Loads for M1?

[happy7]

I have a friend who recently acquired an M1. Don't know much about them myself, but his is 30-06. Maybe they all are? Anyway, he is looking for information on loads. He is a bullet caster, but thinks he will stick to jacketed for this rifle. He has some 110 and 130 grain speer bullets. He was wanting to know what loads will work with these bullets to cycle the action properly, and accuracy would be nice too. He can't find any info in his reloading manuals which is specifically for this rifle. Any help would be appreciated.

[Larry Gibson]

The 130 gr Speer HP over 49 gr of H4895 in LC 69 cases with WLR primers worked very well both function and accuracy wise in my rack grade M1. Tell your buddy to get RCBS regular X- Dies (the small base are not needed). Case life will be long and he won't have to trim the cases.

Larry Gibson

[oldhickory]

Why not shoot cast? I'm still in the beginner stages of using cast in my M1, but I like it.

[happy7]

Thanks Larry. I will tell him.

[sqlbullet]

BobS Load (http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showpost.php?p=312730&postcount=15). I use a Lee 200 grain for this and it works very well.

Also, I have had good success with 32gr and 34gr of Varget + .75 gr dacron under the same bullet. Only benefit I see over BobS Load is less powder. I have been trying Reloader 15 as well. At 34 gr I was still having some short stroke issues. I have loaded up some 36 grain but haven't tested them yet.

[AZ-Stew]

50.0 grains of H335 with either bullet will function the action. Its burn rate is slightly faster than 4895, so it will develop low port pressure that won't beat up the rifle. I use 50.0 with the Sierra Gameking 150 BTSP in mine. Very accurate.

50.0 is the starting load with the Hornady 110, which has a similar bearing length to the Speer. 55.0 is the max load for the 110.

The 130 Speer starting load is 48.0 with a max of 53.0. This is from Hodgdon's web site.

The reason I mentioned 50.0 grains with both bullets is that it's easy to remember.

Ths nice thing about these loads is that the lighter bullets and lower powder charges really reduce recoil. In addition, H335 is a fine-grain ball powder and will measure easily and very consistently through any powder measure. No cutting of powder granules like you get with the stick pwoders.

Regards,

Stew

[happy7]

Thanks Stew.

[GBertolet]

I have had good luck in my M1, using 35gr H4895 with the Lyman 311284 bullet of heat treated WW in LC brass. A soft shooting load with no signs of lead build up so far.

[Dschuttig]

I ave great luck with a similiar load , 34-36 grs of h4895 with the lee 180 gr rn, water quenched ww and sized .309. This will give me around 2" @100, never had any lead in the bbl or function/broken parts. Dan