Just register to this site as I am presently working with the 30-40 Krag cartridge.  I am shooting strictly cast boolits. (For those who might not recognized that word—slang for bullets, those of cast form—Castboolits website)

Regardless, I am shooting an Encore with a custom 26” MGM barrel.  So far so good…

I got into this project several months ago after I located some once-fired R-P brass.  I actually acquired the brass before I ordered the barrel.  I had heard horror stories of getting the 30-40 Krag brass.  I later did get 100 pieces of new brass from Graf & Sons…

Now to the reloading project.  I have always been a fan of very slow burning powder for cast boolits.  I have honestly never had super accuracy (M.O.A. or less at 100 yards) with fast burners.  So, I am shooting IMR-5010-PD and WC-860.  The WC-860 is the winner so far…

The boolit is the NOE 311-202-RN which weighs-in at ~210 grains (wheel weights/1% tin) after checked and lubed. Sized to 0.311”…

A loading density of 80% with the WC-860 is giving me a velocity of 1550 fps with M.O.A. at 100 yards and fairly predictable placement hits at 250 on a groundhog-sized steel target.  All well and good…

Now, my questions or inquiries are:  Has anyone else used this boolit?  And how about the 311041 Lyman slug?  It weighs-in at ~173 grains…

All suggestions to powders and cast boolits appreciated.  I figured since this is a 30-40 Krag forum, there might be some other data tried and true…

Thanks all…BCB

You can run that 860 all the way up to a caseful and not run into pressure problems.  That might not yield the utmost in accuracy with the alloy you're using though.  I have a NOE 311284, and a caseful will give me around 1950fps.  I think when you go to the lower weight bullet you'll find more happiness with some faster powders.  You just don't get enough pressure with the lighter bullets to come anywhere near getting the 860 to burn right.  I think Mark Daiute plays with the 202RN you're using, along with 860 and 5010.  I've even used booster charges of fast burning flake powders with it to make a flash more like the much larger than a LR, 50BMG primer.  You can find some posts about that on castboolits.  My latest experiment along those lines is some .303 British blanks that I converted to 30-40.  As a fireforming load I'm using a caseful of 860 with a bit of a booster under the Remington 180gr core-lokt.  The increased body taper of the .303 eats a little case capacity, they only hold 43.7gr, filled to the base of the bullet.  Waiting for a break in the weather to see how those work.  Guesstimating it will produce around 2300fps.  I have a source of 860 that's a near enough drive I can save some hazmat, so I'll likely be working with it more in the future.