If I could only keep one rifle, it would be my Garand.
I'm gonna have to agree with that. The Garand may not be perfect for everything, but it will do everything.
It has about the most perfect iron sights you can find on a rifle, it's fairly accurate and extremely reliable. Heavy enough to take on anything in this world. With the right bullets, 8 rounds would definitely stop a charging cape buffalo or anything else. You can use it in High Power and 3-Gun matches.
My first 1000 yard match after I got my DR badge I decided to shoot for fun. So I took my DCM Garand to 29 Palms, didn't do that bad. I used M-72. No its not the best 1000 yard match rifle but it will work.
Its been proven in the desert sands of North Africa, Jungles of the South Pacific, Surf and mud in Europe, freezing cold in Korea. It works.
When I started the NG sniper programs in for the Alaska NG it met that lots of Garand's went to the Native Guard Units, with their ammo. Eskimos being Eskimos, they swiped ammo and used Guard guns for their substance hunting. I've seen them clean walrus off an ice flow, I've seen them killing seals and even polar bear. Not to mention an odd whale, but with them its how many shots not what you shoot.
The AK Natives loved them, they always worked regardless of the extreme temps.
In sniper school the Garand's were very effective to 900 yards, Many of the students could do was well with iron sights as they could with the M-84's.
The sights are positive, and using proper ammo, you can line up the dials so you don't have to count clicks. If you're set for 200 yards and decide to move to 600, just line up the marks, adjust for wind and let her rip.
I would suggest, that anyone who is into Garand's get a copy of Gen. Hatcher's "Book of the Garand" besides the history, there's sections on match shooting, combat, and maintainence and trouble shooting, plus a lot more.
Last summer a friend of my invited me to go out to shoot his AR-50, I had a few rounds of 50 cal so I figured why not. I threw my Garand in the truck just for kicks. We were shooting steel at a hair over 800 yards. Couldn't see it without glass but it was set in a spot where you knew the general idea where it was. Just for kicks I dug out my Garand, got a good prone sling position, aimed where I thought I would be close, thinking he would guide me to the target. Instead I wacked it with my first shot. My buddy was amazed. I just put the rifle back in the truck not risking another shot. Didn't have the heart to tell him it was an accident, I couldn't even see the target. To this day he thinks I'm the best iron sight shooter in the country.
Yup Garand's are fun.
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