Check My Work M1A

[BulletFactory]

I plan on loading the M1A 16" barrel later this year, but i wanted you guys to check out this load to see if i've done my homework right first., and to see if there were any suggestions.

.308 Win

The gun headspaces at 1.631

OAL 2.810
Headspace 1.627
168 gr. Sierra MatchKing BTHP
41.5gr. IMR 4895
CCI #34 Primers
Winchester Brass.
Trim To Length 2.00"

[Gtek]

All of my books say C.O.A.l IS 2.810" max. load at 2.800". Sierra has max with your powder at 41.3gr. Hornady says 41.9 gr max. Trim length is 2.005". Your running high end with load but short barrel will pull down velocities a little. Me- I start a couple low and work up, why slam action harder than need be. Might find sugar load around 2300 to 2450 fps. Some like it mild, some like it wild! Gtek

[BulletFactory]

Im looking for accuracy. Since this isnt na bolt action "sniper" rifle I figured I'd make the most accurate round possible.

[BulletFactory]

This concerns me, Hogdon has the min at 41.0 but the max at 45.4, thats a big difference.

41.4 to 45.4? Both max?

[seagiant]

Hi,
This is my opinion of course! the best all around load for the 7.62x51 for me is:
Lake City Mil. Brass
42 gr. IMR 4895
Win LR Primer
148 gr. Mil Surp bullet

You of course are using commercial brass and bullet,I think you would be better off going to mil.surp for the M-14!

[BruceB]

"168 gr. Sierra MatchKing BTHP
41.5gr. IMR 4895
CCI #34 Primers
Winchester Brass.
Trim To Length 2.00"

This is a time-honored "standard" load in competition circles. Millions of rounds of this recipe have probably been fired over the years.

I fired 500 rounds of almost this precise description to start my research process with a brand-new M1A rifle.

Your load is fine.

[akajun]

Hi,
This is my opinion of course! the best all around load for the 7.62x51 for me is:
Lake City Mil. Brass
42 gr. IMR 4895
Win LR Primer
148 gr. Mil Surp bullet

You of course are using commercial brass and bullet,I think you would be better off going to mil.surp for the M-14!

This is a damn good load for a m1a, I shot this accross the course before going to an ar.

[BulletFactory]

Good to hear. I'd hate to screw up such a fine weapon. I've never handloaded rifle ammo before, so Im really really cautious.

Makes me nervous thinking that the first handloaded rifle round is going to be shot through a rifle that was more expensive than my car, and won't be paid off for many years.

[akajun]

Ill give you these tips then, will save you some headache.

Trim on every reloading, it is a pain but 308 fired out of an m14 likes to stretch.

dont use small base dies, regular dies are fine, they only make cases stretch even more and shorten brass life.

Also dont knock out 150 grain bullets for under 300yds, little less recoil. Also a lot of guys still shooting the 14 are loading 135 grain v maxs for 200yds, and getting very good results almost no recoil, like shooting an ar.

Use a hornady/stoney point headspace/shoulder guage to get a measurement of your fired brass and size .005, no more.

Stay away from purchasing federal brass, its too soft. If someone gives it to you, reload it only a few times and chunk it. All other ball brass, LC, IVI, tw, etc can go about 5-6 reloads if you anneal the shoulder at reload #4

Watch your overall length unless you want a single shot rifle.

[WineMan]

My only suggestion is that with the short 16" barrel you will have some nice flames flashider or not. You might want to look at IMR3031 as it is tad faster and my give you a more complete burn in the shorter barrel. Enjoy!

Wineman

[Pirate69]

Everyone has his own recipe. For me, I am getting good results with 39.0 grains of surplus IMR 4895, 168 grainer and a Wolf LRM primer. Works the action just fine.

[nicholst55]

Here is an excellent source of info for just this specific rifle: Reloading for the Match M14 (http://www.zediker.com/downloads/m14.html)

[BulletFactory]

Thanks. I have actually read that one, printed it for permanent records, its a great piece.

[ElDorado]

Thanks. I have actually read that one, printed it for permanent records, its a great piece.

Except for the vernacular style, dangling participles, run-on sentences, excessive parentheses, and having to read each paragraph three or four times to figure out what he's trying to say, it is a great piece.

Sorry, but I had to say it.

Sierra 168 gr HPBT Match King
40.0 gr IMR 4895
Winchester WLR Primer
LC 93 Match cases

Good Luck!

[BulletFactory]

Someone should.

[EDK]

Case length is a PITA. I've tried a LYMAN and FORSTER case trimmers, a file and trim die, and now the LEE trimmer in a cordless drill. The LEE is definitely the way to go; run 'em through at each loading! A LYMAN M die is another good item to acquire.

I got a NOE 311299 mould for my SQUAD SCOUT. Got boolits cast...now to lube, size and load. Snafu 12 has unknowingly done a lot of my load work...Thanks Pal!...since I have a 8 pounder of H335 bought in panic during the shortages. My guns work perfect with 42 grains of IMR 4895 and a 147 grain FMJ...but they don't give them J-words away! The M1A will get a lot more range time with a less expensive boolit...that was the limiting factor in years past.

Read Bruce's sticky and hang out over at M14 forum.

:redneck::cbpour::2gunsfiring_v1:

[fatelvis]

Except for the vernacular style, dangling participles, run-on sentences, excessive parentheses, and having to read each paragraph three or four times to figure out what he's trying to say, it is a great piece.

Sorry, but I had to say it.
I think I smell an English teacher among us!! Lol

[Larry Gibson]

Use a standard (the SB die is not needed for the M1A) RCBS X die and you will not have case length problems with the brass and will not have to trim. Additionally case life is excellent with 16 - 20+ firings per case.

Larry Gibson

[BulletFactory]

Really? The guys on the M14 forums say that you should discard after 4 firings.

[Lizard333]

Using the Dillon case trimmer I set it up and trim every piece of rifle brass, if it needs it, when I resize and deprime my brass. Very quick. I can do over a thousand rounds an hour with the 550B.

[DukeInFlorida]

Your assumption about making a bullet go fast to achieve maximum accuracy is FALSE.

Faster isn't more accurate. Well, not necessarily.

You need to make up some test rounds. Five pcs each, starting with the starting load, and incrementing up two grains at a time, up to max load.

Clean the gun/barrel, and then fire 6 rounds down the barrel to properly "foul" the barrel. That will make the subsequent rounds work better.

Test fire the first five, making note of the group size.

Test fire the next higher group, making note of group size, and looking for signs of pressure.

Continue with the remaining groups, at each increasing increment, until the group size starts to get worse again, or you get to the point where pressures are starting to show on the brass, indicating danger.

Once you have a load from your test group, you can fine tune it even further.

One of the things that affects accuracy is the "harmonics" of your barrel. You want the speed to be exactly where the barrel rings like a bell, and the bullet is leaving the muzzle right at a null point in the vibration. If you hit either side of a null point, the bullet will get slightly bumped of in that direction.

So, accuracy isn't slower or faster, per se. Accuracy is where the bullet makes the barrel ring properly.

Try my technique, and see if you aren't surprised with the results.


Im looking for accuracy. Since this isnt na bolt action "sniper" rifle I figured I'd make the most accurate round possible.