M1 Garand 30-06 reloading results

[71vette]

This was my first attempt at 30-06 Garand reloading and I’m very happy with the results so far. My intent was an easy shooting M2 ball-esc load. Due to a medical issue I’m sensitive to recoil, so I wanted this to be relatively tame. I loaded up 10 test rounds earlier in the week and was able to sneak out to the range this morning.

My test batch:

Used all Remington commercial brass. Oddly enough, most of my brass is commercial. I also have a significant amount of nickel. The bullets are M80 pulls from CDVS. They look perfect. I’ve gotten quite a lot of primed brass from them along with several batches of bullets. I’ve been very happy with all of it so far.

The range was being used for Sheriff’s department firearms training this morning, but I was able to squeeze in between shifts to chrono the new 30-06 loads.

147gr FMJBT M80 ball
47gr IMR-4895, 3.25” COAL, Remington LRM

24” M1: 2560fps

Cycling was perfect. No issues whatsoever and the bolt locked back/clip ejected like it should. Recoil was more than acceptable. I was standing, wearing a T-shirt and it didn’t beat me up. After getting the velocity, I had five rounds left. There was a bunch of cones and barrels on the range for the department training so I didn’t want to go back to 100 and shoot past them. I was able to find an angle at 50 yards for a clean shot. I fired five kneeling offhand into about 5 inches. Not my best work by far, but it grouped well and I’m assuming it’s capable of much better with me not sucking…..

Here she is with my ‘43 Remington Rand that I also shot today:

This is the ‘43 Winchester with the VAR barrel.

I was able to recover all my -06 and 45 brass along with a LOT of 9mm, not that I really need more of that….. Wish I would have had more time, but it’s a super nice day and I really can’t complain. Got to chat with the Sheriff a bit too. He’s an old family friend.

These were loaded on a Dillon 550 with RCBS dies. FL sizing and a seating die. No crimp. I used a Frankfort auto trickler so the charge weights should be pretty consistent. I’m debating getting a Redding taper crimp die as some web results show significant accuracy improvements with Garands. I am happy with the limited testing so far with the M80 bullets. Plus, can’t beat the price!

ETA - Finished up a small batch today. I think the nickel looks nice!

 

[Nevada Ed]

I get accuracy out of my 30-06 with that weight bullet to 150 gr with
47 grs of 4895 & 4064 IMR powders, for light target loads, for killing paper at my range.
My 03 bolt likes IMR4350 better than the faster powders, for some odd reason.

 

[SGT ROCK 11B]

@Nevada Ed

I had the same results. My Remington 760 preferred IMR 4350 too.

 

[TJm15.38]

Looks like you've got great loads for the Garand. My go to load has always been 47 grains of IMR 4064 behind a 150-grain Hornady FMJ.

 

[AJ]

That VAR barrel is Danish if you weren't aware. I remember buying "Danish Returns" from the CMP North Store back in the early 2000's. If you can find any Danish made 30-06, buy it. Very accurate! I have a case or two that I am hoarding.

 

[Mike SC Hunter]

I love these rifles..........Lots of history.....Lots of fun!

 

[71vette]

Yep, the Winchester is a Danish return. The VSR barrel is a ‘57. The only part that’s Winchester on the rifle is the receiver. Everything (other than the barrel) is Springfield. I also have a ‘43 Springfield with a ‘53 Springfield barrel. Everything is Springfield except the trigger guard, that’s Winchester. Go figure.

The Springer:

 

[71vette]

Yep, the Winchester is a Danish return. The VSR barrel is a ‘57. The only part that’s Winchester on the rifle is the receiver. Everything (other than the barrel) is Springfield. I also have a ‘43 Springfield with a ‘53 Springfield barrel. Everything is Springfield except the trigger guard, that’s Winchester. Go figure.

The Springer:

 

[bobcantshoot]

I get accuracy out of my 30-06 with that weight bullet to 150 gr with
47 grs of 4895 & 4064 IMR powders, for light target loads, for killing paper at my range.
My 03 bolt likes IMR4350 better than the faster powders, for some odd reason.

I loaded the same... 47gr 4895 with 150gr. Hornady FMJ BT in my M1 Garand last year. I agree. Worked xlnt. Amazing weapon

 

[Dave Haynes]

In the 1980s I received a DCM rifle that was very special. The info I got was that this was a batch of M1s that were put together for some special purpose which was never completed and these went into Rock Island storage. A "Silver Sack" rifle. It was a 3.3 SA receiver with every other part new. The stock was new and bedded on the trigger side and weighed at least a pound more than any other Garand stock I've seen. The gas cylinder had to be tapped off with a block of wood. The barrel was a new SA 11/65 and the receiver was scratch marked SA 12/65. I did a lot of experimenting with loads and powder for bench rest shooting. In those days the hot bullet was the 168gr International Sierra. Hornady wasn't even on the same page. Powder was narrowed down to IMR 4064. Our range was only 100 yards. Narrowed down to that bullet and powder, I found that 46gr equaled teacup sized groups. Raising it to 48 hit the sweet spot..5 shot groups dead center that you could cover with a US quarter. Over and over, using that same load in my near new 03A3 with a 2 groove barrel, the same results, 5 shots covered with a quarter. I wouldn't have believed it if you told me, a couple grains isn't supposed to work that well, the two grove isn't supposed to shoot that well. I went on to win 5 bench rest matches with that load,

 

[bobcantshoot]

A winning combination. That's a 'pass on to younger generation' rifle. Got mine through Govt. Marksman program in 80's as well. Too bad they don't still do that.

 

[Trooper224]

My aught sixes, whether semi-auto or bolt, have always preferred 168 grain bullets over the lighter weights. A 168 over 47 grains of 4895 has been my di everything load for longer than I can remember. Great rifles.

 

[Trooper224]

 

[Claymore33]

U.S. Army found that you need minimum of 168 grain bullets to stay stable past 800 yards with .308 and 30-06.

 

[rwsmith]

I reloaded some for a friend that were on the light side to keep from bending the op rod, but then he got an adjustable gas block so we switched to full power loads.

 

[STCM(SW)]

Got a big batch of Greek FMJ with clips made on WW loading equipment many years ago.
I reloaded hunting rounds with SP WC bullets for hunting deer. Never got a shot at a deer with it.
Just like to know that the FMJ rounds will go through any car or truck made today just they did in the 1940's!

 

[6string]

Very interested to read the OP.

I was curious about CDVS, so I looked them up.
They sell bullets and powder salvaged from broken down ammo, often of mixed manufacture.
Saw this:
“Bullets are from several different manufacturers and will have a slight height variance between manufacturer.” That means variations in resulting case capacity, and thus chamber pressure!
I don’t like that!

Powders are only vaguely described, for example:
“14.6 GRAINS WITH 147 GRAIN AND 9 GRAINS WITH 220 GRAIN BULLET”
This was for an unidentified powder from unidentified manufacturer(s?) of 300 BLK ammo.
Other powder has “data” supplied by customers.
Of course, no pressure data.
No country of origin information.
Combined with the usual “customer assumes all responsibility” jargon, it makes me uncomfortable.