Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Competitive Shooting Ball powder for Garand & M1A ?

Recommendations please for a ball powder for use in Garand and/or M1A.

I'd personally stick with stick powder if you are going to use it for competition because ball powders tend to burn dirtier and if you are shooting a regional course match, by the time you get back to 600yds, you may be taking too big of a hit in accuracy. However, if you want to use a ball powder, you have to make sure that you use a powder that has the proper burning rate, else the action may not cycle properly or even worse, you'll bend the op-rod. The only one that I can name off of the top of my head is Hodgdon H380, though there are others.

The issue with ball powders and not making it through an 88 shot match is bunk. I"ve shot tons of matches with ball powder and had no problem shooting cleans in prone slow at the end. I will say some are dirtier than others. The new Ramshot line has been cleaner than any AA ball I"ve ever used FWIW.

For cheap if you can find a surplus stash of WC852 its worked very well over the years for me with a burn of around 380. Give Pat a call at patsreloading.com and see what he has that will work. There are other sources too.

Jeff

Perhaps the WC852 burns cleaner than most ball powders, but the ones that I have tried have killed my accuracy after many rounds with both of my Garands. I have loads with IMR4064 that work great, and a scale that automatically despenses the charge so I'll stick with the extruded powders.

Oh do I need to get back into competition shooting.

Perhaps the WC852 burns cleaner than most ball powders, but I've never tried it. My experience with them is that they did kill my accuracy after many rounds and required more cleaning - this in both of my Garands. I have some loads with IMR4064 that work great and a scale that automatically dispenses the charge, so I'll stick to the extruded.

Oh, do I need to get back into competition shooting.

Seriously on ball-- some are better than others. The new Ramshot line-- TAC in 223 is very clean in my opinion. Maybe cleaner than my N500s

I use AA2520 powder in all my Garands, without trouble....It's a ball powder that meters well, and is the appropriate burning rate.

Tom

Warning on AA-- I"ve been burned one to many times by them changing suppliers on powder -- its damn dangerous and not good marketing. Got stuck with 64 pounds of 2520 that would not make speed and in-accurate too. Other than that and it being temp sensitive, no problem.