M1 Garand Postal Match- Congrats daekken and Dakar 652!!!

I put a pinch in my Wheaties before every match.

OK, maybe not- but I do use spills as fertilizer.
 
Im posting my scores for fun. I already told Mountain to discount my scores and if I come up in the random drawings make it a free spin for another chance.
 
Just pretend it's the poo-say gun and you'll shoot a 99.

Lopped off my MM front sight at lunch today. Cut-off wheel, then a quick belt grind to smooth over. Going totally poo-say with a small scope. Too much work to get the pinned and welded muzzle protector off then back on to just use a low-pro gas block. Stupid Mass...

Reminder to anyone who's not in the high 90's that I'll have a random drawing for all (except high score) who entered.

Thinking about my next postal match. Probably all milsurps Vietnam or older. Might make it a winter warrior theme.

I should have some Arisaka loads worked out by then!
 
shit...is this milsurp ammo only? I'm getting ready to enter a target on Saturday hopefully but will be utilizing reloads.

This one is any Garand, any ammo. If you develop any 1 MOA ammo, match rules dictate that you must send 50 rounds to me for certification.
 
Well, that definitely counts me out of the running. All I've done is a detail strip, full spring replacement, rebuild the bolt, tilt test, and swap a few Springfield parts for Winchester. I used loose HXP right out of the can.

T
 
Well, that definitely counts me out of the running. All I've done is a detail strip, full spring replacement, rebuild the bolt, tilt test, and swap a few Springfield parts for Winchester. I used loose HXP right out of the can.

T

Well, Mac has graciously bowed out. I think he doesn't want word to get back home that he's that good of a shooter and spending the required amount of time at the range to hone his skills. I was sent an anonymous picture of Dakar652 at his local pistol range. Seeing him without a bulky shooting jacket, the postal match board of governors has requested testing for PED's. Also I heard his ex was a competitor on the East German women's swim team.

Pending Dakar's drug test result, that leaves only a couple more folks. DW for sure will be tough...
 
Well, Mac has graciously bowed out. I think he doesn't want word to get back home that he's that good of a shooter and spending the required amount of time at the range to hone his skills. I was sent an anonymous picture of Dakar652 at his local pistol range. Seeing him without a bulky shooting jacket, the postal match board of governors has requested testing for PED's. Also I heard his ex was a competitor on the East German women's swim team.

Pending Dakar's drug test result, that leaves only a couple more folks. DW for sure will be tough...

my practice consist of any testing I do posted here and picking up the daisy 853 for a few minutes every 10-15 days for 5 min...when i can keep my off hand above 89 point regularly i might enter the "good" area
 
Well, Mac has graciously bowed out. I think he doesn't want word to get back home that he's that good of a shooter and spending the required amount of time at the range to hone his skills. I was sent an anonymous picture of Dakar652 at his local pistol range. Seeing him without a bulky shooting jacket, the postal match board of governors has requested testing for PED's. Also I heard his ex was a competitor on the East German women's swim team.

Pending Dakar's drug test result, that leaves only a couple more folks. DW for sure will be tough...

lmao...you're pretty close on the girlfriend front...she likely would have been able to place for the US Womens Fencing team had it not been for med school.

if Yeungling and vodka tonics coupled with blood pressure medication are considered performance enhancing...i'm guilty as charged!

lucky for majspud and the rest of the competitors, the Marine Corps only cares about 'minute of bad guy' and save that high speed training for the forward observers (guardian angels as we call them). even with reloads i'm not much better than 3-4moa. with Mountain and Mac out of the running, dw is definitely going to be the man to beat. NOW that being said...if Franco were allowed to compete via snail mail, we'd all be knocked off the board (do us a favor and don't tell him about the internet, even though it was being invented by Al Gore while Franco was killing commies in Laos in the 60's).

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my practice consist of any testing I do posted here and picking up the daisy 853 for a few minutes every 10-15 days for 5 min...when i can keep my off hand above 89 point regularly i might enter the "good" area

i've seen your spoon target range...aim small miss small!
 
lmao...you're pretty close on the girlfriend front...she likely would have been able to place for the US Womens Fencing team had it not been for med school.

if Yeungling and vodka tonics coupled with blood pressure medication are considered performance enhancing...i'm guilty as charged!

lucky for majspud and the rest of the competitors, the Marine Corps only cares about 'minute of bad guy' and save that high speed training for the forward observers (guardian angels as we call them). even with reloads i'm not much better than 3-4moa. with Mountain and Mac out of the running, dw is definitely going to be the man to beat. NOW that being said...if Franco were allowed to compete via snail mail, we'd all be knocked off the board (do us a favor and don't tell him about the internet, even though it was being invented by Al Gore while Franco was killing commies in Laos in the 60's).

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i've seen your spoon target range...aim small miss small!

right now my target is the rotten tomatoes on a few plants that did no produce good tasting fruit....

Honestly though my biggest gain in any accuracy or skill was getting the correct Rx for shooting...thank you Dr. Ginsberg!
 
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right now my target is the rotten tomatoes on a few plants that did no produce good tasting fruit....

Honestly though my biggest gain in any accuracy or skill was getting the correct Rx for shooting...thank you Dr. Ginsberg!

what about collateral damage...i.e. Fruit behind the fruit? My gf would kill me if she saw me shooting at her garden.

i'm still shooting without any vision correction...I'm just being a baby about the whole 'I need glasses' thing.

that being said...here's my target from tonight...5 sighter shots ahead of time and adjusted down two clicks out of my service grade CMP Springfield from July 1944 with a 1955 SA barrel and all SA parts that I know of apart from the stock/hw.

IMG_0015.jpg IMG_0014.jpg

And after scoring and getting a second opinion on the shot on the 10 ring I believe this to be a 95. Shot in the prone at 100 yards as measured by my digital range finder from muzzle to target in a time of less than 7 minutes.
 
Maybe I'll have to pull a box of '69 HXP and try once more, but I don't think I can beat that.

t

i bet you can! I also bet that's not gonna be my only attempt with the holiday coming up. I really wanna make an entry with my Winchester!

i also bet that your car is in better shape than my '57 210 that's been sitting in the garage without an engine for a year now.
 
i bet you can! I also bet that's not gonna be my only attempt with the holiday coming up. I really wanna make an entry with my Winchester!

i also bet that your car is in better shape than my '57 210 that's been sitting in the garage without an engine for a year now.

I'll have to see the target first; really having trouble with my eyes right now.

t
 
Same target...scored appropriately with all load information listed.
View attachment 206389

Nice shootin! Yep, that's a solid 95.

You happen to check that 43 grain load with a chrony? I'd be more than happy to drop the load a little and also save some powder. But... some powders behave a little funny when not enough of the case is filled. Velocity extreme spread and standard deviation would be high if that's the case. If velocities are consistent & the rifle cycles well, less can be good.

right now my target is the rotten tomatoes on a few plants that did no produce good tasting fruit....

Honestly though my biggest gain in any accuracy or skill was getting the correct Rx for shooting...thank you Dr. Ginsberg!

The +0.5 reading glasses seem to help me. Probably I should get my butt to an eye doc.

I have way too many cherry tomatoes. Pellet gun therapy sounds like a really good idea. Also I have one of those resetting swing target pellet traps- somewhere. Can't find the damn thing but it's good indoor fun.
 
Same target...scored appropriately with all load information listed.
View attachment 206389

Have you "developed" any loads or are you just running with the 43 grains. I'm sure your garand will cycle with even a lower charge.
For the M1 I don't get to silly. I will do 1 grain increments and shoot a test round OCW style and see what happens. I will try to detail that on my next rifle. For 200 yards you don't need full house loads.
 
Nice shootin! Yep, that's a solid 95.

You happen to check that 43 grain load with a chrony? I'd be more than happy to drop the load a little and also save some powder. But... some powders behave a little funny when not enough of the case is filled. Velocity extreme spread and standard deviation would be high if that's the case. If velocities are consistent & the rifle cycles well, less can be good.



The +0.5 reading glasses seem to help me. Probably I should get my butt to an eye doc.

I have way too many cherry tomatoes. Pellet gun therapy sounds like a really good idea. Also I have one of those resetting swing target pellet traps- somewhere. Can't find the damn thing but it's good indoor fun.

What you have to do is make sure you go to a eye Dr. Who gets the needs of shooting.
What you wear day to day is not generally going to work. It's a balancing act.
When I wear my Rx for shooting I can't see the rear notch on notch and post style rifles very well.
Also different yardage requires different Rx
@ 600 I only use a +.25 lens in my hooded peep.
It's just enough to fight off the eye fatigue yet still see the front post. +.50 for everything else.
I'm not to concerned with the target as long as I can ID my target I just accept the dark blob and center up the best I can. I can see the target better with out my Rx but that's pointless.
 
That 9 hmmmm I,mean 10 at 1oc is very close[wink] maybe I should bring that silly little shot verifier thing next week and double check....
JFC I'm not even in the hunt and I'm feeling threatened.[laugh]

LMAO! That's the shot I needed my roommate Pat to verify before I posted so I didn't get flamed! He said 'That's a Franco 10 all day!'

Franco scored for him last vintage match when we had the T53 throw down and showed him how the Seabeas mark targets...no wonder he beat both my scores :D

I was ready to take the 9 for score, but there's two little splits that go through the line of the 10 ring...I'll take a close up of that hole when I'm at home tonight if i think of it to appease the peanut gallery[rofl]
 
I did 'work up' that M1 load of Varget as well, but either 42 or 43gr was the listed minimum and up to 48gr i think in my Nosler manual for the 168 Custom Comp HPBT...and I'm not really experienced enough to know 'how low is safe' yet. When you chrono 'lite' loads, are you still looking for lowest standard deviation?

To this point i've worked up in .5gr increments for large rifle loads in 5 round batches for now...set up individual targets for each load at 115yds (bench to target at worcester pistol and rifle) and go off group size and velocity data. to be perfectly honest, i'm not even sure i'm doing it all correctly because i'm so new at this reloading thing...but it gives me something to screw around with and i'm VERY interested in learning as much as i can about it.

I'm posting a workup today in the 'what did you do in the reloading room' thread of a 200gr .45 LSWC I did last night after getting the postal match entry completed...maybe you guys can look at my data/target pictures and let me know if i'm missing something. probably be early afternoon before I get all the data correctly labeled and uploaded.
 
I did 'work up' that M1 load of Varget as well, but either 42 or 43gr was the listed minimum and up to 48gr i think in my Nosler manual for the 168 Custom Comp HPBT...and I'm not really experienced enough to know 'how low is safe' yet. When you chrono 'lite' loads, are you still looking for lowest standard deviation?

To this point i've worked up in .5gr increments for large rifle loads in 5 round batches for now...set up individual targets for each load at 115yds (bench to target at worcester pistol and rifle) and go off group size and velocity data. to be perfectly honest, i'm not even sure i'm doing it all correctly because i'm so new at this reloading thing...but it gives me something to screw around with and i'm VERY interested in learning as much as i can about it.

I'm posting a workup today in the 'what did you do in the reloading room' thread of a 200gr .45 LSWC I did last night after getting the postal match entry completed...maybe you guys can look at my data/target pictures and let me know if i'm missing something. probably be early afternoon before I get all the data correctly labeled and uploaded.

I don't bother with crony testing much anymore especially for 200 yards or less.
Varget gets a little funny when you get down in powder charges. I run a light cast load with Varget and it does well but H4895 is much more forgiving.
SD and extreme spread IMHO really don't add up to much on the target at 200 yards.
If your getting some outrageous SD then you need to look into why. Right now the only time I break out the crony is when I want some idea of the velocity of my cast Loads so I can figure out my trajectory.
I don't have a lot of range time so I will often just zero at 25 or 50 yards and figure out the trajectory needed for 200 yards.
For my 200 grain loads @ 1600ish fps I know i need to be about 3" high at 25 yards and 5" or so at 50 yards to get a rough 200 yard poa/poi zero.
 
That's pretty neat that you're able to figure that out like that. I also had better luck with 4895, as in my group sizes were smaller, but I'm still testing all my powders to see what's going to give me the Absolute best results. I bought a hodgepodge of powders in the last few years while I was getting ready to start reloading and have about 4 or 5 left to try. Namely 2520, 4640, IMR4895 (previously used H4895), and I think I have some 3031 and maybe another as well. Just collecting data and seeing what my 'match' M1 likes first and then I'll go from there to work up loads for the rest of them.
 
I'd like to submit a late entry. I was in a rush and forgot to bring ammo so I performed 5 bayonet charges. I had one flyer when I stumbled over a groundhog.

iW1fymc.jpg
 
That's pretty neat that you're able to figure that out like that. I also had better luck with 4895, as in my group sizes were smaller, but I'm still testing all my powders to see what's going to give me the Absolute best results. I bought a hodgepodge of powders in the last few years while I was getting ready to start reloading and have about 4 or 5 left to try. Namely 2520, 4640, IMR4895 (previously used H4895), and I think I have some 3031 and maybe another as well. Just collecting data and seeing what my 'match' M1 likes first and then I'll go from there to work up loads for the rest of them.

ballistic calculator helps
if you know roughly your bullets BC and velocity you can get "close enough" to find paper. the cast bullet I use is roughly .380 BC
 
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