Range Time report

[Former Cav]

Went out Nov 20. Nice day, about 75 above here in Phoenix.
Since my health has kind of gone down hill in the last 18 months or so, and I'm on blood thinners. I was in pain for 2 days after this. Thought I might have even cracked a rib. I'm on blood thinners due to heart work and have osteoporosis. Sucks to be 72 years old vs say 52, or 22 !!!
Anyhow here is the data you might be interested in:

M1A Springfiled in 7.62 Nato. Nov 20, 2018 Measured with Toms radar unit. 20 rounds each load
Lake City Brass Once fired from Scharch, 150 BTSP Hornady bullets, Standard Large Rifle Winchester brand primers, and 45.0 grains of varget. A very accurate load.
Average 2778, Extreme spread 57, Standard Deviation 16, High 2807, FPS Low 2752,
(Nato load spec is 2760.) this is for TWENTY rounds. I loaded these on a Dillon 550 press. Weighed the first three loads only. Plus or minus POINT one tenth gram on beam type scale for those three.

Below is the results of the Radway Green Surplus Nato loads that are 147 grain FMJ bullets
Average 2757, Extreme Spread 126, Standard Deviation 40, High 2802, Low 2676, TWENTY rounds.

I'd have to say my reloads are better then this batch of surplus.
Also plinked away with an AR15.. These loads are OLD data from my Oehler 35P chronograph and a 1 in 8 twist SS DPMS.
LC Brass
Standard small rifle Winchester brand primers
77 grain sierra match king MOLY coated
24.5 grains Varget
High 2667, LOW 2600, AVG 2633, Spread 67 Std Dev 26

I wish I would have thought of doing his radar on those, as I fired them through a AR15 that is a 16 inch barrel version from Palmetto State Armory. DUH OH. maybe next time.

Shoulder and ribs feel okay today. FIVE days later. I'm looking at buying a "Limbsaver" brand recoil pad for the M1A, NO way I want to get rid of it. I've owned it since 1980 and it is a very accurate rifle. my favorite "boomstick"

I even managed to hit the gong at 200 yards with my 1911. Of course, that was from a bench rest, using speer gold dots 230 jhp's

needless to say, my NRA highpower days are LONG gone. My buddy Tom outshot me very easily.

[gwp]

I'm looking at buying a "Limbsaver" brand recoil pad for the M1A, NO way I want to get rid of it. I've owned it since 1980 and it is a very accurate rifle. my favorite "boomstick" It is great that you can still get out to shoot. I am an old guy who enjoys shooting but, I have a port for chemo theropy and I use a PAST Super Mag Plus Shield to protect the port when shooting a rifle. The PAST shield might alow you to shoot all of your rifles comfortably.

https://www.midwayusa.com/product/699899/past-super-mag-plus-recoil-pad-shield-ambidextrous

[Former Cav]

thanks for the info

[p246]

Thanks for the report. Very glad you are feeling well enough to shoot. Here’s to feeling a little better everyday.:1948:

[JohnMOhio]

Good report there Cav. What kind of groups did you get on target or was this Gong work only. Final word, it doesn't get any better when your 77 either.

[S.A. Boggs]

It is great that you can still get out to shoot. I am an old guy who enjoys shooting but, I have a port for chemo theropy and I use a PAST Super Mag Plus Shield to protect the port when shooting a rifle. The PAST shield might alow you to shoot all of your rifles comfortably.

https://www.midwayusa.com/product/699899/past-super-mag-plus-recoil-pad-shield-ambidextrous

When I had to have my port installed my Doctor asked which side I shot my rifle from and put it on the opposite side for my convenience. Anyone who has to have one installed ask your Doctor if it can be placed where you want. By the way, my first Doctor was an ex-Army bone cutter from Jamaica who became a Citizen and was also a Christian like I am. I now have a simple thing about my life...IF I can walk, talk or chew chewing gum I am having a great day! I can remember when I couldn't do any of these things lying in a hospital bed with tubes going in and out.:hello::banana100::1948:
Sam

[Major Tom]

The 'Limbsaver' does tame recoil a lot and you can put it on any rifle stock. I have one for my 7mm mag and garand.

[Merc]

Good report. Hope you feel better and find a way to shoot painlessly.

At our age (I’m 75) I don’t see any reason to shoot the high recoil rifles without some recoil protection. I bought a rack a few years ago just to help steady my rifles and eliminate aiming errors but found that it also eliminated most of the recoil. The rack came in handy 1.5 years ago when I had to have my right shoulder rotator cuff surgery. I also made a small shoulder pad from scrap carpet padding to use with the rack while the shoulder healed and that also worked well to lessen recoil.

[Former Cav]

The 'Limbsaver' does tame recoil a lot and you can put it on any rifle stock. I have one for my 7mm mag and garand.
do you know the part number or can you look it up?
I think the M1 Garand stock is pretty close to that of an M1A/M14
oh, and I did order that PAST shoulder pad

[Mark in Ottawa]

I had not heard of the Limbsaver before. Thanks for mentioning it. I see that they have some models that you can "grind to fit" and that might be the best way to get one that fits my Lee Enfield carbine or my Mosin Nagant carbine, both of which have a strong recoil.

[JB White]

I've heard of the Limbsaver but haven't used one. For shooting the variety of rifles I do, I bought the PAST many years ago. They don't even make one like it anymore but it still works great. In the colder months I'm wearing heavy clothes so I do without. In T-shirt weather I slip the pad onto my shoulder. It's only about 3/8" thick. Maintains the same average LOP for me year round and I don't have to modify my rifles.

Enfield carbine...LEC or a No5? I can fire the LEC (RIC) without any problems. That No5 though is another story. Shaved off weight and that tiny butt plate which is no recoil pad. That is the only time I slip the pad below my field jacket. I can handle the first 10 rounds. More than that and my shoulder says it's tired of being shoved that hard.

[Mark in Ottawa]

J B White: Mine is a Number 5, the so-called jungle carbine. When I used to use surplus ammunition, 10 rounds was about the limit before my shoulder stared to hurt. For better or worse, you can no longer get surplus .303 British so I use re-loads that I fill to the middle of the recommended range. That reduces the recoil to the point where a lightly padded vest makes it tolerable.

[JB White]

Reason I made mention in favor of the PAST is due to the Limbsaver possibly not slipping over the sling bar on the No5. I just don't see a stretched and canted slip-on pad as being very beneficial. What's your take on it?

I bought a Mosin Nagant M91/30 carbine when they first came in as surplus from Romania. The 7.62x54 felt similar to a 220 gr 30-06 out of my Ruger ultra light. Yet unlike the No5 I could handle a couple of boxes at the range. I liked the 'Noisy Maggot' for what it is, but I let it go down the road with a host of other rifles outside my main interests. I wanted something else and they represented idle cash towards that. Now there I can see the Limbsaver working out pretty well if the measurements work out favorable.