After all I've read, it looks like the best ammo to *safely* shoot through my new ( ? ) M1 Garand is ammo loaded to the US Military "M2 Ball" specification.
I bought some Federal 150gr ammo a while back, but "expert" opinions are split on using the particular load I bought in an M1. Some people say it will be fine, while others say NOT to stray from the M2 Ball spec.
I prefer to err on the side of caution, so I *might* shoot a couple of the Federal rounds to see how it feels and acts, but until I get more experience, I'd rather stick with a round that's loaded to the spec the rifle was designed for.
Since I can't find any "M2 Ball Spec" factory loads (CMP has Hornady, but it's back ordered) in stock anywhere, I ordered some brass, large rifle primers, Sierra 150gr HPBT bullets, and some IMR 4895 powder.
From what I've read, it's good practice to _at least_ neck size new brass as it can get banged around in shipping, and I'll also check the OAL, and deburr the flash hole, and chamfer the case mouths.
IOW, unless you're loading premium brass like Lapua, treat new brass as old brass, and reload it as such.
From posts on the CMP forums, I'll start with 45gr of powder, and see how it goes.
And since my Honey Dew list is getting much smaller, I'll spend some time this weekend in the garage cleaning up the workbench, getting the "Reloading Area" cleaned up, and maybe mounting the press.
At least this a good way to get off my duff and get the press set up. I've got a couple of huge boxes of once-fired brass I've been collecting over the last couple of years, and setting up an official "Reloading Area" will let me get stuff sorted out and organized.
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What I've Been Up To....
Started this post on Monday, then came down with a head cold, which is now progressing South. Feeling better, but still a bit woozy...... To...
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H4895 for 150gr bullets at a max load of 46.4gr./2600fps. For 168gr bullets max at 47.1gr/2600fps. You DO NOT want a faster powder, it will blow the gas port out...
ReplyDeleteYeah, you can bend/break the operating rod, and that can have some pretty serious consequences.
ReplyDeleteThe guys over on the CMP forums have pretty much diced it out to potential damage being a combination of bullet weight and powder burning speed.
Supposedly 168gr bullets are slightly more accurate because of the way the ogive portion engages the rifling once it comes out of the case, and into the barrel.
Stuff like that is currently beyond me, but there are several really good loads that others have worked up that I'll probably try once I get some range time under my belt.