30-40 Krag

[DennisCA]

I just picked a 30-40 Krag and saw the cost of a box of ammo-yikes!
(Guess I need to start reloading now!)
Any 30-40 Krag reloaders out there?
If so - what are your favorite reloads?

[diverwcw]

I'm a big proponent of reduced loads with Trail Boss powder. I've shot a lot of them with my 30-30 and 7mm Mag. It's lots of fun, you put a lot of lead downrange and it's pretty easy on the pocket book.

[Divernhunter]

I have one and load for it.
Usually a 150gr bullet and what ever powder I have a lot of that works in it. I load mild since it is an old firearm and I am just shooting at 100 yards for fun

[operavoice]

36.6 gr IMR 4064,
180 gr Hornady SPRN Interlock
Averages 2150 fps.
C.o.a.l. 3.090
Proceed with caution, I worked up this load for my gun, yours may differ.

Max 4064 load is 41gr which pushes the bullet to 2400 fps.
That load is an antique killer, it cracks the locking lugs on the pre 1899 bolt guns.

[elk hunter]

One of the things I still see on the reloading shelves in stores is .30 cal 180 and 220 gr round nose bullets. Seems as though people don't buy many of them anymore so they are still there for the getting. My 95 30-40 likes both 180 and 220 gr. but it's a different creature than the Krag bolt guns.

[Fjold]

I have a Ruger No. 3 in 30-40 Krag, reloading dies, etc. but I haven't started reloading for it yet.

[repubconserv]

I'm a big proponent of reduced loads with Trail Boss powder. I've shot a lot of them with my 30-30 and 7mm Mag. It's lots of fun, you put a lot of lead downrange and it's pretty easy on the pocket book.

What is everyone's opinion on reduced loads for old smokeless guns? Should one start at the "starting charge" the manual lists? Or start lower than that? Should fast vs slow powders be a factor? (Ie "avoid fast burning powders)

I am not looking for match grade, just fun shooting old guns/plinking

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[Yetiultimate]

There's a balance you need to find in "modern light loads" for vintage rifles. By this I mean, older guns are not going to last with modern factory loads, but may not perform with super light loads. You must have a proper powder burn rate for the barrel length while maintaining safe pressures. In my experience, loading manual data for 30-40 Krag generally works well in my vintage .30cal guns and keeps a safe CUP. For instance, I have a Commission Gew-88 and a Schmidt Rubin 1889 that I would never shoot modern factory loads in, but when I went with the "starting charges" in my Lyman books they shot poorly and in some cases spit unburned powder. Get the Lyman 50th book and also the Lyman Cast book and experiment with the powders listed. Start low and work up, but you generally can't go wrong with the cast Krag loads. At least in terms of keeping pressures safe. Another important variable is your bore diameter. Slug it with a pure lead ball (00 buckshot works well) and go .001 over.

[repubconserv]

Double

[repubconserv]

There's a balance you need to find in "modern light loads" for vintage rifles. By this I mean, older guns are not going to last with modern factory loads, but may not perform with super light loads. You must have a proper powder burn rate for the barrel length while maintaining safe pressures. In my experience, loading manual data for 30-40 Krag generally works well in my vintage .30cal guns and keeps a safe CUP. For instance, I have a Commission Gew-88 and a Schmidt Rubin 1889 that I would never shoot modern factory loads in, but when I went with the "starting charges" in my Lyman books they shot poorly and in some cases spit unburned powder. Get the Lyman 50th book and also the Lyman Cast book and experiment with the powders listed. Start low and work up, but you generally can't go wrong with the cast Krag loads. At least in terms of keeping pressures safe. Another important variable is your bore diameter. Slug it with a pure lead ball (00 buckshot works well) and go .001 over.

So I took your advice to slug the bore, and (talking 30-40 krag) used a lead sinker, about .321 inches at the largest point pre- slugging.

Afterwards the slug came out and caliper said .300 or .301... there seemed to be no lands on the slug anywhere. I can still see rifling when I look down the barrel, looks ok, not too worn... what gives? Whatd I do wrong? Did I just fill some riflings with lead?

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[Fjold]

So I took your advice to slug the bore, and (talking 30-40 krag) used a lead sinker, about .321 inches at the largest point pre- slugging.

Afterwards the slug came out and caliper said .300 or .301... there seemed to be no lands on the slug anywhere. I can still see rifling when I look down the barrel, looks ok, not too worn... what gives? Whatd I do wrong? Did I just fill some riflings with lead?

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Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk

When you slugged the bore I'm betting that you used a solid rod to push the sinker through. You need to use a rod that swivels and allows the sinker to spin. What you did is push the sinker straight through the bore and it was swaged down to the smallest diameter on top of the lands.

[Yetiultimate]

When you slugged the bore I'm betting that you used a solid rod to push the sinker through. You need to use a rod that swivels and allows the sinker to spin. What you did is push the sinker straight through the bore and it was swaged down to the smallest diameter on top of the lands.

Definitely likely. I use a brass cleaning rod with the swivel tip on the slug. Short sharp taps with lots of lube usually does the trick. Try again!