Reloading for the M14

Remember that IMR3031 was the original propellant for 7.62 match ammo, and it still works great. IMR4895 is also a "go-to" propellant for the 7.62/.308. There's an old saying that if your 7.62 won't shoot accurately with IMR4895, then you have a rifle problem.

Funny how these 70 plus year old powders still hold up so well in the face of all the new "wonder powders" that have been flogged over the years.
 
Purple i guess at the turn of the last century, over 100 years ago, with Mauser actions and cartridges like the .30-06, 7X57 etc., theres not alot we can do today in practical hunting terms except for better optics.
It seems to be we go from one fad/caliber to the next, but always only really repeating, with slight variation, what has already been done.:canadaFlag:
 
Yummy Recipe

I full length size (small base dies) my Winchester brass, Win. large rifle primers, 45grs of Varget, and 155gr bullets. Enjoy!
 
RememberTheSomme said:
Purple i guess at the turn of the last century, over 100 years ago, with Mauser actions and cartridges like the .30-06, 7X57 etc., theres not alot we can do today in practical hunting terms except for better optics.
It seems to be we go from one fad/caliber to the next, but always only really repeating, with slight variation, what has already been done.:canadaFlag:
Click to expand...

Agreed, everything over the past 100 plus years have been variations on the basic theme. People got it exactly right with ctgs like the 6.5x55, 7x57, 8x57, and .30-06. As good as it is, the 7.62 is only a dwarfed down .30-06 which could exploit some of the mid-1930s propellants to work thru autoloaders with a shorter case. That's the power of modern marketting for you. Just look where it has gotten us on the nutrition and related disease front.:(
 
M14Doctor said:
we should have a sticky for the what to do and not to do for reloading for the m14. We do have a few guys on this site with lot's of hours behind thier rifles with home rolled ammo.
Click to expand...

I would be very happy to see such a sticky. In about 1 hour of reading today I learned a few things that I had no idea about such as using Service Rifle reloading charts instead of bolt action charts for the M14. (Was that worded correctly?:confused:)

It all stemmed from re-reading some other stickies and the old thread about doglegs Norc blow up (which was deemed by savage as partly to do with human error during reloading, glad you are ok dogleg!)

We have so many other great stickies for this popular rifle, a reloading one seems like a great idea.
 
I love this thread w:h:

Just so you all know, SO FAR my 2007 M14s is comfortably banging the gong at 300 with 41.5gr IMR4895 pushing a Hornady 168gr BTHP, all nicely set off with a CCI 200. Gonna try some of these recipes, mind you, see what we can do.

I found my above potion comfy to shoot, btw. As compared to a box of Canadian Forces C21 I fired off; my load hit the gong, I have no idea where the C21 slugs went. ...need more trigger time...
 
Reloading Charts

I noticed a couple of times that reference was made to reloading charts.

The key to using the charts is to keep the velocities within the spec of the rifle (as most of us do not have the fancy pressure rigs). Depending on the source the velocity for an M14 was between 2,700 and 2,800. I stick to about 2,700 and never, ever exceed the 2,800 loading velocity. Also because the rifle uses some of the expanding gas to cycle the bolt, some velocity is going to be lost in an m14 vs a bolt gun. Therefore, when I started, I used a standard reloading chart and began at 2,600 (using Win 748 and a magnum primer). My recipe ended up being 45.5 gr of Win 748 with a 150 gr Hornady. Using a 150 gr Sierra, the powder was reduced to 45.3 gr. The Muzzle velocity, doing the math, is about 2,750 or so. Some published refers to velocity at 2,750 at 78 feet from muzzle.

The Hornady book lists a max load of 45.2 gr of Win 748 with standard primer and a 155 gr bullet. All that being said, mine shoots like a charm and I have had zero misfires and minimal case damage.
 
skimoe55 said:
I can not seem to find any info for loading IMR 3031 and a 150 grain copper jacket flat nose bullet for my 305, would I just use the data for a 150 grain jacketed bullet in my Lyman book?, Thanks, Rodger
Click to expand...

According to my Hornady manual, 3031 burns quite a bit faster than the ranges for the powders listed for the 308 or the service rifle bullet weight of 150 gr. Further, the only reference for 3031 in the Hornady manual is for a 110 bullet. Nosler lists 41 gr (2,600) and 43 gr (2,740) for their 150 bullet and Sierra lists 39.1 (2,600) and 40.7 (2,700) for their 150's.

If 3031 is listed in your reloading data, try it out at a velocity of 2,600 or 2,650. See how the rifle responds and look at the primer/casings for pressure signs. Work your way up to 2,700 or 2,750 and look for the pressure signs. Also, if you've become very familiar with rifle, see if it "feels" different when shooting the higher loads. Given that the powder is faster than the "range" the gun is kinda designed for, use caution rather than trying to push it. You could very easily end up damaging the gun.:eek:
 
Full length sizing? People still do that? :HR:
Total waste of time with the M14.
I've hand loaded over 3500 .308 M14 rounds to date, 300 tonight alone.
All neck sized from the start.

I've loaded well over 6500 rounds for my 30-30 Marlin, again all neck sized.
18th time on some batches and it's all perfect stuff.

Why anyone would want to re-size a case that has just been almost perfectly chamber formed to your particular rifle is beyond me. But whatever floats your boat.
You have more time than I do :D

Listen to guys that shoot 200 rounds through their 14's in a year, or guys that do that in a week, every week.....your choice.

And if benchrest champions full size and neck size, and then pee on the case before they anneal it... naked....covered in peanut butter.....well good for them :welcome:
 
TACTICAL111 said:
Full length sizing? People still do that? :HR:
Total waste of time with the M14.
I've hand loaded over 3500 .308 M14 rounds to date, 300 tonight alone.
All neck sized from the start.

I've loaded well over 6500 rounds for my 30-30 Marlin, again all neck sized.
18th time on some batches and it's all perfect stuff.

Why anyone would want to re-size a case that has just been almost perfectly chamber formed to your particular rifle is beyond me. But whatever floats your boat.
You have more time than I do :D

Listen to guys that shoot 200 rounds through their 14's in a year, or guys that do that in a week, every week.....your choice.

And if benchrest champions full size and neck size, and then pee on the case before they anneal it... naked....covered in peanut butter.....well good for them :welcome:
Click to expand...

so i guess your recommending neck sizing then :p

you must be one rich man to be able to shoot 200 rounds a week, every week :)
 
I've been getting good luck with the following:

Accuracy load for my scoped M-14: neck sized brass, CCI 200 primer, 42.6 grains of H4895, 168-grain Hornady A-Max. I'm down to the final stages of fiddling with precise COAL on this one.

Plinking load for my other, iron-sighted M-14: neck sized brass, CCI 200 primer, 3.1cc Lee dipper of H4895, whatever cheap 150-grain bulk bullet Higginson's has in stock that week, what's COAL? It shoots much better than Winchester silver box factory loads...
 
So if ive read all this right , and i plan on only loading for my m14 , all my brass has been 1 time fired in my m14 , then can i use the lee classic loader to make just plain jane 150 grain loads for now ?

Half of you say full length , some say neck size ..
 
Kc.338Lp said:
So if ive read all this right , and i plan on only loading for my m14 , all my brass has been 1 time fired in my m14 , then can i use the lee classic loader to make just plain jane 150 grain loads for now ?

Half of you say full length , some say neck size ..
Click to expand...

If you only have that ONE .308 chamber, all I ever did for my USGI M14 (made by Winchester) was neck size! :D

And saskcop... All I use for powder (.223, .243, .22-250, .308, and .260) is the super cheap Win 735 from Higginson Powders in Hawkesbury! :) I love W748 but even if it is versatile, I like the price point of the WC735. :evil:

Cheers,
Barney
 
I am surprised that no one is using WC735. It is so cheap that I am surprised that no one has made it into their .308 load.
Click to expand...

45.3 G wc735 and 123G Hornady soft point (0.310). Never did work one up for a 150g FMJBT but likely will when I get some more.

I use WC735 in most bullets, meters very well. Extruded powder drives me nutz. Meters like crap.

I have some 168 g Amax over 41.5 IMR 4895 that I will try out tomorrow. I gotta get a electronic powder thrower if I am going to keep using extruded.

Cheers
 
For my super ###y scoped M305...........I full length resize........and am on the 8th reloading of the brass now, with no issues, everything looks good!

My super secret recipe for reloading, which I have gotten under 1 inch groups at 200m with is as follows:

150g Sierra SPT and FMJBT, 43g of RE-15, COAL 2.752", and a .003" Lee Factory Crimp, using just about any commercial brass (Fed, PMC, Win, ect.) This has been getting around 2575fps out of my rifle.

If using IVI or DA brass, then cut back to 41.5g of RE-15 for the same recipe to be making the money shots.

150g Sierra HPBT Match Kings............same data above, commercial brass, 41.5g of RE-15........very sweet round!

And RE-15 is so commonly available, that its my go to powder, even if it is a few more bucks per pound.
 
I have been reloading 7.62x51 brass and .308 for over 25 years. Neck sizing for semi-autos' is O.K. but some times depending on brass brand after 3-4 reloadings I have ran into insertion problems, not so much by firing as by chambering the first round from the mag. Since I load for a number of .308 semi-autos (2xM14's, AR-10) for my fun/plinking/keeping practiced loads I use 48 gr W748, F200 primers, 147 or 150 gr FMJ in IVI brass I always FL size. Never a problem with this load, consistent powder drop from a measure and fairly accurate for the purpose I am using it. By the way, W748 was, and maybe still is, the powder in several loads from LC and I am told that the 175 gr sniper load by LC is loaded with W748.
 
Any one tried the CCI M34 "nato spec" primers in their M14s? im curious if they are worth the extra few bucks over the CCI No200.
 
I hit the range last week with a batch of neck sized .308 in my M14 (165gr SST, IMR 4895, CCI#200, Win brass) and I found the neck sized loads functioned exactly as my small base sized loads. Hopefull I can extend my brass life however....
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom