new to Garand, what ammo should i shoot?

flying pig

flying pig

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Just bought a Breda Garand and am wondering what ammo I should shoot? Its the 30-06 not the 7.62x51 version. I'm planning on hunting and target shooting it both. Factory stuff for now but reloading later on
 
Congrats Dude. I just used the cheap 150 gr crap from Wal-Mart. Gonna start reloading soon though, at a buck a round or more it isn't cheap to use these semi auto's
 
The M2 Ball cartridge was loaded with a 150-grain flat-base spitzer bullet to give 2740 ±30 fps at 78 feet from the muzzle of a 24" barrel. Any ammo with a 150 gr bullet would be fine.
 
The gas system port pressure was designed around IMR4895 but powders as fast as IMR 3031 and as slow as IMR 4320 will not harm the M1 rifle. Powders slower burning than IMR 4320 like IMR 4350 will have too much port pressure and bend the operating rod.

I'm sorry I can't find the web page put someone was testing factory ammunition with pressure measuring equipment to find out what the port pressures were. This web page gave a list of safe factory ammunition you can shoot in your M1.

Another method is to buy an adjustable gas plug that will control gas port pressure with factory loaded ammunition and not bend the operating rod.

The CMP forums would be the place to do a search for this web page pressure information, in the main M1 forum and the reloading forum. Again sorry I can't give you the web page, I reload for my M1 and I didn't book mark the pressure testing page.
 
bigedp51 thanks for that! I have a garand and I reload but had some commercial ammo on hand and was scared to use it. After checking the chart out I see I am good to go.
Thanks again.
 
Commercial ammo uses slower burning propellants in order to maximize velocity. These propellants do not generate the correct gas port pressure pulse for the Garand. IMR 4895 was the MILSPEC propellant specified for the Garand using 150gr ball and 165-172 gr AP and match ammo. IMR 4064 and H4895 also work well.

If you are going to shoot commercial ammo in a Garand the adjustable gas plug is the way to go. There are a couple of makes of these available. The best answer is to get into reloading. When reloading use a manual, stick to bullets in the 150-168gr range, use one of IMR 4895, H4895, or IMR 4064, FL resize the brass, seat primers slightly below flush with the casehead and don't try to get more than 5 firing cycles out of your brass. After thousands of reloads in Garands I can attest that this works (with a slight accuracy nod to IMR 4064).
 
I'm currently running a 150gr Speer Spitzer with 49.5 gr of IMR 4895. In the future, the load may vary slightly as I tune in what mine likes the best, but it's a good place to start.

If there's any question, start slightly under-loaded and work up.
 
That article sure made the ported gas screw seem like the end all be all. Is it really that much of an insurance? I shoot federal powershock in my enfield I hunt with and it looks to be dead center of the M2 pressure rnge so that answes that. Thanks for the info and link
 
twig_40

The link I posted wasn't the one I was looking for, the same person who tested the ammo at GrandGear tested bullets heavier than 150 grain in a web page article.

Ammo loaded with some brands of 180 grain and heavier bullets started to exceed rated M1 port pressure because they were using slower burning powders. With 180 grain and above bullets and commercial ammo you are safer using the adjustable gas plug.

NOTE: The American 30-06 ammunition is downloaded by the factory due to the amount of older military and commercial rifle still being used today. The factories do this by loading with slower burning powders and this can change from lot to lot of ammunition. Bottom line, if your hunting Moose in Canada with your M1 Garand using heavy bullets get the adjustable gas plug. (or learn to climb trees fast) ;)
 
flying pig said:
Just bought a Breda Garand and am wondering what ammo I should shoot? Its the 30-06 not the 7.62x51 version. I'm planning on hunting and target shooting it both. Factory stuff for now but reloading later on
Click to expand...

I believe that 30/06 works best...
 
flying pig said:
Anyone have links to where I can get the adjustable plug?
Click to expand...

I got a Mc Cann gas plug from Brownell's, they also have the Shuster plug too. If you've got a spare gas plug you can drill and tap it for allen head cap screws and use a number bit set to make your own. The Mc Cann just uses 8-32 cap screws with various size holes drilled thru
 
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