Question for M1 Garand shooters

[bgrafsr]

When I reloaded ammo for my match Garand I stayed around 2650 to 2750 FPS. It always worked and was accurate.
From Shooting Times:

 

[WR Moore]

With all due respect to the late General Hatcher, that article was written about 75 years ago. There are powders being used today the the General had never thought of. Absent proper testing, there's no way to know what the port pressure of the modern powders is in an M1. I shot CMP matches with guys with M1s, after hearing all the M&B going on about bent/broken operating rods (unknown powders/load data), I never had any yen for an M1.

However, for those who do reload, the following is the NRA published load data from the last century:

.30-06
150 gr FMJBT/HPBT
IMR 3031-48 gr
IMR 4895-49 gr
IMR 4064-50 gr

168 gr HPBT
IMR 3031-45.5 gr
IMR 4895-47 gr
IMR 4064-48 gr

If your M1 was rebarreled to .308/using an M1A or the like:

150 gr FMJBT/HPBT
WW 748-45.5 gr
IMR 3031-39 gr
IMR 4895-42 gr
IMR 4064-44 gr

168 gr HPBT
WW 748- 43 gr
IMR 3031-39 gr
IMR 4895-40.5 gr
IMR 4064-41.5 gr

Note: loads for the obsolete 173 gr flat meplat "match" bullet are given, but this IS NOT THE 175 Gr Sierra Match King, so it's not included.

Hornady has a section in it's load data for service rifles that shows a wider range of powder selection that apparently still stay within the acceptable port pressure range. The powders listed seem to be in the same burn rate area.

ETA: IIRC, the book velocity for .30-06 M2 ball was 2700 f/s with the 150 gr FMJBT. An awful lot of 7.62 x 51 mm ball ammo is/was loaded with the non-cannister version of BL-C2.

 

[growr]

Have used this data for many years with great success, especially the 150 FMJ and IMR-4895 at 49 grains.

Point of aim and impact is the same as M2 Ball, ejection is the same pattern....must be a near perfect replicant of M2 Ball.

Randy

 

[rockquarry]

With all due respect to the late General Hatcher, that article was written about 75 years ago. There are powders being used today the the General had never thought of. Absent proper testing, there's no way to know what the port pressure of the modern powders is in an M1. I shot CMP matches with guys with M1s, after hearing all the M&B going on about bent/broken operating rods (unknown powders/load data), I never had any yen for an M1.

However, for those who do reload, the following is the NRA published load data from the last century:

.30-06
150 gr FMJBT/HPBT
IMR 3031-48 gr
IMR 4895-49 gr
IMR 4064-50 gr

168 gr HPBT
IMR 3031-45.5 gr
IMR 4895-47 gr
IMR 4064-48 gr

If your M1 was rebarreled to .308/using an M1A or the like:

150 gr FMJBT/HPBT
WW 748-45.5 gr
IMR 3031-39 gr
IMR 4895-42 gr
IMR 4064-44 gr

168 gr HPBT
WW 748- 43 gr
IMR 3031-39 gr
IMR 4895-40.5 gr
IMR 4064-41.5 gr

Note: loads for the obsolete 173 gr flat meplat "match" bullet are given, but this IS NOT THE 175 Gr Sierra Match King, so it's not included.

Hornady has a section in it's load data for service rifles that shows a wider range of powder selection that apparently still stay within the acceptable port pressure range. The powders listed seem to be in the same burn rate area.

I've never owned an M1, but always assumed about 99% of those who used them were handloaders. Is that not true? Any non-handloaders are missing out on a lot.

As for handloading for rifles in general, it's a rare occasion when a well-developed handload won't shoot considerably better than commercial or surplus ammo. Loading for the M1 should be no different. Non-handloaders really put themselves at a disadvantage, especially if they have an interest in accuracy.

M1 loads - they're everywhere and any serious handloader should have multiple sources in his library for comparison and reference. There may be more modern loads using newer powders, but quite often one will find these are no better and maybe not as good as the old loads that have been used for decades.

 

[WR Moore]

In days of yore, surplus M2 ball ammo was nearly as cheap as dirt and probably spurred a lot of interest in the M1. Not sure when that evaporated.

 

[Dvus]

General Hatcher would disagree...

General Hatcher may shoot whatever he likes in HIS M1, doesn't make his opinion right for mine.

As for handloading for the M1, that's great if that is what you are in to. I on the other hand, do not have the time for all of the calibers that I already load for, so I really don't need to add another. I will continue to shoot my surplus stockpile, and if I really want to get serious about small groups, I will pull from my S&B stash.

 

[waffles]

In days of yore, surplus M2 ball ammo was nearly as cheap as dirt and probably spurred a lot of interest in the M1. Not sure when that evaporated.

Yeah I think my last great score was 2016 grabbing a few thousand M2 HXP for $0.35 (iirc, might have been a hair less) and had a few similar deals in the years prior. Wish I'd found a way to get more cash on hand for more, I don't reload anymore and I'm nearing the end of that stash. Not looking forward to paying current M2 ball (or repro loading) prices.

 

[jpage]

Royal Tiger Imports has Italian M2 ball for .79 a round

 

[rockquarry]

For those who handload for M1s, how does the accuracy of the Sierra 168 Match bullet rank in comparsion with other accurate bullets?

This one has been around a long time; my only experience with it has been in bolt-action rifles. It always seems to shoot very well. A competitive shooter and long-time Sierra employee (now retired) told me some years ago that this bullet would still do as well as anything available as long as distances were not over 600 yards.

 

[Muddyboot]

Still lots of surplus ammo on Gunbroker, I just picked up 360 rounds of the Greek HXP for 400.00 shipped.

 

[ArchAngelCD]

CMP has Federal 150gr M1 ammo in stock for $308/200 rounds.

Please try to refrain from discussing loading the ammo since the OP is asking about buying ammo. This is the Ammo forum, not the Reloading forum.

 

[LVSteve]

It's not the velocity you should worry about. It's the pressure curve of the powder used to load the ammo.

This x1000, even on guns that have adjustable gas like the FN-49, Hakim, and the FAL. These military guns have an adjustable system set up to deal with the extremes of the specified load, not Remchester's latest mutli-burn powder whiz-bang deer load. Don't believe for a minute that an adjustable system can deal with all the variations in pressure curve possible with store bought ammo.

 

[clang444]

In days of yore, surplus M2 ball ammo was nearly as cheap as dirt and probably spurred a lot of interest in the M1. Not sure when that evaporated.

I first started buying Garands and ammo from the CMP about 15-20 years ago. Lake City ammo was going for $0.20/round. My first Garand was an unfurbished 1945 gun that I picked off the rack in the North Store myself for about $300.

When the Greek stuff first started, it was about the same price, maybe a hair less. We didn't know how good it was when it first came out.

those days are long gone...

 

[Targets Guy]

I bought 1,000 rounds back around 2000. Very happy I did. Plenty left.

 

[rwsmith]

It's been a while....

Have used this data for many years with great success, especially the 150 FMJ and IMR-4895 at 49 grains.

Point of aim and impact is the same as M2 Ball, ejection is the same pattern....must be a near perfect replicant of M2 Ball.

Randy

It's been a long while since I reloaded for the M1 but as soon as you mentioned this load, I recognized it.