7.62x51 handload equivalent

[J.P.]

Well I've joined the cult- I now have all the parts to build a semi auto M14 with all USGI parts on a chinese reciever. No comments please, It's as "milsurp" as I can legally make an M14 here in Canada- I would own a real one if I could. Anyways, I will now start loading for it and am wondering what components and load data to use for a 7.62 Nato duplicate load. I have loaded a fair bit for Garands and would like to use IMR4895 for these loads, but will try something else if there is a standard equivalent Nato spec powder available. Any suggestions? Jeff

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[Claven2]

IMR4895 or H4895 are good choices for duplicating NATO loads. The Hornady manual, IIRC, has semi-auto specific loads for the NATO round.

[LiffordVolunteer]

In my own load development for my NM Norinco by Mr Kevin Keon I gave the men and women at Sierra Bullets a call. They have an excellent web site and there do seem to be a lot of NRA M-14 Matches in the Good Old USA EH!
The people who make some of the best bullets for the .308 have lots of knowledge to share and do so freely. They are also very "up to date" as Most Essentially the Technical Staff at Sierra Bullets or it could be Hornady or others as well do know what powders and charges make their proprietary bullets work the best.
As suggested earlier here, get several loading manuals and compare. Also a visit to the AGM of the DCRA would enable you to find out what handloads the DCRA expert rifle shoots are using in F class with .308s to hit those far far away targets at 900 metres.
Yes there are still some shooting .308 NATO along all those other exotic calibres in F Class.
Dont think you could go too far wrong with some Federal Gold Match in .308. It is in my opinion, the "ultimate handload". Sure someone else does it but then I have come to the conclusion after years of handloading that for a very important match I will let the experts do their thang.
The corollary to this is that if something "happens" it is their liability versus mine. Also save time at the firing line while waiting for others with frozen bolts or pierced primers to depart.,,not that that would ever happen eh!
You may be suprisied by how "mild" the experts load like the ones at Sierra. Also in Scott Duff's Owners Manual for the M-14 I think he recommends NOT handloading for the M-14 or if so with super hard primers.
It is an understatement to say that a "slamfire" in a M-1 Garand or M-14 can most unpleasant either as the shooter or the one accompanying the "soon to be slam fire participant" to the firing line. Proper head space, case resizing to SAAMI dimensions, primer protrusion or sensitivity and OAL come all into play eh!