The only ammo I have for my M1 right now is the Danish FMJ stuff. I was wondering what is a good/safe to shoot ammo for hunting. I know FailSafe's are out of the question. I guess I am after some soft points of hollow points. I was just warned about using "comercial" ammo in M1's.....Any suggestions??? Thanks..:assult:
Oh yeah, my M1 looks real pretty with the sling and bayonet(6.5 inch) on it that I just got.....I have a bayonet question. How may types/lengths of bayonets were used. I just bought the short 6 1/2 inch one. But I have also seen 10'' and 16"(I think) bayonets. Is the 16" for Garands, or off of 1903's? How much should I pay for a decent 10 or 16 inch bayonet, and maybe scabboard(spelling??).
Can't help you on the hunting loads, but know a thing or two about bayonets.
The first bayonet used was the 16" M1905, which was used on the Springfield, as well. It was used during the first half of the war and substitute standard after that. Some M1905s were from WWI and before, others were WWII-built during 1942-43.
The 10" M1 (the bayonet, not the rifle) was used during the last half of the WWII and all of Korea. Many were cut-down M1905s.
The M5 was introduced post-Korean War and is distinctive, because it has no barrel "ring" and fits on the gas cylinder screw.
There are Korean 6" bayonets that are cut-down M1s (as I understand it, they were cut-down to fit in the M1 carbine bayonet scabbard). This variant is not original to any US M1.
The M5s are relatively cheap - seen them as low as $30.00 or so. The M1 will set you back (depending on condition and maker) from $60.00-150.00; the M1905 will be AT LEAST $200, unless you come across a good deal - again, a lot depends on condition and maker, scabbard, etc.
I know there's purists here who will disagree, but if it's 150 grain, I will use it. And why not a 150g fail-safe?
Yes, I have seen the pictures of blown-up M1 barrels. But you know, I'd rather trust factory loads than handloads. I do stay absolutely away from "light magnum" or "hi-po" commercial ammo.
I know there's a kit you can get that adjusts the volume of the gas chamber by changing the set screw that's threaded into the gas plug, but I don't have one. To me that's not the issue. The issue is chamber pressure. Varying the gas chamber size just protects the op-rod and maybe reduces the impact of the bolt on the back of the receiver. It doesn't reduce chamber pressure.
Most regular commercial ammo is designed to be safe in lots (all?) old guns. They've been making 30-06 barrels since 1906. I think the steel used by the military was up to standard. I think there are other 30-06's out there that would be much more cause for concern than the M1.
The one real caution I would apply to this argument would be fatique. A very old, very used M1 barrel may be fatiqued if it was marginal to start with. Generally if a barrel is that far gone it's not a shooter anymore anyway.
PS, I just last week put a 150g Sierra boattail (Federal) through the boiler room of a Bambi at just over 300 yards with my 1942 M1. (Rebarrelled in '52). One of my better shots.
I would say that if you stuck to the 150 gr commercial ammunition you shouldn't have any problems. I believe the big thing is the pressure on the operating rod. If you use heavier bullets, you get increased pressure loads on the operating rod, which could bend or break. I've used the 150gr Remington Hi-Shoc ammunition in mine for awhile and I just dropped a whitetail buck at 150 meters, one shot, one kill, no running and no tracking. It dropped like a sack of ****.
I've had good luck with handloads pushing 165gr Nosler Ballistic Tip bullets. The powder used is IMR 4064 and the amount used is for a middle of the road velocity. Stay away from the slow burning powders used in light magnum and ultra high velocity rounds. Believe it or not I found that the Federal brand commercial is too hot for my modern Remington semiauto. Would not try this stuff in my Garand!!
Best of luck and good hunting!
WildBill :assult:
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Remember, anyone that surrenders their Rights for the promise of Protection deserve neither the Protection or the Rights. WildBill
For match competition, the military use 173grain FMJBT projectiles with 50grains of IMR4895. That's a lot of pressure but the guns don't blow up. Fail Safe ammo is "OK", just don't use the 180 grain as every day plinking ammo.
Thanks for all the reponses guys. I ended up buying Federal soft points, the Sierra GameKing I think. Didn't shoot a deer though. Oh well......
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"Unfortunately, the Army has revealed no plans to develop an air-droppable, laser-guided, self-chilling keg of beer!" From "Airborne" by Tom Clancy
Interesting story. This one was shot in the right shoulder at about 50 to 60 yards with Remington Core Lokt 150 gr PSP from an M1D. This is the 1st case of this particular round, with which I've hunted for 8+ yrs, to fail to penetrate through-and-through. The shot was made from a stand about 12' off the ground on level terrain. Her shoulder shattered on impact and she dropped in place. The round didn't enter the body and do any organ damage, though. It deflected upwards under the skin and exited next to the spine. It didn't even cause any paralysis. It's a good thing that she couldn't run off on the shattered shoulder. A second shot to the body which took the top off of her heart was required to put her down. I don't blame the round. It just had to be one of those flukes, much like a WW2 soldier being shot in the head and having the round circle the scalp rather than penetrate the brain. Now she's in the freezer.
A few years ago I used a 7mm Rem Mag. Forget exactly what ammo, but it was just regular off the shelf Winchester or Remington 140 gr stuff. Shot at a buck broadside at about 70 ft. I thought I'd missed.
Later (after the second bullet) when we were skinning it out I found out that the bullet had just totally fragmented and zoomed around under the hide. The bullet hit a rib and hadn't penetrated the rib cage. It was an unbelievable mess. The hide just fell off.
Hunting loads 
