M1a cast bullets and silhouettes
Bruce and contributors
Really appreciate you documenting your experience with the M1a and cast bullets. I have read the entire thread. I played around some time ago after reading it and came up with a load that my gun (late 80's built Springfield NM in a McMillan stock) seems to like. This past weekend was the National Cast Bullet Silhouette championship at ridgway rifle club in ridgway PA. Really the highlight of my shooting year. Any how besides the regular 60 round match (used my 03a3 sporter with 311299 and 4350) shot with 15 shots each at the 200 meter chicken, 300 meter pig, 385 meter turkey and 500 meter rams they have 10 shot side matches for lever guns, pumps and military. For grins I loaded 75 rounds with my load of 31.0 Varget with the 311299, Fed 210, LBT blue lube and took it along. Everyone that knew M1 and M1a's told me I should not shoot cast bullets in a gas gun because it will foul up the sytem. I already knew better from your experience and the couple hundred rounds I had shot working up my load. Anyhow long story short the gun feeds and functions perfectly. Off the rest it was deadly on the 300 meter pigs. When I got into my sitting position to shoot the 10 round match I went 5 for 10 on the pigs. I had some wind to deal with and could not for the life of me read the direction of the sight knob to make my adjustment or feel I could have done better. Once I cornered one of my older buddies that has shot a M1a for decades (never with cast bullets) he got me straight on my sight adjustment. I fired the match single shot but still had 7 rounds left over. They were loaded mag. length so I shoved them all in sat down again and went 4 for 7 on the pigs. Really convinced me and the non believers. Anyhow I probably never would have tried it if it hadn't been for you guys sharing so thank you and the list very much for taking the time . Can't wait to play with it some more. I hope to shoot it at some of our local 200 yd. and 100 yd. High Power matches.
I'll share my results when I do.