Let’s make something clear right off the bat: We have nothing against the 30-40 Krag. If it is your favorite rifle cartridge, then we’ll throw a big party in your honor inside our warehouse. (You’ll be disappointed in our lack of 30-40 Krag inventory!)
But with all due respect to the 30-40 Krag (aka 30 U.S., or 30 Army), we wouldn’t recommend it to someone unless they were specifically interested in turn-of-the-19th-century American military cartridges. We would especially not recommend the 30-40 over one of the most popular rifle cartridges in the U.S.. One of those cartridges, is the slightly more powerful 30-06 Springfield. Even if the 30-40 were technically superior, you’d have a devil of a time finding any for sale.
165 grain 30-40 Krag Sierra Game King. A great round…good luck finding some!
But hold on just a minute. Isn’t the hallowed 30-06 also a turn-of-the-19th-century American military cartridge, albeit a more modern one? We’re only asking that question for rhetorical effect. We know it is, which compels us to determine whether the 30-06 owes at least part of its incomparably greater popularity to better performance.
If you want to see a 60 second history brief on the 30-40 Krag, check out the video below:
30-40 Krag vs 30-06 Quick Hits
- The 30-40 Krag is generally a slower and less powerful cartridge than 30-06.
- Due to its faster speeds, the 30-06 generally shoots flatter, with a flatter trajectory than 30-40.
- 30-06 rifles and ammo are generally much easier to find and cheaper to shoot than 30-40 Krag.
So, now that you got the quick answer, let’s dive into some of these points with data. We aim for a purely objective comparison between two classic rifle rounds. We’ll begin with an examination of their physical characteristics.
30-40 Krag vs. 30-06: Specs
The 30-40 was the U.S. Army’s first cartridge that had originally been designed for smokeless propellant (as opposed to black powder). It was patterned after (albeit not technically parented by) the 303 British, and it replaced the 45-70 Government in 1892.
The overall length of the Krag rifle is about 50 inches!
The 30-06 was born out of development of the 30-03 Springfield, which it replaced alongside the 6mm Lee Navy and the 30-40 upon its adoption in 1906. It remained in service until the 1970s, when it was replaced by the ballistically similar yet short-action 7.62x51mm.
M1 Garand is synonymous with 30-06.
In other words, the 30-06 represents about 15 years of technological advancement over the 30-40. It’s not a totally new invention, as it retains its predecessor’s .308” diameter bullet. The 30-06 can also fire bullets of the same weight, although those bullets are backed by a considerably larger case.
| 30-40 Krag | 30-06 Springfield | |
|---|---|---|
| Parent case | 303 British | 30-03 Springfield |
| Bullet diameter | .308 in | .308 in |
| Land diameter | .301 in | .300 in |
| Neck diameter | .338 in | .340 in |
| Shoulder diameter | .423 in | .441 in |
| Base diameter | .457 in | .471 in |
| Rim diameter | .545 in | .473 in |
| Case length | 2.314 in | 2.494 in |
| Overall length | 3.089 in | 3.340 in |
| Case capacity | 58.0 gr H2O | 68.0 gr H2O |
| Max pressure (SAAMI) | 47,137 psi (C.I.P.) | 60,000 psi (SAAMI) |
The 30-06’s case has a 0.018” wider shoulder diameter, 0.014” wider base diameter, and 0.180” longer length. The entire 30-06 cartridge is 0.251” longer than its predecessor. The 30-06’s case is also 17.24% more capacious, and stores around 25% more propellant – i.e. magic explodey bang-bang dust which ignites to propel the bullet.
This should lead you to a sensible conclusion which we will prove true in a moment: The 30-06’s hotter propellant charge and greater maximum chamber pressure equate to a higher muzzle velocity.
30-40 Krag vs. 30-06 Springfield: Ballistics
Looking at the ballistic data provided by ammunition manufacturers, which is why we’re only presenting data for 30-40 rounds loaded with 180 grain bullets. That’s about all manufacturers readily make available to us. You could take that as a testament to the 30-40’s unpopularity in the civilian ammo world.
180 GR. Core-Lokt PSP 30-40 Krag.
To be sure, the 30-40 Krag is normally loaded with bullets ranging 100 to 200 grains in weight. The 30-06 is available with a similar range of bullet weights: 120 to 220 grains. Fortunately, comparing analogous 180 grain loads will illustrate the 30-06’s superior ballistics well enough.
| Range (yds) | Velocity (fps) | Energy (ft lbs) | Elevation (in) |
| 0 | 2430 | 2360 | -1.5 |
| 100 | 2234 | 1994 | 2.76 |
| 200 | 2047 | 1674 | 0.02 |
| 300 | 1869 | 1397 | -11.05 |
| 400 | 1702 | 1159 | -32.1 |
| 500 | 1548 | 958 | -65.18 |
| Range (yds) | Velocity (fps) | Energy (ft lbs) | Elevation (in) |
| 0 | 2700 | 2914 | -1.5 |
| 100 | 2504 | 2506 | 2.04 |
| 200 | 2316 | 2144 | 0.01 |
| 300 | 2136 | 1824 | -8.52 |
| 400 | 1965 | 1543 | -24.69 |
| 500 | 1802 | 1298 | -49.89 |
Despite having bullets of the same diameter, profile and weight, 30-06 frequently exhibits a lower ballistic coefficient than the 30-40. That means the 30-06 bullet may be innately less capable of conserving velocity and overcoming wind deflection. The 30-06 overcomes this potential shortcoming by achieving a higher muzzle velocity: 11.11% higher, so long as we are comparing 180 grain bullets.
Muzzle Velocity Compared
| Range (yds) | Velocity (fps) | Energy (ft lbs) | Elevation (in) |
| 0 | 2430 | 2360 | -1.5 |
| 100 | 2213 | 1957 | 2.82 |
| 200 | 2007 | 1610 | 0 |
| 300 | 1813 | 1314 | -11.48 |
| 400 | 1633 | 1066 | -33.59 |
| 500 | 1469 | 862 | -68.78 |
| Range (yds) | Velocity (fps) | Energy (ft lbs) | Elevation (in) |
| 0 | 2700 | 2914 | -1.5 |
| 100 | 2469 | 2437 | 2.12 |
| 200 | 2250 | 2024 | 0.02 |
| 300 | 2042 | 1668 | -8.98 |
| 400 | 1846 | 1363 | -26.35 |
| 500 | 1664 | 1107 | -53.95 |
The 30-06’s higher muzzle velocity directly translates to a flatter overall trajectory (as you can see by comparing 100-yard elevations in our ballistics tables). The faster a bullet exits the barrel, the more ground it can cover before gravity has pushed it 1” downward. That simple rule of physics accounts for why the 30-40’s 180 grain bullet drops an average of -67.07” 300 yards downrange of a 200-yard zero – and the 30-06’s only drops -52.65”.
Is the 30-06 more accurate? Impossible to say. Too much depends on the rifle, the ammo, the shooter, and other variables which bulge outside of this article’s intended scope. What we will say is that the 30-06’s flatter trajectory does simplify long-distance shooting by requiring the shooter to make fewer adjustments to compensate for bullet drop. Of course, either round is perfectly capable of hitting a dime inside of the ranges most Americans hunt within.
30-40 Krag vs. 30-06 Springfield: Stopping Power
These are both combat cartridges, and much beastlier ones than the 5.56×45 at that. The 30-06 is effective in combat out to 500 yards, and easily double that if a skilled marksman is doing the shooting. The 30-40 isn’t too far off.
We’re not interested in these rounds’ efficacy at stopping a human threat. They’re both too powerful to be advisable for personal protection, and more or less equally potent over the short distances typically involved with home defense.
The Hornady 150 GR. Interlock 30-06 is a very popular hunting load.
We are interested in these rounds’ relative stopping power as far as hunting is concerned, though. Stop. Hold up. Let’s put “stopping power” in quotes, because it’s technically unquantifiable. It’s really the combination of a few different things, such as:
- The bullet’s capacity for terminal expansion, which is why you should hunt with a soft point, Ballistic Tip, or something else like it
- The bullet’s capacity for penetration, which is measured in sectional density, which is the product of mass and diameter, which is why both rounds’ 180 grain bullets have the same sectional density of 0.271
- The amount of energy the bullet strikes with on impact
- Where the bullet hits its target (heart, lung, whisker, etc.), which is ultimately up to the shooter
Let’s examine item three in greater depth. How hard do these two rounds hit their targets, exactly? To answer that question, check out the farthest distances at which the aforementioned rounds conserve at least 1,500 ft lbs of kinetic energy (the minimum conventionally recommended for ethical elk harvesting) and 1,000 ft lbs of energy (ditto, but for whitetail).
| Minimum Striking Energy (yds) | ||
|---|---|---|
| 1,500 ft lbs | 1,000 ft lbs | |
| 30-40 Hornady 180gr SP | 261 | 477 |
| 30-40 Remington 180gr PSP | 235 | 430 |
| 30-40 Winchester 180gr SP | 245 | 448 |
| 30-06 Hornady 180gr SP | 416 | 647 |
| 30-06 Remington 180gr PSP | 353 | 548 |
| 30-06 Winchester 180gr SP | 351 | 545 |
These data don’t surprise us. On average, the 180 grain 30-40 bullet conserves at least 1,500 ft lbs of energy until 247 yards; 1,000 ft lbs, 452 yards. In contrast, the average 180 grain 30-06 bullet conserves 1,500 and 1,000 ft lbs of energy at 373 and 580 yards, respectively.
So far we have shown that the 30-06 shoots flatter and hits harder. But it’s not entirely better. There’s still the matter of recoil.
Recoil
Greater comfort. Reduced muzzle rise. Faster accurate follow-up shots. These benefits go hand in hand with lower recoil.
It’s easy to calculate free recoil energy, as it is a product of four quantifiable variables: firearm weight, propellant charge weight, bullet weight, and muzzle velocity.
The recoil generated from the 30-40 Krag is minimal.
These two rounds aren’t fired from the same rifles. The Springfield Model 1892-99 Krag-Jørgensen weighs approximately 8.4 lbs unloaded; the M1 Garand, 9.5 lbs. For the sake of an apples-to-apples comparison, let’s assume we are firing two hypothetical 8 lb rifles. Let’s also assume all 30-06 rounds have 50 grains of propellant, and all 30-40 rounds have 40 grains (the second number referenced in its name, after its caliber).
Given all of that, we can expect any of the aforementioned 30-40 rounds to generate 16.11 ft lbs of recoil energy on ignition. That’s not too much higher than the 15 ft lbs deemed “maximum allowable for a military service rifle” by the British Textbook of Small Arms (1909). That’s also significantly lower than the 30-06’s 21.48 ft lbs of recoil energy, which thumps the shoulder noticeably harder, and which causes significantly sharper muzzle flip as well.
The more powerful round kicks harder. Who’d’ve thunk it?
30-40 Krag vs. 30-06 Springfield: Availability and Cost
Factory-loaded 30-40 ammo is pretty scarce. We have only ever offered a couple varieties of it. Handloaders are at liberty to load it 30-40 until the cows come home (they may even reshape more ubiquitous 303 British brass for this purpose), but non-handloaders searching for 30-40 had better be prepared for a long slog.
We have more than a dozen varieties of 30-06 ammo in stock at the time of writing. If you count boxes and cases of the same ammo as two separate products, then we have offered 177 different types of 30-06 so far. Does that make it sound like 30-06 ammo is easier to find for sale? Good. It should.
It comes down to what you’re looking to get out it each cartridge! Both are very enjoyable.
Despite containing relatively more materials (namely brass and propellant), 30-06 ammo is also cheaper. It’s the economy of scale in action. The 30-40 is relatively niche, which impels manufacturers to churn it out in relatively small quantities. In contrast, the 30-06 is America’s most popular deer hunting cartridge, and it positively gushes out of factories as a result.
Conclusion
Our analyses produced exactly the results we expected. The 30-06 achieves a flatter trajectory. It strikes harder on impact, and remains effective at farther distances. Its higher power comes at the cost of stronger recoil – but it doesn’t kick so hard that hunters shy away from it. Quite the contrary, in fact, because the 30-06 is the king of American hunting rounds.
Is the 30-40 a poor cartridge? Not remotely. Though it may appear underpowered compared to a more modern round, it is still perfectly serviceable for taking whitetail within ranges up to 500 yards – or farther, if a competent marksman is pulling the trigger. You wouldn’t want to make a 30-40 your only rifle, but it’s a worthy addition to any American sportsman’s arsenal.
