M1 Garand @ 200

[119er]

Well, I got my M1 out to the range today with some reloads. I decided to try out some at 200 yards and I am pretty happy with my results. Not nearly perfect but a good place to start. I would like to compete in our local, monthly High Power match. The match is held at 200 yards prone, but I don't know what targets they use. Anyone know the standard offhand? Mine say simulated 600 yard.

Rifle is a 1957 Springfield(think Springfield was only maker after before/after WWII) with a Criterion barrel and battle sights. Shot from bench, not prone. My girlfriend was calling the shots from a spotting scope to get me dialed in. The clicks only did so much and then I was playing with my hold.

 

[Reloadron]

Not bad at all.

As to targets? Give this link a read. Targets begin around page 14 I believe. The link should give you an idea of how reduced range targets work.

Ron

 

[JoeDaddy]

What I would recommend is to go to a CMP event. You can use your own rifle and ammo, but what is cool is that they take you through about two hours of instruction and then you get to shoot, pull targets and spot for someone else. It's a fantastic introduction to high power competition.

 

[Slamfire]

That is a very good grouping from a rack grade Garand. Only one of mine ever consistantly held the black at 200 yards with most shots in the ten ring. Though I have run across exceptional rack grades that held very well.



The military target during the Garand era was the 5V. Just hitting the black ensured a perfect score and that was about the capability of an issued Garand.



You do need to shoot your rifle standing, sitting, and prone with a sling, to get zeros. You will find that a bench zero will get you in the black, but that once you start shooting the thing unsupported, zeros change slightly.


I thought would be fun is a "Beat Oswald" standing SF with a rack grade Garand. This is a page from Lee Harvey Oswald's Marine Corp data book, and here is his standing score.

 

[MrMarty51]

Yeah 119 and SlamFire, I`d say that for shooting 200 yards with the battle sights that You did quite well.
I have`nt had My Garand out in several years, You guys is giving Me a itch that firing the M1 will be the only cure. :banghead:

 

[Welding Rod]

I shoot my M1 in about 12 Matches per year, all at 200 yards. We do 6 cmp style Garand matches that are shot in all positions and 6 old soldiers matches that are shot all prone.

The ticket is to get a good sling, make sure both hand guards have slight clearance for free fore and aft movement (so poi doesn't change much as the barrel heats and grows), and shoot good ammo. I have not been able to beat Hornady match ammo for the m1 with my handloads. I don't commonly shoot it due to the price, but it is what I shoot when I really want to win.

 

[119er]

The ticket is to get a good sling, make sure both hand guards have slight clearance for free fore and aft movement (so poi doesn't change much as the barrel heats and grows), and shoot good ammo.

I have a leather and a canvas sling. I look like a soup sandwich trying to use the leather one. I cant for the life of me get that thing adjusted properly.

The front hand guard slips back and forth a little and it passes the tilt test just fine. The rifle has been completely re-parked and I don't see any spots near the HG on the op rod wearing off.

I've got so much wrapped up in reloading gear I can't bear to buy factory ammo. Although I might need every edge I can get. Every time I see this match in progress it is all AR-15 all the time. I'm not saying the other rifles can't shoot but the AR-15 has proven itself plenty capable. I saw one M1A/M14 on one occasion.

That is a very good grouping from a rack grade Garand.

This one has actually been re-barreled with a Criterion match barrel. I do want to get a CMP Garand though.

Here's a pic:

 

[Mals9]

A great 200 yard load is a 110 gr spire point over 46.5 gr of 4895. Very accurate and minimal recoil.

Mals

 

[Welding Rod]

You want that rear hand guard to have a little play too.

The AR has a huge advantage as it can have a floated barrel and the recoil is nil. However the Garand has the goods to do very well, it just requires more from the shooter.

 

[dogrunner]

Nicely done. What load did you use?

 

[itsa pain]

Well, I got my M1 out to the range today with some reloads. I decided to try out some at 200 yards and I am pretty happy with my results. Not nearly perfect but a good place to start. I would like to compete in our local, monthly High Power match. The match is held at 200 yards prone, but I don't know what targets they use. Anyone know the standard offhand? Mine say simulated 600 yard.

Rifle is a 1957 Springfield(think Springfield was only maker after before/after WWII) with a Criterion barrel and battle sights. Shot from bench, not prone. My girlfriend was calling the shots from a spotting scope to get me dialed in. The clicks only did so much and then I was playing with my hold.

I do not understand why you had to resort to kentucky windage for 200 zero. The rifle has the best iron sites with enough adjustment to go to 1200 yds. How could the clicks fail you to get zero?

 

[119er]

That load is:

Win. brass, WLR, 46.0gr H4895, 168gr HPBT Blemish bullet(99% sure it is SMK). Loaded to 3.240 OAL

 

[ford8nr]

Now you make me want to get back to the range. JUST got a HRA Service grade from the CMP couple weeks ago. Cleaned her up and shot her for the first time last Friday with surplus HXP ammo. Shot a 1.7" 5 shot group at 100yds, then 18 shots in 5" rapid fire pace off a bench and front bag. Need to get out and see what this rifle can REALLY do now that I'm familiar with her.

 

[jr_roosa]

Sounds like you have a CMP Special? My service grade and special grade both have a nice central tendency with a few flyers out to the edge of the black. They will both hold the black prone, but I've never cleaned a target in a Garand match with them.

I've been working up loads for my new Garand too, and it shoots a bit better.

Krieger heavy barrel, match sights, new CMP stock steel bedded, all the NM mods:


Untitled by jr_roosa, on Flickr

10 shots at 100yd prone with a sling. It's off center by a little but still a 100 3x and 1.5" center to center. It does this consistently with that load.

150 gr Match Kings, 49gr I4895 (GarandGear gas plug used since this is a little hot), HXP brass.

I think it will do better with 168s and 175s, but I'm still working up those loads.

 

[fpgt72]

Mine is an old Blue Sky import, and I am just amazed how well it shoots. It is getting too heavy for me with off hand now, but from a bench and prone it is very nice. I really need to do the CMP before they dry out for good.

 

[ford8nr]

Mine is a regular Service Grade HRA. Bbl is dated 6 55 but gauges close to new.

 

[Reloadron]

The upper rifle pictured below is my unusual M1 Garand. Unusual because it is chambered in 7mm-08 Remington. The rifle was my project rifle for a NRA class I took about 20 years ago. One flat shooting M1 Garand. I tried various tricks on it such as bedding it and other accurizing tricks. Really made for an unusual Garand when all was said and done. The barrel is a full contour and the rifle has NM sights on it.

The lower rifle is a GI birch stock mid 50s SA rifle in the original 30-06 chambering.

I still have a new in wrap 308 Win barrel so I eventually should get another rifle to convert to and build up in 308.



I had hoped to get these rifles out for some exercise this past summer but some surgery slowed me down.

Ron

 

[119er]

7mm-08! While it is not much of a leap from a .308 Garand, it is a little strange. I love that cartridge though. Who made the barrel?

 

[Reloadron]

7mm-08! While it is not much of a leap from a .308 Garand, it is a little strange. I love that cartridge though. Who made the barrel?

I am not sure who made the barrel? I found a picture of the barrel though:



The barrel is dated 12-94 and here is what happened as I recall. During the 90s my wife and I owned a gun shop. I always had a love affair with the M1 Garand and at any time there were 25 or so in the shop for sale. My sisters husband was also a Garand type and every summer Mike and I would take these NRA Gun Smithing courses at Montgomery Community College in NC. Hell, it was a fun get away.

One year we signed up for the M1 Garand course which was all about doing everything to the M1 Garand. I was getting into building match rifles and rebarreling at the time. Brownell's was selling several match quality barrels at the time including a few different chamberings including the 308, 270, and others so I ordered two 308 barrels. The damn barrels arrived like the day before we left for NC and I threw them in my truck along with all my tools. Got to NC and big surprise as my 308 barrels weren't! Well, when you have a 7-08 M1 barrel you build a 7-08 M1 Garand rifle. Brownells made good when all was said and done. The rifle shot so well that Mike wanted one and I later used the remaining barrel to build him one.

A Google of 7mm-08 M1 Garand brings up a few hits I have thought about rebarreling it in 308 but the rifle shoots great and is fun to shoot so why bother? Hell, if another M1 Garand comes my way I have a 308 barrel to put on it.

The barrel is a full contour heavy barrel like the one below and required hogging out wood from the rear hand guard.





Wow, looking back that was some time ago. I could break the rifle down but as I recall there was no manufacturer information on the rifle barrel. Makes for an interesting conversation piece at the range.

Ron

 

[119er]

That's awesome. Thanks for the info, Ron. The ins and outs of the M1 and M1A have always intrigued me, but the few books that I have about them are pretty vague and general. I know enough to diagnose problems and reload for it properly, but fall short on knowledge of how to index a barrel or timing, etc. I bought my M1 at a gun show from an elderly man who claimed to have done the work on the rifle himself, but for all I know it could be a CMP Special as someone mentioned. The first one I bought from the gentleman at the gun show shot way low and was uncorrectable with the sights. I took it back to the next show and found his table and politely told him my problem. He had a rack with 4 other M1's done the same way and told me to take my pick. Guess I picked a good one!

 

[Reloadron]

You're welcome and enjoy that rifle. Fortunately I still have all my Garand tooling and now that I am retired maybe I can get back into the Garands with more free time.

Ron

 

[smoakingun]

A great place to get started shooting from position is an Appleseed.
Check it out online for an event near you

 

[Onmilo]

Douglas was offering those 7/08 barrels around that time and Springfield Armory, (The company, not the actual armory) made a few M1s in the caliber around the same time as well.

I barrelled an M1 in 7mm/08 for a guy around late 1995, one of the old Blue Sky imports.
Far as i know, he still has it.

Barrel indexing and finish reaming for headspace isn't hard at all as long as you have a set of timing gages and access to a lathe.
Hardest part is knowing exactly when to lay off on the barrel wrench.

Clymer even offers a pull through reamer for final finish and headspace so you don't need to use the lathe for that operation now,
Index and set the barrel, then hand turn the finisher until the bolt drops with firm thumb pressure

 

[Reloadron]

Douglas was offering those 7/08 barrels around that time and Springfield Armory, (The company, not the actual armory) made a few M1s in the caliber around the same time as well.

I barrelled an M1 in 7mm/08 for a guy around late 1995, one of the old Blue Sky imports.
Far as i know, he still has it.

Barrel indexing and finish reaming for headspace isn't hard at all as long as you have a set of timing gages and access to a lathe.
Hardest part is knowing exactly when to lay off on the barrel wrench.

Clymer even offers a pull through reamer for final finish and headspace so you don't need to use the lathe for that operation now,
Index and set the barrel, then hand turn the finisher until the bolt drops with firm thumb pressure

I want to say they were Douglas barrels but I can't remember. Yes, they came short chambered and if I recall about .010 was all that needed removed. I still have a few 308 and 30-06 pull through reamers laying around as well as my tools to rebarrel a Garand. The pull through for a short chambered barrel made it a dream to do.

I also still have one M1 Garand new (15 or so years ago) barrel in 308. Sooner or later I'll get one built for me in 308.

Ron

Ron

 

[119er]

Onmilo, thanks for that info! So I assume that the finishing reamer functions as a gauge while it is cutting? Is that what you are camming the bolt against or are you having to stop and use a headspace gauge? If it allows you to ream until the bolt drops in, that is one slick set-up!