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Is it true that the Garand tends to have failure to feed problems when using commercial .30-'06 Soft Nosed ammo due to the exposed lead? What if spitzer points with its minlmal exposed lead were used?

What is the most reliable commercial load for a Garand?

--JAEGER

Yes, the Garand is noted for not feeding soft point ammuntion reliably. Any bullet strikes on the chamber mouth can cause the tip to mushroom and jam. This may not be a problem for your gun and you can test it reliably with a trip to the range and some off-hand shooting practice for reliability testing and smooth feeding.

FMJ will feed best, but if you're trying to set up a load for hunting, than that is a verboten round for you (especially in CA). Nosler ballistic tips or similar plastic pointed ammo will fit the requirements for hunting with a Garand.

Also, make sure that you have only 5 round capable Garand En-bloc clips in your possession, or you could face some stiff penalties by the state game warden.

Hope this helps,
R.
Bullseye

Yes, the Garand is noted for not feeding soft point ammuntion reliably. Any bullet strikes on the chamber mouth can cause the tip to mushroom and jam. This may not be a problem for your gun and you can test it reliably with a trip to the range and some off-hand shooting practice for reliability testing and smooth feeding.
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Wil have to do that in the field already, I guess...

FMJ will feed best, but if you're trying to set up a load for hunting, than that is a verboten round for you (especially in CA).============
Yeah, lost a deer in the old country that way- had nothing but the regular Ball M2 then. Too late in the afternoon to track it down- found the carcass 2 days later. Such a waste...

Nosler ballistic tips or similar plastic pointed ammo will fit the requirements for hunting with a Garand.
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Thanks- sounds good for a rainy afternoon. Of course I can always buy the commercial ammo, but that takes half the fun away, doesn't it?

Also, make sure that you have only 5 round capable Garand En-bloc clips in your possession, or you could face some stiff penalties by the state game warden.===========
Sweet Jesus, forgot all about that!... Anyway, a small block of wood nailed in the clip shud take care of that. (Like last month, the game warden did check my scattergun to make sure it could load only three shells.)

Thanks for the heads-up, Bullseye...

That block of wood may work but may not be recognized as being legal because it can be altered too easy. Rmemeber when hunting migratory birds, even one loose round of lead ammo is a violtion, might better look into a legal clip and not even carrya ten rounder even if it is empty. In Michigan carrying and uncased firearm on a motor vehicle is against the law. A onservatin officer asked a freind of mine to see his hunting license, he unloaded his gun and set it on the tonaue cover of his pickup so he could get out the license and the officer told him to step back as he was in violation of the law and was under arrest. Luckily the guy let him off but on the technicality of the law depending on the judge he could have been in big trouble.

Hi, Len- We're about ready to go, so that if I'm unable to get a 5-round clip for my Garand, I'll just play safe then and leave it behind. In which case, I was thinking of taking along my SKS 7.62x39 instead, but I seem to remember that puppy has a 10-round mag??? (Groannn...) Anyway, it's my friend who has got a bear tag- I've got a deer tag and I'll just be his coverman when he goes after Brother B'ar.

Anyway, it's my friend who has got a bear tag- I've got a deer tag and I'll just be his coverman when he goes after Brother B'ar.
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Perhaps I should explain: I'm bringing a .243 with 110 grain SP's -- too light for the bruin.

Jaeger,

Sounds like you're about to leave on that hunting trip. I could've cut you up a couple of 5 round clips, like the SLED and 2 rounders I made you a few years back, if I had a little more time. There are some online shops that sell them for around $5-$8, perhaps you could get a couple shipped to you overnight. Let me know if you still need them and I'll cut you up some for the next trip.

R,
Bullseye

Sounds like you're about to leave on that hunting trip. I could've cut you up a couple of 5 round clips, like the SLED and 2 rounders I made you a few years back, if I had a little more time. There are some online shops that sell them for around $5-$8, perhaps you could get a couple shipped to you overnight. Let me know if you still need them and I'll cut you up some for the next trip.

R,
Bullseye =======================
Thanks, Bullseye. May I take a raincheck on ur offer for the 5-rounder?
Because of my transfer to OC, I"ve stopped receiving catalogs.
Anyway, no 5-rd clip available fm my source: I ordered the ammo and a couple of clips thru our local range. The ammo just came in, but I don't feel comfortable with the amount of lead exposed in the 30-06 ammo: 150 gr Sierra bullets "GameKing", SPBT, but not spitzer. So my Garand will just have to hibernate this season. With deer, it's always the first shot that counts. But with Brother B'ar, if one needs to take a second shot, we know what it means: IT BETTER COUNT!!! Or be an Olympic sprinter, HOR HOR HOR!!! (^o^)

Send me your new address in the OC, at my other e-mail address. I'll cut you up a couple of five rounders and send them out to you. May not be in time for this season but you'll have them for the next.

R,
Bullseye

Hi, Bullseye, thanks but pls don't bother with the 5-rd clips anymore, as I found that they are offered in several catalogs, just like what you said, so that I ordered already. Guess I'd just been so used to firing the full 8 rds as it's such a load of fun!...
We plan to go out again as we were invited by a landowner concerned with wild pigs.
Y'know, I just saw an after-market Garand scope mount in a catalog. Made by B-SQUARE for $89.97, "It attaches to rear sight brackets and clamps on receiver's left side at the forward end. Adjustable elevation, interlocking 1" rings included, blued. No gunsmithing required, includes a lifetime warranty." Correct me if I am wrong, but it seems to require removal of the rear sight in order for it to be atached to the rear sight brackets? I think I don't like the idea of the iron sights being removed.
Anybody ever used this mount?

There's several versions of this type of mount and all require the rear sight to be removed for installation. Its an easy thing to do; remove a Garand rear sight. The M1's receiver sight slot is where the telescopic sight adapter mounts. I've used them before but never really liked the setup for the scope.

R,
Bullseye

Hi, Bullseye-
Guess I'll pass on that mount in the meantime.
BTW, got a couple of boxes of Remington Express CORE-LOKT 30-06 ammo for my Garand. I think it's "just what the doctor-- Doctor Bullseye-- ordered" (^o^) to minimize feeding problems. It's got a 150-gr PSP- pointed soft point bullet, with NO exposed lead- a spitzer. In fact, it looks so much like the military Ball M2 after I'd sawn off the tip through and through with a hacksaw.
The 150-gr CORE-LOKT should be powerful and tough enough not to break up when it hits a wild boar's shoulder blade. Y'know what they say about wild boars-- shoot THROUGH, and not behind the shoulder, thus smashing the bone and going through the tough cartilage shield surrounding its heart and lungs. (Which lie between the shoulder blades.) Shoot behind the shoulder as when one shoots a deer and you miss the vitals of the wild boar.
Just the same, I'll give the chamber an extra polishing.

You should be good with that ammo.

R,
Bullseye

Hi, Bullseye-
It being turkey (dinner) season, this turkey is committing a hunting no-no: going a-field without having tested the commercial ammo I got for my Garand. Just didn't have the time for it. Anyway--
1) I won't change the iron sight setting anymore which is zeroed for the Ball M2 at 100 yds.
2) I am assuming (hoping?... LOL) that point of impact of the commercial stuff (150 grs) won't be too far from that of the Ball M2 at 50yds.
3) Since we'll be going after wild boars only- the smallish native feral pigs (not the humongous Russian boar Porkzillas weighing 400 lbs), I'll just confine myself therefore to 50 yds. Anything farther than that, I'll just hope the other fellers see it.
Do you agree with the logic? Or lack of it?

Hi, Bullseye-
It being turkey (dinner) season, this turkey is committing a hunting no-no: going a-field without having tested the commercial ammo I got for my Garand. Just didn't have the time for it. Anyway--
1) I won't change the iron sight setting anymore which is zeroed for the Ball M2 at 100 yds.
2) I am assuming (hoping?... LOL) that point of impact of the commercial stuff (150 grs) won't be too far from that of the Ball M2 at 50yds.
3) Since we'll be going after wild boars only- the smallish native feral pigs (not the humongous Russian boar Porkzillas weighing 400 lbs), I'll just confine myself therefore to 50 yds. Anything farther than that, I'll just hope the other fellers see it.
Do you agree with the logic? Or, lack of it?