Results from first time use of Greek ammo with my Garand

[lionking]

well I'm getting range time in again,Saturday was the first time I fired a firearm since around February.

I ordered a s***load of Greek ammo from the CMP for my Garands,M1917 and M1903.On various boards I had read the Greek ammo was good stuff,and proper M2 ammo as to not damage the older rifles.

Well Saturday I tried it,I couldn't even get a somewhat consistant group with it,it was like a shotgun pattern.Now I had used 165gr commercial ammo before and always got decent groups with it though I used it sparingly since commercial ammo has the potential to damage a Garand.The photo with the 8 shot group at 10 o' clock was the 165gr win ammo,the little papers dotted are the Greek hits covered,so I knew it must be the Greek stuff that was just giving bad groups.

But today I tried the Greek HXP and the 2 targets in the photo with my Garand is what the Greek ammo did today,I'm feeling better about the Greek ammo now.I don't know if my groups photoed here are typical of Greek,better than average or worse than average,anybody with experience with it please give me a clue.At least I'm hitting 9's and 10's with it now.

BTW,the recomendation that I use SR-1 targets was very helpful thanks for that.

 

[30Cal]

Through my tight M1, I typically see 10rd groups that are just barely larger than the 10-ring--usually score say a 98% prone with a sling.

 

[lionking]

thanks 30cal,its feedback like this that helps me judge my targets,as to is this ok,it sucks! or good going.Friends at battlerifles are also saying my groups are sub par to what can be done with Greek HXP.Today I tried other rifles with it.I'm coming to the conclusion that the HXP is good ammo and from now on it's what I plan on using exclusively.It's me,and maybe on some part the rifles that are not producing super duper groups.

Having checked the Garands upon advice,all my rifles gas cylinders have play,enough that you here a clack clack.The H&R also has a little bit of play on the front sight.

I guess it's up to me now as to whether I learn to maintain a Garand by swapping parts,or be content as having them as shooters,which until now I always was a recreational shooter,not dabbing into the art of smithing.

My M1917,I was all over the place with it today,I felt not so comfortable shooting it because frankly I rarely have so it's groupings I can say is my ability with it,not the ammo.

There was this guy next to me though with a 18 inch barrel 30-06 thats muzzle blast bothered me,hence a couple flinches lol,I know,that's no excuse.

Well all I` can say is the ammo is good,and I need to practice more.

thanks for the info,it's really helpful.I think I'll probably be asking more in detail questions about swapping parts,for instance how do you tighten up the gas cylinder?Fact is I have been a shoot 'em and just clean 'em kinda guy so far.

 

[jpwilly]

What are you comparing those groups against...have these rifles ever shot better? I'd like to see a commercial ammo group I guess.

 

[dscottw88]

*Sniff* The Garand is just so beautiful....

 

[lionking]

indeed yes jpwilly,I have used commercial Win,Rem or Federal 165gr sparingly specially in my Bluesky Garand and usually my groups have been better than the surplus HXP,or any 150gr ammo.

But now I'm getting knowledge that there are things I can do to make the rifles more accurate,what others call "tight".I have never dabbed into that,basically I shoot it and clean it.

And,of course practice on my part is a major factor.I don't know what happened last Saturday,I couldn't even hardly hit in the black with HXP yet using Win 165gr I was.Yet,now the HXP is performing better for me.

 

[jpwilly]

Lionking, I forgot to mention, that Late Springfield is a NICE Rifle! Now back to the matter of accuracy. It looks like you know what your doing so I'll not point out the obvious. Two things come to mind when rifles all of a sudden don't shoot the same as they "usually" do...Flinch OR a Fouled up bore. Do you clean with Hoppes #9 only or do you break out the Sweets 7.62 also? Not so long ago a guy next to me at the range was saying how his Rem 700 didn't shoot anymore. He had just put up a 3-4MOA 5 shot group with and had the advantage of a scope and sandbags. I handed him some Sweets 7.62 and told him his gun would shoot better after he got the copper out of the bore! 10 min later his gun shot better.

 

[Don't Tread On Me]

That looks like the Hernando Sportsman's Club.

 

[Z71]

I just got an M1 Garand a few weeks back too. My first rounds fired were Remington 150gr softpoints. Softpoint ammo shot fine, and pretty much point of aim. I thougt accuracy was fine for first shots fired.

Learned that commercial ammo may not be suitable for the Garand, bought a bunch of Greek surplus in clips. While the ammo is fine, clean burning and reliable, I too didn't think it was all that accurate, at least in my 1955 made Springfield M1.

I need to shoot some more to tell for sure, but the Greek ammo just don't seem to pattern/print groups near as tight as the commercial ammo my Garand can't have!

I tried a few rounds of Greek surplus in my Rock Island 1903. That rifle did seem to like the Greek just as well as the Remington ammo I normaly shoot from it. So from that, I figure that the M1 rifle will probably shoot the Greek ammo fine, Stevie just needs to shoot his new M1 a bit more and get used to the thing.

 

[lionking]

DTOM,we gotta go shooting together some time.

Z71,yes there are others who have said that heavier grain bullets do better in their Garand.I do not load my own,so I'm left with using bought ammo.I have used commercial American Eagle 150gr or brand name 165gr soft point in the past with no issues though I used it sparingly.But I had decided that I was going to stop this practice and now use M2 ammo from now on hence why I bought crates of HXP.

After several times use,I like the HXP.My whole point of the thread was to hear other opinions,and now I'm learning that with a excellent condition rifle,HXP is capable of better than what I have done with it so far.My shooting skill is a factor,but loose gas cylinders,loose sights,loose fitting trigger housing,removing the action from the stock and such have recently been told to me that can be a factor also,besides barrel condition of course.

As far as my targets pictured with the M1917,I need more practice with it because you can see my groups shifted or widened even though I didn't touch the sights.

Sweets 7.62,I'll try it,flinching,I definately did that with the M1917,probably a couple times with the Garands though I concentrated hard on sight focus,breathing and squeezing using a 6 o clock hold.More practice is in order for sure.

 

[Danus ex]

lionking,

You and I are in the same boat, apparently. I have a 1952 Springfield M1, and using Greek HXP at 100 yards, I get groups similar to what you got with your first two targets.

At 200 yards, however, my groups open up a whole lot. Several of my targets looked like I had shot a circle around a basketball. I'd be interested to know how you fared at 200 yards.

 

[lionking]

Danus ex,I had posted this in the Garand section as well at AmBack forum.I just saw a thread by a expert named JAS,I think this leaves little doubt that HXP ammo is accurate used in a nice Garand,with a expert shooter.




http://battlerifles.ambackforum.com/viewtopic.php?t=52121

 

[Z71]

So what is the bullet weight on this Greek M2 stuff?

I had thought it's bullet weighed 150gr. or 147gr. like the 7.62x51 Nato stuff.

Yes, my 1903 liked the few rounds of Greek ammo I de-clipped and fed it. That rifle, however, never has been too ammo picky.

 

[30Cal]

Those are pretty good targets. I don't see any that couldn't be 95 or better. Unless you've got a special M1, you should expect to see some 9's (maybe 7's if the muzzle is in rough shape).

It's pretty good ammo, especially considering it's plain old ball, but just about a real match bullet is going to shoot a fair amount better.