Feeding the Garand!

[hannibal.black98]

Hey CGN,


I work at a big gun store in S.W. Ontario (arguably the best one in Canada!!! ) and was able to snag one of the recently imported Winchester made Garands in 7.62 out of Italy which I am very excited to shoot!!!


I do NOT want to start a debate on how close/not close that .308Win and 7.62x51mm NATO are together...


NOW WITH THAT SAID


I have a big stash of 7.62 ammo (because my Stag 10 has been reduced to hiding in a closet ). I have 1,600 rounds Norinco 7.62, +/- 2,000 Hirtenberger 7.62, 1,200 rounds Winchester M80, 300 rounds PMC 7.62 NATO. I also have about 200 rounds Barnaul lacquer coated steel cased ammo.


Would YOU shoot this ammo in said Garand without fear/worry?


I also want to shoot some .308Win ammo...most 150-168gr stuff for hunting...any concerns there? It won't be lots (mostly due to cost). Do Garands have any issues feeding SP or HP ammo?


From what I have read online the 7.62/.308 Garands are MUCH less picky than the .30-06 ones when it comes to ammo and that most seem to think that any 7.62 round is OKAY/SAFE and any .308Win load under 180gr is okay as well. BUT there is always the purist who think you shouldn't have one that is not in .30-06 and the ones claiming any "modern" 7.62/.308 will blow it up.


---


I know some might not like me shooting a "classic/collectable" lots but to me if a gun can't be shot it isn't worth owning, I take care of my guns but I shoot them (and I shoot them a lot!!!)


Thanks,

- HB

 

[wrenchbender4]

I would think if it's a converted 06 to 7.62 It will be fine. The only worry i would have it the OP rod. As long as its gassed correctly it should be fine.

 

[hannibal.black98]

I would think if it's a converted 06 to 7.62 It will be fine. The only worry i would have it the OP rod. As long as its gassed correctly it should be fine.

And the steel cased stuff too?

 

[Pblatzz]

And the steel cased stuff too?

yes, it shoots fine, just stinky and a bit dirty

 

[hannibal.black98]

No issues feeding SP or HP ammo either then... ?

 

[beltfed]

I have a pretty decent Tipo-2 built on a Springer receiver. I also have a pretty decent stash of .308/7.62x51.
Take this for what it's worth, but I generally hand-load for my milsurp rifles, especially Garands.
Of the ammo you indicated, I wouldn't feed it the Norinco, the Barnaul or the .308.
I would crony the rest of it, and if it was mild in recoil and velocity, I'd probably use it.

I'd pass on the Norinco because my past experience with it indicates it can fluctuate from mild to wild. The Barnaul due to it being steel cased crapola, and despite that supposedly .308 commercial ammo should be milder than 7.62 NATO, it is my belief that the vast majority of commercial ammo these days is made for modern bolt guns, and especially in the hunting ammo, it is generally quite 'hot'.

my 2 cents, enjoy your rifle.

 

[Eaglelord17]

The issue with .30-06 is there is many different loadings and with the advancements in powder since 1906 most loadings aren’t equivalent to M2 ball as it is really a quite mild loading.

7.62 Nato is basically M2 ball, just with a smaller case. Because of this 7.62 Nato and .308 are more standardized in pressure and doesn’t seem to have anywhere near the variances found in .30-06. Still should aim for 7.62 Nato standard pressures though.

 

[hannibal.black98]

I have a pretty decent Tipo-2 built on a Springer receiver. I also have a pretty decent stash of .308/7.62x51.
Take this for what it's worth, but I generally hand-load for my milsurp rifles, especially Garands.
Of the ammo you indicated, I wouldn't feed it the Norinco, the Barnaul or the .308.
I would crony the rest of it, and if it was mild in recoil and velocity, I'd probably use it.

I'd pass on the Norinco because my past experience with it indicates it can fluctuate from mild to wild. The Barnaul due to it being steel cased crapola, and despite that supposedly .308 commercial ammo should be milder than 7.62 NATO, it is my belief that the vast majority of commercial ammo these days is made for modern bolt guns, and especially in the hunting ammo, it is generally quite 'hot'.

my 2 cents, enjoy your rifle.

Thanks for the input.

Has there been any documented cases of a .308 Garand going KB that wasn't from an OTB or a dangerous hand load? Just curious.

 

[purple]

Thanks for the input.

Has there been any documented cases of a .308 Garand going KB that wasn't from an OTB or a dangerous hand load? Just curious.

What do you mean by "OTB"?

 

[hannibal.black98]

What do you mean by "OTB"?

I meant out of battery, sorry.

 

[Garyg]

August 2021 Handloader magazine has a complete article on reloading the Garand.
190 loads.

 

[Tyler]

I'll use generic .308 FMJ's (Winchester white/green box, American Eagle) 150's for first time rounds, or LC 7.62 if I can get it. After that, it's 3x more reloads per case of 42gr IMR4895 under 150gr bulk FMJ's. Then the brass gets passed down to my .308 bolties.

I wouldn't put Chinese surplus or steel case through a $2200 rifle, and Hirtenburger can be a bit hot, from what I have been told. Maybe get the adjustable gas plug.

 

[hannibal.black98]

I'll use generic .308 FMJ's (Winchester white/green box, American Eagle) 150's for first time rounds, or LC 7.62 if I can get it. After that, it's 3x more reloads per case of 42gr IMR4895 under 150gr bulk FMJ's. Then the brass gets passed down to my .308 bolties.

I wouldn't put Chinese surplus or steel case through a $2200 rifle, and Hirtenburger can be a bit hot, from what I have been told. Maybe get the adjustable gas plug.

What kind of accuracy were you getting with the LC ammo?

 

[DiMP]

I've had my 308 Garand for over 2 years now and I am finally running low on my factory loaded ammunition. What good time being that winter is coming. I have a bag of the 500 x CamPro 147gr FMJ projectiles. What load of IMR4064 have people had luck with for those projectiles? I want to be loaded light enough to be gentle on the gun, but hot enough to not have any cycling issues. I used CamPro's load chart for the bullet and loaded up 8 at 43 grains (the low end of the chart), but I won't be able to get out until next days off to try them

 

[hannibal.black98]

I've had my 308 Garand for over 2 years now and I am finally running low on my factory loaded ammunition. What good time being that winter is coming. I have a bag of the 500 x CamPro 147gr FMJ projectiles. What load of IMR4064 have people had luck with for those projectiles? I want to be loaded light enough to be gentle on the gun, but hot enough to not have any cycling issues. I used CamPro's load chart for the bullet and loaded up 8 at 43 grains (the low end of the chart), but I won't be able to get out until next days off to try them

What factory ammo did you use?

 

[Tyler]

What kind of accuracy were you getting with the LC ammo?

About the same as any other. I'm not shooting matches with my Garand, but the brass life and general durability is better. LC brass will weigh a bit more, doubly so for IVI.

I've had my 308 Garand for over 2 years now and I am finally running low on my factory loaded ammunition. What good time being that winter is coming. I have a bag of the 500 x CamPro 147gr FMJ projectiles.

I found these bullets grouped minute-of-pie plate at 100 meters. Anything the Campro's did, Hornady bulk 150gn FMJ's did better, and I mean about half the group size in comparison.

Now it may be that I haven't found the right powder combo the Campro's liked, but if it can't do well under 4895, I don't think it will do much better under any other powder.

 

[DiMP]

What factory ammo did you use?

I had bought the 400 case of Remington UMC 150gr. I loaded the last few boxes of stuff I had into the en-bloc clips and recycled the boxes

I found these bullets grouped minute-of-pie plate at 100 meters. Anything the Campro's did, Hornady bulk 150gn FMJ's did better, and I mean about half the group size in comparison.

Now it may be that I haven't found the right powder combo the Campro's liked, but if it can't do well under 4895, I don't think it will do much better under any other powder.

I won't be looking for more than that for accuracy with this rifle. Typically a pie plate is where my accuracy potential stops anyways
I will look at other bullets for future loadings, but I have 500 of these CamPros collecting dust, so I'd like to use them first

 

[DiMP]

Well, I took my 8 reloads (CamPro 147gr over 43gr of IMR4064 inside mixed brass) to the range yesterday. I fired one clip of the Remington UMC to confirm gun function, then fed the clip of reloads. I don't have a chrono, but felt recoil and ejection pattern was similar, so I assume they are not any "hotter" than the factory stuff. I was shooting at 50 yards, off a bench, but without a sled, or sandbags, or anything and the grouping of the reloads and the Remington UMC were close enough to say they were identical

 

[purple]

Both IMR 4064 and IMR 4895 are proven propellants for handloads in an M1 Garand, whether .30-06 or 7.62. Safe, reliable and accurate after thousands of rounds for me.