M1 Garand hunting ammo

[nathan]

Its good to know there are companies who make premium hunting ammo specifically for the M1 Garand action. For those who have no Schuster adjustable gas plug, this is the way to go.

http://www.underwoodammo.com/30-06springfieldm1garand168grainhornadya-maxboattailboxof20.aspx

 

[Mikee Loxxer]

That's not hunting ammo! A 168 grain A-Max is meant for match shooting and is not designed to expand.

 

[nathan]

Thanks for the correction.

 

[Hardtarget]

I've been looking at Sierra bullets while planning some hunting reloads for my M1. They have a 150 gr SPT Prohunter (#2130 ) that should work just fine. I would be hunting an area that offers under 100 yd shots so I'm sure the peep sights would do fine.

Really don't think the A-Max bullet would give you what you are looking for.

Mark

 

[TexasPatriot.308]

any factory hunting ammo should work

 

[Bushpilot]

any factory hunting ammo should work

Factory hunting ammo runs a little hotter than what the Garand was designed for by about 200fps and has been known to bend the OP rod. If you're going to use factory ammo I'd install one of the adjustable gas plugs. Its cheaper than a new OP rod and is easy to do.

 

[Onmilo]

$1.50 a round is kinda pricey too...

 

[Fishbed77]

Plain old 150 grain Remington Core-Lokt and a Garand Gear gas plug works for me.

 

[Art Eatman]

My understanding is that a steady diet of commercial ammo can cause bending of the op rod, but a few sight-in shots plus a very few hunting shots won't cause harm.

I've seen loading data for GI-equivalent loads, so that amount of 4895 and a good 150-grain bullet will certainly work on Bambi and not bend the op rod.

 

[HoosierQ]

Garands are fussy about ammo. Bullet weight, powder, pressure, burn rate...all that. It's a rifle that was designed and built to shoot one standard round.

You will need to either buy or load special a Garand friendly round. People do it all the time but you need to know all the specs.

 

[Onmilo]

My understanding is that a steady diet of commercial ammo can cause bending of the op rod, but a few sight-in shots plus a very few hunting shots won't cause harm.

I've seen loading data for GI-equivalent loads, so that amount of 4895 and a good 150-grain bullet will certainly work on Bambi and not bend the op rod.

Shhhhh! Don't tell anyone but I used Winchester 150 grain PowerPoints on several deer hunts with my M1 Garand without any problems.
Then I learned 150 PowerPoints develop some of the fastest and highest pressures of any of the non "Light Magnum" loads offered on the commercial market.
Now I still use 150 PowerPoints but with a specifically tailored Schuster gas cylinder lock screw. (Gas Plug)

 

[scythefwd]

Hornady makes a garand specific load, dont know if its a hunting bullet or not though

 

[wombat13]

Buy a gas plug. Then you can use any hunting ammo you want. I used Winchester ammo loaded with 150 gr Nosler Ballistic Tips. It did a fine job on a nice 8 pt buck.

 

[Flatbush Harry]

Art, I’d tend to respectfully disagree here. The problem is that, first, the prior shooting history of that rifle may not be known and, second, the gas pressure curve of the hunting ammo may not be known, particularly if the powder is very slow burning or the bullet is heavy. Thus, a few “hunting” loads may be just the straws that break the camel’s back. I’m a big believer in adjustable plugs, either Schuster or McCann, properly set. I tend to be very conservative so YMMV with no harm.

FH

 

[Kosh75287]

Uhm...well, I won't go into HOW I know this ,but that target bullet DID work well on at least ONE whitetail at about 150 yards.

 

[sevt_chevelle]

I run a gas plug from Garand Gear, it does its job really well. Run nothing but garand safe ammo and reloads in mine but use the plug because the gun doesn't beat itself to death anymore, the action is just slower and smoother.

http://www.garandgear.com/m1-garand-ammunition

A chart of the different commercial ammo tested with and without the plug.

 

[Art Eatman]

I put an adjustable plug in my Garand...

I just figure that if the rod is initially straight, a couple of three-shot groups for sighting in and maybe two to four shots for a couple of deer won't hurt anything.

The problem is less the peak pressure than it is the pressure at the gas port, which with powders having a burn rate slower than 4895 can be a problem.

 

[moxie]

Seems like $38 solves the problem. Wish they were all like that.

 

[agtman]

What about for M1 Garands with a 7.62/.308 barrel?

I picked up one of the HRA Special Receiver M1s in .308. (CMP offered these models in both '06 & .308.)

Do the same concerns exist about the op rod's durability when shooting typical .308 "hunting" ammo (say, in the 150gn-to-168gn bullet range)? ... as compared to 7.62 mil-surplus fodder or generic .308 FMJ ammo that you'd shot in one of these or your M1A?

 

[Onmilo]

What about for M1 Garands with a 7.62/.308 barrel?

I picked up one of the HRA Special Receiver M1s in .308. (CMP offered these models in both '06 & .308.)

Do the same concerns exist about the op rod's durability when shooting typical .308 "hunting" ammo (say, in the 150gn-to-168gn bullet range)? ... as compared to 7.62 mil-surplus fodder or generic .308 FMJ ammo that you'd shot in one of these or your M1A?

Yes the same issues apply to 7.62x51/.308 chambered M1 Garands and the Schuster or McCann adjustable gas lock screws can be used on them.
Same applies to the M14/M1A but these rifles are a bit more forgiving due to shorter op rods of greater mass and a better designed self regulating gas system.

However too heavy a loading can drive the bolt back with enough force and velocity to impact on the back of the receiver which can cause the receiver to crack.
Adjustable gas lock screws are available for M14/M1a and should be used, especially if hunting loads heavier than 150 grains are chosen.HTH

 

[skidooman603]

Not true that the A-Max is a bad choice in that grain weight for deer. I was issued a bunch at Camp Perry a couple years ago..I shoot my own loads for matches so I used what I had for hunting. The 6 point I harvested had an excellent wound channel and died in it's tracks from 100 yds

 

[agtman]

Yes the same issues apply to 7.62x51/.308 chambered M1 Garands and the Schuster or McCann adjustable gas lock screws can be used on them.
Same applies to the M14/M1A but these rifles are a bit more forgiving due to shorter op rods of greater mass and a better designed self regulating gas system.

Thanks, Onmilo.

 

[tahunua001]

all currently available ammo for the M1 is either match ammo, usually loaded with Amax or military surplus loaded with FMJ, tracer, or penetrators. none is suitable for hunting. not all hunting ammo is unsafe for garands. the problem is that there is no way of knowing unless you know what powder is loaded into it and where it falls on the burn rate scale. usually much of the milsurp reloading powders like H4895, IMR4064, or other similar powders are perfectly safe for the M1 as long as you keep it a grain or two below max load data. somebody got the idea that it was heavy bullets that did it and started the internet rumor that you cant shoot anything heavier than 150gr in the M1(even though the penetrator ammo designed for the M1 was 169gr). that of course is a lie but a lot of people seem to perpetuate it.