Accurate 2520 for M1 Garand loads

[PhillipM]

Yes, I have experience with 2520 in .30 cals.......ALL OF IT BAD! It meters well.......and that is the end of anything positive I can say about it. In every other aspect, it defines "erratic"! Temperature sensitive, horrendous lot inconsistencies, and simply random velocity variations. It's garbage that simply will not make a precision load

FWIW, you should have gotten other advise and bought Vihtavuori N140.....I KNOW Champions Choice had it last week. You ever shoot N140......you'll never touch 4895 or 4054 again!

John, where are components on their site? Also what about N135?

[Hefights]

Well, even a rulebook pedant like me will acknowledge that there's "long range" and there's "Long Range"

It's always slightly amusing to hear folks refer to the 200yd bay at the local range as "long range" but you have to take it all in context.

Still, there's nothing magic or mysterious about shooting true "Long Range." Slow Prone is Slow Prone; if the shooter can do it at 100 he can do it at 1000. It usually takes a different load and a little different rifle and it's real easy to get blown off the whole 6x6 by a gust or switch but the front sight, holding, and squeezing are all still the same

Try it sometime

Maury

Words of encouragement are extremely welcome

[John Kepler]

Words of encouragement are extremely welcome

Then let me second them encouraging words......but I gotta tell ya.....Maury's leaving a few things out, but then I'm sure you'll figure that out! Reading wind accurately at 1000 yds will make shooting 600 in any conditions far easier....not to mention being one of those "life experiences" that is hard to forget.

[psteinmayer]

I would love to shoot at 600 or 1000 yards. I would love to see how well I could shoot my 1898 Krag at 1000. As for the Garand, I would still shoot M2 Ball ammo... good enough for the military at 1000 yards is good enough for me!

Unfortunately, my long-range options are limited here in the greater Detroit area. I think there's a range with a 300 yard distance, but it's private. There are a few 200 yard ranges (also private) that I could go to with an invitation.

[John Kepler]

BS! I live near Toledo and have plenty of places to shoot...and so do you! For 600, you have Washtenaw right in your back yard (off of Ellis Rd. in Ypsi Township) and Camp Custer. MRPA runs a regular 1000 yd match series at Grayling, not to mention ORPA at Camp Perry! Oh, no matter what you think.....you might shoot AT something at 1000 yds with M2....but do NOT expect to hit much! M2 drops subsonic at about 800 yds, which makes that the end of the line for predictable performance

[PhillipM]

I would love to shoot at 600 or 1000 yards. I would love to see how well I could shoot my 1898 Krag at 1000. As for the Garand, I would still shoot M2 Ball ammo... good enough for the military at 1000 yards is good enough for me!

Unfortunately, my long-range options are limited here in the greater Detroit area. I think there's a range with a 300 yard distance, but it's private. There are a few 200 yard ranges (also private) that I could go to with an invitation.

M2 Ball is not recommended at 600, much less 1000 on a national match course.

[psteinmayer]

Well, Washtenaw is 200 yards. I've shot there in a Cast Bullet match. DSC is also 200. Grayling is just too far. Camp Perry is within reach, but I didn't know civilians could shoot there when it's not a match. If you're in Toledo, I would be honored to shoot with you... I live in Ypsilanti (about 5 minutes from Washtenaw, actually)! I could shoot my Krag at long distances... my loads are the standard US 30 caliber round (220 gr over 40.0 grains of 4350)... which should reach 1000 yards with no problems.

[John Kepler]

Bud......Washtenaw ABSOLUTELY has a full National Match Range.....I've shot it! If you want to shoot 600, send me a PM......my local club in dinky little Gibsonburg, OH has a full 2-3-6 range.

[madsenshooter]

What's visible from the bench positions isn't all of it Paul. Walk to the end of the shelter and take a look to your right. All that field is range! That's why I was encouraging you and your brother in law to get involved there, for practice.

With 2520 being a ball powder, many of which I have found to be hard to ignite, I'd use a CCI mil-spec primer or a magnum primer to light it. Maybe then you wouldn't have the bad experiences others have related with the powder. They may have tried that too, I don't know, but I do know the magnum primer is often needed when you get into the slower ball powders like H414/760 or Accurate's 2700. Start your load development using a magnum primer, and don't dwell on the bad others have reported. It'll work better for you. According to CCI's website, the initiator mix in their #34 primers is optimized for ball/spherical powders. Haven't tried them vs magnum primers, so I'm just repeating their advertising. It does say use the same data as CCI magnum primers.