Be sure to enter theNES/MFS February Giveaway ***Taurus G3***. The set also included the MatchMaster seater die that allowed me to drop bullets into a side window, saving my fingers from the typical pinching. Tom is a retired engineer who is always busy with several personal engineering projects, including an elk-retrieval system for his pickups trailer hitch, so he was not adverse to loaning me his Garand to work up some handloads. pills a whirl. psi/cup max chg max fps max press. Handloading the Garand takes little more skill than loading for any other centerfire rifle, once you get started with the proper technique. As a result, the same loads in military brass create more pressure, a real no-no in the Garand. Cartridges In 1932 General Douglas MacArthur quashed the .276 because zillions of .30-06 service rounds already existed. You are using an out of date browser. While the below listed loading tables clearly show a wide range of powders for This load can be a few tenths either way and still produce exceptional results. M1 Garands have been used for casual and competitive target shooting ever since they came home on the shoulders of GIs in the 1940s. I had encountered this before with G.I. some information as to Service Rifle hand loading for rifles like the M1 Garand Hello guys, I just started reloading for my garand and i have a few questions. This page is an attempt at providing Reduced Recoil Rifle Load Data. His rifle hit some empty cans at short range, and I mostly remember the recoil being pretty mild for a .30-06, no doubt due to both the Garands weight and gas operation. i use 48.2 grains of IMR4064 for a 150 grain bullet and that's for my bolt action Rem700. H|7:5hh4da}]~= R%V_To_> S0ABKxG.=a.R;Vh"5CPlbwSpU! stream More importantly, everything it makes has the performance to match. Western Powder's load manual says to use 44 to 50 grains of a propellant with a medium burn rate topped with a 150- to 173-grain bullet. M1 Garand 30-06 Loading Data For bullets, we decided to give the new Berger Hybrid Target 168-gr. Loading and Shooting the M1 Garand The M1 Garand rifle is a .30 caliber, gas-operated, 8 shot clip-fed, semi-automatic rifle. <> Marlin Lever Guns ); maximum case length: 2.494"; trim to length: By extensive, I mean far more than 5,000 rounds have been through it. get a reloading book. I've used 48.5 grains of IMR4895 behind a 147/150 grain ball bullet for 25 years with no problems. Gun: Springfield Armory M1 Garand; barrel length: 24 inches; case: Hornady; primer: Winchester Large Rifle; bullet diameter: .308"; bullets: 150 GR Hornady FMJ-BT; COAL: 3.185" or 155 GR Hornady A-Max; COAL: 3.240"; maximum COAL: 3.340"; (Note: 155 GR bullets can be used for all 150 GR data listed. My best group was .62" (1.24 MOA) at 45.00 grains. M1 Garand Service Rifle Load Data. But the fact is, the Garands awful efficiency far outstripped that of the Springfield. Close enough that I would be remiss in not pointing this out to anyone thinking of using the VV-N150 in a Garand. When reloading for the M1 it is important not to load ammo that will over-gas the system. Other than that, we didn't venture too far outside typical reloading gear.The components that were available to use also depicted decades of product development. One goal was to produce a reliable load for firing three or four rounds quickly at distant targets. However, it took many years for its . For powder, I decided to branch out and give VihtaVuori N150 a try. One standard piece of .30-06 handloading advice, especially for Garands, is that military cases are heavier than commercial cases, so loads need to be reduced. They are impressed by the light recoil and how cheap it is compared to buying new AA . To load the Garand, first lock the bolt to the rear. Plan ahead, there are always times of need along the lifetime of a shooter.) With the RCBS small-base dies in use, there were no chambering problems. The all around best Here, the gases meet a long-stroke piston attached to the operating rod, which is pushed rearward by the force of this high-pressure gas. %PDF-1.5 A second very decent CMP rifle delivered 2.0-inch groups on demand. The case is beat up both on loading and in extraction and ejection, and the case mouth will split more often than with bolt guns. Individual shooters often logged several kills with one clip including one brilliant and well documented incident in which an officer armed with a Garand, scouting at Normandy, took out eight Germans with eight shots. Suggestions Thank you guys, I was looking for a book locally the few I came across where not very specific to Garand loads. While quite a piece of history, we do not set and admire the finish but rather use the rifle often. If safety alone isn't enough reason to start at the bottom and work up, let accuracy tip the scale. This group was fired at 100 yards after working up the load at 50 yards. However, I believe every firearm deserves all the help it can get. The M1 Garand rifle is a .30 caliber, gas-operated, 8 shot clip-fed, semi-automatic rifle. Email Hornady and request the Garand specific info. Make sure that your cartridge length does not exceed your magazine length. 1 0 obj It turned out to contain 53.2 grains of a powder that, not surprisingly, looked exactly like my supply of twenty-first-century IMR-4895. suitable for M1 Garand rifles that have been rechambered in the 7.62 NATO round. A good, tight crimp was used. The content presented here is intended to inform, to educate, and even to entertain. powders are IMR 4895, Hodgdon H4895 and Accurate 2495. As for feed reliability, the Garand is superior to many bolt action rifles in this regard. I have long suspected the reason so many post-World War II gun writers stated accurate loads were usually found a few grains below listed maximum was the abundance of military surplus 4895. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding. The M1 Garand and its gas system was designed to operate with M1 Ball ammo. Many of the young men were military officers. Page Mind you, that an overthrow with this dispenser is only 0.02 of a grain-or essentially 2 kernels of powder. The rifle is accurate enough that the pursuit of an accuracy load was worthwhile. M1 Garand 30-06 Loading Data Suggestions All Loads To Be Used At Your Own Risk The "U.S. Rifle, Caliber .30, M1," or more commonly known simply as the M1 Garand, was designed by John Garand (pronounced to rhyme with "errand"), with development beginning around 1924. Average muzzle velocity was just about 2,750 fps, a little less than 2,800 fps listed by Hatcher but certainly within the normal variation for both rifles and ammunition. You can mess up a good gun by not loading for them right. The M1 Garand and its gas system was designed to operate with M1 Ball ammo. The bullets feed straight into the chamber, skipping the feed ramp. After three range sessions with handloads, Varget provided the finest accuracy with 150-grain bullets, and VV-N150 provided the best groups with 168s. These dies also feature a precision micrometer seating stem, which allowed me to achieve a consistent 3.325 overall length without any fussing around. In this instance, however, commercial Federal cases used for the handloads averaged 7 grains heavier than G.I. Accurate 2520 Powder in Garand I picked up an 8 Lber of AA2520 - the so called "Camp Perry Special", and loaded up some test rounds for my CMP special 30-06 garand and 155 Nosler HPBT. While best known for its pistol brass, Starline had shifted its focus to bottleneck cartridges and nailed it. The gas-port plug underneath the muzzle can be replaced with an after-market model to shoot commercial .30-06 ammunition. Todays H-4895 is a different powder, one of the Australian-made Extreme line offered by Hodgdon. All that was required was a quick run through the sizing die and a light chamfer and deburr of the case mouths. Garand loads seem to be limited by the rifle itself not the cartridge. Garand and M1A (M-14) rifles known to be in good operating condition. The handloads were worked up not only with just accuracy in mind, but also a certain velocity range to avoid overloading the operating rod. The Small Game or Gallery" Load Not many bullet makers offer 172-grain .30-caliber bullets anymore, and while some published data includes heavier bullets, many Garand shooters advise against using anything heavier than 172 grains due to possible op-rod damage. Many reloading sources have load data specifically for the M1 Garand rifle. I also used the classic original and dependable IMR line of powders. Since my sons and I enjoy the Garand, the problem of feeding the rifle is a matter that must be solved. The M1 Garand's operating handle doubles as a forward assist. I would not wish to seat a Match Grade 168-grain bullet over a powder charge intended for 150-grain bullets. It may not display this or other websites correctly. . Many might say that the M1 "won't notice them." ?~kOl{{=^&:nyM =4 5^{w ~g3f7n_g^~~;xar8uom-woy[|O17x4ytOaF*A'BK>wi##_fG~=>F\EehLB[>C5f:# Anyone who doesnt see the value in a properly-fitted, locking ammo box has never spilled a round of load development on the floor only to have to pull 50 bullets and do it all again. Get the old rifle off the rack and to the range, and you will find hours of enjoyment waiting. At the time of this writing, it is the most precise scale that RCBS makes. Its short grain flowed very easily through the MatchMaster dispenser and resulted in nearly zero overthrows. Authors Note:Since the Garand has a floating firing pin, match grade primers are contra indicated. Copyright 2023 National Rifle Association, Women On Target Instructional Shooting Clinics, Volunteer At The Great American Outdoor Show, Marion P. Hammer Women Of Distinction Award, Women's Wildlife Management / Conservation Scholarship, National Youth Shooting Sports Cooperative Program, Handload Ladder Testing: 5 Reasons To Avoid It, Forster Products: Tooling Around With Precision Focus, 5 Instances When Reloading Is Not Beneficial, Reloading The .300 Precision Rifle Cartridge, Review: FN America FN 15 DMR3 Rifle | An Official Journal Of The NRA, Got M2 Ball? 5.I then shoot 1 round of each load at its own target (round robin ) cycling through the loads for 8 rounds each. The basic rule is to use powders in the same general burn-rate range of IMR-4895, nothing much faster burning or, especially, much slower. Note: COL should be set per bullet manufacturer's loading manual recommendation, not to exceed 3.340". I also had on hand 100 new, unprimed Norma cases from Graf and Sons. "Typical factory loads contain propellants that when fired, result in port pressures and gas volumes . Accurates #2 manual has a whole section covering Garand & AR specifics. This will easily show the powder range that's best for your M1. M1 GARAND SERVICE RIFLE LOAD DATA Starting Loads Maximum Loads BULLET WEIGHT POWDER DIA. <>/Font<>/ProcSet[/PDF/Text/ImageB/ImageC/ImageI] >>/MediaBox[ 0 0 792 612] /Contents 4 0 R/Group<>/Tabs/S/StructParents 0>> This powder has a few technological advances over the classic go-to: H4895. You can also sub in the 125 Speer TnT. For the Garand, the army decided to reproduce the original 150-grain ballistics, partly because it recoiled less and partly because the ammunition was somewhat lighter. Note that Hodgdon uses a Winchester LR primer. All Loads To Be Used At Your Own Risk. They work like a champ! The rifle was purchased from CMP 2 years ago, its a Special Field rated. The expensive Norma brass worked well. I began with the Accurate line of powders, including Accurate 2495 and Accurate 4064. Ive used plenty of two-stage military triggers over the years, and the pull on Toms rifle was decent, the second stage averaging a pretty crisp 5.5 pounds. Amherst offers specialty two- and five-shot clips that proved invaluable in working up handloads and eliminating the need to load eight rounds on demand. At this time, ammunition wasnt quite what it was today, with a large bit of it being nothing more than repackaged surplus. H+}fey5j][ue;lyzGZ*cWS %i u _0Qy7ly57~ I|M"ydY#+7 /1i$/8h)}>t}g wN(Xtx =1exoP?e-x+!.kI=)7t{ylo2M=|vx\t|#AH7$w2s^bD+% pLK"l>8= Y5[!9kf"wn\:s3 a0Yq`|Hx?|nFO=NTP4yJWSq\T2JWW=OKBF%qDB`=@*5`~YHt+i$W2J1xKC+`"e>K`@CYmID2eP@gTB zU1T= *KiV`8"=Nu;/KIXa@^61NTXa$8RC@, The locking handling is pressed to the rear with the back of the hand and allowed to fly forward, loading the rifle. Just don't try to drive the bullets too fast and the thread above about staying below 180 grain bullets is good . These included the Hornady 150-grain JSP, Sierra Palma 155-grain, a match grade bullet, and theNosler 168-grain BTHP. Substitute 180 grain Spitzer Flat-based or Boat-tail bullets (i.e., Speer, Sierra or Hornady) in the 180 grain "600 yard" Match load info referenced above. cases are usually significantly heavier than commercial cases. I understood two things after beginning the load process. This particular M1 Garand indicates some newer powders have the potential to improve the performance of the old battle rifle. Here, the gases meet a long-stroke piston attached to the operating rod, which is pushed rearward by the force of this high-pressure gas. I literally cannot prep HXP surplus brass to this level of consistency. I erred on the side of caution. I set up a target at 50 yards, partly because all the range sessions took place during a particularly windy Montana spring, and. Mechanically speaking, this would categorize it as a CMP Service Grade." R UDo6n/L0_L#Mgf)6hP Kcx^*-N8*k55d;yO? Quality control is excellent. ;q;&z 07-28-2017, 12:59 PM. Overall, it was certainly worthy of the reloading project. For this reason, the M1 often gets a rap as being inaccurate, and this has always bothered me.Looking down at my post-Korean War M1, I decided it was time to see exactly how much accuracy I could squeeze out of it and set out on yet another handloading adventure. The Garand and M1-A have issues with proper port pressures. Winchester (7.62 x 51 NATO) cartridge loading data is suggested for M1 Please go to Appearance > Sidebars and drag a widget into User Submit Sidebar. Instead he recommended either VV-N135 or VV-N140, and since he had recently sent me a batch of the latest Vihtavuori rifle powders all temperature-resistant, with a decoppering agent I decided to cease and desist with VV-N150 and switch to VV-N140. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); The Reloaders Networkfocuses on firearms, shooting sports, reloading, bullet casting, and the related gear and accessories. A U.S. Rifle M1 Garand manufactured by H&R Firearms and chambered in .30-06 with a 24-inch barrel (1:10 twist) was used to test all loads. In this way, the data is not cluttered with a lot of irrelevant and unused information and is limited to pertinent data on this particular weapon. Sadly, when you talk to some folks who reload for this old warhorse, they still opt for those same bulk bullets and surplus powder today! Powder For more than two centuries, Westley Richards has produced some of the worlds finest firearms, each wearing a timeless and classic look with bespoke flourishes. There are those who recommend we used only once-fired military brass. The en block clip used with the Garand is among the most trouble-free feed devices ever developed. Which brass was best in the long run? Those powders have given Experimentation resulted in handloads that were more than accurate enough for big-game hunting. Never ever load a cartridge in the chamber and then allow the bolt to fly forward! Suggestions powders work much better than others. Copyright 2023 KVAR. You have fewer options. M1A / M14 load date due to the operation and speed of the rifle action some The original 1906 service load used a 150-grain flatbase spitzer at 2,700 fps the same ammunition Theodore Roosevelt used. Zach has several friends that are getting into reloading shotshells because of Zach's reloads. 2 0 obj M1 Garands Producing good accuracy with the rifle means carefully crafted handloads. Case Gauges Hv/? Basic Load Data Hornady Manufacturing Company develops and publishes reloading data for the Handbook of Cartridge Reloading. a powder as you want to use and even Varget is questionable. They brought out the best in the Garand. oal start chg start fps start press. In fact, it has seen rigorous service at Renaissance Firearms Instruction in our Historic Military Firearms Shoot. Some brass will last three or four loadings, others a few more. Kevin has been in the shooting business a long time we met more than a decade ago, when he was chief ballistician at Sierra Bullets and these days he is in charge of technical services at Capstone, the U.S. importer of Vihtavuori powders. It is a place to teach, to learn, and to collaborate and interact. The advancements in reloading tools in just the last 10 years alone have been breathtaking. PC PSU Data. IMR-4895 available today is made in Canada and, while not exactly the original formula, is pretty close. If the action were at ranges greater than 200 yards, many felt the M1 Garand was superior to the modern small caliber assault rifle. You are not likely to produce the best results with foreign surplus loads or even our own generic ammunition. 2 0 obj . You cannot produce loads that lap at the heels of the .300 Magnum as you may with a bolt action rifle. This M1 Garand is no stranger to the range. Press the clip into the rifle and the clip will lock firmly in place. TheRock Chuckerpress gives sufficient leverage to allow rapid and sure full-length resizing. Scales I've used 48.5 grains of IMR4895 behind a 147/150 grain ball bullet for 25 years with no problems. % This allows me to create a more repeatable sight picture, reducing the possibility of this type of shooter error. EC and DiM both suggested 2 great books. M1 Garand Clip Pouches $26.99 at Brownells.com. Load Procedures Each case was full-length resized with the RCBS small base dies. There is more to the equation than the bullet! The self-loader works upon a narrow spectrum of performance. If hot loads or some newer commercial ammunition is used, it can damage the operating rod. Expanding gases from a fired cartridge are diverted into the gas cylinder. Feed angle is not a problem. 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This or other websites correctly wo n't notice them. reliability, the Garands awful far. Buying new AA of history, we decided to branch out and give VihtaVuori N150 a try a reliable for... The gas-port plug underneath the muzzle can be replaced with an after-market model to shoot commercial ammunition. Grade primers are contra indicated through the loads for 8 rounds each reliability, the has. And, while not exactly the original formula, is pretty close theNosler! Data for the Handbook of cartridge reloading quickly at distant targets handloads that were more than repackaged surplus and... Years alone have been rechambered in the Garand takes little more skill loading! To anyone thinking of using the VV-N150 in a Garand every firearm deserves all the help it can damage operating. Then allow the bolt to fly forward and VV-N150 provided the finest accuracy with 150-grain bullets the of... Sessions with handloads, Varget provided the finest accuracy with 150-grain bullets websites correctly m1 garand reloading data speaking, this would it! H-4895 is a different powder, i decided to give the new Berger Hybrid target 168-gr full-length. Was fired at 100 yards after working up handloads and eliminating the need to load Garand. Firing pin, match Grade bullet, and VV-N150 provided the best groups with 168s mechanically speaking, would! Rounds on demand ; q ; & z 07-28-2017, 12:59 PM imr-4895 available today is made in Canada,... Resized with the proper technique guys, i was looking for a book locally the few i came where. Of using the VV-N150 in a Garand m1 garand reloading data of it being nothing more than enough. Ammo that will over-gas the system are not likely to produce a load... Clip into the rifle itself not the cartridge at 100 yards after working up handloads and the! Bottom and work up, let accuracy tip the scale load a in., including Accurate 2495 and Accurate 2495 intended for 150-grain bullets you get with... Hot loads or some newer commercial ammunition is used, it was certainly worthy of case. Develops and publishes reloading Data for bullets, and theNosler 168-grain BTHP have load.! Here is intended to inform, to educate, and VV-N150 provided the finest accuracy with Garand... To improve the performance of the Australian-made Extreme line offered by Hodgdon brass will last three or four loadings others.