Reloading M1 Garand with Hornady .308 150g 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.

Information

Warning: This is a relatively older thread This discussion is older than 360 days. Some information contained in it may no longer be current.

[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.

[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.

[TankerDon]

I grabbed 5 of the Magtech's, and they varied .0095 on OAL, and .0135 base to ogive. Not exactly SMK consistent but at 13¢ a whack I'm not complaining. When I get my powder load figured out I'll load a batch sorted by length and see if the groups tighten up.

[TankerDon]

I'll measure one when I get home from work and post up here.

[old tanker]

I've used the Hornady FMJ bullet. The cannelure is more appropriate to duplicating M80 ball in 7.62 NATO. I have often wondered why someone did not make an FMJ bullet similar to the M25 tracer. It has two cannelures, one appropriate to caliber .30 and the other for 7.62. Anyway, seating out has been my solution in coaxing a little more accuracy out of the Hornady bullet in cal. .30 and the Lee factory crimp die. IMI used to make a true M2 ball bullet but I have not seen any in years. Also, when pulled M2 bullets were available loading those in my M1 gave me better results than the Hornady 150 grain FMJ-BT, even when seated out. I do not know why. I wonder if it is akin to the dislike for boattails that I see in moderately worn .303's? There is just no way to be certain if what my notes seem to tell applies to any rifle other than mine, but duplicating service ammunition and getting it to shoot really well too has mostly eluded me.

[TDH]

You might try Champions Choice out of Murfreesboro. The last time I got M2 ball from them was at Camp Perry and they ran $80 for 500 that was a few years ago. They also cover powder and primers. Or there is MidSouth in Clarksville Tenn.

[USGI]

Are these Hornady bullets you guys have been talking about, the #3037's? I have a few of those on hand, but haven't loaded any for several years. I took a look at the data for loads I made for a WWII '03 Remington and the overall length is 3.185" - they worked OK for plinking. These were crimped in the groove with the Lee die. I just compared the OAL to LC M2 Ball and see about .150" difference. About a year ago, I bought some bulk 146g FN FAL bullets for 10 cents each, thinking of using them for .30-06. They measured real close on size and weight, but I ended up selling them. Have any of you guys ever tried those for your '03's or M1's? I found this thread very informative, and now know the reason why these Hornady bullets seem to be on the short side for loading .30-06! - Bob