Hello Rex, I have a Winchester M1 Garand chambered in 30.06. It is the only rifle I have that can be used for long range shooting. I am wondering if I decide to put a scope on this weapon will it be effective out to 1000 yards? If so, what would be the limitations of this weapon while deployed in the field?
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mxjoe19
Feb 9, 2017
M1 Garand as a precision rifle.
M1 Garand as a precision rifle.
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The M1 is a fantastic rifle, it has so much history! The bullet will get there at 1000, accuracy will depend on your particular rifle and eyesight. But personally, I don't think I would put a scope on one. They load only with the en bloc clip so your mounting options are kind of restricted and usually require permanent modification to the rifle. I would lean toward a second, bolt action rifle in 30.06 so you could share ammunition and components. Maybe a Springfield 1903 if you like the nostalgia and have some money. Otherwise, A factory modern bolt action will be more affordable, and I would feel much better about modifying it to get better accuracy or the features you need for longer range precision.
The M1 is an excellent rifle for doing some minor modifications to it and it becomes a tack driver. About 4 years ago I had a chance to build one up from 3 guns. Essentially taking the good parts of each one and combining it into a single rifle that has served me well in shorter and mid range targets out to 500 yards. I have yet to try and shoot beyond that as the scope selection is kind of limited. When building this rifle up I used an omega mount for mounting a pistol scope to it. That is about the only way to go with these older ones unless you have a D model that was used for snipers. One cool thing about the Omega mount is it actually helps with accuracy as one of my friends has put it on many M1 rifles and has determined it helps in the long run to do that. Next is the very front piece should be loose when there is a cold barrel. As this will help with barrel harmonics. Sometimes you have to also hammer or dimple in some of the areas or glue the stock in order to make it rigid enough for the gun to get accurate enough. Another thing you have to be careful with is your hand loads. They cannot be as hot as your regular bolt action loads as this can damage the op rod. A bent op rod is never a good thing. Other than that they are so much fun to shoot and as the Greeks are the only ones that still use them in service but soon to go out of service for them. If the import restrictions are lifted we may see the last shipment of M1s ever back to the US. These old war horses are a true testament to American mass production could do when brought together. As for shooting out to 1000 yards consistently I would look at getting a bolt gun. Less moving parts and can be made to be much more accurate. Hopefully this helps. (Just don't get rid of the M1)
Thanks for the info