Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters M1 Garand hunting use?

For no particular reason this question popped into my mind the other day. Given its track record and production numbers during the war, why wasn't the Garand more popular as a sporting arm post WWII?

I figure most of the gunwriters here (and members in general) are babyboomers and might have greater insight and memory into this query.

With the post war popularity and availability of Mausers and Springfields it's no surprise they became so prevalent in the hunting world. Shouldn't the Garand have followed this course to some extent?

I can think of a few possibilities why perhaps it didn't gain a foothold. Were they readily available after the war and at reasonable cost? Did most hunters already own a good bolt or lever 'hunting' rifle they returned to after the war? During that era was the bolt or lever action still seen as the hunting rifle compared to the semi-auto 'war' rifle. Was the difficulty of scope mounting a problem (although in the dense East thickets, I would think the peepsights would have worked fine)? Was the 8 round clip 'off putting' to hunters?

I grew up in N. Wisconsin in thick woods. The Marlin 336, Win 94, and Rem 7600 were the most ubiquitous--most often in .30-30, .35 Rem, or .30-06. Not only did I not know or hear of anyone who ever hunted with a Garand, I never knew anyone who even owned one (and I would have known being a rilfe loony and a WWII loony).

So for those of you whose fathers and their friends would have served in WWII or hunted during the immediate years after, what are your thoughts on the Garand's seeming lack of sporting use? Just curious. It was such a iconic weapon during the war, it seems that popularity would have bled over into the sporting realm.

Too heavy unless your hunting from a stand. They were a bitch to carry but a joy to shoot.

Some states limit capacity to five rounds for big game hunting. Brownells sells a special 5-shot clip for the M-1.

I have one, son has one, good buddy has one. Yes, they all have been hunted. Here it's only legal if you have the 5 round clip, which is available most places.
We've use ours for our doe tags. They seem to get a little closer for peep sights.
One thing to remember, don't try an shoot hot loads of 30-06 through them, they were made for something a little less stout.
M1 hunting ammo is available.
I was in one of the last training battalion to be issued M1's back in 64 after going through basic using the M14.
Great gun, here's my CMP select grade H&R, rebuilt by the Gov. but never reissued.
Below it is my son's Springfield, came from CMP with all Springfield parts that were all period correct. His was mid 50's, mine is late 50's.
Those old girls still can shoot.

I have used one many times in black timber. Back in the day they were fairly common. A lot of WW2 and Korean war vets liked them.

I have used one.Now it's tad heavy to lug around.Never load them witha slow powder like 4831, 4350. Keep to the 4895 realm.

Good replies guys. I never even thought about the round count restrictions.

As far as weight, I know ultra lights are all the rage now but back in the day a lot of the military sporters and even the fabled pre-64 70s weren't a whole lot lighter than a Garand. I also figured those WWII vets were pretty used to the weight by then!

Beautiful rifles, jbmi!

I worked up hunting loads for my Garand using 150 grain Hornady's this past summer. I was thinking I would carry it while poking around for wild hogs on my Mississippi place. But there isn't enough hog sign lately to get me excited about that. I'm sure they will be back, and when they are ....

Up until about 1980 it was almost impossible to get one. Unlike the CMP the DCM only allowed one per person for life. There was a few made from DeMilled (cut in half) receivers found at gun shows but, the real McCoy was few and far between. I remember in the mid '70's when the Sheriffs Dept. was granted to purchase some for $165 IIRC.

I always take my Garand out with me each fall...especially on the Veteran's Day holiday. I do it as a means of honoring my dad (and others of course)who fought in the Battle of the Bulge in WWII. He was in the infantry and saw the worst of it. He passed away in 2006 from Alzheimer's. The Garand was a safe queen when I found it, 100% correct, and is within 90,000 of the s/n my dad carried. I always thought that was so cool. She shoots 168 SMK's with 47.0 gr of 4064 into nice tight little bitty groups.

He remembered his s/n until Alzheimer's started taking it's toll. Thanks for everything you did for me dad...Love You.

HDH, 75th Inf. Division, RIP

Great story, godogs! Thanks.

I don't think so. Real men carried them across europe. A little hunting trip wouldn't have slowed them down one bit

The things that make you go 'hummmmmm'?

I've hunted with mine before, but I haven't connected with it yet. Lately, I have been after a boor hog that's destroying a riparian area. The reason the M1 went afield is that this creature is pretty big and asside from ample firepower, any follow up shots, for any reason, will just be a semi automatic process (pull the trigger until the clip goes ping). Plus, I am comfortable shooting it. I really do not mind the weight, it's good excerize, with the reminder that if the men on Normandy beach could carry M1's under fire, then I shouldn't be a wuss about taking it out for a mountain stroll.

Amen LNF150...preach it.

Mojo thanks so much for the comment...much appreciated.

GOOD ON YA ! I feel your R E S P E C T ! !

T H A N K S to all of our service people.

Jerry

The more often you shoot them, the lighter they feel...

TC

By the time my dad got past Sicily and Anzio, he might have weighed 120lbs. He took a carbine from Sicily to Anzio, but carried a Springfield or a Garand all the way to Germany. He didn't complain about them being heavy; the BAR was heavy.

I just don't understand why a young civilian man would complain about an M1 being heavy. A guy under 40 really ought to be able to run ridges all day with one.

The early post about them not being that common is the fact. By the time they were surplused out better rifles to mount optics to were common and cheaper to get your hands on

Despite the fact I own a Kimber 84M in 7-08, I took my No.1H in .375 BERNIE this year for elk and deer. It weighs 9.75lbs and I couldn't sling it over my shoulder due to my pack so I had to carry it most of the time (this in the mountains of Idaho). Everytime I felt like bitchin in my mind, my exact thoughts were of the guys who humped their Garands (and kits) all through Europe and the Pacific. Suuddenly, the ole H&H wasn't so bad after all (didn't have to worry about getting ambushed either)!