Reloading for M1A

[MAKO8551]

How do you guys load for your m1a's???
Mine will be done in 2 weeks and just doing a little more homework.
22 inch ss Krieger with a 1 in 10.

Looking for something that can take me out to 1000 but 90% of shots will be 300 yards or less.

I wont limit anyone with bullet weights or powders but they do need to function in the mag.

Yall crimping these?

 

[Grump]

Re: Reloading for M1A

Most reliable way to get decent 1,000-yd performance is to go with 175 Match bullets and any suitable powder.

I'm still toying with the 155s and the speeds I can safely get with them will be into the transsonic zone at 1,000 by maybe 100-150 fps, IIRC. They're still above Mach, so I'm hoping the eventual 1Kyd testing will be favorable.

One series in my OCWt quest was centered around (1 increment above and 2 below, total of 4 fired) a load reported in favorable terms on this Board...and even the lowest one showed pressure when loaded in FC brass--the lightest stuff/highest H2O capacity cases I have. The highest load broke 3,000 fps, something I believe will NEVER be safely attainable in an M1A barrel with current chemistry.

There is no "long loading" with the M1A, AFIC. It's a service rifle. Any ammo too long to feed from the mag makes it a "match" rifle.

 

[learjet]

Re: Reloading for M1A

my particular m1a did well with:

175 smk, 42g varget, cci 200, oal 2.800 in lc cases. tried 42.5 but got no additional velocity, and larger groups

155 scenar, 45-46g varget, cci 200, oal 2.820, win cases

i do crimp my m1a rounds w a LFC. ive shot them without, but get no accuracy change

 

[bfoosh006]

Re: Reloading for M1A

Best article I've read,... Zediker read the first two.

 

[Greg Langelius *]

Re: Reloading for M1A

My M1A load, SA 'Loaded' M1A, Stainless medium weight Douglas Barrel, Rem brass, 42.2gr of IMR-4064, Fed210M, 175SMK 2.810"-2.815" OAL (depending on magazine tolerances).

Greg

 

[81STFACP]

Re: Reloading for M1A

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Grump</div><div class="ubbcode-body">
There is no "long loading" with the M1A, AFIC. It's a service rifle. Any ammo too long to feed from the mag makes it a "match" rifle. </div></div>

You can long load in the slow fire and still a service rifle. Of course the rapids take care of themselves - mag length.

To the OP, if you are going to shoot across the course, give the new SMK 135s a try, they are more than enough inside 300 yards and they are great in the rapids. I shoot 135s, but the Berger kind, FB match.

 

[MAKO8551]

Re: Reloading for M1A

I just read the Zediker write up and all seemed like good info. However the standout was he said cases could only be reloaded 4 times max for safety reasons. I know auto loaders beat the hell out of the brass but only 4 times? really?

 

[bfoosh006]

Re: Reloading for M1A

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: MAKO8551</div><div class="ubbcode-body">I just read the Zediker write up and all seemed like good info. However the standout was he said cases could only be reloaded 4 times max for safety reasons. I know auto loaders beat the hell out of the brass but only 4 times? really? </div></div>
\
Safety reasons, did you happen to read the next article called "Once fired, Twice Fired" ... the M14's REALLY rough on brass, starts yanking it out of the chamber earlier than most other gas systems, which leads to the cartridge stretching.... then you resize it...and do it all over again... stretching it in the same place every time. (just about 3/8" above the rim) Do that often enough with the same case and you'll get a case failure while your rifle is trying to cycle the action.

 

[Grump]

Re: Reloading for M1A

Yeah, I just checked my once-reloaded FA63 Match brass and it's starting to thin at the usual break point.

The military M14s it was first fired in most likely had chambers as long as my last barrel. My first reload was close to min cartridge headspace, too. The are on track to start ejecting about 2% in two pieces on reload #4, just like my first batch of LC Match (and ball, for that matter) ammo did.

Most of my FC brass was sized longer based on my old chamber. Almost all of them are showing no thin ring after the second and third reloads. Same with my LC86 M852 brass.

Problem is, I still have some of that ammo left and it DOES NOT chamber in the new barrel. Tried to "forward assist" to test some of them to see if the loads still work at my desired accuracy level, but that did NOT go well.... The M14 gas system is quite capable of breaking extractor rims (most, however, did eject and cycle).

Will report on results of the more conservative resizing once I get to reload #4/5 on them.

 

[texasaero]

Re: Reloading for M1A

A comprehensive M14/M1 reloading data collection on the web:

http://www.radomski.us/njhp/

go to reloading stuff link.