luv2safari
My brother contacted Pederolosi [sp?] and they sent him a lot of info. They stated that the Kodiak would take any load that was safe in the Marlin Lever.
The 53gr of 3031 is an Elmer Keith load that I was using in my Marlin. In my No1 I used more powder but seated the bullet out farther. [My No1 is an older rifle and has a longer throat than newer rifles.] You cannot get much more 3031 in to the case with that bullet at "normal" seating depths. If a 400gr bullet at 1840 is not enough an extra 100 fps does not make much difference IMHO.
The best way to increase the "killing" power is to use the proper bullet. For BIG big game i.e. bears, elk etc I would start with the 350gr Hornady, the 400gr Swift A Frame, or the 350/400 North Fork, or heavy cast bullets, Buffalo Bore, Garrett etc. I like expansion and penetration, but I must have enough penetration.
For deer the 300gr bullets at @ 1850 work very well, but my favorite all round bullet for deer and pigs is the 350 Hornady at 1800 to 1900fps.