Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Deer Hunting 30-40 loads

Gonna make a spot and stalk hunt this year, vintage 1895 30-40 krag. Got a bucket full of 170gr flat nose bullets i might as well use.
Anyone have real experience with same/similar loads? Can't be much different from 30-30?
Any pet loads? Gonna stick to 4350 or 4895 cause thats what I got. 2400fps surely achievable

Wish I could help you out. I knew some old guys years ago that loaded for their 30-40's. All I can remember was they used 220's

Not home now. Got some load data at home in shop. Lemme look when I get home tonight. Got about 5 or 6 rifles, two of which are 95’s. But I do prefer the 220 RN’s. 😉

.30 Army ctg. does the job!!!

My Grandpa, and one of my uncles used 30-40 krags years ago, before I was born. They used whatever ammo was available at the company store. I remember them saying it was either 180 or 220 grains.

220 is of course traditional and if i were after elk might very well be what id choose!

I'd just work up a load with those 170s until you get a load that your rifle likes. 2400fps + or - should easily do the deed.....those bullets don't need as much speed to expand as a PSP made for a 30-06, etc.

I believe I used a 180 grain flat point on this young deer, 10 years ago but it could have been a 170 grainer. I want to say the bullet was some random Sierra that I had laying around and needed to use up but can't quite remember. I do know it was a mid-range H414 load, but either brand of 4350 or 4895 would put those bullets at roughly the same velocity. At close(er) range it should have a bit more thump than a .30-30 does, as the .30-40 case has a bit more capacity and (I presume) generally has more pressure. This combo worked just fine but then again at 50 yards you'd be hard pressed to find something that wouldn't.

have owned a few .30-40s, including two Krags, a reproduction Winchester 1885 single-shot, and an over-under double rifle built on a 20-gauge Ruger Red Label frame (the original RL, not the present model).

In all of them a 180 with 48.0 grains of IMR or H4350 has shot very well, usually getting around 2400 fps. Would guess it should work with a 170.

nice deer thanks for the info

I was shooting long range, well, mid-range( with the Krag, not the '95), long before the recent round of mid range shooting became popular. I had very good results with the 200 gr Sierra Matchking and 42 gr of 4895. Books all say 4350 is the accuracy powder, but I found 4895 to be the clear winner, 4064 close behind, 4350 gave vertical stringing. Shot pretty close to the sights (Buffington rear, '03 Spfld front) out to 500 yds, but then the 200 Sierra was flatter than the Buffington graduations. I'd hate to have to repeat it, but slinged, prone, I once shot a ten shot group of 15.7 inches at 800 yds on a still cold snowy morning. I don't see the .30-40 as any handicap in the field in any hunting situation.

Could have swore I had some loads for 180’s,but apparently all I wrote down was loads for 220’s.

I have a 30-40 Krag rifle and a carbine. I have 170 grain CL's loaded in the rifle and it gets 2325 fps with 47 grains of IMR4350. The bullets are designed for 30-30. I think I'll be trying 150 grain Hornady Interlock SP's next - I was surprised at how well those 150 H IL's expanded in white tail from a savage 99 300.

Those 4350 and 170 grain bullets shot pretty well - accurately as long as I did not shoot 5 rounds fairly quickly in the carbine. It's been sort of $hitty weather since I bought the rifle, so I have not shot it except for checking velocity of the load.

The carbine has as-issued sights, the rifle has an after market aperture sight on it. I don't expect to shoot anything over 200 yards, so I have not felt the need to have worked with any flatter shooting loads.

As I recall, I couldn't get 220 grain Hornady RN bullets to shoot well in the carbine, but have failed to record the results.

I loaded 180’s with IMR 4350 years ago, Nosler Partitions, very effective on piney woods deer.

200 speer and 220 Hornady roind nose kill elk. I know they work.