M1 Garand questions.

the_big_mike

the_big_mike

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Hi guys, first time poster here... and I have a few questions!

I'm thinking about purchasing an M1 Garand for hunting.

Are they reliable to hit the target?

Will it kill a moose or bear when it needs too?

What sort of things should I purchase as well?

Recommendations for scopes?

also, what is a good price for one?

Thank you!

Mike

PS. No M14s please!!
 
Lol, I was going to tell you to save some bucks and buy an M305 (Norinco M14), but yes, a Garand that hasn't been shot our should hit what you point it at, and you won't have any trouble killing Moose with a .30_06, I've done it with much less.

Also, unless you buy the correct sniper variant, you'll likley have to drill/tap and therefore ruin the reciever on your Garand, the milsurp guys here (including myself) would cringe at the thought.
 
It's also heavier and more sensitive to bullet weight than other civilain semi autos, and will probably cost you more to boot. If you get it cheap and its in good shape, you could resell it and be most of the way to buying a BAR or Remington semi auto that will let you shoot something other than 150 grn bullets, not my first choice for moose.

just my thoughts on the subject

Oh, and if you drill and tap a nice one, several of the devoted milsurp guys WILL hunt you down and thrash you with cleaning rods.:D
 
Scoped Garand

Don't ruin a Garand by drilling holes in the receiver. There are scout type scope mounts that clamp to the forestock barrel grooves. Place an thread on EE asking for scoped Garands. Purchase a McCaan gas system($40) and use any weight of hunting bullet you want , without damaging the rifle. Just my .02c worth
 
M1 For Hunting

I like the M1 and have a few in 30-06 & 308 but when it comes to hunting I like my Brno 21H in 7X57. If you intend to walk go liter, if sitting anything will do. The 06 will kill anything that walks on North American soil, but when putting a scope on them use caution. I would buy an M305 as a hunting gun, and use the M1 as a nostalgic shooter. I have had every kind of M14, M1A and M305 over the years, and I prefer them over the M1. They are like an AR they are easier to upgrade to any job you require.
The previous replies will help you with preserving the M1. I have learned something by just reading the replies. Especially this item Purchase a McCaan gas system($40) Good luck and I want pictures of a kill this fall.
Albayo
 
Where can I find a McCaan gas system?
My M1 and M14S shoot pretty good with stock sights and I would not hesitate to use them for hunting. If I can see a moose with my naked eye there is a pretty good chance I will spot it through a M1 or M14S sight.
Good Luck
John
 
"...other than 150 grn bullets..." Nope. The M-1 will handle any bullet. The Internet rumour says up to 180s. 165's seem to give the best accuracy and will drop a moose with no trouble.
M-1's don't take scoping well. If you put the scope over the action, you can't load with clips. The very expensive 'sniper' variant has the scope mounted on the left side of the action. Snipers don't and didn't take snap shots so they could easily use a scope mounted in an awkward place on the rifle. You may only have a few seconds to take a shot while hunting. The rifle and its sights must come to your shoulder and eye quickly.
A scope on the forestock wrecks the balance. Any drilling and tapping will drop the value of your rifle in half.
Be advised that M-1's are heavy to lug around still hunting and seem to get heavier as the day goes on. Just dandy for stand hunting though.
 
M1 loads

The GI issue Garand should function with any bullet weight as long as the muzzle velocity (MV) is somewhere between 2630-2680fps. A buddy of mine loaded me up some '06s with 168gr Sierra Matchkings and they functioned perfectly in my M1 (shot nice too!). He says he'll give me the load he uses and suggests Hogdon H4895 Extreme powder. Careful when reloading for the M1 or M14 style rifle; if soft primers are used then the rifle can slam-fire with the bolt out of battery and potentially cause damage to itself (and to you). CCI primers are the best for M1/M14 reloading but Winchesters will probably be okay. In his book "Unrepentant Sinner", Col. Charles Askins describes filing down the point of a 147gr FMJ M2 bullet (to make a makeshift soft-point) and hunting with it from a Garand. Not that I'd suggest this, just as an aside! Chrono your loads from a 22'' bbl to get the MV right. Good hunting!
 
AHHH

a zombie post!

a post back from the dead!

A time when I knew little about things and had yet to soak up all this information just floating around like a sponge! ;)

I settled on an m14!
 
Sniper Garand

the_big_mike said:
hmmm. Okay, so basically a scope is out of the question then, eh? How expensive is the sniper variant of the garand?
Click to expand...

The Garand sniper rifle is an awkward affair. The clip on the Garand has no other way of being inserted but straight in from the top. Both are a pain in the neck to shoot because the scope is off centre from everything your shooter's brain is telling you.

The collectors buy Garand sniper rifles to fill a hole in their collection. The rifles don't circulate in hunters' circles. Guess who has the most money?
 
Two years ago,I shot a bear in the late afternoon from a tree stand, when I aimed the rifle at the bear, I couldn't see the front sight well as the black color of the bear made it difficult to aim properly, plus with the adrenalin going. Got the bear down eventually, but next time, I will use a scoped rifle, but will not put a scope on my M1
 
big mike my buddy hunts with old faithful and use 180gr remington core locks his grouping at hundred yards is about two inches -no scope -just the peep sight so for hunting anything in this hemi-sphere you dont have to worry. the greatest semi auto rifle ever made .dont drill and tap get use to shooting with peep sight you will eventually see the ghost ringl....
 
Agreed. The M1 is one of the greatest semi auto ever made. My brother uses mine for deer hunting and wont use anything else. He LOVES it and never misses
 
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