Bullet length

[Shadow]

When loading for the garand how important is it to set the ogive at about .015 from the rifle lands? I hear some people say that it's not critical in a garand. Attempting to load and want to get correct bullet length for accuracy. Any comments or suggestions.

[Hefights]

You are referring to cartridge OAL, which is different from bullet length. More important is the OAL that will function properly in the rifle. I recommend you follow the recommended OAL for the bullet type in published loading data. Unless you have some kind of match rifle and are single loading rounds for special long range shooting, seating the bullet close to the rifling is not really a factor in loading for the M1 Garand, in my experience. Well crafted ammo will shoot very well with a normal bullet jump using recommended OAL or "mil spec" OAL, and always does in all my rifles. Miilitary rifles normally have a long throat, and bullet jump is significant, and yet the rifles are capably of excellent accuracy.

Ammo loaded with original M2 ball type 150 gr bullets is relatively long, at approx 3.34" max OAL. My Greek HXP M2 ball 150 gr ammo is at 3.32" OAL. The newer M80 ball type 150 gr bullet like Hornady 150 gr FMJBT, and surplus M80, will be shorter than M2 ball in order to keep the bullet seated reliabily, and still shoot very well if loaded correctly. Typically, my 168 match bullets are seated approx 3.30 + or -.

For stability, Sierra technicians told me they always recommend seating a bullet approximately as deep as the bullet diameter, at a minimum.

[Sunray]

It's not critical with any rifle. Loading to have the bullet just off the lands is a load tweaking technique. Won't be .015" in every rifle either. Every chamber is slightly different and so will the distance the rifle likes from the lands.

[Johnny P]

Agree with Sunray. You are looking for thousandths of an inch in your groups when you load to where the bullet is just off the rifling. Also, the M1 Rifle barrels were not all cut identically. Using a breech bore gage on a 8-40 barrel, it measures about .5 on the gage. A new in the wrap '52 barrel measures 2.5 on the same gage.

There are a lot of things you can do to a M1 Rifle to help accuracy before you have to worry about loading off the rifling.

[joem]

"follow the recommended OAL for the bullet type".

As I load surplus bullets I found that loading M2AP needed a shorter OAL or the bullet was jammed to the rifleing. Had to shorten them up. Not all M2AP have the same olgive either.

[Hefights]

Following the OAL length in published data for a bullet type specified in that data is correct and appropriate.

Most M2 bullets have a crimping groove. When following proper principles reloading various types of M2 bullets has never been a problem for me, including AP, Lake City pulled, new PRVI, and pulled KA. YM may have varied.

Max OAL in .30-06 is 3.34. The type of rifle, chamber, throat, magazine, bullet, etc must be taken into account when approaching that or finding the "max OAL".

In normal shooting with the average M1 Garand, "seating the bullet close to the rifling is not really a factor" in accuracy in my experience, as stated by Johnny P other factors are more important. Trying to seat to the rifling in this application can jeopardize proper function and/or accuracy, as your post somewhat illustrates.