Cast Bullet Load for a M-1 Garand

[terryt]

Hi:

I ordered a M-1 Garand Service grade from CMP and I am looking for a cast boolit load for it. Does anyone us the fasted burning powders for their M-1 Garand? I plan on using a 150-190 grain boolit in it. A whike back at the range a fellow told me that his friend used
Red Dot in his M-1 and that seems like a petty fast powder to work the action right.

Thanks,

Terryt

[Kraschenbirn]

Terry...

Why reinvent the wheel? Type 'M-1 Garand Loads' into the SEARCH box on the right-hand side of the forum toolbar and you'll get (446) hits.

Bill

[koehn,jim]

I dont think red dot will cycle the action. I use the 311365 with 32-34 grains of h4895 works for me. Also the search function has a lot more combinations.

[Nobade]

Yep, Red Dot will barely move the bolt. I use the Lee 200gr. over 37gr. IMR4895 for an accurate load that cycles the bolt perfectly. A lighter boolit doesn't work for me since it goes too fast for accuracy and starts to lead the bore.

-Nobade

[dualsport]

Search 'Bob S. load'.

[ShooterAZ]

The trick to loading cast for the M1 Garand is to use a heavier boolit around 200 grains or so (Lyman 311299 is a really good one) and medium burning powder (IMR4895 is perfect) and work the load up until the action will cycle reliably. You can then up the load a grain or two to see if accuracy improves. Lighter boolits just won't work well at all. Somewhere around 30-32 grains of IMR4895 with no filler you will find the sweet spot. Some guys will use a small 1/2-3/4 grain tuft of dacron or other filler with a tad less powder to get it to cycle. Also be sure your boolit is seated to NOT contacting the lands at all!

[terryt]

Hi:

Thank all of you for your input.

Terryt

[Taz700]

Terry, when did you order? I put an order in I believe in the first of March, I hope it shows up!! I'll be currious how your lead rounds work, keep me posted!

[Buckshot]

............I have a Garand that I bought from an outfit in Prescott, AZ (I forget the name of the place now) in the early 90's. IIRC this was one of the first large importations. In any event I had an O1 FFL. Saw the add in Shotgun News re: Garands and said to call so & so. Called and got the 'Garand Guy'. First thing he asked me was, "Are you a collector?".

I said, "No, I am an "Accumulator", so we laughed and I said I was interested in a solid shooter. It arrived and the first 3 digits of the serial number was 106, so I think that makes it a 1942. The 3 pieces of wood were all different. The buttstock was some type of hardwood (Not Walnut) and had the number '11' on the buttstock applied with a 1" wide brush. The top handguard was an almost paper thin piece of stained Walnut (I believe from being boned). The front handguard was a raw piece of some type of hardwood that was so fat as to make it almost impossible to see the front sight.

You would find it hard to believe in how fast I ordered new lumber. I don't recall who the outfit was but the butstock was a wonderous piece of Walnut that appeared to be quartersawn. The other 2 pieces were also Walnut, nice but not as nice as the buttstock. I did not know much "In Depth" information on Garands at that time. However I successfully took it all apart, cleaned, oiled and greased (With Lubri-Plate) everything that needed it. The bore of the new rifle was like a mirror. Happily, via sticking a loaded round into the muzzle and rotated carefully showed about an even .309" or less. The muzzle was great all the way around. Since a lot of them had been carelessly cleaned from the muzzle, that can cause accuracy issues.

One of the guys at the range I infested asked to see the rifle. First thing he did was to yank the Op rod back and then peer closely at the barrel. He pointed out that the rifle had been rebarreled Nov of 1965. At that time, the Garand Re-Importation was roaring along and the range (I went EVERY Tuesday) and there were usually 4-5 guys with their new Garands happily banging away. At that time, about the least expensive ammo was made by PMC (which may have been Korean) and may have changed hands or whatever since then, possibly several times.

But the best deal was that by the amount of once fired PMC that was drifted up around the benches like snow, was that it appeared no one was reloading? It was there simply to be picked up. All the history aside, one of the best cast Boolit loads I'd ever dreamed up was FL resized PMC brass, and the SAECO 200gr RG-4 boolit over 43.0 grs of IMR 4895 (No filler). It's sparked by a Winchester LRP. OAL: 3.235" Velocity is 2300 FPS. The case mouth was slightly turned over the top drive band. In my rifle the front half of the bore rider nose lightly but noticeably engraves, but does not 'De-bullet' if extracted.

On the "Target Grade" paper stock 25 yard Slow fire pistol target, the 10 ring is 1.5" OD. The 9 ring is 2.5" OD. With a good piece of cardboard as a backer, the hit's are easy to score. That RG-4 while NOT a wadcutter will cut nice clean holes via the front drive band. If it's not windy (So the target stand isn't moving much) the 10 ring will pretty much be gone with only a couple making it out into the 9 ring, this at 50 yards.

..............Buckshot

[Thumbcocker]

311299 sized to .311, 32-34 of IMR 4895. Be happy. Standard disclaimer. Wear big boy pants.

[Rich/WIS]

Garand is gone now, gave it to my son, but IIRC was shooting the RCBS 308-165 SIL and 34-36 grs IMR 4064.. Functioned nad was about as accurate as M2 bali in my HRA. Only issue was small flecks of lead on the face of the operating rod, not a big deal.

[RU shooter]

Garand is gone now, gave it to my son, but IIRC was shooting the RCBS 308-165 SIL and 34-36 grs IMR 4064.. Functioned nad was about as accurate as M2 bali in my HRA. Only issue was small flecks of lead on the face of the operating rod, not a big deal.

That was my go to bullet next best was the 312-185 lee and as you said about the same as surplus ball at 100 yds

[WinchesterM1]

This is what I shoot

https://castboolits.gunloads.com/sho...highlight=43PU

[iron brigade]

I shoot 34 grains of I 4895 with the rcbs 165 silly wet boolit. Very accurate. Another good load but not as accurate is 39 grains of I 4831 and the 311299. Both boolits are sized to .311

[madsenshooter]

42gr of RL19 behind a very hard cast NOE311365 was shooting two inch groups for me. That's before I put a scope on the Garand. If I remember correctly I was shooting for around 2100fps. Any other bullet around 200gr will do.

[fastdadio]

My load is the Lee 170, sized .3095, pc, and gc. 39.5 grs H4895.
I worked up from 34grs to 36, where I found reliable cycling... or so I thought. Once I started shooting off hand, I had a couple failures to load. (short stroking) I also had some vertical stringing. So I went further until the vertical spread tightened up and ended up at the 39.5 load. Shooting consistent sub 3" groups at 100yds, 100% reliable cycling, and zero leading.

[avogunner]

311299 sized to .311, 32-34 of IMR 4895. Be happy. Standard disclaimer. Wear big boy pants.

^^This^^

I'm at about 35 grains of 4895 but this is solid gouge!!!

Semper Fi!

[dale2242]

Mine will cycle and shoot as well as M2 ball with 32 gr IMR4895 and 1 gr Dacron.
Any pointy bullet in the 150-180 gr range will do.
I am sure bullets heavier will work as well.
Standard or magnum large rifle primers work equally well.

[dogmower]

180-200 grain sized .311 (either NOE or Lyman 314299) over 34 grains of blc-2. Interestingly, 32 grains of Shooter's World Buffalo Classic works great as well. I save my H4895 for target loads in 204 ruger and 223 rem, and my Imr4895 for 308 and 8mm mauser match loads.

[Nick Adams]

5344 and poly-coated heavy (i.e., 200gn) HC boolits. No filler or fluff needed.