If you're loading for a Krag, I wouldn't go over 40gr. 4350/220 grain jacketed bullet. That load will give you original gov't load performance. (2000fps out of a 30" rifle barrel, probably 1850fps or so out of a 22" barrel. Doesn't sound like much but remember, that load was considered big medicine for any and all 4-legged animals in North America 100 years ago.)
When the Army cried for more oomph, Frankford Arsenal upped performance from 2000fps/220 bullet to 2200fps/220 bullet. Immediately they started getting complaints from the field that locking lugs were cracking. (Remember there's only one.) They went back to the original load and recalled all of the "new improved" ammo and all was good again. Going higher than 40 grains 4350 will put you into the same scenario. This from the Krag addicts/gurus on the Krag Collectors forum, and I believe them. It's really advisable to limit pressures in a Krag to 40K psi or less. I can't speak to M95 Winchesters and other .30-40 rifles.
In mine I load 6gr. Bullseye/155 grain plain base cast bullet for plinking. 18 grains SR-4759/180 cast for general target shooting. 40 grains 4350/210 grain cast bullet for hunting, which was my hunting load back in the 80's and it poleaxed eastern whitetails. It'll be my hunting load again this year with my recently built Krag sporter. The lead bullets don't have to be hard as sin at 2000 fps, especially if you will hunt with them. Hard cast bullets behave almost like FMJ's. Hardness of 11-13 bhn is A-ok for accuracy with no leading + reliable expansion at Krag and .30-30 velocity levels.
Sizing cast bullets for a Krag can be tricky too. Chamber, throat, and bore dimensions are all over the map in original barrels. It's advised to measure the throat and size bullets to fit it regardless of groove diameter. It's not uncommon (in fact just the opposite) to find Krags with throats as big as .314 and grooves running to .312. A good compromise is to size to .310-.311 which ought to cover most examples, if you can't measure the throat. I wouldn't even bother trying .308-.309 cast bullets- I'm so jaded about Krag bullet requirements, based on first hand experience with more Krags in my life than enough.
Last edited by gnoahhh; 07/11/17.
