Sleuthing Federal Gold Medal .30-'06/168 load

[Greg Langelius *]

Quote Originally Posted by Dan Newberry View Post

Pull a bullet, and weigh and photograph the charge and start a new thread and we'll see if we can figure it out.

Dan, I'd love to pull the bullet, but I don't have any .30-'06/168 FGMM onhand, and haven't seen any in my travels lately. Does anybody have an averaged charge weight for this round?

I'm guessing it's going to come out to somewhere around 48.0gr of IMR-4064.

<*Edited to add: This is the 168/IMR-4064 Garand load from the NRA Garand Rifle Reprint.*>

Greg

 

[Greg Langelius *]

Well..., this seems to be going well. Hey, I tried.

 

[918v]

20 round box - 30-06 Federal Gold Medal Match 168 Grain BTHP Ammo GM3006M | SGAmmo.com

 

[Greg Langelius *]

Stupid stuff, deleted.

Greg

 

[918v]

You said you could not find any FGMM ammo. I found you some.

I went out and bought some MK319 ammo to replicate MK316 Mod 0 in the other sleuthing thread. Nobody bought it for me.

 

[Greg Langelius *]

I posted something really dumb here. Sorry, 918v.

Greg

 

[918v]

I wasn't trying to be cute. But you're trying very hard to carry that chip on your shoulder.

 

[Greg Langelius *]

Greg; yet again being stupid...

Greg

 

[pmclaine]

Dan, I'd love to pull the bullet, but I don't have any .30-'06/168 FGMM onhand, and haven't seen any in my travels lately. Does anybody have an averaged charge weight for this round?

I'm guessing it's going to come out to somewhere around 48.0gr of IMR-4064.

<*Edited to add: This is the 168/IMR-4064 Garand load from the NRA Garand Rifle Reprint.*>

Greg

What will you be shooting this through.

My 30-06 concerns involve a Garand so I load for the gas system.

Conventional wisdom is 46.5 grains of IMR4895/Varget are ideal in mil surp 30-06 using 168 grain projectiles. IMR 4064 is found by many that want to talk about it to group better and the usual sweet spot is a grain higher - 47.5 +/-for 168 grain SMK or such.

Ive not heard much chatter about FGMM in the milsurp circles I tread. Hornady M1 match ammo loaded with a 168 AMAX though is highly valued for use in issue Garand/03 and sniper match rifles. Hornady uses Varget and there is some good info on the CMP forum concerning the manufacture of a clone load.

I have some info concerning 30-06 loads using IMR 4064 at home. If results through a Garand/03 interest you I can look it up. In my guns Varget seemed to perform a little better running in 3 rifles. One rifle may have preffered IMR 4064 or IMR 4895 but the results were not great enough to justify special loads for one rifle when Varget proved to be vanilla ice cream for the three of them.

 

[JMGlasgow]

Hornady uses 47 grains of Varget in their M1 load. It's not a secret.

I would like to see some more research on the FGMM 30-06 load. I have more 4064 than Varget and like it better.

 

[ArmyJerry]

Greg, you grumpy about turning the clocks forward and losing an hour?

I am glad you started this thread, I have a many pounds of 4064 and Varget, just started shooting my new rechambered 06 bolt gun, would like to get the FGMM data also. I have nailed my 190 SMK load for LD shooting but would like to make a sht load of the FGMM clone for visiting shooters (Relatives from commie land NJ/NY) to shoot.

Did fimnd this on 175 SMK.

EDIT: I've been getting a lot of hits on this page for folks looking for 30-06 sniper loads. I recommend the old NRA competition loads, which duplicate the M72 match load. M72 used a 173~175 gr FMJBT and various amounts of bulk grade IMR4895, with cannister grade it is 46.0 grains. If you want to use IMR4064 for better temperature stability, it is 47.0 grains. The M72 match bullet and 175gr HPBT load data is used interchangeably. EDIT COMPLETE.

Just forget about my question folks, the only response I seem to get when asking for help around here seems to be wisecracks from the peanut gallery. Not the first time, not the tenth time, and the way things seem to be going, won't be the last time.

I've spent nearly the whole time since this site was established helping folks whenever and wherever I could. When it's my turn, all I get is wisecracks and criticism.

Done with this. From now on, get your help from someone else.

Greg has left the building.

 

[Morgan321]

I think it's going poorly because that ammo is like unicorn eggs. I tried to get some and couldn't unless it was mail ordered. Not worth ordering online unless you get it in quantity. I just wanted one box to test it out. I gave up.

I tried the hornady m1 match round and it worked OK. Couldn't afford as much as I needed at $1.6 each!

I have some m72 and could pull one if that would help you?

 

[DuneBoer]

Greg,

Take a Midol and sit in the shade for a while. I happen to be the proud owner of a quantity 168gr Fed GMM. When I am done penning this I will retire to my dungeon and pull one of them and measure the charge for you on the condition you eat a Snickers Bar and gently remove your tampon...... Be right back!

 

[DuneBoer]

48.1 grains of ?? Or something that looks like 4064

Cheers!

 

[Greg Langelius *]

Much thanks to all, especially 918v, for shaking my cage and giving me a badly needed wakeup call. Been working my way through several months worth of cabin fever, and my temper was thoroughly frayed. Over this week, both our cellar furnace and pellet stove ended up taking a pair of service calls each. We've had better weeks.

The .30-'06/168 FGMM load shot so well in my M70 Lightweight Sporter that it did remarkably well in some paper sniper matches a couple of decades back. I was hoping to bring it back out to see the daylight some more, and enjoy the process. Also tried it in my Garand and it worked about as well a my best "any other load". My Son-in-Law has a Ruger 77MKI that he takes several deer a year with, and I was hoping to try a reasonably accurate generic handload for that, too; so he can see for himself how well a Match load shoots.

I'm going to try the 48.1gr IMR-4064, and 46.5gr IMR-4895/Varget, too.

Much thanks to everybody for all your help.

Greg

 

[JMGlasgow]

Greg, how did the test go? I'm very interested in the 48.1 of 4064 load mentioned.

 

[Greg Langelius *]

Still not tried, but it will be soon. I have 100 Virgin Winchester cases F/L resized and primed with GM210M primers waiting in the wings. Will test in the Garand and my M70.

Work on my pimped-up Mosin-Nagant 91/30, and hunting loads for the .30-'06 HDY 150gr SP Interlock are reaching completion.

Greg

 

[Morgan321]

If it helps any I got a bunch of imr4895 early this summer and ended up at 46.6 with 175smk after a round of ocw. It did not perform as well as slower powders have for me.