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Thread: 7.62x51 NATO (.308 WCF) in the Springfield M1A

  1. #21
    Boolit Grand Master
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    Shooting Bruce's M1A evoked some fine memories, in addition to being highly accurate and pleasant to fire. If someone wants a GOOD example of the M-14/M1A variants for shooting and overall enjoyment, I can recommend the Fulton Armory examples like those that Bruce owns without reservation.

    Personal preference maybe.....I shoot Garand-based rifles a LOT better than I do "new pattern" (AR-15, HK-91, FN-LAR) designs. I know damn well that AR's are intrinsically a LOT more accurate than are Mini-14's, but all that aside--I still hit critters better with the Mini. Maybe it's all that smog I've breathed in since birth here in the People's Respooblik--or perhaps all those chemicals I was around during my drug lab days--have altered my chromosomes or something.

    As much as I enjoy the M1A, the cost of running them caused me to sell the example I had, as well as an HK-91 that was due to become an assault rifle when CA lost its mind permanently and irretrievably in 1989. The success of Bruce's cast boolit work in his rifle causes me to re-think this matter. Rather than hijack this thread, I'll start another that deals with the subject of Mini-14's and cast boolits.
    I don't paint bullets. I like Black Rifle Coffee. Sacred cows are always fair game. California is to the United States what Syria is to Russia and North Korea is to China/South Korea/Japan--a Hermit Kingdom detached from the real world and led by delusional maniacs, an economic and social basket case sustained by "foreign" aid so as to not lose military bases.

  2. #22
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    Friend Al;

    You musta missed the thread last fall wherein I reported that I had abandoned the Fulton Armory rifle.

    This M1A I now own is a bone-stock Springfield Armory "loaded" rifle (Model # 9222, I think). Being that it is such a basic rifle, it seems all the more impressive to me. My cost was $1450 out the door of a shop in South Dakota, via Gunsamerica.com. I'm blessed if I can see how any more-expensive rifle could suit me any better for MY purposes (meaning, not needing a "match"-quality rifle).
    Regards from BruceB in Nevada

    "The .30'06 is never a mistake." - Colonel Townsend Whelen

  3. #23
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    Bruce,

    I didn't miss it. I was wondering "hey Bruce bought a Springfield, how'd he show up with a Fulton?".

    Joe

  4. #24
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    Oops--now that I read this, I recall that we spoke about this while enroute to Alberta. Sheesh! Sorry about that.

    The rifle still shot right well, and since those Springfields can still be imported into the PRC, it gives hope to the gun-enjoying proletariat in this Worker's Paradise.
    I don't paint bullets. I like Black Rifle Coffee. Sacred cows are always fair game. California is to the United States what Syria is to Russia and North Korea is to China/South Korea/Japan--a Hermit Kingdom detached from the real world and led by delusional maniacs, an economic and social basket case sustained by "foreign" aid so as to not lose military bases.

  5. #25
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    Going, and going, and going, and.....

    Went to the gravel pit today for more work with the M1A.

    Included were loads using 311413 (170 spitzer) 311467 (Loverin 180) 311672 (167 "semi-spitzer") and SAECO #305 (180 flat-tipped "spitzer"). Powders included H4831 Short Cut and H 335.

    Although H4831 gave me that wonderful group referred to earlier, I'm now ruling it out as a long-term powder for the cast-bullet role in this cartridge, at least until I decide to try for much higher speeds-and-pressures to get the stuff burning better. This includes both regular and Short Cut 4831.

    After observing over 400 rounds fired with H4831 at NCBS, and after firing a considerable number of rounds using it today, I see that there's just too much unburned powder left in the action and chamber (not in the barrel). This leftover powder has caused a number of malfunctions, so it is not a viable candidate. Note that the #34 primer I'm using is generally considered as being a Magnum-intensity sparkplug, too.

    H335 is a much more satisfactory powder, so far. It's burning quite cleanly at rather low speeds, and accuracy is good enough to warrant a lot more research.

    I have my Logbooks from both the home bench and Der Schuetzenwagen here at work with me, but unfortunately failed to either enter the target results in the books, or bring the targets with me. I'll try to recall the high points as I list the loads, anyway.

    As usual, all the boolits are straight wheelweight alloy, cast fast and hot, water-dropped, sized .311" and lubed with Felix lube. Gator checks on the SAECOs today! NO case fillers were used.

    311413, 26.0 H335: 1752 average, 44 extreme spread, 14 std deviation,
    1.5"/10 rds/50 yards

    same boolit, 28.0 H335: 1857 av, 82 es, 21 sd group about 2"/10/50

    same, 30.0 H335: 1974 av, 66 es, 19 sd

    same, 35.0 H4831SC: 1667 av, 76 es, 27 sd.

    same, 37.0 H4831SC: 1812 av, 126 es, 38 sd


    311467: 30.0 H335: 1970 av, 80 es, 22 sd

    same, 35.0 H4831SC: 1675 av, 131 es, 41 sd

    same,37.0 H4831SC: 1817 av, 81 es, 22 sd


    311672, 35.0 H4831SC: 1528 av, 57 es, 20 sd

    same, 37.0 H4831SC: 1649 av, 98 es, 30 sd


    SAECO #305, 26.0 H335: 1735 av, 60 es, 19 sd ....1.2"/10 rds/50

    same, 28.0 H335: 1830 av, 77 es, 20 sd

    same, 30.0 H335: 1940 av, 53 es, 16 sd........1.1"/10 rds/50

    same, 36.0 H4831SC: 1769 av, 49 es, 14 sd

    Also fired 38.0 H4831SC with SAECO #305 but chrono battery went flat and I got no valid readings for the string.

    All the above readings are based on ten rounds per load. All rounds were magazine-loaded for firing, ten rounds per magazine. Pressures are quite low in all cast-bullet loads tried in the M1A to date. The H335 loads function much more "snappily" than the H4831, as we might expect. The fastest loads today were starting to actually feel a bit like a service load should....

    It was cool enough today (mid-40s) that the barrel never got beyond mildly warm, and I was able to fire about every 15-30 seconds without heating things up at all. A curious phenomenon showed itself in three of the groups with 311413. Even though the first five or six rounds scattered with gay abandon across two or three inches of paper, the last four or five grouped VERY TIGHTLY in just about the middle of the previous impacts, and by that, I mean one small ragged hole for four or five rounds! I certainly didn't change anything in the shooting technique, and it did happen three times, not just once. Hmmmm...?

    I'll say it again! The more I shoot this rifle, the better I like it.
    Regards from BruceB in Nevada

    "The .30'06 is never a mistake." - Colonel Townsend Whelen

  6. #26
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    Bruce, I see that you are shooting ten-shot groups. Way to go, you are unlikely to be fooled by a lucky group of five and have to repeat unpromising loads.
    Eagles have talons, buzzards don't. The Second Amendment empowers us to be eagles. curmudgeon

  7. #27
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    Bruce--

    If H-335 continues its good work in that SPRINGFIELD, you might try one of the surplus powders (WC-846 comes to mind) to reduce fuel costs further. If I get off my aspirations and get another one of these, the surplus powders will be part of the plan.
    I don't paint bullets. I like Black Rifle Coffee. Sacred cows are always fair game. California is to the United States what Syria is to Russia and North Korea is to China/South Korea/Japan--a Hermit Kingdom detached from the real world and led by delusional maniacs, an economic and social basket case sustained by "foreign" aid so as to not lose military bases.

  8. #28
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    Deputy Al,

    Surplus 844 is closer to H335. I've been shooting it and the jug states to use H335 data to reload with it.

    Joe

  9. #29
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    Yep, that is "De plan, Boss, de plan!!!!"

    I'm trying to get a small herd of my co-workers all going the same direction for a group buy of powders from Bartlett or someone similar. H335/844 is NOT compatible with my Garand, but I see that surplus 4895 is again available, and that is very good stuff in many cartridges and rifles (including the Garand).

    I'll try some of my commercial 4895 in the M1A in the next few days, and see how it runs in that role. I do like the ball powders for ease and safety of measurement in the Dillon 550. Going back through my records a while back, I found a depressingly-high number of "best results" occurred when using SURPLUS 4895, of which I now "don't got none".

    One thing about the M1A, it makes its preferences known in no mistaken terms....
    Regards from BruceB in Nevada

    "The .30'06 is never a mistake." - Colonel Townsend Whelen

  10. #30
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    Bruce,

    Wideners in TN has the surplus 4895.

    Joe

  11. #31
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    It's the Bunny Again...! (Energizer Bunny, that is...)

    "HELL-oooo, Boys, I'm BAAAAaaack!!!!" (just before the F-15(?) crashes in a vertical climb into the alien ship's control center, "Independence Day")

    Yep, I'm back with more results obtained yesterday with the M1A. I took about 18 loads to the range, ten rounds per recipe, and a few were so bad that some of the rounds are awaiting dis-assembly on the bench. It'd be a waste of the components to fire them!

    I was bumping the velocity upwards on purpose, and it seems that at a certain point the boolits just gave up, as may be expected. However, there were some encouraging results, as well. Since abandoning H4831 for the reasons already stated, I moved down (up?) the burning-rate ladder to some faster powders, namely, commercial H4895, IMR 4320, and IMR 3031. All these powders function the rifle with authority in all loads tested yesterday, and in all cases as well, the brass was FAR cleaner than with 4831, indicating a much-better sealing of the chamber with the higher pressures obtained with faster powders.

    I made one of my usual "calculated guesstimates" with the 4320 loads, and sure enough, the starting level was very safe and comfy. The next increments were a leetle hotter, and in the next go-round, I'll be loading DOWN from my initial level with 311467 (Loverin 180).

    So:

    All boolits were sized .311", water-dropped WW, Felix lube, all LC88 brass, CCI #34 primers.


    SAECO #305, 167 grains, 28.0 H4895 NO FILL: 1865 fps average, 72 extreme spread, 24 std deviation, 1.4"/10 rds/50 yards.

    same, WITH DACRON, 28.0 H4895: 1986 av, 71 es, 20 sd, 1.6"/10/50...dacron didn't do much except raise the speed a tad.

    same, 30.0 H4895: 2038 av, 76 es, 26 sd, FOUR INCHES/10/50

    same, 32.0 H4895: 2186 av, 59 es, 17 sd, 2.5"/10/50


    311467, 180 Loverin, 28.0 H4895: 1891 av, 78 es, 21 sd, 1.5"/8/50 (two rounds called out)

    same, 30.0 H4895: 2024 av, 80 es, 28 sd, 1.5"/10/50

    same, 32.0 H4895: 2181 av, 102 es, 34 sd....this is where 467 quit on me...FIVE inches for FIVE rounds at 50! Brought the other five home with me.

    same, 36.0 IMR 4320: 2275 av, 88 es, 27 sd: 4"/10/50


    311291, 170 RN, 36.0 4320: 2242 av, 72 es, 22 sd, 3.8"/5/50, again, the last five came home with me. This VERY "roundnosed roundnose" functions perfectly in the M1A, BTW.

    311413, 170 spire-point, 36.0 4320: 2243 av, 18 es, no sd, SIX inches for THREE rounds at 50!! (Sigh), seven more rounds to break down. All three boolit holes showed tipping, too.


    311672, 170 semi-spitzer, 30.0 IMR 3031: 1936 av, 103 es, 31 sd, 2.0"/10/50

    same, 31.0 3031: 1968 av, 118 es, 33 sd, 2.2"/10/50


    311466, 150 loverin, 30.0 3031: 2047 av, 70 es, only 4 rds fired... FIVE-plus inches for FOUR rds/50. Guess where the remainder are? Didn't even fire the 31.0 load, and all ten are in the breaker's yard.

    I seat both 311466 and 311467 to the same overall length, as they have identical nose shapes. I discovered yesterday that the length I've been using is TOO LONG to allow loaded rounds to be extracted from the chamber....they leave the boolits jammed in the throat! I'm rather surprised at this development, because the rounds function fine and have no hesitation in chambering. However, after two doses of 'powder-in-the-action-and-get-the-cleaning-rod-Charlie', I again am taking a hint and will check more carefully when I adopt a NEW seating depth for these boolits.

    At about the 2000 fps mark, the rifle begins acting more like a service rifle and actually lifts off the rest a bit in recoil. Below that point, it's just a big ol' baby on
    the bench.

    After firing these higher-speed loads, inspection of the bore shows no particular fouling of any description, let alone leading. The interior shines like a mirror.

    Again, I'm reporting in some detail in hopes that the info will be useful to other casters in the future. I'm really trying to establish safe-level loads for others to START from, not defining "the very bestest, most accuratest load" ....just good working levels with which to begin. There's not very much data out there for cast boolits in autoloading rifles.

    Back to the drawing board.
    Regards from BruceB in Nevada

    "The .30'06 is never a mistake." - Colonel Townsend Whelen

  12. #32
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    HELL-oooo, Boys, I'm BAAAAaaack!!!!" (just before the F-15(?) crashes in a vertical climb into the alien ship's control center, "Independence Day")

    F-16---Our only single seat fighter, I believe...

    Oops, had to edit. Forgot about the Navy's F18...
    Last edited by Scrounger; 06-03-2006 at 01:36 PM.

  13. #33
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    Now, now.... I put the subject in my post, so I reckon I'm the guilty party here (not that wandering topics draw much flak, thank Heaven).

    The reason I put a "?" behind "F-15", is because I wasn't sure if it was a -15 or an -18, which are rather similar platforms. The F-16 is easily identified, with that big single airscoop under the cockpit, and the single tail empennage, and it wasn't a -16 that was pictured on the kamikaze climb.

    I did a quick Google search on this, and all I came up with was a reference to Will Smith's character being "an F/A-18 pilot". I can't seem to locate our video copy of the movie, but it's here somewhere. Might have another viewing, if it turns up. Good summer entertainment (meaning, "Good to drink beer with, and ya don't have to think a whole lot, neither!".

    I have to put a couple hundred LC88 cases in the tumbler now....
    Regards from BruceB in Nevada

    "The .30'06 is never a mistake." - Colonel Townsend Whelen

  14. #34
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    More Edjumacation from the M1A

    In yesterday's episode, I found that while my starting-load selection with 4320 was right where I expected it be for velocities and pressures with the different bullets, the loads did NOT perform at all well as the charges were increased.

    I therefore loaded three different bullet types with three incrementally-decreasing charges of 4320. The boolits were 311672, 311291, and 311467. The charges (of 4320) were 34.0, 32.0, and 30.0 grains, decreased from that starting load of yesterday, which was 36.0 grains.. I fired them in order of weight with each bullet...that is, I shot the 311291 loads in order from 30 to 32 to 34 grains, hoping to see any changes in behavior that might arise. I did see them, too.... The same order-of-fire was used with the other designs,as well.

    Beginning with 311467, the 180 Loverin, the first round fired with 30.0 grains was over FOUR INCHES left of the point of aim. The next nine rounds were right in the x- and ten-ring of the 50-yd pistol center that I'm using at 50 yards (but folded in half to create a black semi-circle aiming mark). Velocity was 1816 fps average, 29 fps extreme spread, 9 fps std deviation. Group was 2.0"/9 rds/50 yds.... I didn't include the first round in the group measurement .

    311467, 32.0 4320: 2000 av, 67 es, 18 sd...... and again, the FIRST round was fully four inches to the left of the group which developed in the x- and ten-rings! The remaining 9 rounds grouped 1.6".

    311467, 32.0 4320: 2141 av, 63 es, 19 sd. All rounds landed within the so-called "group", which was 3.1"/10/50.

    The flagrant straying of the first rounds absolutely mandates that I re-fire these loads with the addition of a dacron tuft. I strongly suspect that there's something going on with the powder positioning in the chambering of the first round, even though I just pull back the charging handle and release it to slam closed by itself. Since the same phenomenon repeated itself with 311291, although to a lesser degree, it may be that the powder is just on the edge of good burning, and the different positioning in the case might make the difference.

    311291, the roundnose, illustrated clearly that yesterday's loads were driving too hard for its tastes.

    311291, 30.0 4320: 1866 av, 95 es, 28 sd, 2.2"/10/50. The group was only 1/2" high, but spread pretty wide across the ten-ring.

    same, 32.0 4320: 2055 av, 89 es, 27 sd, 3"/10/50.....just a loosely scattered group with nothing unusual about it.

    same, 34.0 4320:2161 av, 124 es, 37 es...and a HORRIBLE 'group' (HA!), six- inches- plus in sprawl.

    311672 did pretty well to begin with.

    311672, 30. 0 4320: 1868 av, 79 es, 30 sd, 1.3"/10/50. Nice group, compared to some others!

    same, 32.0 4320: 1976 av, 80 es, no sd reading, 1.6"/9/50... the tenth round was a flyer two inches out at 10:00, no explanation. It was called "good".

    same, 34.0 4320: 2116 av, 116 es (high!), no sd reading, 2.5"/10/50....just a general loosening of the group as it neared the load levels from yesterday.

    All rounds fired today functioned the rifle perfectly.

    The Nevada zephyrs were out in force! It was so bad that I eventually found a BRICK (no kidding) which I used to dampen the flailing-around of my chronograph boom. I did this by duct-taping from the brick on the ground up to the outer end of the boom with considerable tension on the tape. I also had to run duct-tape from the boom just outside the rear doors of the van to the upwind side of the vehicle, to keep the boom from slewing violently down-wind in the gusts (I did this first, and added the brick rig later). The normal retaining notches were not up to the job in the gale.

    I estimate the gusts at around 40 mph, and today was the first time I've felt the van actually moving very much in wind. It has a one-ton suspension, so it's pretty stiff. In the lulls which came occasionally, I'd sometimes fire three or four rounds in quick succession to take advantage of the condition. All the wind whistling through Der 'wagen kept barrel heat well under control. At only fifty yards, and with the wind mostly fish-tailing or quartering from behind, I don't believe it affected my results very much.

    The learning process goes on....
    Last edited by BruceB; 06-04-2006 at 07:37 PM.
    Regards from BruceB in Nevada

    "The .30'06 is never a mistake." - Colonel Townsend Whelen

  15. #35
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    Bruce,

    When I want to shoot one of my tuned 1911's for a accrucacy test I never shoot the first round I jack into the chamber. I shoot it elsewhere, then I continue on with the test. I firmly believe SOMETHING is different with a round hand chambers then one chambered by the firearm in semi-auto firearms. You may be on to something with the powder position.

    Joe

  16. #36
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    I loaded ten rounds of the 311476/30.0 4320 recipe, PLUS DACRON, and took them to the range this morning.

    The rifle was loaded with only one round in the magazine for test-firing, and this one-round routine was used with all ten rounds. With the single round in the mag, the operating handle was retracted and allowed to slam closed by itself.....repeated ten times, of course.

    The flyers from yesterday, going four inches and more to the left, were NOT repeated. However, there were several shots which landed a couple inches high, out of the main group which formed in the ten- and x-rings.

    At this load level, 4320 seems a bit fussy. I'd certainly prefer to find a powder which doesn't require dacron to give routinely-excellent accuracy. That's why I enjoy this hobby, I reckon; there's ALWAYS the possibility of something new the next time out.
    Regards from BruceB in Nevada

    "The .30'06 is never a mistake." - Colonel Townsend Whelen

  17. #37
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    Independence Day on the range...

    What better way to spend a few hours on July the Fourth, than exercising one of the great American Freedoms which are so rare in most of the world??

    Changing the methodology a bit, the loads tested yesterday all used the Loverin 311466, nominally 150 grains cast in water-dropped straight wheelweight alloy, sized .311" and lubed with FWFL. No stunning accuracy resulted, but again I learned some info about different powders, etc. 311466 has worked very well for me in other .30 cartridges, so I expect some good things from it in the M1A as well.

    All cases were new LC88, all primers were CCI #34. No fillers were used. The rifle functioned perfectly with all loads listed, and the range was fifty yards.

    28.0 H335: 1893 fps average, 111 extreme spread, 33 sd. This load put the first three rounds under a half-inch at 9:00 in the ten-ring of the NRA 50-yard pistol target, then the POI shifted radically, two inches up and right for the next five rounds, which again grouped pretty well. The impact shift had me wondering, until I recalled a tendency for the gas plug to unscrew itself....sure enough, it had come out two full turns! Tightening the plug with a 3/8" box-end wrench which lives in the van just for that reason, I netted ANOTHER serious POI shift, this one placing the last two rounds of the ten a good three inches above the five-round group! These two holes were touching, five inches above the point of aim, and centered for windage. I lowered the sight setting before firing the next set of ten rounds.

    30.0 H335: 2025 av, 57 es, 17 sd, 1.5"/10rds/50 yards

    32.0 H335: 2144 av, 35 es, 10 sd, a scattery 3-inch horizontal-oval "group".

    34.0 H335: 2256 av, 44 es, 15 sd, 2.25"/10/50

    The earlier loads with 4831, discontinued due to malfunction-inducing unburned powder in the action, gave rise to the following attempts with IMR 4350:

    35.0 IMR 4350: 1915 av, 93 es, 29 sd, 1.6"/10/50

    37.0 IMR4350: 2080 av, 53 es, 16 sd, 1.4"/10/50.

    There was NO unburnt powder visible anywhere in the action or bore, even with the 35.0 load. Both groups were nice and round, with no "strays". I'll definitely be doing more work with this powder-and-bullet combination! That second load looks very promising, so I'll re-fire it, plus loads with 1.0 grains lower and higher, just to see what they do. The 37.0 load is considerably more consistent in ballistic performance as demonstrated by the much-smaller extreme spread and standard deviation. The powder was obviously getting into a pressure range where it burned more efficiently.

    I wasn't too impressed with IMR 3031's performance in a few previous loads, although I left a lot of stones unturned with it and will likely go back to it with different boolits. 4064 looked like a decent possibility, so:

    28.0 IMR4064: 1762 av, 63 es, 21 sd, 1.1"/10/50.....not bad at all!

    30.0 4064: 1923 av, 47 es, 19 sd, 1.2"/10/50, and seven rounds were clustered into 0.7"

    32.0 4064, 2063 av, 115 es, 37 sd, groups starting to enlarge at 1.75"/10/50

    34.0 4064: 2201 av, 76 es, 23 sd, 3.25"/10/50, but 8 rounds in 1.70".

    Again, all the loads fired yesterday used 311466. One minute between shots, five minutes between strings, all rounds loaded into the magazine. Everything was loaded on the Dillon 550.
    Regards from BruceB in Nevada

    "The .30'06 is never a mistake." - Colonel Townsend Whelen

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    Bruce, take it on up to 2400 fps with the two stick powders. ... felix
    felix

  19. #39
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    M1a

    BruceB

    Paaaaaleeeeeeze!!!!!!!!

    "Tightening the plug with a 3/8" box-end wrench which lives in the van just for that reason"

    There is supposed to be a combitnation tool along with the rest of the cleaning kit in the butt of that very fine rifle!! A wrench benders tool.....how sacraligious! Send me a PM with your address and I'l fix you up right.

    Larry Gibson

  20. #40
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    Now, now, Larry, take it easy, ol' pard....

    I think all I'm losing with my little 3/8 wrench is some "style points", because I know the proper torque is calculated in inch-pounds, not "mega-reefs". The wrench I'm using is just about the same length as the issue device, so I'm probably not overdoing it. I am short one of the proper combo tools, and I forget all about it each time I go to the Big Reno Show.

    Took the M1A out again today, and I "cranked up the volume" as Felix suggested.

    It was interesting, if nothing else.

    All loads with the same 311466, 150 grains+/-, straight WW, .311", Felix lube.

    36.0 IMR 4350: 1883 av, 121 es, no reading for sd. 2.4"/10 rds/50 yards.

    37.0 4350: 1961 av, 70 es, 19 sd. 1.8"/10/50

    38.0 4350: 2057 av, 96 es, 27 sd. 1.9"/10/50

    39.0 4350: 2108 av, 60 es, 19 sd. 1.0"/8/50. This was where I took a page from Buckshot's Bible and began disregarding a new problem with these loads....first-round flyers! With this particular load, the first round was three inches away from the 1" group, and the second round was somewhat less-wild.

    40.0 4350: 2187 av, 59 es, 17 sd. 1.5"/9/50...and the first round was 2.8 inches above the group.

    41.0 4350: 2240 av, 77 es, 28 sd. 1.0"/8/50. First round was 3 inches out at 1:00, second was 2 inches out at 9:00

    Switching to IMR 4198 didn't stop the first-round problems.

    26.0 4198: 2067 av, 25 es, 9 sd. 1.4"/9/50, and the first one was 3 inches away at 2:00.

    27.0 4198: 2147 av, 58 es, 14 sd. 1.0"/8/50, first one 2.5" high and second round out at 4:00.

    28.0 4198: forgot to turn on the chronograph! Scattery horizontal group 2.6" wide by maybe an inch high.

    29.0 4198: 2267 av, 68 es, 21 sd. Groups opening up at this speed...2.2"/10/50, with 6 rounds in one inch.

    30.0 4198: 2341 av, 69 es, 21 sd.....I didn't have the heart to measure this one, as it was over six inches in a vertical string.

    A couple of loads with 3031...

    32.0 3031: 2168 av, 39 es, 15 sd. 3.3"/10/50......ick.

    34.0 3031: 2373 av, 73 es, no sd. 5.7"/10/50!!! Seven rounds managed to assemble in 1.5".

    And I finished the day with a pair of IMR 4064 combos.

    36.0 4064: 2364 av, 56 es, 20 sd. 4.2"/10/50, just a loose shotgun pattern with no clear tendencies. Same applies to....

    38.0 4064: 2491 av, 162 es(!), 51 sd. 5"/10/50/

    These targets were all fired from a very solid rest, and none of the bad shots were "called". The rifle functioned perfectly, as usual, and some may note that I used 4198 again, which I hadn't done since a couple of loads were short-stroking the rifle a few months back. It works just fine with four additional grains of powder, and my top load today was still seven full grains below Lyman's 311466/4198 max load.

    As the charges of the different powders were raised, it was interesting to watch the ejection pattern change as well. The lighter ones would toss the brass back over my right shoulder (I'm a lefty), and when the top loads were reached, the cases were heading out at around 2:00, which means that the port pressure was very close to what the rifle gets with service ammunition.

    I hadn't stripped the rifle for many weeks, and it seemed like a good idea to do that now, since the most-recent loads were getting well up there. If any "leading" was going to occur, it might just be there after today's shoot. NO SIREEE! The piston was well-carboned, as was the gas cylinder, but there were NO metallic deposits whatever. The action was very dirty, but the only foreign metal in that area was tiny bits of brass mixed with the usual black crud. The bore is brilliant, and I didn't bother touching it with anything.

    It took ' bout twenty minutes work, and she's ready for another thousand rounds!
    Regards from BruceB in Nevada

    "The .30'06 is never a mistake." - Colonel Townsend Whelen

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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