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Thread: Casting for my greedy M-1

  1. #1
    Boolit Master



    Crash_Corrigan's Avatar
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    Smile Casting for my greedy M-1

    I cast some boolits in a Lyman 311284 GC mould and ended with 225 GRs including GC's and lube. Water cooled and loaded with 35 gr of 4064.

    I know 4895 is what I should have used but I had metal can of 4064 that had been gifted to me years ago and it should work ok.

    The plan is to try them out on Tuesday. Range report to follow.

    Update....found the last two lb's of 4895 by IMR at Bass Pro Shops today and I will be loading another 100 06 cases tonight for Tuesday.

    Wednesay....found out to my chagrin that the COL was too long at 3.265 for the clip to be fully inserted into the M-1. If I inserted an empty clip I would be able to get three rounds into it and then close the bolt. I had 3 shooter rather than an eight shooter.

    It shot pretty well. I had a brisk East wind crossing the range at 90 degrees so I had to dial in a few clicks for windage. Dialed in 12 clicks of elevation and @ 50 yds I was in business. HOWEVER the 4064 powder {35 gr} seemed to be position sensitive and my groups were up and down by up to 10 inches.

    I do need to heed the advice provided by Larry Gibson and BruceB and I will get some Dacron filler or drier lint or whatever to keep the powder against the primer. If I held the rifle vertical and smacked the butt on the table top the shot was normal but the 2nd and 3rd would be down on the target. Even the report was different. One time the report was so mild that I stopped to run a patch through the barrel to be sure that the round had indeed left the gun.

    I have almost a full box of COW but a gas port scares me from using it in a Garand. Worked great in my old Mauser bolt action.
    Last edited by Crash_Corrigan; 11-01-2009 at 12:40 PM.
    Pax Nobiscum Dan (Crash) Corrigan

    Currently casting, reloading and shooting: 223 Rem, 6.5x55 Sweede, 30 Carbine, 30-06 Springfield, 30-30 WCF, 303 Brit., 7.62x39, 7.92x57 Mauser, .32 Long, 32 H&R Mag, 327 Fed Mag, 380 ACP. 9x19, 38 Spcl, 357 Mag, 38-55 Win, 41 Mag, 44 Spcl., 44 Mag, 45 Colt, 45 ACP, 454 Casull, 457 RB for ROA and 50-90 Sharps. Shooting .22 LR & 12 Gauge seldom and buying ammo for same.

  2. #2
    Boolit Grand Master


    Larry Gibson's Avatar
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    4064 is a good powder, it just doesn't meter very accurately is all. If those don't shoot to your liking in your M1 back off to 30-32 gr and put a 3/4 gr dacron filler in over the powder.

    Larry Gibson

  3. #3
    Boolit Master at heavens range
    smokemjoe's Avatar
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    I have shot alot of 40 grs. 4064 with that 311284 sized to .309 and .310, Used it single shot and its a great load.

  4. #4
    Boolit Buddy
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    4831 and 4350 work very well with the 311284. I use 40gr 4831. You can start there and work up to 50gr. Don't know if it will work the M-1 action; mine is a 03 bolt action.

  5. #5
    Boolit Master

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    Is this a .30-'06 or .308 Garand?

    CDD

  6. #6
    Boolit Master



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    30-06 Garand
    Pax Nobiscum Dan (Crash) Corrigan

    Currently casting, reloading and shooting: 223 Rem, 6.5x55 Sweede, 30 Carbine, 30-06 Springfield, 30-30 WCF, 303 Brit., 7.62x39, 7.92x57 Mauser, .32 Long, 32 H&R Mag, 327 Fed Mag, 380 ACP. 9x19, 38 Spcl, 357 Mag, 38-55 Win, 41 Mag, 44 Spcl., 44 Mag, 45 Colt, 45 ACP, 454 Casull, 457 RB for ROA and 50-90 Sharps. Shooting .22 LR & 12 Gauge seldom and buying ammo for same.

  7. #7
    Boolit Master
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    4064 is a medium burn rate powder, but fairly slow to only be using 35 grains- so I'm not surprised at inconsistent ignition. Some dryer lint or dacron should solve the problem though, or any other filler of your choice. Just make sure there's no air between the filler and the powder or the filler and the bullet base. It is however an excellant powder for the Garand otherwise, right in the burn rate range that you want.

    I've never done much in the way of cast bullets with the M1. Some day I'm going to devote a day just to doing just that but I've always just shot M2 surplus out of them.

  8. #8
    Boolit Grand Master


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    Jonk

    If Crash uses a dacron filler correctly he will get more consistant ignition with less powder at higher velocity. It is one of the benifits to using the dacron filler. That's why I told him to initially back off the powder charge and work up again.

    Larry Gibson

  9. #9
    Boolit Master
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    I wasn't disputing that, I agree with you. That's why I said "Some dryer lint or dacron should solve the problem".

  10. #10
    Boolit Grand Master


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    Jonk

    No dispute assumed, just conversing with you and to provide crash with a little further info as to what the dacron would do for his loads. We're singing off the same page

    Larry Gibson

  11. #11
    Boolit Master



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    Question COW {Cream of Weat} Filler

    Larry G:
    How about some Cream of Wheat on top of my powder to the base of the boolit?

    I have used it with great success in my 8 x 57 Mauser and .303 SMLE with reduced loads and it kept the bore really clean and shiney.

    My only concern would be the gas port into the gas cylinder. I do not want to clog that up or damage it in any way. Would COW be advisable rather than dacron or drier lint?

    I have a goodly supply of it and all it requires is another powder dispenser after the propellant powder dispenser. I have done it before it worked out really easily and did not slow me down at all. If it was set up correctly the base of the boolit rested on top of the COW and kept all the propellant and COW stable so there would be no intermixing of the elements.

    The smell after firing was a bit strange but the results were excellent in both rifles and the bores stayed clean and shiney with no leading or any other problems.

    Have you tried it?
    Last edited by Crash_Corrigan; 02-07-2009 at 03:38 PM. Reason: spellng
    Pax Nobiscum Dan (Crash) Corrigan

    Currently casting, reloading and shooting: 223 Rem, 6.5x55 Sweede, 30 Carbine, 30-06 Springfield, 30-30 WCF, 303 Brit., 7.62x39, 7.92x57 Mauser, .32 Long, 32 H&R Mag, 327 Fed Mag, 380 ACP. 9x19, 38 Spcl, 357 Mag, 38-55 Win, 41 Mag, 44 Spcl., 44 Mag, 45 Colt, 45 ACP, 454 Casull, 457 RB for ROA and 50-90 Sharps. Shooting .22 LR & 12 Gauge seldom and buying ammo for same.

  12. #12
    Boolit Grand Master


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    Crash

    I've no experience with COW in bottle necked cases. My experience and testing in the 45-70 indicates it isn't nearly as good as dacron filler.

    My only concern would be the gas port into the gas cylinder. I do not want to clog that up or damage it in any way

    That would be my concern also.

    I also smelled the COW (smelled burnt to me) and observed the cloud of COW in front of the muzzle. Of course i was probably using more in the 45-70 than would be used in the '06.

    I'm not understanding your apparent aversion to trying dacron(?). I've been using dacron under cast bullets in the '06 since '69. I started out with a very nice FN49 in '06 using 4895 and 4831 under a 311284. Only way I got really good accuracy was when I went to dacron. There was no dacron or lead residue in the gas cylinder/system of the FN49 and I shot a couple thousand rounds of cast bullets through it.

    I've not found a single filler since then (I've tried most all of them) that works like dacron. There will be no residue left in the barrel from the dacron. If you are using an appropriate lube such as javelina you will keep a nice shiny bore and not get any leading. Trust me, try it, you'll like it

    Larry Gibson

  13. #13
    Boolit Buddy acemedic13's Avatar
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    I used 4064 in my m1-a and got great results. those suckers were right on top of each other at 100 yards....what the hell is COW?? Thanks guys. Joel

  14. #14
    Moderator Emeritus fishhawk's Avatar
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    COW is Cream OF Wheat joel it's used as a filler

  15. #15
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    Smile I give up larry...i bought some dacron filler.

    Larry G: I give up! You are probably right so I braved a downpour {Vegas yet} and went to a Michaels fabric store and bought a large package of polyfill. Looks like dacron for a whopping $3.29 plus tax. When I told the checkout gal what I was gonne do with them she about fell over.

    Also got a packet of red post it notes to cover over the holes in the center of the target that I intend to shoot out.

    I have about two hundred rounds to load which I plan to shoot early next week.
    We are gonna go with some 4895 {29 gr} with dacron filler and my gc'd 311284's and I will report back my results.

    I ordered a bunch of powder and primers from Powder Valley which should probably be in by the end of next week.
    Pax Nobiscum Dan (Crash) Corrigan

    Currently casting, reloading and shooting: 223 Rem, 6.5x55 Sweede, 30 Carbine, 30-06 Springfield, 30-30 WCF, 303 Brit., 7.62x39, 7.92x57 Mauser, .32 Long, 32 H&R Mag, 327 Fed Mag, 380 ACP. 9x19, 38 Spcl, 357 Mag, 38-55 Win, 41 Mag, 44 Spcl., 44 Mag, 45 Colt, 45 ACP, 454 Casull, 457 RB for ROA and 50-90 Sharps. Shooting .22 LR & 12 Gauge seldom and buying ammo for same.

  16. #16
    Boolit Master
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    I tried 41 grs. of 4064 under the Lyman 311413 169 Gr. bullet. I put up a cardboard backing behind the target, 3ft. by 4ft. and fired a clip full. I found one bullet hole in the cardboard. Don't know where the other seven went. Will 37 grs. operate the M1 action?

  17. #17
    Boolit Master



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    I used 35 gr of 4064 with a 225 gr 3111284 boolit and got 3 in groups at 50 yds. The M-1 functioned well and recoil was mild but due to the large case and little amount of powder there was a large difference in elevation but the left to right was tight.
    Pax Nobiscum Dan (Crash) Corrigan

    Currently casting, reloading and shooting: 223 Rem, 6.5x55 Sweede, 30 Carbine, 30-06 Springfield, 30-30 WCF, 303 Brit., 7.62x39, 7.92x57 Mauser, .32 Long, 32 H&R Mag, 327 Fed Mag, 380 ACP. 9x19, 38 Spcl, 357 Mag, 38-55 Win, 41 Mag, 44 Spcl., 44 Mag, 45 Colt, 45 ACP, 454 Casull, 457 RB for ROA and 50-90 Sharps. Shooting .22 LR & 12 Gauge seldom and buying ammo for same.

  18. #18
    Boolit Master



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    Quote Originally Posted by Will View Post
    4831 and 4350 work very well with the 311284. I use 40gr 4831. You can start there and work up to 50gr. Don't know if it will work the M-1 action; mine is a 03 bolt action.
    I think it is contra-recommended to use 4831, or even 4350, in the M1 - too slow burn rate, leading to higher than normal pressure at the gas port. I think...
    Echo
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  19. #19
    Boolit Buddy acemedic13's Avatar
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    Thanks steve. I know I always come out of left field with some stupid question.....but.....Man, I gotta know if I am missing out on some real action! lol..lol...I used 41 gr. of 4064 behind a 168 gr. SP store bought bullet and a winchester large rifle primer. That was a really good round for the M-1. I am pretty new to this whole thing and have yet to shoot cast from my military rifles. But this round really worked well.....Maybe god taking mercy on a new fool......Good luck with this. Joel
    Last edited by acemedic13; 02-08-2009 at 07:38 AM. Reason: grammar

  20. #20
    Boolit Buddy acemedic13's Avatar
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    I like the banna in the pic crash, it adds to the realness(word?) of a good range day,no time for lunch just a snack and keep shooting! Nice looking bullets too.

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Abbreviations used in Reloading

BP Bronze Point IMR Improved Military Rifle PTD Pointed
BR Bench Rest M Magnum RN Round Nose
BT Boat Tail PL Power-Lokt SP Soft Point
C Compressed Charge PR Primer SPCL Soft Point "Core-Lokt"
HP Hollow Point PSPCL Pointed Soft Point "Core Lokt" C.O.L. Cartridge Overall Length
PSP Pointed Soft Point Spz Spitzer Point SBT Spitzer Boat Tail
LRN Lead Round Nose LWC Lead Wad Cutter LSWC Lead Semi Wad Cutter
GC Gas Check