Best bullet for reloading .30-40 Krag ammo? (Noob to reloading)

[davek]

I've decided to try to get into re-loading, and am going to start with ammo for my 1898 .30-40 Krag.

My next door neighbor is an old hand at re-loading and I'll be doing it under his guidance. Additionally, I'm aware of the dangers of trying to hot load a Krag due to the single lug bolt design...I'm going to stay strictly within SAAMI guidelines.

Right now I'm trying to decide what bullet to start off with. The diagram in my reloading manual shows a rounded tip bullet, but I was thinking of going with a spitzer bullet. The Remington Core-locked that I've been shooting is spitzer as far as I can tell. Additionally, The Krag has the side loading magazine, so there won't be any pre-mature firing as is possible in a tubular magazine with spitzers.

This is going to be for target shooting for now, so accuracy is more important than damage. From what I understand, there is a correlation between the size of the bullet grain wize, and the amount of twist to the barrel. Is this true?

At any rate, right now, I'm leaning towards the Nosler 150 grn ballistic tip varmint bullet.

Does anyone have any advice they could share? Should I use a different weight bullet? A different brand? Maybe a hollow point?

Thanks.

 

[Wil Terry]

In My Experience With The Krag Rifle And Krag Carbine,

They don't like to feed spitzer bullets all that well. They were designed for roundnose bullets and feed those slick as can be. Within the range of the 30-40Krag cartridge there is no advantage to using spitzer bullets really. We also have been spoon fed the idea that roundnose bullets drop like a rock in comparison to spitzer bullets. This is NOT SO within 300 yards and roundnose bullets do their work very well indeed. The Krag with the traditional 220GR RN bullet is a deep penetrating killer par excellance'.
Now, for the '95 WINCHESTER 30-40Krag I do shoot 180Gr spitzers just 'cause I had a ton of 'em on hand. [ Herter's 30cal 180gr spitzers, remember those? ]
PS: did you see Mike Venturino's article on 30 caliber 220gr RN vs 220 spitzer MATCHKINGS out to 300 yards? With the zero he had at 100 yards both of the 220gr bullets dropped 9" at 300 yards.

 

[Art Eatman]

Heavier bullets oughta be more accurate, given the Krag's fast twist for stabilizing the original-load 220-grain bullets.

I've meddled around with mine, mostly loading plinkers. 20 grains of 2400 behind some 150-grain jacketed. ('Cause that's what was handy) But, like the books point out, 40,000 psi is the upper limit for that single-lug bolt.

Been a lot of deer and elk killled with a Krag. That 220-grain bullet is no slouch at penetration, "low" velocity or no. Just don't think of it as a "way over yonder" gun for clean kills.

Art

 

[Sunray]

Max loads here. http://www.hodgdon.com/data/rifle/3040krag.htm
Good info here. http://www.reloadbench.com/cartridges/3040k.html

 

[JollyWhiteGiant]

Don't use anything less than 180 gr.

As has already been posted, Krags were desinged to feed 220gr. RN bullets and doesn't do so well with spitzers and not good at all with bullets lighter than 180.

I tried some Speer 165gr. bullets in mine and they kept hanging up when feeding.

 

[sundog]

If it were mine I wouldn't put anything but cast through it. The Lyman 311284 is par excellance. Start with a completely decoppered barrel, use a moderate 1500-1800 fps load. Powders would range from Red Dot to 4198, just need to find one that works good for you. Of course, 2400 is a good starting point, just like it is for so many other CB loads. sundog

 

[davek]

What's the twist rate for the Krag? Mine's been sporterized and I'm not sure if the barrel is original or not. From what I can tell, my Krag's twist rate is one in ten. Is that what it was designed to be?

 

[Wil Terry]

The Standard Twist Rate For Krag Rifles And Carbines Was

1 IN 10".
Same with the 30-03 and the 30-06 that came later.

 

[cuate]

reloads for 1898 30-40 Karg

I load 20 to 21.5 grs. of 2400 behind a 175 hardened lead (linotype) round nosed bullet with gas check. They seem very accurate, do not lead the barrel, and seem great for shooting at paper targets at 100 yds. I also shoot spire point factory loads to get the cases to reload but at $22 for a box of 20 I prefer the
reloads.