Reloading for the M1 Garand w/ 168 gr pills

[slamfire1]

My load of 168 Match, 47.0 grains IMR 4895, RA 54 cases, CCI #34 on various 100 yard reduced targets, all fired in competition.

This one in Dec 2010. For the day, I shot a 483, which is very good with a Garand. This prone target is not my highest score, but the nice group in the middle shows the accuracy potential of this load.

Another year and another good 20 round SF prone group:


When the weather is cool, but not freezing, our club will shoot 80 rounds instead of 50 on the 100 yard reduced course. I am proud of the 199-6X sitting rapid fire target. While it does not really show the excellent accuracy of the load, it shows you can shoot a HM score in the rapids.



20 rounds prone SF, 200 yards on the 5V target. My Club found a supply and shot vintage matches on the thing. What a hoot! That target was the target used at the National Matches during the 50's and 60's. Shoot a "4" and you may still win. Shoot two "4"'s and you might place in the upper ten, shoot three "4's" and you will be way down the list.

Matches were often determined by V count.

[gulliver62]

I have had very good luck with the Nosler CC 155 to lighten the recoil just a bit (some of the guys on the Garand line have gone as lower in weight). I have been using between 47 and 48g of 4895 depending on the rifle.

[Jumong]

NRA M1 Garand load data hosted at Master Po's website. All the loads listed are safe for the Garand and some duplicate M2 Ball and the M72 Match .
http://web.archive.org/web/200006200...rpo/M1load.htm
As others have stated; IMR 4895 is perfect. IMR 4064 and Varget are quite popular. I like 168 Noslers with 46 grains of IMR 4895 in LC cases.

[Jumong]

My M1 and M1a don't like the 155 Palma bullets. An older High Master on our range routinely shot 125 grain hunting bullets to lessen recoil on reduced courses, saving the 168 Match bullets for full courses. I've never asked him for his load data as I started shooting an AR a couple of years ago.

[colt100]

My garands like IMR 4064 better then any other powder I have tried. I just got done working up loads with 168 noslers and 155 noslers with CCI primers. My rifle likes the 168's better then the 155's and I got about an inch tighter group with the 168s then the 155's. IIRC, my best load was 47 gr IMR 4064 with the 168's but I am out of town right now so don't have my info with me. This load was about 50 FPS slower then mil spec so it's right in the ball park. In fact, the same rifle grouped the 155's best about 50 fps back from mil spec.

I havn't tried the VV powders in the garand and want to try some to see if I can get the groups down some more. My 168 load was right about 2.5 MOA (8-shots) with irons and a CMP service grade garand. I hope to get a load down to 1.5 MOA.