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I have a Smith Corona 1903A3. I have owned it for years and never fired it. What 30-06 ammo is the best to use with it? What bullet weight, muzzle velocity etc? Would American Eagle M1 ammo be okay to use with it? I do not want to fire too hot a load or the wrong weight bullet thru it.
I would think any commercial 30-06 should be fine.
You will find that 180 gr kicks to much in the light weight 03A3's.
The 150gr which approximates the military ball ammo will be best.
If your just plinking and load your own, a light load in 150gr is fun, and easy on your gun and shoulder.
IMHO
Yes the American Eagle M1 ammo is good for your 1903A3.
Thanks for the info! I figured that any 30-06 ammo such as was used in the Garand and in use during WW2 would be fine, but I figured an opinion from knowledgeable people could not hurt. I am still on the fence whether or not I will take this rifle to the range. I purchased it years ago. I was told at the gun shop where I purchased it that it was there on consignment and was part of an estate. I was told that the owners son brought it in and it was wrapped in waxpaper and coated in cosmoline. The smith at the shop said it appeared to have never been fired or used in the field. I would say that the Parkerizing is 95 percent intact and there are no dings etc on the stock. The rifling is sharp and the action and moving parts are all tight with no slop or play in them. About all that I have done with it is clean it yearly to prevent rust. It is basically a "safe queen" that I take out to admire from time to time. If I do decide to shoot it, I may only fire it enough to zero it in. Any opinions out there? If I had the ability too, I would post pictures but I cannot.
---------- Post added at 07:27 AM ---------- Previous post was at 07:25 AM ----------
OPPS! I meant to use the thumbs up icon, not thumbs down!
Shoot it!! Rifles were made to be shot. I doubt that you would ever put enough rounds through it to change it's value.
While ammunition that approximates M2 Ball would be most "correct", any commercial 30-06 load would be fine. My personal opinion is that for normal range use 15 gr is the choice, there is nothing wrong with 180 gr. 180 gr. softpoint handloads are my Elk loads for my Remington '03 (just before the 03-A3) that I fitted with a new surplus barrel and an Eotech red dot sight.
Thanks for the input! Yes, 150 grain is my favorite bullet weight for target shooting. I shoot my Garand on a regular basis and the M1 ammo I use is 150 grain. When I cannot get American Eagle M1 30-06, I shoot Winchester 150 grain with an adjustable gas plug. I most likely will take the ol' '03 out to the range!
The closer you stay to the '40s M2 ball , the closer your rear sight will be aligned at the longer ranges after being sighted in. Like most rifles , it will shoot tailered target loads ( matchking HPBT ) better than GI ball , prob'ly.
Chris
Yes, I think sticking as close to M2 ball as used in the 1940's is the best bet. I am going to use American Eagle's M1 Garand ammo.
Get a can of HXP from the CMP - it's just what you need.
Sales - Ammunition
And surprisingly they still have ammo in stock! Midway USA seems to be just about wiped out and shops around me have pretty slim pickings!
Even the CMP has finally set a yearly limit on the ammo purchases. I believe 10 cans per year per customer. Still a lot of ammo (2,200 rounds) but it goes fast if you compete.
Dave
Anyone have any issues with shooting 125grain rounds? I bought 2 boxes of remington coreloct the other day. I thought i had grabbed 2 boxes of 150 grain but i had a box of 150 and a box of 125.
what a stupid mistake.
125's should run just fine. The idea of a can or two of CMP HXP ball is right for you.
And, HXP is great brass for reloading too :)
Then you can customize all kind of loads it'll do well with.