30-40 Krag load

[BudT]

I have not used IMR4350 behind a 220 gr. slug for the 30-40 Krag either in my Winchester or my 1898 Krag bolt gun and am wondering if anyone here has? What were the results of it? I'm thinking of trying from 42-45 grains of it in both rifles. Any experience out there with this loading area?

Regards
BudT

[Ned Butts]

That is our every day powder but we use 40 grains. 42-45 is TOO high for the Krag! The 40 gr load comes about as close as you can get to original loadings

[Mark Daiute]

I'm with Ned on this one.

[psteinmayer]

+1 on Ned's post. My normal load for matches is a Hornady 220 gr RN bullet over 40.0 grains of IMR4350 and a CCI-250 magnum primer. The magnum primer ensures a complete and consistent burn of the slower 4350. 42 grains is beyond maximum is most of the load charts that I've seen... and unless you can be positive you'll only fire them in your Winchester 95, and NEVER in your Krag, it's best to just never load any that high!

[bobgar]

I use 38 grains for putting holes in paper and plinking. I like to take it easy on my all original 1899 carbine. That load gives me some nice groups as well as a nice manageable recoil.

[Shawn Agne]

Standard primer 40gr IMR-4350 with a 220, I then went to 43.5 with a 175gr, load currently I think is around 46gr with a 125gr TNT, excellent for the games matches. You don't need to run magnum primers.

I use a standard primer with 61.5gr of H1000 in my 280 Remington for NRA LR matches and all of that powder gets ignited just fine, so 40gr of IMR-4350 isn't an issue with a standard primer.

[psteinmayer]

I've been using the Magnum primer for some time. I've heard arguments for both Magnum and Standard... but I just know the Magnum works well for me. I use a Standard for everything else though. Remember though, what works well in one Krag doesn't necessarily work well in others. I know a guy who shoots 155 gr RN bullets in his and regularly shoots X's all day long in matches. My 1898 rifle couldn't accurately shoot that load if I paid it to, so.... Food for thought.

[jon_norstog]

Bud,

My elk load is a 220 rn over 41.5 gr of 4350, every charge weighed. That is a good, stiff load that will reach out to 200 yards, although where we hunt 65 is a long shot. I have never had any trouble with brass or the rifle with that load, and it doesn't flatten primers any more than green box 180s. You might want to start at 40.5 and work up, see what your gun likes.

I would avoid hot loads in the 95 Winchester, cause the action does stretch.

Good luck.

jn

[BudT]

I think I will disregard the reloading books the Sierra 50th Anniversary edition and the newer Lyman #48 for this bullet weight the Sierra book maxes out at 44.5 grains behind a 220 grain slug and the Lyman maxes out at 45 grains for the 220 gr. slug. I will drop back the minimum starting load of the Lyman book which is 40 grains and start there, the Sierra book uses the Krag rifle as the test rifle and starts out at 38.2, but the Lyman book uses the Hornady bullet and that's what I'm trying to develop. I have some Nosler 200 gr. partition RN and Sierra 200 gr. BTSP that I can try also. Thanks
BudT

[jon_norstog]

I should run that load over a chronograph. My sense of it is that it is a little faster than the standard military load. I didn't know Noslers cam in a RN version, I might try some of that. Assuming the whole woods aren't closed down by fall.

jn

[BudT]

I shot some of the 40 gr. IMR 4350 with the 220 Hornady loads in both of the rifles this morning they shot fine but seems like a weak load compared to the Winchester factory 180 gr. loads I shot at the same sitting. I'll try 40.5 gr. behind both the Hornady and Nosler next trip. The Nosler is not a true RN but a semi-spitzer their number 16332 220 gr. partition. My extra tag this year will be for a cow elk in 329-00 but no antelope or a mule deer doe tag or bull moose. So it looks like a lean year for tags with only a bull elk, cow elk, a buck tag and I might buy a region wide doe whitetail tag and a bear. We have been getting some thunder and lightning most every day must be some rain in it to because I have not seen any smokes coming up. The BLM is prepping some ground up on Dyce creek and over the Black Mountain road for a wildlife burn, they have been cutting lots of red fir down and making lengths out of it. I should check to see when they will be burning and I hope they wont until after hunting season, then light it up and hope they can burn the piss out of it. With any luck it will get away from them and burn 100,000 or more extra acres and clean out some of this decedent crap out, new growth in the spring and bigger animals.