reloading for M1 Grand

[LUCKYDAWG13]

not sure if this is the right spot to ask this but any thing I need to know about loading for the M 1 Garand
will it eat factory ammo do i need to down for it suggestions for bullet weight and boolit mold & powders
thanks

[43PU]

Lee 200grn sized to .311, 34 grn IMR 4064, slight crimp. Shoots 2.5 inches at 100 yards

[edler7]

Hornady manual 6th edition has a section for Garand loads with jacketed bullets.

They are a little picky about burn rate on powder, and don't shoot factory 30-06 ammo without an adjustable gas plug. But they love military surplus ammo.

[Scharfschuetze]

My best cast boolit recipes for the M1 Garand have always had a heavy boolit and medium rate powders.

Currently I'm loading a 210 grain 311299 Lyman design (cast hard with Alox lube, sized to .311") over a non-canister powder that's between 4895 and 4064 in its burn rate. I'm in the mid 30s for load weight, but I'll refrain from posting the exact mount as the powder isn't commonly available. This load is right at 1,800 fps and functions the rifle 100% with good accuracy. You can see that it compares closely with 43PU's load posted above.

[LUCKYDAWG13]

would the Lyman 311041 mold work

[goryshaw]

The Remchester ammo you will find at your LGS is not recommended for use in a stock M1 Garand. However; Federal, Hornady and PPU all make Garand safe loads that fairly easy to find online.

I've just started working with cast in my Garands, so I'm by no means an expert on that subject. I'm casting NOE 311299 and sizing them to .311 in Lee push through. I didn't get acceptable results with IMR-4895, by the time they cycled reliably, the group locked like a shotgun pattern. I've got another bunch loaded with IMR-4350, just waiting for decent weather on a Sunday to try them out.

With jacketed bullets Garands are pretty easy and not at all picky to load for. Anything from 110 gr M1 Carbine bullets up to 175/178 gr match bullets work great. As for powders, the old rule of thumb is nothing faster than IMR 3031 and nothing slower than IMR 4320. In practice, anything from H-4895 to Varget with a 168-178 gr match bullet will probably shoot about as good as the gun is capable. Garands are not match rifles, and an as-issued rifle is unlikely to hold the 3 MOA 10 ring on a NRA SR or SR-1 target, regardless of ammo. I put a bit under 1k rounds through mine in 2015, mostly slung up prone but a couple hundred off bags on the bench, and I'm yet to clean an SR-1 with it.

[30CAL-TEXAN]

I've just started working with cast in my Garands, so I'm by no means an expert on that subject. I'm casting NOE 311299 and sizing them to .311 in Lee push through. I didn't get acceptable results with IMR-4895, by the time they cycled reliably, the group locked like a shotgun pattern. I've got another bunch loaded with IMR-4350, just waiting for decent weather on a Sunday to try them out.


You might try 4064 if the 4895 didn't do it for you. I have had a little better results with it in an M1 that didn't like the 4895 under the boolit I was slinging at the time. It has become my favorite rifle powder after several such instances.

As for the OP, you have some reading to do sir ;-) There is a plethora of M1 load info on this board and if there are specific questions after that, fire away, there are also a bunch of knowledgeable folks on here that are sure to help. Be mindful of the warnings but also be ware of the "You can't do that in an M1 crowd" The rules are much different for cast than jacketed loads for these old war birds. I think a lot of the bickering that goes on regarding pressures etc for M1 loads are caused by people ignoring this fact.

Do a TON of reading and have lots of fun. Best rifle ever, just ask Patton.

[Hick]

Everyone above has answered your questions nicely, but i want to add a little more to clear the question on commercial ammo. The specific problem is that factory 30-06 ammo is built to produce velocities and gas pressure in the barrel for newer 30-06 rifles. The operating rod of an M1 is only designed to withstand the force produced by earlier military cartridges (about 2700 fps with 150/170 grain bullet). It has to do with the transient pressure in the barrel and the force it imparts to the operating rod. I seem to recall several great threads on this forum that explain this in more detail. So, do not feed it factory ammo unless (1) the ammo is specifically labeled for M1 Garand or (2) you have installed one of those adjustable gas plugs and know what you are doing with it. As for the powders, I generally use 4895 or 4064-- but my Garand seems to particularly like IMR 4064 (especially 47 grains of 4064 with a 150 grain bullet-- which seems to be an accuracy sweet spot for mine).

[LUCKYDAWG13]

Thanks to all

[M1GarandFan]

I agree with the previous posts. I have yet to try cast in my Garand yet, but have had good luck with 150 gr FMJ with 47 - 48 gr. of IMR 4895. The CMP still has surplus Greek HXP that was made for the Garand and is reasonable compared to commercial ammo. This is a good article about reloading for military rifles: http://www.exteriorballistics.com/reloadbasics/gasgunreload.cfm

[LUCKYDAWG13]

thank you for the link

[zomby woof]

311284 cast on the hard side 2500+ lube sized to .310 in a good barrel Gas checked, Hornady seated so GC is just held in case 33.0 Varget with a tuft of Dacron

[kywoodwrkr]

http://masterpostemple.bravepages.com/M1load.htm
Useful sometimes

[BUCKEYE BANDIT]

LUCKY DAWG, I've been working with that boolit and IMR4064 in my M1A and sneaking up on a load it likes.Northern Ohio winter and old hands have slowed the R&D but spring is coming.With my alloy fully dresssed they come in at 189 grains,once I'm (she's)happy with a load we'll see if grandma Garand likes it.

THANKS BRUCE B., Think of you often!!
would the Lyman 311041 mold work

[LUCKYDAWG13]

can someone post a page of published reloading data for the Garand using hornady bullets and what manuals list loads for the M1 Garand
thank you

[Outpost75]

I use the HM2-.312-160-5 which is JT's clone of the C.E. Harris C.312-155-2R offered by Lee, but Heavy Metal, NOE, Accurate and others all offer the molds in addition to Lee.

My mold drops 160 grains in 50-50 linotype/wheelweights and is more accurate than Ball M2 in my CMP Garand with Criterion barrel, developing about 2200 fps with 40 grs. of IMR4064.

159395 159396159397

For jacketed hunting ammunition which closely approximates Ball M2 velocity, substituting the FLATBASE Hornady 150-grain Spire Point, loaded in FL sized and trimmed USGI brass, with Winchester WLR primers, and 50 grains of either IMR4064, RL15 or Varget. This tracks precisely and shoots to the same sight dope back to 500 yards with the M1 Garand, 03A3 Springfield or in my Winchester Model 54 sporters, as Ball M2 made in the 1950s, and develops 2700-2750 fps, in a 24" barrel, depending upon throat erosion, etc.

To approximate the older Ball M1 174-grain load or M72 Match ammo, reduce the charge to 47 grains of the above powders and substitute the Sierra 175-grain .308" Matchking bullet for target work, or the 165-grain Hornady Spire Point boattail bullet and these will give the 2640 +/-30 fps of the M72 Match load.

I prefer the 150-grain Hornady Spire Points for deer hunting as they shoot a little flatter and recoil is more manageable. I seat the Hornady spire points to the cannelure and apply a moderate crimp using the Lee factory crimp die. This load is also a very close approximation of factory 150-grain ammo from Remington, Winchester or Federal and works well in the Remington 760 and 740, 742, 7400, etc. I load this round for others in our hunting camp and over the years it has shot truckloads of deer and done a fine job. Also shoots well in CMP Garand Matches. Multi-purpose!!

[Mauser48]

I use 46 grains of imr 4064 with a hornady 150 grain fmj-bt. I haven't used cast in it.

[BUCKEYE BANDIT]

can someone post a page of published reloading data for the Garand using hornady bullets and what manuals list loads for the M1 Garand
thank you
PM sent

[Scharfschuetze]

The later Hornady manuals have M1 Garand specific pages devoted to the rifle.

Most any manual though will suffice for jacketed bullets if you just stick with the 4895 or 4064 (or similar) powders and probably stay away from the maximum side of the charts.

If you need to hot rod your Garand for some reason, there are vented gas plugs that will allow for higher pressure loads that do not increase the gas cylinder pressure and thus will save your op rod.

[LUCKYDAWG13]

I did pick up Hornady's #9 last week so i'm set thanks to all

[mac1911]

Here is some good M1 loading reading
http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&cd=1&rct=j&q=Reloading%20the%20M1%20garand%20john%20e%20clark&ved=0ahUKEwiNxtCcg_jKAhXEbz4KHRsOAhwQFggbMAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.crossecreekrifleandpistolclub .com%2FMatches%2FVM_Pages%2FInformation%2FReloadin gForTheM1Rifle_JohnRClarke.pdf&usg=AFQjCNFEwhZPrnXm05XsV9OhnBeXRs4BIg&sig2=kRw7kSgOxWa8hEZTHsFoEA

If that link doesn't work Google John E. Clarke reloading for the M1

I just started cast loads for M1 at the end of the summer. My first go was based on reduced reloads with H4895 from hodgdon web site. I use the Lyman 314299 sized to 310 . I basically started at 35 grains and went up till I achieved 100% function. That was 37.8-40 grains. That load gave me 10 shots into the black at 200 yards. 7 10s 3 9s about a 6" group at 6 o'clock. Not to shabby for first time out.
I shot prone , slung, and supported....

Also every powder manufacture has given me data on request by email.

[LUCKYDAWG13]

It worked and thanks

[tbierley]

I have been reading this thread from the start. I have 3 M1s the last one is a rack grade I picked up 2 weeks ago. I was going to rebarrel it to 308 but went to the range today with it see how it shot. The barrel TE 5 and MW 3+. So loaded some Lee 200grn sized to .311, 34 grn IMR 4064, slight crimp. And I powder coated them.Lee 200grn sized to .311, 34 grn IMR 4064, slight crimp. I also loaded some pulled 7.62x54 bullets 150gr and sized the .310 and loaded them with 45gr of IMR 4064. They both shot POA at 75 yards. Here is a pic of the target of the cast bullets. I may leave this as my cast bullet gun.

[LUCKYDAWG13]

nice shooting I just loaded up a few 150gr bullets with 44.6 gr of H4894 I thought i would use these for a sight in and function load

[tbierley]

I shoot a lot CMP matches and I have a M1 that I rebarreled with a new barrel and restocked it in a new CMP stock. I sight my rifles with 168 BTHP and IMR 4064 all my rifles like this load. I start at 25yds I try to sight in 1in high and then go out to 100 or 200 yds. The target at 100yds at the CMP in Anniston Ala

[sirgknight]

I did pick up Hornady's #9 last week so i'm set thanks to all

I have noticed a couple of replies referring to this manual. Examine it (or any load data manual) closely:

FOR EXAMPLE

M1 Garand load data on page 447 using the 150-155gr bullet and Varget powder
START 42.3 (2400 fps)......44.2 (2500 fps).....46.2 (2600 fps).

30.06 load data on page 442 using the 150-155gr bullet and Varget powder
START 41.0 (2500 fps)....43.6 (2600 fps)

My point is this: When I worked up loads for my Garand only ONE GRAIN of powder meant the difference in the rifle cycling or not cycling the ammo. Published data should be used only as a reference, NOT GOSPEL, because the gospel changes from page to page. The load data for 2500 fps shows a difference of 3.2 grains of Varget powder. There are too many other contradictions to list here but you can check them out. This makes me wonder where these people get their load data to publish for everyone to use. One would think that the load data would be consistent, no matter what page it is on.

Just sayin'..........

[wadcutter]

sirgknight, does it mention what rifle was used for the 30.06 load data? Perhaps it had a longer barrel?

I certainly agree each reloader needs to work up his own load.