Favorite Garand bullet powder combo
- Thread starter lorne19
- Start date
- Location
- big sky country
My load is 48 gr Win748 and 150 FMJ bullet.
Not match accuracy, but it works.
If you want accuracy go to a 155 gr sierra match king.
Not match accuracy, but it works.
If you want accuracy go to a 155 gr sierra match king.
I also use the Hornady 150 FMJ BT with IMR 4895 and sometimes H 4895. I also used to use a lot of the Speer Hot Core 150gr with these powders. I imagine the Sierra Match Kings in the 150-168gr range would work well too. I havent tried IMR 4064 in this rifle yet but intend to.
49 gr of IMR4895. Hornady 150 gr FMJBT. Winchester large rifle primer. Bullet crimped with a lee crimper. I have been using this load for 11 years and its been great in my garands. Start load was 46 gr and worked up to 49 gr and stayed there. My groups have been around 2" at 100 yards.
IMR 4064 47.0 Grains
168 gr HPBT Bullet, (Have used Sierra MK and Hornady, both good to go)
Cartridge trimmed to max allowed of 2.94 and overall length of 3.30"
IMR 4064 fills the case a little better, supposedly getting more consistent results, and I can't argue with that school of thought as it's put down some impressive groups.
168 gr HPBT Bullet, (Have used Sierra MK and Hornady, both good to go)
Cartridge trimmed to max allowed of 2.94 and overall length of 3.30"
IMR 4064 fills the case a little better, supposedly getting more consistent results, and I can't argue with that school of thought as it's put down some impressive groups.
47.0gr of IMR 4064 with a PRVI 150gr FMJ. Not match accuracy, but not at all terrible, either.
I will be working up a load that duplicates this using 165gr SST's for deer hunting this fall. As soon as I find somebody who actually has 165gr .308 SST's in stock, that is.
Mark
I will be working up a load that duplicates this using 165gr SST's for deer hunting this fall. As soon as I find somebody who actually has 165gr .308 SST's in stock, that is.
Mark
My Garand load is also a universal .30-06 load that seems to work in every rifle: 50.0 grains Varget behind a 165 or 168-grain bullet.
I've seen this load produce tiny groups with match bullets out of an accurate bolt-action, and it also works very well in a Garand.
I've seen this load produce tiny groups with match bullets out of an accurate bolt-action, and it also works very well in a Garand.
With my shaky eyes, around 3"-4" @ 100yds off a rest. The last time I shot the Garand, I discovered that the rear sight was changing elevation settings under recoil, causing shots to walk vertically and string the groups. I have not been out to check it since then, so smaller groups should be easier to hold with that corrected.
Mark
rnbra-shooter
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- New Brunswick
I use IMR4895, H4895, Varget, H335. And for bullets, 144 grain tracers, 147 FMJ-BT, 155 HPBT, 168HPBT.
They all shoot 5-6" groups at 100, crap bullets or match bullets. I used to think that it was me, but I have eventually developed enough confidence in my seeing and shooting ability to know that this is actually what the rifle is capable of (a 1950s International Harvester). Which is OK with me, I still love her.
I've shot (with the load listed above in my last post) 1.5" 4 round groups @ 100m (tossing the flyer). The average was a little under 2".
This is out of a very mint 1942 Springfield, that had some very nice work done to it with a free floating handguard and some other small tweaks.
This is out of a very mint 1942 Springfield, that had some very nice work done to it with a free floating handguard and some other small tweaks.
Out of the accurate, scoped, bolt target rifle I mentioned (just playing with a buddy's rifle), I got something in the neighbourhood of a little under one inch for four shots at 200 metres with the Varget load I mentioned (pushing165 Hornadys).
With the Garand, I can often manage about two-inch groups at 100 when everything is working. That's why I stick to this load! It chronographs between 2,750 and 2,800, depending upon the rifle.
With the Garand, I can often manage about two-inch groups at 100 when everything is working. That's why I stick to this load! It chronographs between 2,750 and 2,800, depending upon the rifle.
kokanee king
Regular
- Location
- Didsbury, Alberta
This is good to know gunn69. i just picked up my M1 Garand at the post office today and was looking for load info. A friend of mine put me onto the IMR4895 as THE powder to use along with the 150gr FMJ's. Looks like I will start at 46grs and see what my baby likes
