Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters Handloading for the M1A

I have a quantity of 147gr fmj mil surp bullets and LC cases. I'd like to develop a load for - well - mil spec blasting ammo for lack of a better term.

The only load book I have listing mil spec ammo is the Accurate Arms No1. They list a Palma Load using a 155gr bullet and 46gr of 2520. Suppose that would work.

Question is: does anyone have a load for 147gr. bullets that will function properly in an M1A without beating the gun to death?

O

41.0 gr of H-4895 2,600 GI brass
42.0 gr of I-4064 2,650
43.0 gr of H-4895 2,650 thin Winchester brass
44.0 gr of W-748 2,650 start here, maybe stay here
46.0 gr of W-748 2,750 duplicates GI load
50.1 gr of W-760 2,700 good load
51.8 gr of W-760 2,768 too hot in some M1As
42.0 gr of @-846 2,690 beginning. May just stay here
44.0 gr of W-846 2,750 Duplicate GI start at 42.0


The standard loads I give here are 47,000 CUP, and I would stay there. When you get up much hotter, you risk bending the operating rod.

A lot of the match loads you find for the M-14 are for the 168-gr bullets, which you don't need inside 300 yards. In fact, if you are shooting at 200 yards, there are lots of accurate, mild loads with 125-gr bullets which will operate a standard M-14 or M1 Garand.

Thanks for the info. Like I said, I've a quantity of 147gr ball and just want to load up some stuff to shoot. Certainly don't want to batter up the rifle.

O

Back when I used to shoot an M-14 or M1A a lot, some of the most accurate loads were not that hot, with the 168-gr and 175-gr loads only running about 2,550 fps.

So long as you don't try to launch 180's at 2700 fps plus, or 150's at 3000, you're not gonna batter that action. I've had and have, several M1A's that had 1000's of competition rounds down range, and I never saw any signs of Battering. Don't use a powder with a slow rate of burn, like H4350, use medium burn rate powders.

Years ago, SOF Magazine did a test to destruction of a springfield M1A, and all they were able to do was set the stock on fire! They had to keep pouring water from a canteen on it to keep the smoke down to a tolerable level.
They also tested a norinco M1A type, at the same time. It had to be set aside as the headspace had grown to what they considered an unsafe level after a few hundred rounds. The Springfield consumed everything with out fail to the best of my memory.

Back when the military used to load their "white box" national match ammo, the specified velocity for a 173 grain bullet was 2640 fps in 30-06 (M1 Garand) and 2550 in .308 (M1A). IMR4895 was used in each, with the exact powder weight being varied to get the specified velocity. IIRC, in 30-06 that was 46 to 48 grains (though 48 seems a little hot for today's 4895) and 41 grains in .308.

There was no need for load work-up with an M1A. You loaded up 41 grains of IMR4895 with Sierra's 168 grain bullet. If your rifle did not shoot, then you changed the barrel.

The acceptance criterion for this Match ammo was 100 consecutive shots in a 6" circle at 600 yeards, fired indoors from a machine rest. Every year at the national matches at Camp Perry they would have a 100 shot group posted.

according to Cartridges of the World the military match load, M118, is a 175gr bullet loaded with 42gr 4895. The M852 is a 168gr bullet wwith the same charge. I'd stick with those loads if they shoot well

let me add one more thing, buy yourself a headspace guage to set up your reloading die. Set the shoulder back .003 from the fired dimensions.
You MIGHT be able to get 5-6 firings before you start seeing signs of head separations. Also you'll want to invest in a tool to pull separated cases out of the chamber.

If you decide to use match loads I had 3 that always worked.
41.5 grs IMR 4895
42.5 grs IMR 4064
43.5 grs WIN 748
All used 168 gr sierra. If one of these loads didn't work, it was time to start changing parts or checking the bedding.

I'm wanting to use a ball powder as I have a Dillon press. But, I've never had good accuracy results using W748 in a number of differant .223 or .222 loads in probably a half dozen rifles. Has anyone obtained decent accuracy with W748?

O

Ramshot TAC is a ball powder that is intended for 7.62 NATO and may be worth a try. It is extremely clean burning and not temperature-sensitive, besides being excellent to meter. See www.ramshot.com/powders
H-335 is another choice. It always shot better in .223 for me than 748.

I've had some sucess with 748 in the 223. All were light bullet loads out of match grade AR's and one Bolt gun. 50's, (52 SBTMK really shot well), and the 60 gr. Sierra. All loads started at 26.5 grs with a CCI primer and LC case. Never could get 748 to shoot 69's or 77's worth a hoot.

Garry,
If there is any U.S. mil match load other than M118LR with a 175 SMK, or Special Ball with a 173 FMJBT being made, I haven't seen it since the mid 80's.
The SB that I used to shoot came loaded with a Ball powder, and it shot like hell in a match M1A.
The first M118LR I saw was in 1995, and it was loaded with ball powder up to 2000?
The new lots of LR with the 175 SMK are loaded with what looks like RL15 at 43-43.5 grs. From what I understand, Alliant has had the contract to run the LC plant for some years, after taking over from Olin corp (Powder mfg).

Fri..,

Good idea. TAC is usable in the .223 and I shoot that,too.