Skip to main content
Help Center Community Shop

M1 Garand - Ammunition selection

Oklahomabound
Please critique the ammunition selection;
.30-06 Springfield 11.7 g MUSGRAVE
.30-06 SPRG 150gr SST Hornady
.30-06 SPRG 150gr power-point Winchester Super X
.30-06 SPRG 150gr metal case Remington UMC
Expected use is target, light skinned animals, and varmits. Really like the feel and accuracy of the M1.
What say ya'll?
0

Comments

8 comments

Date Votes
  • mrmike08075
    WINCHESTER makes a 147 gr FMJ ball round that the GARAND and the SPRINGFIELD realy love. you should also try a 168 gr hollowpoint boattail and see how it does. surplus AP heads are super accuratte when loaded right and fired out of the GARAND. the OLD MEN at PERRY swear by it. best regards, mike.

    What other dungeon is so dark as ones own heart, what jailer so inexorable as ones own mind.
    0
  • FrancF
    quote:Originally posted by mrmike08075
    WINCHESTER makes a 147 gr FMJ ball round that the GARAND and the SPRINGFIELD realy love.


    Second that- also same bullet weight in .308 NATO for the M1A.

    gun1.gif
    "If you aim at nothing,
    you will be sure to hit it"
    hsas371x48.gif
    Santa_Cruz.gif
    [img][/img]
    0
  • MIKE WISKEY
    FORGET THE MUSGRAVE FOR AN M-1, USE IT IN YOUR BOLT GUN FOR PRACTICE.
    0
  • v35
    I suspect the use of powders slower than those loaded in the original 30-06 cartridges may be responsible for the bent operating rods I'm reading about.
    Slower powders can give you more pressure at the gas port while peak pressure can be the same or even lower for a given muzzle velocity.
    For use in the Garand I'd stick with the original powders; 4895 or WC852 and use nothing heavier than the 172gr AP boatail bullet.
    The Garand operating rod is a cockeyed business with its' bends and offsets and having no guides to resist bending.
    Properly shaped, theyre bent even between the offsets. In spite of this they held up pretty well under field conditions on a steady diet of corrosive,M-1 ball.
    I believe since ammo today is cheaper than ever, more rounds are shot through these guns than ever before, bringing out shortcomings not commonly seen while they were in service.
    0
  • leeblackman
    There really isn't anything better than 4895 or w846 for handloading in my opinion. I would say its safe to use 178gr bullets at most but I wouldn't push velocity or pressure with'em. I really like 168gr, but there is such a large selection of match bullets between 150 and 178gr from a variety of mfg's. You need to get a midway catalog from www.midwayusa.com they have alot listed. Companies like Sierra, Hornady, Nosler, Barnes, and Speer all make .308" cal. match bullets.
    0
  • temblor
    You mentioned light skinned animals and varmits. If your hunting deer, the Hornady SST is the best choice and it will also be more dramatic on varmits. The FMJ bullets don't expand. I've shot the SST in Garands and they work fine and have a good crimp groove also.--- There is complete load data in a separate section for the Garand (and the M1A) in the Hornady Fifth Edition loading manual for their A-max target bullets. In the regular 30.06 load data section these a-max bullets use the same loads as the SST, but in the garand section they only list the a-max & BTHP bullets with the proper burning rate powders.-- I've substituted the 150 grain SST for the 155 grain a-max with the proper powders with no problems but haven't used maximum charges.You can hunt with these loads if you want to with the SST bullets ( and probably with the new interbond bullets -- but no cannelure )and they are accurate too.--- Good Luck..... [8D]
    0
  • Pinhead
    The M-1 Garand is one rifle that you need a good knowledge of handloading to feed. The rifle will"slam fire" if your loading techniques are not what they should be--reloading for a bolt rifle is easy-anything that will chamber will go bang WITH the bolt closed only. The Garand will fire anytime the firing pin comes into contact with the primer with sufficient force--with the bolt open or closed. If the bolt is not closed and locked the possibilities are not pleasant. If you are going to reload for the Garand I would highly recommed the CCI Military primers(CCI 34) as they are harder and should resist "slam fire" better than the softer civilian primers. Just make sure to seat the primers BELOW the level of the case head-this is critical in the Garand. You can get by with a slightly high primer in a bolt rifle but not a Garand or open bolt rifle. Go the www.odcmp.com for a more thorough discussion on the matter OR buy a copy of Scott Duff's book THE M-1 GARAND OWNER'S GUIDE FROM BROWNELL'S or some book source, it's around $20.00 I think and does a good job on the M-1. Hope this helps, Pinhead
    0
  • Oklahomabound
    Thanks for all of the info. Am going with the Winchester 147 gr. and am doing the studying on the reloading.
    0

Please sign in to leave a comment.

Recent Activity