Mold and Loads for M1 Carbine

[DonMountain]

In the back of my safe I have stored an M1 Carbine (made by IBM) for the last 20 years that I would like to experiment with shooting cast lead boolits. I am not sure what mold to buy and if it needs to be gas checked or not. I just want to do a little plinking and target shooting with it so nothing serious. (I don't plan to use it for deer hunting) I also don't know what powders bring optimal loadings for this. I have quite an array of powders, including an 8 pound jug of T-680 that I bought years ago from Thunderbird Cartridge Company that may have been originally designed for the M1 Carbine. So, mold and powders recommendations for the M1 Carbine?

[RayinNH]

Don I can't help much as I don't load this cartridge but I do know that Lyman 311359 was designed for the M1 carbine. It is a gas check boolit.

[gnoahhh]

I shot a truck load of 311359s loaded with H-110 through an M1 Carbine. It worked so good I never tried anything else.

[scb]

I haven't load any in years (carbine sits in the safe) but when I did the bullet was 311465 with a charge of IMR 4227. It's been so long that I've misplaced the load data. It would shoot 5 into 2" at 100 yards with no problem.

[Old Ranger]

I had an IBM carbine for a few years. Fired hundreds of cast bullets through it. RCBS 115 gr RN sized 309 over IMR 4227. Good accuracy and no leading. My teenage son could shoot off hrs of casting and reloading efforts in very short periods of time.

[Le Loup Solitaire]

For the M-1 carbine a bullet of 115-120 grains that is a round nose or pointy shape will feed very well with or without a gas check. As for powder I use 14 grains of 4227 or pretty close to it. Accuracy is very close to G.I. ball ammo. Several other powders work as well and you can find which ones in a good loading manual. Keep cases trimmed to a uniform length and use a slight taper crimp on the loaded rounds, but not too much as the round seats on the case mouth. LLS

[Patrick L]

The M1 carbine is a fun little gun to be sure. With cast, every gun seems to be a rule unto themselves. I've had two, and both shoot plain base boolits just fine, with no appreciable leading of either the bore or the gas system. I have read posts by others who say they absolutely needed a gas check boolit or their guns would lead up. The current Cast Bullet Association Journal has an article on this, and the author's gun fouled so badly the piston actually seized. So I guess you just have to see what your gun prefers.

Both my carbines shot very well with plain base 120 gr boolits cast from a custom mold from one of our group buys here. I get good function and accuracy with 11 gr of 2400. My guns like boolits fat. I typically size to .311, and I have also shot them unsized with good results. Sizing to a more typical .308 or .309 resulted in shotgun patterns.

Here is a 100 yard 10 shot group. This is about as well a I can shoot a five pound rifle with a seven pound trigger and coarse iron sights


I guess my only advice is to start experimenting and see what your gun likes.

[flydoc]

4227 and H-110 work well. Most reliable plinking ammo I have loaded is the 309-120-R boolit ( GC design) from Lee loaded over 12.3 Grains of 2400, which is a slightly compressed charge. the tables say it goes 1795 fps.

[dg31872]

Check out CastPics. The link is at the bottom of this page. Interesting articles by Beagle and Larry Gibson.

[mattw]

Use the standard old Lyman mould, think it was about 130 gr. with about 11 grains of H110. I have never needed a gas check, pull the piston out once a year and have never had a lead problem.

[DonMountain]

4227 and H-110 work well. Most reliable plinking ammo I have loaded is the 309-120-R boolit ( GC design) from Lee loaded over 12.3 Grains of 2400, which is a slightly compressed charge. the tables say it goes 1795 fps.

So, it appears that the Lee C309-120-R might be a cheap start for a plinking round? I have looked at the Lyman's and the RCBS molds and at over $70 it keeps me away from buying a mold for a gun I don't shoot very often, but would like to experiment some with. Since these appear to be so accurate, has anybody shot a deer with one?

[Beesdad]

The Lyman 311410 FB has been has been a good performer.. Works well with IMR 4227 or SR4756 .. Some use Unique..

It's easy to PC..my only problem is I can not find a 4 cavity mold... Have to run 2 - 2 cavities to keep up with the kids demand ..

[Patrick L]

I'm in the camp that says the .30 carbine is a bit marginal for deer. Just my opinion, I'm sure others will feel differently.

As for molds, the only problem is most of the available ones are all two cavity. The group buys I got mine on were all Lee six bangers. They make lots of boolits in a hurry!

[richbug]

If you don't want to do gas checks, the Lee 100 gr round nose intended for .32 pistols works good for me. I am sizing them to .309 with speed green, and just enough 2400 to cycle the action(about 10-12 grains). Plenty good for plinking.

[DonMountain]

If you don't want to do gas checks, the Lee 100 gr round nose intended for .32 pistols works good for me. I am sizing them to .309 with speed green, and just enough 2400 to cycle the action(about 10-12 grains). Plenty good for plinking.

I would prefer to use gas checks and just run them through my RCBS LAM-II to lube/size/apply gas checks. I just happen to have an oversupply of 30 caliber gas checks. And, I got an 8 pound almost full jug of Hercules 2400 in the round red metal container that my brother gave to me when he bought a reloading bench and got several jugs of powder that he doesn't use. And he wants me to empty it and give him his container back!

[zomby woof]

As stated above keep the brass trimmed. You said your just looking for a plinking round so any of listed boolits work. The LEE 120 OK. I have one modified for no GC and works well. The best performing boolit will be the NOE 311115. The best powder will be H110/296.

[koehn,jim]

I use the lyman 311410 mold and 4227 and sometimes 2400

[Larry Gibson]

I prefer the Lyman 311359 for general shooting. I load it over 13.5 gr H110 which gives 2 - 3 moa (10 or 15 shots) in well bedded M1 Carbines with bores in excellent condition. The Lee 120 gr does almost as well.

For hunting I use the Lyman 313631 SWC (designed for the 32 H&R) and the Lyman 311316 HP'd with the Forster 1/8" HP tool, both over H110.

Larry Gibson

[Three44s]

I have access to a pair of Lyman 311359's and I also bought a six banger Lee custom in a flat base 120 gr.

I am also thinking the "PCing" may be very productive.

Mine is an early Inland.

I have not seen anyone here on this thread suggest hunting deer with an M1 ........ and can add ....... it would only make sense in a life or death survival setting.

Best regards

Three 44s

[newrib]

I have been using the LEE 120 gas checked round nose cast of coww with IMR4227, my 100yard 10 shot groups shoot off a rest on a bench have been running about 6 to 7 inches. I bought a Lyman 311359, I hope that bullet will shoot better.