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

I carry one of at least once during deer season. Here is the only time its connected. A field grade Winchester from the CMP

There was a guy in Alaska known as "the bear-hunting judge." Can't remember his name right now, but have a book about him. He started with a semi-auto .35 Remington and killed several brown bears with it (not usually with one shot) but eventually went to the Garand, and killed several more BIG bears. Will find the book and post more.

There is a guy in Montana that uses one somewhat regularly, and has killed everything from gophers to elk. It also amuses me to hear people talk about how heavy they are. One of those guys that knew it all and never carried one, picked his own scoped rifle when he was blindfolded, claiming it to be the heavier gun. It sure never stopped this guy...

I love shooting mine and used it on one doe two years ago. It shoots very well. Might have something to do with being too heavy for me to move off target when shooting it!

Have to rotate hunting with different guns so I have not carried it since.

Richard

Besides, it's nice to have a bayonet when the in close work begins. They are dangerous when wounded.

1B

For those that may not know, you can still get one from the CMP if you meet a few simple requirements. They have several grades to from which to choose. Go to ODCMP.com. Lots of fun to shoot and if you let a newbie shoot one watch his face when the clip goes "ping"...he'll think something broke.

I carried my 1955 Springfield armory last year no deer or hog. Took it this year and connected with deer at 15 yds with my handload.48 grains H4895 CCI 34 primers 150 grain Speer soft point and Wnchester brass. Do use the 5 round clip.

Would like to post a picture but not sure how to any help?

358win

Went hunting in Kansas back in the early 90's and a local brought in his gun the first morning of hunting.I looked at my partner and said WTF and he winked.Later that day the old boy knocked down a monstrous doe running at 150yds.Right through the shoulder a tad high but dead as hell.That old M1 was deadly in that guys hands. Surprised the crap out of me as I was standing beside him thinking...ain't no way he's going to kill that deer.I learned alot that day about marksmanship.That old M1 was all he had and all he knew.powdr

I've got a couple from CMP. Very good on hogs. Don't get me started on what they'll do to ground squirrels on the ranch, but it's damn good practice, hitting squirrels at 100 yards with open sights.

I had a boy-hood friend whose father was a major in the US Army in WW2 (landed in Normandy on D-Day - second wave) and fought all the way into Germany. He traded his M-1 Carbine for an M-1 Garand for hunting. He shot several deer using ball ammo. He also got a small deer with a 50 BMG - not much left.

Back in the 60's there were a number of magazine articles, especially in the old "Guns", on customizing and rebarreling Garands. The .270 and .25-06 were particularly popular. The "old" Fajens and Bishops both offered sporter stocks, even with rollover cheek pieces. Some really changed the looks and were rather handsome for the time period.

When my wife went hunting elk for the first time over a month ago, before we headed out, I told her we needed to bring a backup gun to ride behind the truck seat, just incase anything mechanical happened to her rem 700, scope, or whatever. My suggestion, which got shot down like a Japanese zero in the Great Marianas Turkey Shoot, was to bring my old trusty rem 760. I forgot how much she distains the recoil of that old gun. But her suggestion was to bring the Garand (which is just as old) because it doesn't kick her very much and for being just a shade taller then a wizard of oz munchkin she enjoys shooting it. So the M1 went quietly with us, never saw the light of day through the whole hunt, yet it was there just incase.

This link is what got me started:

https://www.24hourcampfire.com/ubbth...96239/How_to_post_your_photos#Post696239

I hope it will help you as well.

Thanks WoodsyAl

When I get time I'll give it shot

358win

Garands weren't available. Over half of the WWII vets in my family groups had 740/742 Remingtons though. I have one around to remind me of a couple of uncles. Those boys could shoot.

FWIW We used the M-14 in boot camp and at the range in 1966.

In early 1967 at ITR it was Garands, BAR's and M-60's. The BAR was a jewel. Amazing weapon. Should have been modified to a .308 and quick change barrel for Nam IMHO.

In Hawaii back to the M-14's and at the last AR-15's [XME2's if memory serves]nice weapons. I briefly held the range record with one and I do mean briefly [one flight].

At Santa Ana and in the desert it was M-14's.

In Vietnam we had the early Jam-O-Matic AR's [we were wingers].
Shoot it once and clean it for a month. Only load sixteen in the magazines, etc. POS.

Of all of those I liked the M-14 so much I never wanted a Garand despite the CMP availability.

48.0 gr.'s of IMR4895 with a 150 gr Sierra SP works great in my M-1 Grand and 2-remington 03A3's. It's also shoots MOA in my Remington ADL and CDL rifles. This is my go to load for the 30/06.

I think we have 4 or 5 of them in the safe... I"ve hunted one a fair amount on pigs, never used it on deer for some reason.

I have done a triple with the M1 on hogs so far. The firepower that day allowed a starting neck shot, a running back of the head coming down from recoil, and a right to left crosser, and then a few minutes later caught the other 2 on a trail and dinged them to have killed all 5 from the group.

Ive taken my Winchester M-1 out a few times and have not yet squeezed the trigger. One day I will on the right deer. First year I brought it to camp though, its a good thing I brought a couple hundred rounds of ball ammo. Everyone wanted to shoot it. Hell even my dad (a Korean War Navy vet) went through a few en-blocs, and he still remembered how to field strip it.

shot 1 blue wolf on the run bout 150 yds out with mine 10yrs. back or so.....use it on my trapline, you get use to the heft. my son has it now.

Have carried mine hunting a few times, passed up a shot on a doe
but never fired it at game.

Funny story, my Dad was drafted into the Army from 60-62,
He enjoyed shooting the Garand, carrying it not so much...
told me he and some of his buddies threatend to buy one when
they became available to the public, stick it in the ground on
the bayonet, and pee on it every time they went by
He still remembered how to field strip mine also, had to show me
how to do it. Haven't asked him in a long time, but he used to
remember the serial number of his. Told me they used to burn up
leftover ammo rather than checking it back in, shoot till the
front handguard was smoking.