I set up my dies for the Garand based on a N/M technique that is very old.
I disassemble my bolt so there are no internals, then assemble the stripped bolt and oprod (properly lubed) on the bare barreled action.
I take an unresized, fired case, insert it completely into the chamber by hand, and then tilt the rifle muzzle straight down. The bolt should slide closed. If the bolt can be rotated any further by hand, or not rotated fully closed at all, the case is large/long enough to use for testing the die setup.
I set the dies up first so the 'resized' case does not allow any further bolt rotation, this indicates that there is room for improvement.
I then adjust the die to resize a smidge further at a time, until the bolt rotates further than before, after the case is resized.
The resizing die is adjusted precisely enough when rifle, held about 30 degree muzzle down from horizontal, will just barely close the bolt fully on the resized case, with no other influence besides basic gravity at work. Pushing the right hand bolt lug further will produce no additional bolt rotation, it is against the stop completely on its own.
If you really want to gild the lily, you can stop adjusting when the R/H bolt lug has just a small discernible additional rotation to the stop under light finger pressure.
This establishes something similar to the small degree of bolt closure drag that is desirable with a bolt rifle; but I will not guarantee that feed and function will be ideal with the Garand at this adjustment
Essentially, you are taking up the stacking tolerances in the bolt/oprod/receiver system. You are taking up the available slop without imposing any preload against the bolt face. You would have to try it and see how well it functions this way.
The Garand, and most other semi's, are often given a bad rep regarding diminished case life, because a lot of folks overly resize their brass.
Do it this way, and keep the loads conservative, and you could find your Garand yields just as much case life as a properly reloaded bolt rifle.
My Garand load is the HDY 3037 150gr .308 FMJBT W/C, 50.0gr of IMR-4064, and the CCI-200 assembled in Remington Brass.
I use a basic Redding 2-die setup, loaded progressively on a Dillon RL-550B, no charge weight checking beyond initial setup of the measure. The goal here is to use whatever the setup will consistently produce, the Garand is not sensitive enough to such minor charge weight variances to warrant more precision.
Accurate, true to the sights increments, and ample yet conservatively stoked for the Garand. I do not believe the Garand is anything but an effective and robust rifle when properly fed, but I also prefer to keep it restrained to a reasonable length leash with a 150gr bullet, and to confine its primary distance to 600-800yd.
Beyond there, I like a robust .280 Rem Bolt Gun with a 150gr Nosler BT; also conservatively adequate. The '06 case capacity and a 150gr projectile is my idea of an ideal maximum energy package, with the bore diameter reduced to 7mm/.284" for distances beyond 800yd. All of my '06 based case capacity rifles employ some form of energy absorbing recoil pad, including my Garand.
Greg
Your right, i guess I never have looked for it. LOL..
