta. So, if you have 20 grains of corn meal and a 180 grain bullet you are having 200 grains of ejecta and the pressure will rise accordingly.

I would caution against the use of any natural material as a filler, particularly in a bottle neck case like the 30-40. These grains can take on ambient moisture and harden in a cake. A hard cake of stuff in a bottle neck case will increase pressures and perhaps to the danger point.

You are better off using a faster powder with no filler or a heavier charge of a medium powder like BL-C2 so there is no filler required.

Fillers do have a place in cast bullet rifle shooting, but that roll is not near as large as folks think. I try to avoid using them if I can.

Well - actually - I believe one would have 200 grains PLUS the weight of the powder. Converting the solid powder to a gas does not reduce the weight...

(Picky Picky...)

[Char-Gar]

It will take somebody with more knowledge of Chemistry than I have to either agree or disagree with the above. Novel notion to me, but that is not saying it is not true.

[swheeler]

Well - actually - I believe one would have 200 grains PLUS the weight of the powder. Converting the solid powder to a gas does not reduce the weight...

(Picky Picky...)

You are absolutly correct.