If 4895 is preferred, I found 40 grains of same and either a 150 or 165 to be a very pleasant light kicker, and accurate in several rifles. Sorry i can't speak to it functioning a Garand but would think it should. It is the load I use to tame a 6 3/4 pound Mauser guild gun with a stupid narrow butt stock that is absolutely murderous with factory equivalent loads. 100 yard groups with 40 4895/165 Sierra out of two Springfields consistently slop into 1- 1 1/4", sub-MOA out of the 1903A1 USMC sniper with Unertl scope.
As for 60 year old FA Match brass being soft, after dancing with FA stuff of that vintage off and on for the last 50 years I can honestly say I never noticed that trait. Back when I was anal about such things I remarked that FA Match brass of the same lot was scary consistent regarding case volumes, measured with the water/weight thereof method. I have some FA Match brass that is on its 8th loading with no signs of impending retirement. (But mind you I don't load any of it anywhere near max. What's the point?)
Funny, back in the day the main reason we glommed onto Match brass was because we didn't have to remove crimps, not because it was particularly uniform.
