Service Rifle Loadings


    This page is an attempt at providing some information as to Service Rifle hand loading for rifles like the M1 Garand and M1A (M14) service rifles. The 308 Winchester (7.62 NATO) loadings should be suitable for M1 Garand rifles that have been rechambered in the 7.62 NATO round. All loading data is for rifles know to be in good operating condition. Never exceed the Maximum loads!

The following 30-06 Springfield and 308 Winchester (7.62 x 51 NATO) cartridge loading data is suggested for M1 Garand and M1A (M-14) rifles known to be in good operating condition.

This Load Data taken from the Hornady Handbook of Cartridge Reloading 9th edition.

M1 Garand 30-06 Loading Data Suggestions
All Loads To Be Used At Your Own Risk

Warning: Do Not Exceed Max Loads!

****** Loading Data For:  150 and 155 grain bullets C.O.A.L. = 3.185" ****** NOTE: 155 A-Max Bullet = 3.240"
Powder Velocity FPS (Feet Per Second)
2400 2500 2600 2700 2750
H335 36.9 gr. 39.6 gr. 42.4 gr. 45.1 gr. 46.4 gr. Max Load
Accurate 2495 40.5 gr. 42.6 gr. 44.6 gr. Max Load    
Accurate 2520 41.9 gr. 43.3 gr. 44.8 gr. 46.2 gr. Max Load  
VIHT N-135 40.8 gr. 42.8 gr. 44.9 gr. 46.9 gr. 47.9 gr. Max Load
VARGET 42.3 gr. 44.2 gr. 46.2 gr. Max Load    
H4895 43.2 gr. 44.8 gr. 46.4 gr. Max Load    


****** Loading Data For: 168 grain bullets C.O.A.L. = 3.240" ******
Powder Velocity FPS (Feet Per Second)
2300 2400 2500 2600 2700
Accurate 2495 37.7 gr. 40.3 gr. 42.9 gr. 45.5 gr. Max Load  
VIHT N-135 41.1 gr. 42.7 gr. 44.4 gr. 46.0 gr. Max Load  
H4895 39.8 gr. 42.0 gr. 44.2 gr. 46.4 gr. Max Load  
WIN 748 41.1 gr. 42.9 gr. 44.8 gr. 46.6 gr. 48.4 gr. Max Load
VARGET 40.3 gr. 42.5 gr. 44.7 gr. 47.0 gr. Max Load  
IMR 4895 39.6 gr. 42.1 gr. 44.6 gr. 47.1 gr. Max Load  
IMR 4064 41.4 gr. 43.3 gr. 45.2 gr. 47.2 gr. Max Load  
VIHT N-140 42.0 gr. 43.9 gr. 45.7 gr. 47.5 gr. Max Load  
Alliant RL-15 43.2 gr. 44.6 gr. 46.0 gr. 47.5 gr. Max Load  
VIHT N-150 41.4 gr. 43.5 gr. 45.6 gr. 47.7 gr. Max Load  
BL-C(2) 41.4 gr. 43.5 gr. 45.6 gr. 47.8 gr. Max Load  


****** Loading Data For: 178 & 180 grain bullets C.O.A.L. = 3.240"******
Powder Velocity FPS (Feet Per Second)
2200 2300 2400 2500 2550
VIHT N-135 38.1 gr. 40.2 gr. 42.4 gr. 44.5 gr. Max Load  
VARGET 37.9 gr. 40.3 gr. 42.7 gr. 45.2 gr. 46.4 gr. Max Load
H4895 38.2 gr. 40.5 gr. 42.9 gr. 45.2 gr. 46.4 gr. Max Load
IMR 4895 39.8 gr. 41.6 gr. 43.4 gr. 45.2 gr. 46.1 gr. Max Load
WIN 748 40.1 gr. 41.8 gr. 43.5 gr. 45.3 gr. Max Load  
VIHT N-140 39.4 gr. 41.5 gr. 43.6 gr. 45.7 gr. 46.7 gr. Max Load
IMR 4064 39.5 gr. 41.6 gr. 43.6 gr. 45.7 gr. 46.7 gr. Max Load
VIHT N-150 38.7 gr. 41.1 gr. 43.6 gr. 46.1 gr. 47.3 gr. Max Load
BL-C(2) 40.4 gr. 42.4 gr. 44.4 gr. 46.4 gr. 47.4 gr. Max Load
Alliant RL-15 40.4 gr. 42.5 gr. 44.5 gr. 46.5 gr. Max Load  

 

NOTE: While the below listed loading tables clearly show a wide range of powders for M1A / M14 load date due to the operation and speed of the rifle action some powders work much better than others. A good rule of thumb is Varget is as slow a powder as you want to use and even Varget is questionable. The all around best powders are IMR 4895, Hodgdon H4895 and Accurate 2495. Those powders have given me my best groups in my M1A. The general rule I like is to use powders faster than Varget that are listed below.  

M1 Garand 308 and M1A 308 Loading Data Suggestions
All Loads To Be Used At Your Own Risk

******  Loading Data For: 150 & 155 grain bullets COL = 2.800" ******
Powder Velocity FPS (Feet Per Second)
2200 2300 2400 2500 2600 2700
VIHT N-135 35.8 gr. 37.1 gr.    38.4 gr. 39.7 gr. 41.0 gr. 42.3 gr. Max Load
H 4895 37.2 gr. 38.3 gr. 39.5 gr. 40.6 gr. 41.8 gr. 42.9 gr. Max Load
Accurate 2495 36.7 gr. 38.0 gr. 39.4 gr. 40.8 gr. 42.1 gr. 43.5 gr. MAX Load
IMR 4064 37.9 gr. 39.0 gr. 40.0 gr. 41.1 gr 42.1 gr. 43.2 gr. Max Load
Accurate 2520 37.0 gr. 38.3 gr. 39.6 gr. 40.9 gr. 42.2 gr. Max Load  
IMR 4895 37.6 gr. 38.8 gr. 39.9 gr. 41.1 gr. 42.2 gr. 43.4 gr. Max Load
VARGET 37.6 gr. 39.0 gr. 40.4 gr. 41.8 gr. 43.2 gr. Max Load  
VIHT N-140 37.6 gr. 39.0 gr. 40.4 gr. 41.8 gr. 43.2 gr. 44.6 gr. Max Load
Alliant RL-15 37.9 gr. 39.2 gr. 40.5 gr. 41.9 gr. 43.2 gr. 44.6 gr. Max Load
VIHT N-150 37.6 gr. 39.2 gr. 40.7 gr. 42.2 gr. 43.8 gr. 45.3 gr. Max Load
WIN 748 39.5 gr. 40.6 gr. 41.8 gr. 42.9 gr. 44.0 gr. 45.2 gr. Max Load


******  Loading Data For 168 grain bullets COL = 2.800"  ******
Powder Velocity FPS (Feet Per Second)
2100 2200 2300 2400 2500 2600
VIHT N-135 34.2 gr. 35.7 gr. 37.3 gr. 38.9 gr. 40.5 gr. Max Load  
H 4895 34.8 gr. 36.2 gr. 37.6 gr. 39.1 gr. 40.5 gr. 41.9 gr. Max Load
Accurate 2520 35.3 gr. 36.7 gr. 38.1 gr. 39.6 gr. 41.0 gr. Max Load  
VARGET 35.5 gr. 37.0 gr. 38.4 gr. 39.9gr. 41.3gr. 42.7 gr. Max Load
Accurate 2495 34.9 gr. 36.5 gr. 38.1 gr. 39.8 gr. 41.4 gr. Max Load  
IMR 4895 36.0 gr. 37.3 gr. 38.7 gr. 40.0 gr. 41.4 gr. Max Load  
IMR 4064 36.1 gr. 37.4 gr. 38.8 gr. 40.2 gr. 41.6 gr. Max Load  
Alliant RL-15 37.5 gr. 38.7 gr. 39.8 gr. 40.9 gr. 42.0 gr. Max Load  
VIHT N-140 37.2 gr. 38.5 gr. 39.7 gr. 40.9 gr. 42.1 gr. Max Load  
VIHT N-150 37.5 gr. 38.8 gr. 40.1 gr. 41.4 gr. 42.8 gr. Max Load  
WIN 748 38.0 gr. 39.3 gr. 40.6 gr. 41.8 gr. 43.1 gr. Max Load  

 

****** Loading Data For 175 & 180 grain bullets COL = 2.800" ******
Powder Velocity FPS (Feet Per Second)
1900 2000 2100 2200 2300 2400
VIHT N-135 31.4 gr. 33.0 gr. 34.6 gr. 36.2 gr. 37.8 gr. 39.4 gr. Max Load
H 4895 34.5 gr. 35.5 gr. 36.6 gr. 37.6 gr. 38.6 gr. 39.7 gr. Max Load
IMR 4064 33.6 gr. 35.0 gr. 36.3 gr. 37.7 gr. 39.0 gr. Max Load  
IMR 4895 34.5 gr. 35.6 gr. 36.8 gr. 37.9 gr. 39.0 gr. 40.1 gr. Max Load
VARGET 33.0 gr. 34.6 gr. 36.1 gr. 37.6 gr. 39.1 gr. 40.6 gr. Max Load
Accurate 2520 33.1 gr. 34.6 gr. 36.1 gr. 37.6 gr. 39.1 gr. Max Load  
Alliant RL-15 34.8 gr. 36.1 gr. 37.3 gr. 38.5 gr. 39.8 gr. 41.0 gr. Max Load
VIHT N-140 34.8 gr. 36.1 gr. 37.3 gr. 38.5 gr. 40.4 gr. 42.0 gr. Max Load
VIHT N-150 34.0 gr. 35.6 gr. 37.2 gr. 38.8 gr. 40.4 gr. 42.0 gr. Max Load
WIN 748 36.1 gr. 37.2 gr. 38.4 gr. 39.5 gr. 40.6 gr. 41.8 gr. Max Load
BL-C(2) 36.9 gr. 38.2 gr. 39.5 gr. 40.8 gr. 42.1 gr. 43.4 gr. Max Load