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**44 AMP** · April 21, 2007, 03:12 PM

It is a fine piece of machinery, but is built to operate within a fairly narrow range. DO NOT attempt to make a magnum out of it. Do not use extremely slow powders, and use fast powders with caution. Do not use 180gr and heavier bullets.

Use medium burning powders, and moderate loads. 172/174gr match bullets are the heaviest that should be used. Do not use modern sporting (hunting) ammo, as it is loaded heavier than the original GI ammo. It will work the action violently, and could result in damage.

Full length resizing is a must, but you may not need small base dies. Some guns run reloads ok without small base resizing, others don't.

Stick to GI ammo (ball or match) or handloaded equivalent. Heavier bullets, slower powders, etc. change the gas port pressure and can result in damage like bent op rods or worse. If you want to get the most from a .30-06, use a bolt gun. For the Garand, use what it was built for, only.

April 21, 2007, 03:12 PM	#9
44 AMP Staff Join Date: March 11, 2006 Location: Upper US Posts: 28,839	Note on the Garand It is a fine piece of machinery, but is built to operate within a fairly narrow range. DO NOT attempt to make a magnum out of it. Do not use extremely slow powders, and use fast powders with caution. Do not use 180gr and heavier bullets. Use medium burning powders, and moderate loads. 172/174gr match bullets are the heaviest that should be used. Do not use modern sporting (hunting) ammo, as it is loaded heavier than the original GI ammo. It will work the action violently, and could result in damage. Full length resizing is a must, but you may not need small base dies. Some guns run reloads ok without small base resizing, others don't. Stick to GI ammo (ball or match) or handloaded equivalent. Heavier bullets, slower powders, etc. change the gas port pressure and can result in damage like bent op rods or worse. If you want to get the most from a .30-06, use a bolt gun. For the Garand, use what it was built for, only. __________________ All else being equal (and it almost never is) bigger bullets tend to work better.