Varget in an M1 Garand

Likely you know this already, but all WW2 military .30-'06 M-2 Ball ammo was loaded with IMR-4895, which was designed specifically for this cartridge.

Why mess with something that works?
 
R1200GS said:
Anyone shooting Varget powder in their M1s? I would like to ease my powder logistics and Varget works good in most everything else I shoot.
Click to expand...

Having two powders complicates your "powder logistics"? Trying to make one powder fit several guns is always a compromise, and if accuracy matters, it's a poor compromise.

Varget is said to be as slow a powder as can be recommended for the Garand's gas system, but that having been said, many people use it to good effect.

I'd recommend buying at least one more powder, such as one of the 4895's as suggested, or BLC-(2), and trying out a few loads.
 
I've used it in my M1 with 150's with no issues. Loads and velocity with 150's are almost identical to H4895 in the '06.
I've settled on 49gr of RL15 for my M1...no issues with it either and its in that same medium burn class
 
Load Data Members
Selected Metallic Loads
.30-06 M1D Garand - 24 inch barrel Reloading Data
Printable Version
Load Image
Warning! Notes: All group figures are for five rounds fired at 100 yards from a sandbag rest. All chronograph notes are for the same five rounds taken with a PACT Professional Model Chronograph with starting screen at approximately 6 feet. CCI 34 primers used. All bullets seated to give a maximum overall loaded cartridge length of 3.34 inches. All bullets seated with a Redding Competition Die, except the 150 Hornady Spire Points. They were seated in a standard Redding seating die and the case mouths crimped in the cannelures. All cartridges for all rifles were full-length sized in a Redding sizing die. Frontier brass was used. (Handloader Issue #239 - February-March, 2006)
Be Alert: Publisher cannot be responsible for errors in published load data.

Wt. Bullet Powder Manufacturer Powder Charge Velocity (FPS)

150 Nosler Ballistic Tip IMR IMR-4895 46.0 2,477
Remarks: group (inches): 3 3/8; 4 in 1 5/8 inches
150 Nosler Ballistic Tip IMR IMR-4895 47.0 2,504
Remarks: group (inches): 4 1/2; 4 in 3.0 inches
150 Nosler Ballistic Tip IMR IMR-4895 48.0 2,589
Remarks: group (inches): 3 1/8
150 Nosler Ballistic Tip Hodgdon H-4895 48.0 2,702
Remarks: group (inches): 4 3/4; 4 in 3.0 inches
150 Nosler Ballistic Tip Hodgdon Varget 46.0 2,560
Remarks: group (inches): 4 1/4; 4 in 2 3/4 inches
150 Nosler Ballistic Tip Hodgdon Varget 48.0 2,645
Remarks: group (inches): 4 1/8
150 Nosler Ballistic Tip IMR IMR-4064 47.0 2,585
Remarks: group (inches): 3.0; 4 in 1 1/8 inches
150 Nosler Ballistic Tip IMR IMR-4064 48.0 2,678
Remarks: group (inches): 3 3/8
150 Hornady Spire Point (crimped) IMR IMR-4895 46.0 2,436
Remarks: group (inches): 3 3/8; 4 in 1 7/8 inches
150 Hornady Spire Point (crimped) IMR IMR-4895 48.0 2,607
Remarks: group (inches): 5 3/4; 4 in 3.0 inches
150 Hornady Spire Point (crimped) Hodgdon H-4895 48.0 2,691
Remarks: group (inches): 2 1/2
150 Hornady Spire Point (crimped) Hodgdon Varget 48.0 2,613
Remarks: group (inches): 2 1/4
150 Hornady Spire Point (crimped) IMR IMR-4064 46.0 2,485
Remarks: group (inches): 4 1/2; 4 in 1 7/8 inches
150 Hornady Spire Point (crimped) IMR IMR-4064 48.0 2,668
Remarks: group (inches): 4.0; 4 in 1 7/8 inches
 
.308 Winchester Match Loads in Springfield M1A Rifles Reloading Data
Printable Version
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Warning! Rifle 1 is a Springfield M1A Super Match; rifle 2 is a standard M1A upgraded with a National Match barrel, trigger and flash suppressor by the Springfield custom shop. Winchester cases and Federal 210M primers were used in all loads. Accuracy shown for each load represents an average of three, five-shot groups at 100 yards. Velocity is the average of 15 rounds clocked 12 feet from the muzzle with an Oehler Model 35P chronograph. Overall cartridge length for all loads was 2.80 inches. (Rifle Issue #171 - May 1997)
Be Alert: Publisher cannot be responsible for errors in published load data.

Wt. Bullet Powder Manufacturer Powder Charge Velocity (FPS)

150 Sierra MatchKing Alliant RL-12 43.0 2,616
Remarks: accuracy (inches): rifle 1: 2.31; rifle 2: 4.66
150 Sierra MatchKing IMR IMR-3031 41.0 2,583
Remarks: accuracy (inches): rifle 1: 2.07; rifle 2: 4.41
155 Sierra MatchKing IMR IMR-4895 43.0 2,592
Remarks: accuracy (inches): rifle 1: 2.15; rifle 2: 4.27
165 Nosler Ballistic Tip IMR IMR-4064 41.0 2,519
Remarks: accuracy (inches): rifle 1: 0.98; rifle 2: 3.11
165 Nosler Ballistic Tip Hodgdon H-4895 41.0 2,552
Remarks: accuracy (inches): rifle 1: 1.36; rifle 2: 2.78
168 Sierra MatchKing IMR IMR-4895 42.0 2,548
Remarks: accuracy (inches): rifle 1: 1.69; rifle 2: 3.78
168 Hornady hollowpoint boat-tail Hodgdon Varget 42.0 2,587
Remarks: accuracy (inches): rifle 1: 2.33; rifle 2: 4.17
168 Hornady hollowpoint boat-tail Winchester W-748 44.0 2,560
Remarks: accuracy (inches): rifle 1: 1.55; rifle 2: 3.09
168 Speer hollowpoint boat-tail Alliant RL-15 42.0 2,518
Remarks: accuracy (inches): rifle 1: 3.17; rifle 2: 4.22
175 Sierra MatchKing IMR IMR-4895 41.0 2,531
Remarks: accuracy (inches): rifle 1: 0.87; rifle 2: 2.31
175 Sierra MatchKing Vihtavuori VV-N133 41.0 2,528
Remarks: accuracy (inches): rifle 1: 0.92; rifle 2: 2.11
180 Nosler Ballistic Tip IMR IMR-4895 41.0 2,550
Remarks: accuracy (inches): rifle 1: 1.08; rifle 2: 3.06
180 Nosler Ballistic Tip IMR IMR-4064 42.0 2,526
Remarks: accuracy (inches): rifle 1: 1.18; rifle 2: 2.11
 
Shot some 155 amax bullets and 48 grns of Varget after work today, no problems so far and sub 2" 5 shot groups at 100 till the light started to fade. Cases ejected to about 2 oclock in a 3foot area about 4 feet from the rifle. Seems like this will be my load for this rifle. I will try tuning with an adjustable gas plug next range trip.
 
GANDERITE makes a VERY important point. I note many of the American loading books list velocities for the .30-06 which are anywhere up to 300 ft/sec faster than ever was approved by the military.... and with pressures running up as high as 60,000 pounds.

Original pressure was 50-52000 with Pyro D; they lowered this to 48000 with the 4895.

Use the right powder and keep your loads SANE and you won't bust your rifle, your brass will last a lot longer and you might even HIT the target rathe than just scare it.

Almost ANY rifle will shoot its best with loads slightly reduced from Max (about 10% in terms of MV, 15% in pressures).

It's a 70-year-old combat rifle, not a brand-new UltraMag. NO machine responds well to being run flat-out all the time.
 
I've tried some of the medium burn rate powders in my M1- IMR 4895, 4064, R15, 748 and Varget. In my rifle a mid range load of 4064 and 165 gr bullets was most accurate. Same thing can be said for my 3006 BAR hunting rifle.
 
Varget is an excellent propellant, but a bit too slow burning for the Garand gas system. All of IMR4064, IMR4895 and H4895 generate the correct gas port pressure to cycle the action w/o risk of damage and, as a bonus, produce excellent accuracy.

Varget hit the market back around 1994 with lots of marketting hype as a "super powder". Many new "miracle propellants" have hit the shelves since then. One should not ignore the track record of the old IMR (Improved Military Rifle) powders, many of which date back to the 1930s, and have been doing the job quite nicely for the past 70-80 yrs. When Varget first came out I did a lot of comparative shooting with it using 168gr match bullets in a very accurate heavy barrel bolt .308 Win against a lot of the old stand-bys, incl IMR4064, IMR4895, IMR3031, H4895, W748 and BLC2. Quite honestly I didn't see much difference among them. The most accurate powder by a tad was WC755, a commercial grade ball powder. I still have a hoard of this for special occasions as it is also very accurate in a .308 Win sporter. I've often been tempted to try it in my 7.62mm Garands, but it is too slow burning for this application.

If a person shoots a variety of MILSURP ctgs and wants to rationalize their propellant selection, either IMR4064 or IMR4895 would be an excellent choice as a universal MILSURP propellant. Both do very well in a wide variety of ctgs incl the 6.5 Swede, 7x57, 7.62mm, .30-06, 7.62x54, .303 Brit, 8x57, or even the 5.56mm.
 
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