Hunting ammo for a Garand

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gmarr

New member
Finally got a beautiful Garand (Springfield) to add to the collection. Very happy with it. Going to the range this week with ball ammo to check the sights and generally make my buddies jealous.

So, we got a hog hunt coming up and of course I want to use the Garand. What's a good factory load to use? Distance will be out to 100 yards or so. Suggestions?
 
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tahunua001

New member
the garand is very picky about ammo due to the fragility of the operating rod, but there are a few companies out there making ammo for them but none with hunting bullets that I know of.
 
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Ralph Allen

New member
If you don't reload, try to find some match ammo for the Garand. These will be loaded with BTHP. This is probably as close to a hunting bullet as you are going to find.
Ralph
 
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HiBC

New member
Hornady,I believe,makes an A-Max 168 gr load for Garands.Might be unobtainable,and the A-Max is a very "loose" rapidly expending bullet.It may lack penetration for hogs.I don't know for sure.

General rules,to give you an idea:168 or less grain bullets,about 2600 fps with medium powders like 4895,RE-15,4064,Varget.

You do not want the slower powders like 4350 and or heavier bullets.

The problem these cause with the slower burn is too high pressure at the gas port.The pressure puts too much load on the op rod and bends it.

Expect commercial hunting ammo to be loaded to higher velocity with slower powder.

Here is a page I found for some NRA comp type loads "Mr Po's" page.I would not assume you can simply sub hunting bullets,but backoff 10% and work back up.Monitor with a chronograph.

Good luck!

http://masterpostemple.bravepages.com/M1load.htm
 
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Creek Henry

New member
I put a pressure release deal on my Garande. It won't cycle light ammo anymore and is more like a bolt gun LOL. But it is adjustable if you have the time and ammo. Look it up from Midway. The gadget fits in the end of the gas tube.
 
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Jimro

New member
If you are hunting hog, I recommend getting some Hornady 168gr Amax Garand Match ammunition.

It isn't a true hunting bullet, but unless you handload (or trust someone to make some loads for you) I don't know of any other options.

My grandfather used to pull the M2 FMJ ball bullets and replace them with soft point spitzers.

Jimro
 
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nate_g_2003

New member
I second the Ported Gas Plug from garandgear.com. I bought one of those so I could safely and reliably shoot Remington 150gr PSP CoreLokts in my Garand, as that is the same round I use when hunting with my Parker-Hale.
 
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skidooman603

New member
Best over the counter is the Hornady Garand specific ammo..I wouldn't recommend HP bullets but that has been argued into the ground..I hunt with a Sierra 165 gr boat tail in front of 46 grains of IMR 4064 in my Garands...
 
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tangolima

New member
I know people who tried hunting with garand. Most of them quit after one trip. It was just too heavy and clumsy to lug around all day.

-TL
 
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Magnum Wheel Man

New member
FIL used to stand hunt with his Garand... I know he used handloads, though I'm not sure which of the handloads he used ( he didn't label them as "Garand 30-06" )

if you're not a reloader, the adjustable gas plug & a couple times at the range dialing everything in should put you in business, with a good factory hunting round...

I've been thinking about buying a plug myself, & I shoot only Garand specific ammo or handloads, just to have something more tunable
 
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briandg

New member
something to keep in mind is that garands are recommended for use with powders in the faster range. The gas pressure peaks earlier and the port takes in less pressure. use of 4831 and other slow powders results in a higher pressure spike when the port is reached.

Not sure if this is what a gas plug does, but factory garands and other semiauto rifles would be best treated in this manner.
 
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T. O'Heir

New member
"...recommended for use with powders in the faster range..." By whom? IMR4895 isn't exactly fast stuff.
Anyway, any Match bullet is not suitable for hunting anything but varmints. Those would include A-Max's. They do not expand.
"...the adjustable gas plug..." Is a way of parting you and your money. Literally millions of rounds of factory ammo have been fired out of M1 Rifles with no fuss long before such things as adjustable gas plug existed.
Any 150 or 165 grain bullet having muzzle velocities in the 2700 to 2800 FPS area will do nicely. For a hog you'd likely want one with controlled expansion.
For reloading any 150, 155, 165, 168, 175 or 180 with IMR or H 4895, IMR4064 or Varget(there are others) will work just fine. The rifle and cartridge love 165 grain hunting bullets. Kill any game you care to hunt.
Have to agree with not wanting to lug the SOB around, but if you're in a blind it won't matter.
 
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briandg

New member
"...recommended for use with powders in the faster range..." By whom? IMR4895 isn't exactly fast stuff.
Click to expand...


Oh, for the love of god, how about remington? It's been common knowledge for decades. Remington purportedly wrote this. Is this satisfactory?


Theoretically, the powders we use in our 30-06 loads are too slow for the Garand. The concern is that slower powders produce a higher gas port pressure which could possibly bend the operating rod. Although we have not received reports of this occuring, as a Garand owner I'd suggest using Garand specific ammunition or using Garand specific loads in your loading manual. Hornady has a Garand section in their recent manuals. I believe that Hornady, Black Hills and Federal all load ammunition geared towards the Garand.
Click to expand...
 
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agtman

Moderator
Alright, here's an on topic question for the Garand "hunting ammo" experts.

Cousin of mine is crazy to take his M1 hog hunting with me. His is chambered in .308. It's one of those HRC Special Receiver .308s that, I believe, he got from the CMP South Store. I know the barrel is a Criterion.

Nothing wrong w/ my M1, but I'm taking my 300 BLK. Cous' asked me for a good .308 hog load that's functionally safe in his M1.

Was going to recommend Hornady's 168gn AMAX w/ a 100yd zero, but thought I'd ask on this thread.

Thanks! :cool:
 
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HiBC

New member
I don't know about loading for 7.62 Garands,never done it,have no references.

Raw opinion:Use a 150 to 168 gr hunting bullet,and select from

4895,4064,Re-15,Varget,or equivalent mid burning range powders.

Charges?I can't suggest.

All I will say is 308 max pressures are higher than 30-06 max pressures,so my opinion is stay down from max .
 
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agtman

Moderator
I don't know about loading for 7.62 Garands, never done it, have no references. Raw opinion:Use a 150 to 168 gr hunting bullet,and select from
Click to expand...

He doesn't reload. He's looking for a suggestion for factory .308 ammo that's Garand-safe. Thanks.
 
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