Poll: What is your preferred M1917 ammunition

[thefixitman]

An old gunsmith told me that after we started production of the model 1917 they used the same tooling for the barrle bore as was used for the british .303. The distance between the groves is realy .313 instead of .308. That may be the differance between the perforamace between the flat tail bullet and the boat tail. As for me I'm a hunter so I like a lite round for punching paper 125gr ( the recoil is less). 150 gr for deer and 180 gr for elk.

[Wineman]

Not according to Hatcher's Notebook. The nominal bore diameter was 0.300" with grooves 0.005" deep. The 0.303 chambering had a depth of 0.0058". It is true that with half the bore the diameter at 0.310" (groves) the other half is 0.300 (lands) for an average of 0.305 actually slightly tighter than the 0.306 of the 1903 Springfield of the same time frame (0.300"*0.25 + 0.308"*0.75 = 0.306") the grooves being 75% of the bore diameter. In an original 5-groove barrel each land is opposite each groove, both of the same width, because of that it is hard to measure a slug pounded through the barrel without a "V" block of the correct angle.

Dave

[JasonA]

I shoot cast loads only in all of my M1's, 1903's, and 1917's. My favorite load is a SAECO 315 HP (gas checked, sized .310) in front of 17.5 of 2400. Winchester LR primers work just fine. I am getting excellent groups (sub 1" in most cases from my 1917's) at 75 yards. My rebarrelled 03 can put 5 in a cloverleaf with this load at 100. I despise cleaning copper fouling out of my barrels, so I only shoot cast. I also hunt with this same load. Numerous deer kills with this one at ranges out to about 150 yards.

[OLDER THEN DIRT]

I shoot cast loads only in all of my M1's, 1903's, and 1917's. My favorite load is a SAECO 315 HP (gas checked, sized .310) in front of 17.5 of 2400. Winchester LR primers work just fine. I am getting excellent groups (sub 1" in most cases from my 1917's) at 75 yards. My rebarrelled 03 can put 5 in a cloverleaf with this load at 100. I despise cleaning copper fouling out of my barrels, so I only shoot cast. I also hunt with this same load. Numerous deer kills with this one at ranges out to about 150 yards.

OK, I read this alot, what`s with this copper fouling the barrels. I have a Win. 1917 also. But my main shooter is my Turk 03/38 8mm Mauser. I reload for it using Hornady 170g .323 dia RNSP bullets in front of 49g of Reloder 15. I cut the barrel down to 22in & recrowned it. I have a ramp FS & a Lyman peep in the back. After I got it zeroed in, at 100yds if I dd my part, I could shoot the center out of a 3in self marking target. Now I know I have over 600 rounds down that barrel & I can still shoot the center out of the same kind of targets. How do I clean my barrel? I run a dry Bore Snake down it 2 times after each range cession, thats it. What I getting at is, what`s this copper fouling problem?

[JasonA]

I guess it's not a serious problem, but when I have shot jacketed rounds through a barrel, I have to chemically clean it with a bore solvent (usually with some type of ammonia solution, a strong base) to dissolve the copper residue. I can push patches through that barrel for days and it still comes out green. I am probably anal retentive about this, but when I clean a cast load, it is one swipe with a patch, push a clean one through again, and then lightly oil the core with another and that is that. I have noticed that I cannot get consistent groups if you shoot both without cleaning in between. IE, if you shoot a day with jacketed and then shoot cast, the groups are not going to be as tight as if you only shoot cast or only shoot jacketed. To rephrase this, if you shoot a day with cast, shoot two days latter with jacketed, then shoot again a day or two later, your cast groups will not be comparative to the previous cast groups. This is not due to powder residue in the bore (I pushed a patch through to get this out), in my experience it was the change in bullet composition. The groups became consistent again when you completely clean the barrel (Hoppes and days of soaking). Again it is personal preference. I hate the noise levels, the waste of powder, and the recoil of long days at the range with GI loads. I like my cast loads. Lower recoil, super accurate at moderate ranges, plus my young son can shoot them comfortably. I have never had the same accuracy with jacketed loads, factory, surplus, or otherwise as what I can generate with my handloads. The main thing is enjoy what you do. I love shooting and I hope that my son and his children can still enjoy what you and I love.

[rugersworld]

Reloads, 155 HPBT and 168 HPBT with H4350

[Boh]

Looks like JasonA and I are shooting pretty much the same load, 135gr GC lead bullet over 18gr 2400 with WLR primers and L C brass. This is my 200 yard CMP load, very mild but very accurate. Makes shooting the 30-06 very enjoyable. And less wear and tear on the shooter as well as the gun with very easy clean up as already noted. I've been shooting this in my SC 03A3 and will be shooting this in my M1917 this weekend.

[Brian Dick]

GUTS just took the words from my mouth! I've never been able to improve on 48 grains of IMR 4895 and a 150 grain Sierra Pro Hunter bullet.

[Doug Rammel]

I use the CMP greek ammo or my reloads. 150 grain bullets the bulk military from widener's

[RC20]

So far the CMP greek surplus HXP) has been erratic resutls. Maybe they don't care as it ran in machines gun . Good for fun shooting and with groups just out to go bank and holes in the targets.

Otherwise, 4350, 4831 and 4895 (the most recent and looking quite good) have had good results with whatever the bullet of choice is.

4895 is more economic as you will probably get 20% more out of a can.

Currently its whatever we can get (last was two can of straight 4831), I am using up a can of my brother gave me thats 30 years old and works as good as the current stuff.

The guns seem to be pretty tolerant for bullets from 150 to 175 which is the 06 reputation