M2 Ball Reloading Concerns

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  • Matlack

    Scribe
    Dec 15, 2008
    8,556
    My Sierra book says for varget, 155grn HPBT, as low as 44 grains.

    Neither Masterpo nor Nosler list Varget for 155 grain anything. I dont have my Hornady book readily available, but I think it said as low as 42 grains. Dont quote me on that though.
     

    lazarus

    Ultimate Member
    Jun 23, 2015
    13,678
    My Sierra book says for varget, 155grn HPBT, as low as 44 grains.

    Neither Masterpo nor Nosler list Varget for 155 grain anything. I dont have my Hornady book readily available, but I think it said as low as 42 grains. Dont quote me on that though.

    I’ll try to remember to check. That sounds ballpark and I think Hornady does list Varget in 150-155gr range. It is nice Hornady has reloading data for the Garand. But it does seem to be about 2-3gr conservative from pretty much everyone else’s data I’ve seen.

    I noticed the same on their 7.62x39 data. They are about 2gr under everyone else’s max for the same weight bullet and powder. They tend to not be nearly as conservative with other cartridges.

    Though I also notice Hornady uses an SKS as their test bed. Everyone else seems to use a 20” test barrel.
     

    IronDuck

    Active Member
    MDS Supporter
    Jan 11, 2021
    488
    Frederick ish MD
    I did a little reading last night and it appears most loading books bring the Varget load down.

    I ended up jotting down 42.3 gr with the 155 gr BTHP Match.

    Still on the fence regarding primers, I want to go with the magnum, because I have them...

    FYI I purchased the box of 1,000 CCI magnums at Gander mountain in Triadelphia WV, for $62.00!

    They had no powder, and no other primers on the shelf.
     

    Red1917

    Active Member
    Apr 13, 2017
    665
    Anne Arundel County
    Seems like a good place to start, you can always increase it. I only normally ever shoot out to 200 yards so have no use for real hot loads anyway. When I did loads for my M1 I started at the bottom and worked up until it would lock back fully reliably, then tuned for accuracy. The result was a nice pleasant load that works in both my M1s and shoots decently well out of all my .30-06 milsurps, and plenty accurate to 200 yards. Just food for thought
     

    8milimeter

    RICHARD (dino)
    Feb 15, 2009
    486
    Frederick, Md
    48.0 Varget, 155 Nos CC, CCi34 will produce more consistent 10 shot groups then just about any load in a garand and a 1903.
    I have tried "all" the so called match loads from every forum and web site on the internet. Save yourself some time.
    Use this load and then work on your position and technique.

    This is my best Garand 10 shot group slow prone 100 yards with this load.
    UqmpSpP.jpg
     
    Last edited:

    Matlack

    Scribe
    Dec 15, 2008
    8,556
    I’ll try to remember to check. That sounds ballpark and I think Hornady does list Varget in 150-155gr range. It is nice Hornady has reloading data for the Garand. But it does seem to be about 2-3gr conservative from pretty much everyone else’s data I’ve seen.

    I noticed the same on their 7.62x39 data. They are about 2gr under everyone else’s max for the same weight bullet and powder. They tend to not be nearly as conservative with other cartridges.

    Though I also notice Hornady uses an SKS as their test bed. Everyone else seems to use a 20” test barrel.

    Yes, Hornady is on the low end.
     

    IronDuck

    Active Member
    MDS Supporter
    Jan 11, 2021
    488
    Frederick ish MD
    Thanks for all the feedback. I hope to pick up some 155's tomorrow. I have Remington brass.
    Going to go with the low end VARGET first.

    The M1, I am shooting is old and was not well kept. I purchased it a few weeks ago and was warned of its short comings by the seller.

    I enjoy buying them old, dented, dirty and suffering. Then returning them to a nice state of old, dented, clean and functioning.
    I tore it down, cleaned and greased it, then reassembled it.
    Took it to the range on fathers day,"in memory of my father WWII vet he carried one", when I fired it, it would not lock the bolt back or cycle a round.

    So I have some work to do with it prior to next round at the range, but I want it to be my rounds next time.
     

    Park ranger

    Ultimate Member
    Dec 6, 2015
    2,315
    48.0 Varget, 155 Nos CC, CCi34 will produce more consistent 10 shot groups then just about any load in a garand and a 1903.
    I have tried "all" the so called match loads from every forum and web site on the internet. Save yourself some time.
    Use this load and then work on your position and technique.

    This is my best Garand 10 shot group slow prone 100 yards with this load.
    UqmpSpP.jpg

    That gun for sale? Lol
     

    rdc

    Ultimate Member
    Dec 3, 2010
    3,690
    Middlefingurton
    48.0 Varget, 155 Nos CC, CCi34 will produce more consistent 10 shot groups then just about any load in a garand and a 1903.
    I have tried "all" the so called match loads from every forum and web site on the internet. Save yourself some time.
    Use this load and then work on your position and technique.

    This is my best Garand 10 shot group slow prone 100 yards with this load.
    UqmpSpP.jpg

    This is a full power load correct? Not the weaker one I've seen you shoot at thurmont?
     

    IronDuck

    Active Member
    MDS Supporter
    Jan 11, 2021
    488
    Frederick ish MD
    I live in Frederick, happy to look it over and diagnose the cycling issue.
    PM me if you are interested.

    Richard

    Put the new gas chamber on Saturday.
    Took the M1 to the range today, single fire cartridge the bolt locked back each of 12 shots. (last time at the range it didn't slide back or lock back at all).
    I couldn't test the cycle, I took one loaded em block and couldn't get it into the bullet well! I pulled all of the bullets out re-verified they were all the same, compared lengths, all the same, reloaded the block and still couldn't get it into the gun! Maybe operator error, maybe not. I'm going to load 8 empty rounds and try loading those.
    7 of the 12 pieces of brass have a little flattening of the open end. Range marshal said he thinks it means I am over pressured now.
    Something new to learn about...
     

    Furious George

    Active Member
    May 10, 2010
    340
    Out of round necks are normal for cases fired through a Garand. Cases get knocked against things in an auto loader.

    The overall length of a loaded 30-06 round should not exceed 3.340 inches.
     

    ken792

    Ultimate Member
    Sep 2, 2011
    4,481
    Fairfax, VA
    Put the new gas chamber on Saturday.
    Took the M1 to the range today, single fire cartridge the bolt locked back each of 12 shots. (last time at the range it didn't slide back or lock back at all).
    I couldn't test the cycle, I took one loaded em block and couldn't get it into the bullet well! I pulled all of the bullets out re-verified they were all the same, compared lengths, all the same, reloaded the block and still couldn't get it into the gun! Maybe operator error, maybe not. I'm going to load 8 empty rounds and try loading those.
    7 of the 12 pieces of brass have a little flattening of the open end. Range marshal said he thinks it means I am over pressured now.
    Something new to learn about...

    Make sure you’re loading the clips properly. The extractor grooves should straddle the ridges on either side of the clip. The case heads of rounds 2-7 should not be bottomed out against the back of the clip.

    A lot of people like to smack the back of the clip against something, but that dislodges the rounds from the ridges and causes issues.

    I always keep a factory round to compare overall length of my reloads.

    The only max limit to overall length is if the cartridge cannot be clip loaded or if the bullet gets stuck in the throat. An M1 will feed M1909 blanks and empty cases from the clip, so there isn’t really a minimum.
     

    IronDuck

    Active Member
    MDS Supporter
    Jan 11, 2021
    488
    Frederick ish MD
    Make sure you’re loading the clips properly. The extractor grooves should straddle the ridges on either side of the clip. The case heads of rounds 2-7 should not be bottomed out against the back of the clip.

    A lot of people like to smack the back of the clip against something, but that dislodges the rounds from the ridges and causes issues.



    The only max limit to overall length is if the cartridge cannot be clip loaded or if the bullet gets stuck in the throat. An M1 will feed M1909 blanks and empty cases from the clip, so there isn’t really a minimum.

    Follow up, I was able to load the clip successfully with full 8, no powder rounds. And I found out I do have a large primer arm for my Lee single, it was just dirty! I decided to do a little clean up the other night and noticed the cup was much blacker than the small primer arm. Few seconds with the dremel and small brush, the large primers slipped snugly in!
    Thanks for the note about the 2 and 7 not bottoming out, that was concerning me.
    A little time at the bench and I now have 8 reloads ready to go to the range for testing.
     

    byf43

    SCSC Life/NRA Patron Life
    Was looking around the 'net last night, doing some research on some loads for my son, and found several articles/'write-ups' on reloading, and also found some information on M2 and M72 loads.

    Thought you might find this interesting.

    .30-06 Springfield Part 2 - Service Rifle Loads (Scroll down from top of page!)

    http://www.provenreloads-handloads.com/articles


    From what I was reading, my old load that I used in High Power Rifle Matches was listed!

    "168 gr. Sierra HPBT MatchKing, 48.0 to 49.0 gr. of W748, Military Brass, Fed 210/210M or WLR Primer"
    (My actual load for accuracy was 47.7 gr. of W748 in LC 69 cases.)
     

    K-43

    West of Morning Side
    Oct 20, 2010
    1,881
    PG
    Go to the CMP forums. Everything you want to know has been asked and answered.
    https://forums.thecmp.org/
    People have been reloading 30-06 for the Garand for 70 years. Standard loads were developed long ago.
    Hodgdon Powder Company has tested data for the M1 here:
    https://www.hodgdonreloading.com/
    Hornady's tested load data is free here:
    https://www.bearblain.com/Service%20Rifle%20Loadings.html
    Hornady tested with a pressure transducer in place of the gas cylinder plug, so it is very safe.
    Been reloading for the Garand since the 1970s following NRA articles without a singe issue. Hodgden and Hornady data verified the data I had from the good old paper NRA manual days.
    The rifle isn't fragile; it's designed to work within a certain pressure/volume range in the gas cylinder.
     

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