Load help Needed.

[batman]

I just purchased a couple of K of 147 gr. FMJ 30 cal pills and I want to use them for 30-06 M1 Garand matchs (maybe my 1903A3 as well. I have tons of HPX and LC cases plus some Federal and Remington. I'm looking for some info to get started.

thanks,

[Andy/CA]

I'd highly recommend getting any of the current reloading manuals. They are inexpensive & are a great reference when reloading. One of the major reloading manuals has a section on reloading for the Garand... sorry but forget which one. Any safe load for a Garand will function fine in the 03's.

[musculus]

no offense, but you picked a fairly miserable bullet to waste time and money on making 30.06 "match" ammo. The M80 147 grain bullets tend to shoot even more miserably than the average pulled 150 grain M2 bullets (if that is possible). Even The commercial FMJ 147s out there ain't a huge improvement on the 150 M2s.

If you get anywhere near 3MOA with M80s, you should do a backflip. The CMP will soon be selling HXP Greek M2 ball again, likely for around 30 cents a round, if you value your own time at all, buying this "better" ammo pre-rolled would seem the better course of action. good luck either way.

[batman]

I'd highly recommend getting any of the current reloading manuals.

I have a Hornady and a Sierra book and they do not list a load for the 147 gr. pill. They do for the 150. Same thing?

no offense, but you picked a fairly miserable bullet to waste time and money on making 30.06 "match" ammo.

Well at .10 cents a pill the deal was right. Would using them in a 7.62 be better?

[Hefights]

If you have a .308/7.62 rifle to practice with, you can work up loads to about 46 grains of BLC-2 which is similar to Mil Spec, or 43 grains of surplus WC 846, should do just fine, worked for me. For me the 46 gr of BLC-2 was better than lighter loads. I worked up as far as 45 gr of WC 846, but it was really hot w/ heavy blast, but still not excess pressure. 43 gr was just as accurate and less blast & powder used.

With .30-06, you can go 47 gr of IMR 4895. Mil Spec load with M2 bullet is hotter like 48-49, but prob past point of diminishing returns for us reloaders, but you never know until you test. Somewhere around 49 gr of IMR 4064 might work too, but again need to test. Concur totally with Musculus that M80 bullets can only get about 2-3 MOA, but its ok for cheap practice and ringing a gong.

[limazulu]

You might try sorting them by weight. At least for a few hundred to see if you like how or if they shoot any better.

[Sunray]

As mentioned, match bullets they ain't. They're pulled 7.62 NATO bullets. However, work up a load using 150 grain IMR4895, IMR4064 or Varget data from your manual and you'll be fine.
You will have to work up a load for each rifle and full length resize. The M1, like all semi-autos, requires it, but if you're using the same brass in two rifles, it's required too. You may want to consider using one brand of brass for each rifle. Eliminates any confusion as to what rifle the load is for down the road.
With the milsurp cases, reduce the powder charge by 10%. Don't forget to remove the primer crimp first.
When you run out of the milsurp bullets, think 150, 168 or 175 grain match bullets with the same powders.

[Mr. X]

If you bought the Hornady 147s, they're quite accurate. If you have mil surp projectile, quite a bit less so. Still, they should hold the black on an SR or SR-1 target.

I have had very good luck using 44.0 grains of either 4895, 4064, or Varget with the 147 for short-range (100-200 yards) plinking and Garand match shooting. I have also gotten good accuracy with 47.0-47.5 of any of those powders, which is a hotter load more approximating M2 velocities, but I don't feel the need to beat up my M1s with higher velocity than necessary and the light loads work fine for me.

[batman]

If you have mil surp projectile, quite a bit less so. Still, they should hold the black on an SR or SR-1 target.

I have had very good luck using 44.0 grains of either 4895, 4064, or Varget with the 147 for short-range (100-200 yards) plinking and Garand match shooting.

Holding the Black on an SR target in a Garand match is exactly what I want them to do!

Thanks, good load informatioin that I'll try.

[Andy/CA]

I have a Hornady and a Sierra book and they do not list a load for the 147 gr. pill. They do for the 150. Same thing?

Well at .10 cents a pill the deal was right. Would using them in a 7.62 be better?

They are so close, they're pretty much the same thing - 147gr vs 150gr.

I believe the Hornady book has the section on reloading for the Garand... does it not?

Re: the 147's, I've used them in some plinking loads... work great for minute of soda can.