m1 Garand using a chronograph.

silver2525,

All you have to do is load 47.0 to 48.0gr of Varget behind that bullet, and you will have a suitable load without fear of damaging your op rod. There is no one load or velocity that will consistantly produce the highest accuracy - it will vary from one rifle to the next.

Don

Using HXP brass, CCI LR primers, Hornady 150 FMJBT, 3.244":
47.0gr Varget: 2550 fps
48.0gr Varget: 2638 fps
Out of my Winchester M1 Garand

I get very similar velocities using same charges of W748 with Mag primer. W748 meters better, but Varget has a higher case fill.

Target 2,750 max w/ a 150gr bullet and medium burn-rate powder.
Less as appropriate to get best grouping.

BTW: The Garands also love 168SMKs doing ~2,550




8/2/08: Oehler 35 at 10 feet

People quote 2750 fps but that comes from a TM that was not a reloading manual. That number only applies to a single Frankfort Arsenal pressure barrel. Ammunition/powder was accepted with calibration cartridges that gave that velocity and a pressure max that traceable to the FA pressure barrel. When ammunition/powder was accepted at a vendor’s plant the vendor’s pressure barrel was “corrected” to the FA reading by use of the calibration cartridges.

So, it is my opinion that the best way to determine the proper Garand velocities is to shoot US GI ammunition in a Garand.

I only have one good data point in a Garand though.

But as a way of cross checking, here are two chronograph velocities in a 26” barrel and one in a 24” Douglas Match barreled Garand.

As you can see, US ball ammo is quite mild. If you look back in the 1960’s American Rifleman’s, the match ammunition of the era was usually in the lower 40’s Kpsia.

Based on my tests, I would keep 150 grain ammunition less than 2650 fps in a Garand.

I have shot Greek, and in my opinion, and that of the competitors at that Garand match, that stuff is a bit on the hot side.

It's not so much the velocity that will bend your op-rod, it's the powder burn rate you have to watch. If you use a powder with too slow a burn rate pressure will still be building when gasses reach the hole in the barrel. That's when you run into problems.

all 4895 powders, IMR4064, Varget, AA2495, AA2520 and other powders in that burn rate range are all fine and for the most part keeping the velocity for a 150gr bullet under 2800 fps will be best. Most of my M1 ammo using a 150gr bullet I usually keep velocities ~2650 fps. For a 168gr bullet I keep the velocities ~2600 fps.

Arch.. havent reloaded for the garand yet. I hear 45 gr. of H4895 under a 150 gr smk is pretty much standard fare? Any comments?

sorry bout the thread jack.

http://web.archive.org/web/20000620055732/home.att.net/~Masterpo/M1load.htm

http://www.loaddata.com/members/search_detail.cfm?MetallicID=2713

Velocity doesn`t harm rods the pressure at the gas port is the problem.
The powder needs to fall in a specific burn rate as noted earlier and be within peak pressure spec for the cartridge and you`ll be ok.
Peak pressure isn`t critical here as long as it is within spec just the remaining pressure in the barrel at the point it bleeds into the operating system.
As example, vel can vary according to Hornadies data for the Garand with 150gr bullets by 150 fps from 2600-2750 but pressure at the gas port will be within a narrow operating range

scythefwd said:

Arch.. havent reloaded for the garand yet. I hear 45 gr. of H4895 under a 150 gr smk is pretty much standard fare? Any comments?

sorry bout the thread jack.

Click to expand...

My M1 load is in this range, maybe a few tenths of a grain higher.

try imr-4895. After all it was the powder that was specifically designed for military ammunition in a garand. If not imr stick with medium burn rate powders to avoid bending your op rod.

scythefwd said:

Arch.. haven't reloaded for the garand yet. I hear 45 gr. of H4895 under a 150 gr smk is pretty much standard fare? Any comments?

sorry bout the thread jack.

Click to expand...

My standard M1 load is a full grain higher, 46.0gr H4895, 150gr bullet, Greek HXP brass and a CCI#34 primer.