Reloading M1 Garand with Hornady .308 150g FMJ

[Bruce McAskill]

I have not had a problem with bullets moving in a case when firing as long as it's a good fit in the case. But I have had much better accuracy in a 30-06 using a 150 gr flat based bullet. The boat tail takes away just enough length to not let the bullet stabilize 100%. Groups in general are bigger. Using a heavier bullet that is boat tailed is OK as the length of the bullet allows it to be more stable and one gets better groups. But in the 150 gr class the flat base is better. Also try to load it to about 2700 fps which is the true velocity of M2 ball ammo. Commercial soft point bullets are even better for accuracy.

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[Jonzie]

I load for my Garands using the hornady 150s and seat to the cannelure but as mentioned
you dont have to. I prefer to use a light crimp but know others who dont and have no problems and they shoot M1s, M1As.

[browningautorifle]

Commercial soft point bullets are even better for accuracy.

Agreed, I once weighed 600 FMJs to find 55 that were correctish in weight. I loaded them carefully and only got pieplate accuracy. I then used some soft point bullets that were just thrown together with average care and they grouped on top of each other. They far outshot the FMJ...

[Der Jagar]

In regards to Bruce M's post, I've found to in reloading some 250 Savage that some Speer 87 grain flat based soft pts out classed some BT HP's and plastic tipped bullets. Maybe it was just the right powder and bullet for that particular Ruger M77, got 1MOA out of them at 100. Coyote killers!

I searched all the online sellers of reloading supplies (all well known to all) and I couldn't find any .308 30 caliber bullets offered by the major bullet companies that came near to what the bulk 250-1000 priced Hornady 150 grain FMJ-BT can be bought for. I'm talking in the .17-.20 cent per bullet range. Everything else in the 150-155 grain range (and up) were all .10 cent on the average higher per bullet in bulk or even in the 100 box pricing on sale. Until I can find any of the higher grain, flat base, or other variation as cheap, think I'll stay with the Hornady FMJ's.

Would be interested in any place that offers good prices on reloading items that I may not know of. As I previously posted, most/a lot of my military rifle shooting is done off hand and if a rest is used it's pretty simple and 'redneck'. I use no scopes either except on rifle chambered in 250 Savage, plus a AR15 and Mini-14 which are horse's of another breed to ride and shoot. I like to get as good as accuracy as possible shooting in what may be considered 'combat/hunting' conditions, always striving to get as best as accuracy as possible. Do the same with handgun shooting, I'm not a handgun rest shooter, more of a point shooter, double taps, combat, tin can shooter vs paper puncher. Guess I got used to that during my 21 yr LEO career. Thanks for all the info.

[no4mk1t]

This is the best I could find at the moment.
The only other suggestion is to check Midway and Midsouth regularly for blem bullet sales. They usually go fast when they crop up. Buy as many as you can stand, they're not getting any cheaper.

30 Caliber .308 Diameter 168 Grain Boat Tail Hollow Point Match 500 Count by Hornady

[TankerDon]

Try unammo.com. I got some Magtech 150 FMJBT's to use in my M14 and Spanish Mauser.
2K for $260 shipped or $.13 ea. Hope you missed the ice last night. Just missed me here in W'loo.

[Der Jagar]

TankerDon-Thanks for the info, checked out the site and the bullets you mentioned. Thirteen cents per bullet is a great price. Have you had the chance to load any yet and shoot for reliability/accuracy? If you've had good luck with them, they'd be the 'bees-knees' for the style of shooting I do at a price cheaper than the Hornady's.
Nope, didn't miss the ice up here north of ya. Live near the confluence of the Shell Rock and Winnebago Rivers. Everything all iced over, even my gravel road was a sheet of ice, still is. County blacktops were covered, preventing any safe travel, major highways were passable, but barely. All schools in area closed for the 2nd day. Sun suppose to be out tomorrow melting a lot of it. Thanks again for the site-let me know if you've had good results with them. We're one day closer to spring than we were yesterday. Der Jagar

[TankerDon]

I'm a fair weather shooter and it's just not warm enough for me. I also hate chasing brass in the snow lol!
I had 9pc. of milsurp brass left when the bullets got here, and loaded them up over 37g of H335. I've got cabin fever bad. The M14 is new, and also picked up a new M16A2 clone this winter. I need to get out and run them both in.
Sorry to hear about the ice. Been there too many times and it sucks.

[fjruple]

Agreed, I once weighed 600 FMJs to find 55 that were correctish in weight. I loaded them carefully and only got pieplate accuracy. I then used some soft point bullets that were just thrown together with average care and they grouped on top of each other. They far outshot the FMJ...

Jim--

I agree. I made the mistake of buying M80 surplus ball bullets thinking they weight the same. When I started to check the weights. The weights varied from 145 grains to 150.2 grains in a batch of 1,000 bullets. When I researched why the wide variation? It turns out, that at least the US Military spec allows for this variation in weights to make the bullets dispersion better in the MGs. Given my time to weight the bullets it was not worth the trouble. After the that I bulked by commercial bullets, Since I use my ammo in some belt-feds. I factory crimp all of ammo that will be used in a semi-auto except my match stuff.

--fjruple

[browningautorifle]

to make the bullets dispersion better in the MGs.

That's pretty funny...they actually came up with a reason for them to be so far out of whack... I know ours are made by a company that's made our ammo for over a century, and that's the best they can do.