Ed Harris
posted this
09 September 2010
I would be careful in loading for the Krag in general, because many of them around are “parts guns,” often assembled from leftovers which never gaged up or had proper heat treatment in the first place.
Max. avg. pressure in the .303 Brit is quite a bit higher than for the Krag. In lack of specific .30-40 Krag data, you can use .30-30 data for the same weight of bullet and you will not get into any trouble, given its larger case, typically longer throat, etc.
A useful jacketed hunting load which has given good results in my Bannerman Krag sporter, 38 grs. of RL-15 gives 2185 f.p.s. from a cut of 22-inch barrel with the Remington .311” diameter 180-gr. softpoint intended for the .303 British. My Krag sporter has a .3095” groove diameter and cylindrical throat diameter of .314” and in that particular rifle I use the same cast or jacketed bullets I would in the .303 British, but with a 20 percent reduction from my .303 load. That works out to 30.5 grains of RL-15 in my case, which has proven to be a very satisfactory load.
With cast I reduce my 30 grain Max. charge of RL-7 with #311299 in the .303 to 24 grs. in the Krag, or reduce 4198 from 28 grs. of 22, #2400 from 20 grs. to 16 grs., 13 grs. of Red Dot to 10 grs., etc.
I have found that in most .30 and .303 calibers a 20 percent reduction from a teste and published jacketed charge makes a good full-power load with a similar weight of cast, gaschecked bullet.
73 de KE4SKY In Home Mix We Trust From the Home of Ed's Red in "Almost Heaven" West Virginia