First shots with M1917 I restored...I’m hooked!

[Tripplebeards]

Man I love this rifle! I took it to the range today for the first time after putting it back to original specs and shot it. I don’t have any 30 cal molds yet and have tons of various J words laying around. I grabbed some 150 grain seirra game Kings and my load book. I picked a load a random, 56 grains of H4350, so it’s not a proven load but just something to test out my rifle. I put up a target consisting of a white piece of typing paper I drew a 4” circle on with black dot in the center at 100 yards. I came back to the bench and tried to aim at it. I started laughing out load as with my naked eyes and no magnification I could barely see the white paper.lol even after my Lasik surgery! I grabbed a used target at the range...a 8” black circle with a red dot in the middle and taped up all the holes in it. I went back to see what I could see. I could see black just fine along with the little red center believe it or not.

The other issue I was having is my vision is a little blurry at close range now after the lazik surgery. Guess it’s better then being legally blind as I was before surgery...can’t have it all. So what I’m getting at is the front post was fuzzy when aiming. Especially black on black. I’m going to have to paint the front post red or orange.

Well I tried the flip up sight peep hole first. I left it all the way down. I fired five shots off the bench. The first two went in the same hole and my group measured 2.5”. I shot 3” to the left. The second group I tried with the battle sight down. I was 8” high and 3” left. The battle sight must be zeroed for 300 yards because I shot at a spot on the dirt backstop at 200 yards and was still a good 4” plus high. I tried another group at 100 yards with the flip up sight adjusted all the way down like the first try and shot a 3” group that was approx 3” to the left again. It’s consistently shooting left so I made a front sight pusher.

So I’m shooting left 3”, how far over do I push my sight left to correct my point of aim? Well, I’m minute of deer with it the way it sits but I want to fine tune it. Ill have to try some other powders and ladder tests to see how much I tighten up my groups with it. I don’t remember shooting for groups with open sights since around 82’. Its always been optics for me ever since so this was a fun new challenge. I had this gun shooting .5” groups at 100 yards with a bedded sporterized action and a 12X optic when I set it up for my buddy who use to own it. I also put the factory trigger back in VS the Timney it use to wear. I didn’t know what to expect for accuracy with the original stock set back on it. Before I acraglass bedded the sporter stock gun shot 2.5 to 3.5” groups with the 12x optic.

After shooting today I’m guessing with some load development I can shrink my groups down a little.

If I remember right was I read somewhere that a WW1 soldier back in the day was expected to shoot 3” 100 yard groups with it? If so I feel pretty good with a 2.5” first time shooting a group without load development.

Anyways I had a blast with this gun today. I might have to try the 125 grain nosler ballistic tip load I developed for my buddy for pronghorn hunting that shot .5” 100 groups out of this rifle. That was with a bedded stock so Im sure all bets are off and it will group different with this load now.
What kind of groups can I expect using open sights with a good dialed in load my my M1917?

First five shot group was with the target on the left



And my front sight pusher I made in all of 2 minutes with the aid of a cut off tool, grinding wheel to taper, and the wire wheel on the opposite side to clean off the ruff edges...

[Der Gebirgsjager]

That's certainly a good start. As to how much you can improve the groups, it will depend on your loads and yourself. I don't believe that mine shoot much better than what you're seeing right now. I like your sight pusher idea!

[arlon]

I have a few 1917s, they are among my favorites for cast bullet shooting. As my eyes slowly fade away, the 1917s sights still work for me.

[TNsailorman]

Nice rifle from what I can see of it, and nice shooting rifle at that. I never had a 1917 that shot bad and I owned several in the past. Back in the day when I could see, I had a Eddystone that would put 3 shots in a little clover leaf and they would be within 1/16th" of each other. This was done with some 173 grain military pull down bullets and 4895 military surplus powder. My most successful loads for the 1903A3 and the 1917 loads was a load of IMR 4350 powder at 58.5 grains and a 150 gr. Hornady BTSP bullet. All my rifle are sighted at 100 yards. That load shoots well for me in about any 30-06 in which I have tried it. I have always like the 1917 and feel like it has never gotten the praise it deserves. my experience, james

[Tripplebeards]

I was always thinking I could cheat and put my no drill scope mount back on it to load test. That way if and when my groups open up when I put my open sights back on I know its me and not my load.

Yep, just remembered I forgot to clean the barrel before I shot it today. It hasn’t been cleaned since I did it for my buddy in 1995 when he inherited it and has been used every deer season since being shot umpteen times. I’m sure it’s pretty fouled as he doesn’t own a cleaning rod or probably knows what one is.

[Bad Ass Wallace]

My 1918 Winchester M17 has a Parker Hale 5B range sight fitted, just the thing for tired old eyes.



It shoots the Lyman 210gn boolit (311284) very well

[Bigslug]

I used to be a handloading minutiae fanatic. While I still keep some of the tricks in the mental tool bag, I've since adopted the following practice at the start of every project - I ask myself "What is this tool FOR?"

In the case of a World Wars era bolt action, that tool was designed to create a "dangerous zone" out to the yardage indicated on the sights. By the 2 to 4 MOA accuracy standards of period engineers, they were expecting reliable human torso hits to maybe 500-600 yards. And this of course was expected in the hands of an 18-25 year old with eyes that still work.

So you're already well within spec already for what that tool was designed to do. . .and it's a hundred years old. In keeping with the "period correct" nature of your project, you can make sure that your stock is providing maybe 3-5 pounds of upward pressure on the barrel at the muzzle (shims) and make sure you've got good contact and even torque on the bedding, and then, of course, fiddle with your ammo. But even after all that, you've got old eyes behind the sights and it's not a benchrest rig, so save yourself the heartburn and stop worrying about turning it into one. GO HAVE FUN WITH IT!

[swheeler]

Looks like you are off to a good start. Your group being 3 inches left of bull at a 300 feet equals .010" per foot, your sights are about 30" apart so 2.5 feet, .025" left drift should be real close, I'd use a caliper and start at .020" to test.

[Tripplebeards]

I used to be a handloading minutiae fanatic. While I still keep some of the tricks in the mental tool bag, I've since adopted the following practice at the start of every project - I ask myself "What is this tool FOR?"

In the case of a World Wars era bolt action, that tool was designed to create a "dangerous zone" out to the yardage indicated on the sights. By the 2 to 4 MOA accuracy standards of period engineers, they were expecting reliable human torso hits to maybe 500-600 yards. And this of course was expected in the hands of an 18-25 year old with eyes that still work.

So you're already well within spec already for what that tool was designed to do. . .and it's a hundred years old. In keeping with the "period correct" nature of your project, you can make sure that your stock is providing maybe 3-5 pounds of upward pressure on the barrel at the muzzle (shims) and make sure you've got good contact and even torque on the bedding, and then, of course, fiddle with your ammo. But even after all that, you've got old eyes behind the sights and it's not a benchrest rig, so save yourself the heartburn and stop worrying about turning it into one. GO HAVE FUN WITH IT!

Yep, that’s good advise. My age is basically double and even with repaired eyes my front sight is still blurry. Ill get the sight shifted over and plink away. I have my varmint rigs with optics for shooting cloverleaves. I need a 14x optic to do what I did in my avatar at 100 yards and beyond. I would think a fist size group at 100 yards is the norm or a little better than most of these probably shoot I’m guessing.

[Tripplebeards]

Looks like you are off to a good start. Your group being 3 inches left of bull at a 300 feet equals .010" per foot, your sights are about 30" apart so 2.5 feet, .025" left drift should be real close, I'd use a caliper and start at .020" to test.

Thanks I’ll go start the process.

[woodbutcher]

Hi Tripplebeards.Had one of those that was marked"Remington 30S".Sweet shooter.The one and only 06 reload that I ever tried was,58 grns H4831(Old Hodgens),150 grn Sierra spitzer,1964 LC match cases,CCI LRP.Seated to OAL length of the 64 LC match round.
That was a super tack driver in mod Mod 53 Sears with a K4 Weaver with the duplex reticle.
On demand it would put 3 rnds into 3/8th inch all day long at 100yds off of a sand bag.And put 20 into 3/4 to 15/16 at the same distance all day long.That rifle was glass bedded with Acra Glas(R)from Brownells.Won many a $20.00 dollar bill with that one.
Good luck.Have fun.Be safe.
Leo

[Tripplebeards]

Looks like you are off to a good start. Your group being 3 inches left of bull at a 300 feet equals .010" per foot, your sights are about 30" apart so 2.5 feet, .025" left drift should be real close, I'd use a caliper and start at .020" to test.

So I had some ceramic craft paint that will easily come off with my fingernail when applied. I marked my sight before I attempted to push it. I also adjusted my calipers to .02” so I knew approx how much to move it. My pusher works slick! It looks like I approximately moved it .02 or a hair more. I loaded up 25 rounds and will head back to the range next week and shoot a group of five and see how close it is to center.

[swheeler]

Sounds good, take your sight pusher with you just in case!

[30calflash]

I pulled my eddystone out of storage and will see about warming it up for the first time in a while. Prolly with jacketed first, then go to cast.

I like the sight pusher also, great idea and execution in making it.

[Tripplebeards]

Thanks, those scratches on my front sight post were already there when I received the rifle. My Chinese sight pusher pushed the other side and left no marks. The pusher works great. One little turn and my sight moved without a lot of force. I’ll have to touch up those scratches with oxpho blue because they are bugging me.

I dabbed some of the same yellow paint on my front sight post to see if it helps. I might go buy some florescent pink or yellow tester paint and repaint it.

[Bigslug]

Sounds like progress!

So here's what I regard to be the best use of such rifles for aging guys like us:

What you've got is a ten to twelve pound exercise system for both your carcass and your eyeballs.

You've undoubtedly got FAR better systems to prove how awesome your handloading skills are from the bench. THIS rifle, especially when you load it up with cheap, soft-kicking handloads is the perfect tool to repeatedly kick your ego in the sack by deliberately NOT shooting it from the bench. Once you have a passable zero and a load that holds about 2-MOA, use it exclusively as an offhand shredder of milk jugs and dog food cans, or stretch your back out by getting on your belly like a reptile and run some British Mad Minutes with your stack of stripper clips. It's GOOD for ya!

[Bloodman14]

Isn't your front sight backwards?

[Texas by God]

Alvin York thought the 1917 was a fine rifle.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G930A using Tapatalk

[TNsailorman]

The Remington 30-S and 30-R were really fine rifles, the finest American bolt rifle available in that time period. I had a 30-R and my grandson has it now. I would like to find another 30 or maybe another 1917 but I am not going to pay the price they command these days. I should have kept the 1917's I had back in the day instead of being a greedy sod that I am and selling them. james

[Tripplebeards]

Isn't your front sight backwards?

Sure looks that way after googling. I’ll be darned. Thanks for the heads up . I’ll have to measure how far out it sticks to the left, pull it, and start over. It dose have the flat round blade facing me...unless I put the whole sight on backwards and the blade isn’t reversed. I’ll have to check.