Cast Bullets: M1 Garand 100 yds : Results to date

[milprileb]

Today I validated some loads for the M1 Rifle. One was a 155gr Loverin Design 30 caliber cast bullet sized to .309 and I tested 32,33,34,35 and 36 grain loads of IMR 4895 pushing this cast gas checked bullet of my alloy
of 80% wheel wts and 20% Lino type metal. All loads fed and function fine. 32 gr shot wide, 33 closed down to 2 inches 34 and 35 about did the same: 1 inch or a hair better groups, 35 pushing a slight lead in smaller group size. 36 grains shot .8 MOA. It seems 36 grains is my 100 yd Off Hand practice load now but I am not sure its going to hold for 300 yds until I test it. I would like a cast load that goes to 300 yds .

I got zero leading so 36 grain will be tinkered with to see if I can make the load do better , I will go out again with loads at 35.5 and work up to 38 grains and see if groups get smaller at some point along the way and begin to get wider towards 38 grains. I'll find the final sweet recipe next range visit. We shoot off hand with M1 at 200 yds and I need a lot of practice to clean up my faults so this cast load is a cheap shooting solution for a lot of practice off hand shooting. That saves my 168 gr BTHP NM bullets for 600 yds and beyond.

I have a M1 rifle dedicated to cast bullet shooting and one dedicated for FMJ bullets. The cast shooter has a muzzle wear of 3 so I can bring it back to accuracy by sizing my bullet .309 and gain accuracy. The other M1 has a MW of 1.7 so its prime shape for FMJ distance work.

Ideally, I get loads for the cast rifle to shoot 100 to 300 and then shoot FMJ out to 1000. We shoot more 100 to 300 yd events so I save a bit if I can replace with cast bullets. All my bullets are gas checked, each is weighed and I cull any that are not correct weight. So far: this 155 grain mold bullet is doing fine but I may have to go to a 180 grain longer bearing surface bullet for best performance at 300 yds. Will wait and see but... that 180 grain mold is on order!

The cast bullet I used today is a old design and not of a style for the Garand. That is fed perfectly and functioned perfectly was a surprise. Single load or out of a Enbloc, the rounds worked perfectly. On all powder charges my
action worked and ejected brass flawlessly. Now, at any charge, that Enbloc popped out and cleared the rifle fine but its not jumping out of there high or fast. It clears by a country mile but the PING sounds like a baby fart.

Parting shot: I slugged the barrel on this M1 Rifle and the slug measured .3085 and .309. Calipers can vary in measurements and mine are no exception. I was worried my .309 sizing die was not going to work with these cast bullets but it appears the bore must be .3085 so my bullets at .309
were on the money. I do think I will get a .310 sizing die though and test bullets at that diameter. When I shoot to 200 and 300 yds, if my bullets
are .309 and a bit undersized for that bore for optimum performance, my distance accuracy could spread wide. Shall have to test and see.

If nothing was accomplished today, I at least have a use for this 150 grain Loverin mold and have a decent 100 yd practice load for off hand practice.
I am not unhappy about this at all.

Forgot to say my bullet lube: I used White Label 2500 and Hornady Gas Checks

[keyhole]

re:each is weighed and I cull any that are not correct weight.

Milprileb
What +/- weight range do you consider "correct"? I am just trying to learn what tolerance you allow to get such good results.
If 36 gr. yields ~0.8" groups at 100 yds that sure sounds promising. Do you feel it will still shoot 0.8 MOA at 300 yds?

very interesting post, by the way. Thank you for the detailed info.

Keyhole

[milprileb]

Key Hole: I don't know 200 and 300 yard results as I may need to size to .310. I may be at the margins of bullet to bore proper fitting if my bore is indeed .309 and I am shooting a .309 bullet. My powder charge may be too light to shoot 300 yds... all I know is the load right now is good for 100 yds.

More tests , reports to follow.

I used a LEAD SLED to do my tests : I certainly cannot shoot the same groups prone or off hand ! So the accuracy off a Lead Sled is merely a indicator but not a absolute as what I can do with the rifle is often far less in performance: almost always far far less.

On my cull of bullets. In the 10 # pot, about 40% weighed 153 gr and 40% 154 gr and I tossed the few at 155 and others that were 151 and 152 grain. I am a novice rifle bullet caster and this was my first run of bullets for rifle bullets. All the 154 grain bullets I used were 2 tenths + or _ from 154.5 grain weight (no lighter than 154.3 and no heavier than 154.7. This is weight before sizing, gas chek and lube. Since I was trying to eliminate any
variables in bullet weights causing flyers, I tried keep all test bullets in this + or - weight window. I am not going to do this for normal use of bullets though. I will cull 153 and 154 bullets and shoot those only. I won't mix those weights when I load though, I will load a box of 154 grain for example and when I run out of 154, then run boxes of 153 grain.

Remember, I am doing this for accuracy improvement of my off hand shooting and I don't need to introduce an inaccuracy into boxes of ammo by mixing weight of bullets used: I got enough errors with my off hand shooting as it is !!!!!

As to the question of .8 inch at 300 yds: no way do I think that , I would hope I can do 2.5 to 3 MOA with cast at 300 yd. I would like better but I am not shooting 2 MOA with FMJ at 300 yds so I got to give cast bullets a bit more slack (or I got to tighten up !!). If I can shoot consistent groups at 200 and 300 yds with cast or FMJ: I am pleased. Preferably landing in the black .

[keyhole]

milprileb

Thanks for the quick response.

I do Highpower shooting too so know what you mean about offhand. I understood that your 0.8 MOA group was from a rest. If you could do that offhand you would be on the winner's platform at Camp Perry. If I can keep 1/2 in the 9 ring and 1/2 in the 10 that is about as good as I can do. Usually I throw 1 or 2 in the 8 ring.
So far all my Highpower shooting has been with j-words.
My only experience with casting rifle bullets has been with 8 X 56R for straight pull Steyr. I kept acceptable tolerance at +/- 0.4 grains and results were good. By good, I mean accuracy was same as j-word military ammo. Offhand, bullets stayed within 9 ring of 100 yard SR-1 target. That is about as good as I can do.

[milprileb]

Also: that my load groups well at 100 yds to me just says the load has a potential, for me the real test is if a load will hold tight at 200 and 300 yds. If a load shot well at 100, I will take it out farther but by no means do I mean to tell readers that my ending load is a .8 accuracy producing load. I just got a tight group with a test group of 4 shots. That is a foot print , not a accuracy standard ! I think I am in the ball park with this cast bullet load, probably okay for practice at 100 but jury is out for more distance.

The load right now tells me for use of a SR 1 at 100 yds, I can use it and tighten up my shooting failings with more and more practice at less cost. Its a training load right now for 100 yds. I need to see how it will go for 200 and 300. I feel I got more load dev. to do in order for those distance.

I need practice to get my rounds to group consistently close together at 200 yds off hand. Hopefully landing in the black. I shoot for accuracy and sorting out my shooting skills, I don't care if I run a 90 score at 200 yds or better. One can get a 90 and rounds are all over that 9 ring and yes thats a 90 but to me : I shot erratically and I am not shooting consistently. In short: I am focused on trying to get better at this so score is not a yard stick for me. I am at a skill set that needs improvement in off hand and at age 64, that means I got to practice a ton as skill degradation at my age happens quickly. I need to practice routinely and really work hard at it. I intend to do that and there is no time to waste... at my age, how long I can shoot
iron sights is not long !

[hydraulic]

Milprileb:

Well, I'm ten years older than you are, and still going strong, so I'm sure with that much time to practice you're going to reach your goal. I'm trying to stretch the Social Security money so I can shoot another ten years, and have been looking for a substitute for $26 a pound 4895. The old WWII 4831 ran out a couple of years ago, and I've been trying to get 872 to work. 41 grs. will keep them in the 9 ring, but leaves so much unburned powder it will jam the cartridge in the chamber. 43 grs. shoots cleanly, but accuracy dops off to the 7 ring. Anything below 41 won't cycle the action. All this with the Lee 200 gr. bullet from wheel weights.

[milprileb]

Hydrallic: do you think that 872 powder would do better out of a 1903A3 ?
If so, that would be a good powder to use to drop costs in shooting that rifle.

[hydraulic]

milprelib:

It sure would. Larry Gibson has done a lot of work with this powder, and he's getting great results from rifles other than the M1. In my case, I'm looking for a load for the M1 that will cycle the action and still have good accuracy. After reading your posts I looked around the loading room to see what I had that was close to what you are loading. Found some 3031 so loaded 36 grs. behind a Lyman 311413; you know, the one that isn't supposed to shoot well. The bullet was 50/50 monotype and pure lead.
Went out to the ranch this afternoon and laid down and ran a clip through the M1. The action cycled perfectly with mild recoil and all the bullets stayed on the paper. I loaded them back up again this everning, adding a dacron filler, and tomorrow I'll shoot them off the bench and see how close I can keep them.

[hydraulic]

Well, I did. The 36/3031 shot poorly, but I switched kicker powders and used 3 grs. Unique under the 40 grs. 872 loads and shot a nice 3 inch 8round group, but had a lot of unburned powder. Loading them back up tonite with 42 grs. Hope to shot them tomorrow, but we had some rain this P.M. and it might be too slick to get into the ranch.