How well does your Garand shoot?

[Tokugawa]

As delivered from the CMP, my service grade shot about 5-6" groups at 100 yds, usually a 3-4" cluster with a couple of flyers. I am counting the flyers in the total group size.
After staking the gas tube, shimming the stock for a tight fit, relieving the rear handguard, and sending off the trigger to fulton for tuning, yesterday I shot two eight shot groups of about three inches- no flyers- these were shot with HXP Greek ammo and sort of casually off a bench with sling and elbow rest.
I have a suspicion my eyes are starting to be the limiting factor.
So how well does your Garand shoot? A stock rifle, no bedding or unitized handguards, no match ammo or special tailored handloads, just a good solid stock Garand with issue ammo. Should I expect better than 3"?

 

[MutinousDoug]

Both my Garands (one from DCM and the other from CMP) shot 6" groups at 100 yds as they came from the "store".
I had the first one glass bedded and front end unitized so it now shoots 4-5" groups at 200yds with most GI ammo. The second gun is my JCG match gun so all I've done is in accordance with those rules: new, fitted Wenig stock and peened barrel splines. It also shoots 4-5" at 200yds. 2-3" groups at 100yds with GI ammo in an "as issued" gun is reasonable to expect.
Some have had good luck cracking the seal on GI bullets and/or re-seating the bullet to improve accuracy. Shooting modern hunting or match bullets in place of surplus improves my groups by 1/2" or so at 200yds.

 

[M1 Shooter]

My favorite Garand shoots about the same as yours with Greek HXP M2 ball. Occasionally I will shoot a 2" group, but I average about 3" at 100 yards with it from prone.
It has had some work done to it, but no match work. It is essentially still a service grade rifle, and legal for JCG Matches. I had a new standard weight Criterion barrel installed, a new Wenig walnut stock set from DGR, and its been re-parkerized.

It sounds like your rifle is shooting fine to me.
Are you wanting more accuracy, or just wondering if you're shooting it well?

 

[Kurac]

Mine build can shoot like this



The other two I have are a field grade 3-5" and a Danish less Wood 8" before I chopped the barrel and recrowned, now it also shoots 3-5"

 

[Tom C.]

I have 2 Garands: a DCM gun and a Korean expat gun. The DCM gun shot 4 to 6 “ groups and the center of impact moved to the right as the barrel warmed up. I took it to a guy for match accurizing and it came back shooting 1.5” groups with Lake City ball and better than that with stuff it liked.
The Korean expat gun shot minute of basketball groups. I had it rebarreled and match accurized. It is now good for 1.5 to 2” groups. It has new wood and finish. Looks like it just came off the production line.

 

[TIMC]

My CMP Garand runs about 1.5" at 100 yards but I do have a scope on mine. I haven't tried any handloads in it because I still have an ample supply of surplus.
I bought mine about 5 years ago, at the time there were not a lot of orders for them so they were letting some really nice rifles go as service grade.

 

[lmccrock]

I have 2 Garands: a DCM gun and a Korean expat gun.

Sounds like me, although my results are opposite. My Korean re-import has a 1965 barrel and shoots better than my CMP rifle (possibly original 1944). Both prefer the Greek ammo; it shoots half the group size of Vietnam era LC in both rifles. My eyeballs are not so good with iron sights so I have not tried repeating the test lately, but seems like the re-import with Greek ammo shot about 1.5" at 50 yds and that opened to almost 3" with LC. The CMP rifle's groups were about 50% bigger (lost my notebook in a move).

Lee

 

[Steve in PA]

Are you talking about 3- or 8-shot groups? Personally I prefer to use 8-shot groups. Any rifle can put a couple of shots next to one another.

For an 8-round clip, my CMP Garand will easily shoot inside 3" with 150gr ammo. If I change to 168gr, the group drops down to about 2".

This is from a bench at 100 yards using the 150gr ammo. The 10-ring is slightly larger than 3" in diameter (3 1/4" I believe)

Same set up, this time with 168gr ammo. Had two flyers (high left) which ruined an otherwise great grouping.

 

[Tokugawa]

those groups are about the same as mine, if I did not count the flyers they would be around 2 1/4" or so. I am curious if an unbedded, JCG legal rifle can shoot 1.5-2" groups. Sounds like it is possible, with a really good condition rifle.

 

[One Shot]

I have a 1945 SA M1 can shoot 1 1/5" at 100yds with with frequency using AE ammo. Rifle still has original battle sights. I have odered a set of NM sights, which I hope may help to tighten up a little.

 

[Sunray]

"...may help to tighten up..." Nope. The sights alone won't make any rifle shoot better. However, due to the thinner blade and finer aperture, you'll be able to place the shots more accurately. Good ammo is essential too.
"...1 1/5" at 100yds..." Sounds like the ammo is fine. That is one and one fifth inch?

 

[Never No More]

1-1.5 at 100 yards
3-3.5 at 200 yard zero

 

[tkendrick]

My rack grade shoots consistant 1.25" groups off a lead sled. Shoots consistantly under 2" when my 27 YO Army Infantry SSG son shoots it.

Groups open up considerable when I get behind the wheel...obviously something wrong with this rifle.

 

[Tokugawa]

Thanks, Guys- any other want to chime in here? Man! A rack grade that shoots under 2" has to be a rarity!

 

[GRIZ22]

I am curious if an unbedded, JCG legal rifle can shoot 1.5-2" groups. Sounds like it is possible, with a really good condition rifle.


My CMP Garand will do 1/2-2" with decent (not match) ammo. It's a service grade but would almost qualify as collector grade if it wasn't for the mismatched parts and a few dings in the wood (also mismatched).

A Korean import I had would shoot 2-3" group with service ammo.

I have a 308 Tanker that does 2-3" (usually more toward 2).

All of which is if I'm doing my part.

 

[Swampy]

toku,

I own and shoot numerous M1's.

I shoot, at MINIMUM, 8 rounds of M2 ball to determine groups, usually more like 10 rounds.

With M2 ball most CMP M1's will do between 3-4 MOA 8-10 shot groups @ 100 yds. right out of the box. A VERY few will do better, say 2-1/2 MOA. Very rarely will an issue grade rifle do better than 2 MOA with 8-10 shots @ 100 yds.

With good handloads and match bullets many M1's will do better. A few won't. Only trying will tell you for sure.

Just my 2 bits,
Swampy

Garands forever

 

[Ash]

My H&R shoots very well, as good as Kurac's. It shot better than my M1a, which is why I don't have my M1a anymore.

Ash

 

[ar10]

Once I got the front sight from rattling around I was getting about 3" at 100yds. I'm taking it to the 300yd range Saturday if I can get the gas cylinder lock adjusted. Mine's pretty old, 1943, pretty much original stuff with a few replacement pieces in the trigger housing.

 

[Tokugawa]

Swampy, thanks. Thrown together one on top of the other, the last two eight shot targets I shot from my service grade would make a 3 " 16 shot cluster, so I guess the rifle is doing ok.
What would you expect from a M1 that had been sent for JCG accurizing? I am tempted to buy another rifle from the CMP , but I have two and can only shoot one at a time anyway, so maybe I should send off my rack grade and $$$ to somebody like Fulton to have the weapon worked on. Have an opinion?

 

[10X]

I have owned several Garands, shot others and prepared my own Garands for High Power competition. These are the results I have seen using informal rests or good solid prone position.

With a good GI barrel, tight stock fit and USGI ammo the rifle likes, you should see around 4"-6" 10 round groups.

With glass bedding it should be under 3"

Match reloads should take that under 2"

With match sights 1"-2"

 

[Tokugawa]

10X , are you talking 100 yard or 200 yard groups here? I am not sure- Your 6" to 10" group sounds sort of big for 100 yards? Thanks!

 

[Tokugawa]

Sorry, I misread- you said 4" to 6"!

 

[Swampy]

so maybe I should send off my rack grade and $$$ to somebody like Fulton to have the weapon worked on. Have an opinion?

Dean @ DGR is "The MAN" when it comes to doing what you want done. He ain't cheap, on a par with Fulton, but he has a stellar rep for making M1's shoot.... and look like a million $$ to boot.

Best,
Swampy

Garands forever

 

[BsChoy]

Mine shoots 2.5" at 100 with reloads...haven't tried with the surplus stuff yet off the bench.

 

[Marion Cobretti]

My Danish field grade shot well enough to place me in the top 100 in the National Garand Match at Camp Perry!!