First time with the M1A at the range.

[Old School]

I shot my recently procured Springfield M1A Loaded at the range today. I also brought along an NHM-91 ak-47 that had never been fired as well. Both rifles were a pleasure, but the M1A made me a believer in one sitting.

I have long admired the M1A and finally found the right deal at the right time. Not only was I not disappointed, it exceeded my expectations for feel and function. After I adjusted the sights, I put 17 rounds into a 3" circle from a seated position resting on a table using foriegn military surplus labeled r1-m1.

The function was flawless, the recoil was less than I expected and it just feels right. Me and my teenage daughter put about 150 rounds throught the Springfield and we both loved it immediately. Even with the increased recoil, my daughter prefered it to the ak-47. Her first shot was dead nuts bullseye and her groups were nearly as good as mine.

I have waited nearly 20 years to own this gun and it is just as good as I dreamed it would be.

 

[paintballdude902]

glad you had fun

i really wanna pick up the scout version but it will be a very long time befor i can afford it bein a few weeks shy of 18 thats alot of money for a high school kid

now how old your daughter

 

[az_imuth]

The M1A is a fine rifle and a pleasure to shoot. I also waited for several years before I was in a position to buy one. Shortly afterward I realized it was well worth the wait. Sounds like you ended up with a great rifle and a great daughter, both of which you should be very proud.

cheers

 

[Old School]

I am as proud as I can be of my daughter az_imuth. I am her biggest fan. She had a small crowd of guys about her grandpa's age watching her shoot. They got quite a kick out of watching her handle the Springfield.

Now we just have to find a good choice for low cost consistently accurate ammo so we can see what we can really do. We were using some foreign military surplus marked r1-m1. I am not sure what kind of performance that stuff can be expected to deliver. Any suggestions on low cost accurate 7.62 nato?

 

[FMJMIKE]

Congratulations..........20 years was a long time to wait!!!

 

[taprackbang]

M1A is all that!! Awesome rifle.

RON PAUL 2008

 

[Bartkowski]

Any suggestions on low cost accurate 7.62 nato?

Low cost, no, but I have heard nothing but good comments about the lithuanian surplus.

 

[davepool]

+1 on the Lithuanian, i picked up 1000 rnds from Ammoman for $520.00, it shoots very well in my M1A Loaded

 

[chauncey]

spend a couple extra $$ and buy Federal American Eagle 150's. these shoot better out of a M1A Loaded than anything except M118 surplus or commercial match rounds, and at a fraction of the price.

the ammo you are shooting sounds like Brit surplus, which is good stuff, but at current prices is probably about the same price as the American Eagle, and harder to find.

Ammoman has the American Eagle, $325 for 500 rounds with free shipping, which is the cheapest I can find.

the Lithuanian is ok out of the M1A, but my PTR-91 hates the stuff. the Lithuanian price also is starting to approach the Am Eagle price.

you bought an accurate rifle, get your $$'s worth and buy quality ammo to shoot out of it. if you just wanted a rifle that went "bang" you would've bought a Mini. spend the $$ so you can shoot accurately.

 

[Sunray]

"...wanna pick up the scout version..." That's a marketing thing designed to separate you from your money. The .308 cartridge was designed for a 22" barrel.
'r1-m1' is South African. Good, reliable, ammo, but no milsurp ammo, from anywhere, is made for great accuracy.
If you're not reloading, try a box of Federal Premium Gold 168 or 175 grain match ammo. Won't be cheap, but it's loaded with a 168 grain or 175 grain Sierra Matchking bullet. 168's run $24 per 20 from Ammoman. .308/7.62 ammo isn't cheap from anywhere though. Milsurp has all but dried up.
Reloading is the way to go.
Also if you're not reloading, you'll have to try a box of as many brands of ammo as you can to find the ammo your rifle shoots best.
.308's tend to like 165 grain hunting bullets and 168 or 175 grain match bullets. 168's for distances up to 600 yards, the 175's past there.
Mind you, a guy who is just enjoying time shooting with his daughter, none of that really matters.

 

[Old School]

Bartkowski says:

Low cost, no, but I have heard nothing but good comments about the lithuanian surplus.

davepool says:

+1 on the Lithuanian, i picked up 1000 rnds from Ammoman for $520.00, it shoots very well in my M1A Loaded

Thanx guys. That is a nice price. I will check it out.

Sunray says:

'r1-m1' is South African. Good, reliable, ammo, but no milsurp ammo, from anywhere, is made for great accuracy.
If you're not reloading, try a box of Federal Premium Gold 168 or 175 grain match ammo. Won't be cheap, but it's loaded with a 168 grain or 175 grain Sierra Matchking bullet. 168's run $24 per 20 from Ammoman. .308/7.62 ammo isn't cheap from anywhere though. Milsurp has all but dried up.
Reloading is the way to go.
Also if you're not reloading, you'll have to try a box of as many brands of ammo as you can to find the ammo your rifle shoots best.
.308's tend to like 165 grain hunting bullets and 168 or 175 grain match bullets. 168's for distances up to 600 yards, the 175's past there.

I just picked up a book on releading from the local supply house. It was an old copy of the book: "The ABC's of Reloading by Dean Grennell. I had done quite a bit of reloading for my dad when I was a boy but that was 30 years ago. So, I am re-educating myself before I start buying equipment. I figure I will start with 45 acp and then step up to .308 when I become proficient again.

 

[Dollar An Hour]

How's recoil on the Springfield M1 with their muzzle brake? The only .308 I've fired is a FAL and it was pretty stout. But I don't have a lot of trigger time with high-powered rifles either...

 

[funfaler]

The M1a (and FAL) are great rifles for 500 yard work, iron sights....great tools for a skilled craftsman.

I suggest some quality range time, in field positions (standing, sitting, prone), with just a sling for support, to really get to know your's and your rifle's capabilities....you will really appreciate the "difference" in having a rifle that was made for that kind of shooting

Enjoy!

BTW 44mag.com for CMI mags for your new tool, they are good mags from good folks.

 

[Old School]

Dollar An Hour says:
ur

How's recoil on the Springfield M1 with their muzzle brake? The only .308 I've fired is a FAL and it was pretty stout. But I don't have a lot of trigger time with high-powered rifles either...

It was less recoil than I expected for sure. About 20% more than the AK but less than my 1894 Winnie and far less than my father's 30-06 bolt rifle.

funfaler says:

BTW 44mag.com for CMI mags for your new tool, they are good mags from good folks.

I have 3 surplus mags. I was advised to only use the USGI mags. I have one Winchester, one Borg Warner and one Rochester Mfg. contract mag. They all functioned flawlessly. They go for about $40 around here when you find them.

 

[dmftoy1]

I just picked up a book on releading from the local supply house. It was an old copy of the book: "The ABC's of Reloading by Dean Grennell. I had done quite a bit of reloading for my dad when I was a boy but that was 30 years ago. So, I am re-educating myself before I start buying equipment. I figure I will start with 45 acp and then step up to .308 when I become proficient again.

If you do decide to reload for your M1A then I'd recommend reading Zediker (I think) on reloading for the M1A. With the right power/primers/dies it's dead simple . . . .but you can put yourself at risk for slamfires with improper primers/incorrect resizing. (eg. You do NOT want to neck size. )

Have a good one,
Dave

PS - Love my M1A . .took me 20 years to get enough $ put together to do it and I wish I had done it earlier.

 

[mordechaianiliewicz]

If it's as nice a rifle as the M1 Garand I've shot, I'll have to make one mine some day

 

[BruceB]

The M1A is a fine rifle. My current one is a "loaded" version (model #9222) which I bought new several years ago.

I have now put over 3,000 rounds through it, virtually all but the first 400-500 using CAST bullets.
All the ammo was handloaded, including the jacketed rounds.

Reliable function is easily obtained, and I've used at least eight or nine cast-bullet designs ranging from 150 to 220 grains. There is ZERO bore leading, and there is ZERO lead fouling in the gas system. The range of powders usable with cast bullets is amazing, compared to the relatively-limited number which are functional with jacketed rounds.

My best group to date was ten rounds in 0.60" at fifty yards, iron sights. As a genuine cast-bullet nut-case AND a devotee of military rifles, it's a grand thing to find that one of my favorite semi-autos works so well with my very-inexpensive self-made bullets. Per-round price is in the area of ten cents per round, with gas-checked bullets.

 

[lwrnc1963]

I was advised to only use the USGI mags

CMI are the current suppliers of M14 mags to Uncle Sam. They are totally mil-spec and function fine in my M1A.

 

[Old School]

Thanx for that tip lwrnc1963. I did a little research. They are the real deal and a little cheaper than my current source.

The next things I need are a sling and a tool kit.

 

[kimberfan]

watch for some Taiwan type 57 mags

i have 8 and they function like a dream picked'em up for 12.99 ea.

 

[MTMilitiaman]

I completely agree. My M1A is a sweet shooter. Love that thing...

I can also highly recommend a Tanner M1907 shooting sling.

 

[rklessdriver]

I also have a recently procured M1A and got the same results. 20 rounds into a 3 1/2" group@100rds off a bench.

The M1A rifle makes it almost easy to be a good shot. I wish I would have ponyed up the $$$ a few years ago for one. Darn happy I got one now.

+1 on the CMI contract mags. I bought 2 to get started for mine and they feed perfect. I plan to buy a few every pay day until I have "enough".

If you don't want to reload try the German DAG or MEN surplus from AIM or Midway. Reasonable price wise and very accurate.
Will

 

[H2O MAN]

"...wanna pick up the scout version..."

Sunray That's a marketing thing designed to separate you from your money. The .308 cartridge was designed for a 22" barrel.

No, not really.
It has been determined that a 20.0" barrel is best suited to the .308.
Our military uses M14s with 18.0" barrels with excellent results.
The 18.0" barrel is my favorite general purpose M14 configuration.

Old School

The function was flawless, the recoil was less than I expected and it just feels right. Me and my teenage daughter put about 150 rounds throught the Springfield and we both loved it immediately. Even with the increased recoil, my daughter prefered it to the ak-47. Her first shot was dead nuts bullseye and her groups were nearly as good as mine.

I had this teenager repeatedly hitting to gong at 200 yards the first time she shot my old original EBR.

 

[kimberfan]

OBTW for ammo get the federal .308 150gr SP rounds at wal-mart for $12 bucks