M1A Loaded range session.

[ARCHIVED THREAD] - M1A Loaded range session.

Posted: 10/6/2016 9:02:08 PM EDT

So I pulled the ole M1A out of the mothballs because everyone has been talking about how they suck so bad lately. Figured it was time to give her some exercise and see if she really sucks. I will say this, I prefer shooting 5.56 over this for my shoulder. But whatever. It's not too bad. I think it shoots pretty good. Sure, cheek weld could be better. And maybe with a lot of shooting accuracy would suck. But I've got quite a few rounds through this thing.

I think I can do better if I go prone on the concrete and use sandbags. Because I was fighting with it a little bit and there may have been some movement at the time the hammer dropped. But overall not bad.

168 grain Federal ,forgot to put that in the notes

that's actually 6 rounds. But just 50 yards.

Posted: 10/6/2016 10:47:15 PM EDT

[#1]

Nice

Posted: 10/6/2016 11:13:41 PM EDT

[#2]

Nice rig

Posted: 10/8/2016 7:23:33 AM EDT

[#3]

Nice

Posted: 10/8/2016 8:13:51 AM EDT

[#4]

Get an old-style ARMS #18 and lower that scope....you'll be much more comfortable.

Posted: 10/8/2016 9:14:30 AM EDT

[#5]

Very nice!

Posted: 10/8/2016 4:52:24 PM EDT

[#6]

Nice work! I bought a Loaded from a buddy three years ago. Sorry to say I haven't shot it yet. I was telling my son today that we need to go and shoot it. I will soon.

Posted: 10/8/2016 8:41:48 PM EDT

[#7]

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Quoted:
Get an old-style ARMS #18 and lower that scope....you'll be much more comfortable.

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You got one you wanna sell me cheap?

Posted: 10/8/2016 8:45:29 PM EDT

[#8]

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Quoted:
Nice work! I bought a Loaded from a buddy three years ago. Sorry to say I haven't shot it yet. I was telling my son today that we need to go and shoot it. I will soon.

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And post pics.

Thanks guys, I wish I handloaded. And I really would like to get a rubber buttpad and some more sandbags and go prone. I think I can get it to group smaller, more regularly.

Posted: 10/17/2016 4:56:56 PM EDT

[#9]

Good groups. I wish my loaded could do that.

Posted: 10/18/2016 1:08:58 PM EDT

[#10]

It can't?

Posted: 10/22/2016 1:28:16 PM EDT

[#11]

Nice, my NM in a Sage usually shoots a little over an inch at 100 with FGMM. Nice rifle and nice ammo.

Posted: 10/22/2016 4:08:52 PM EDT

[#12]

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Quoted:
Nice, my NM in a Sage usually shoots a little over an inch at 100 with FGMM. Nice rifle and nice ammo.

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Can we get a picture of that beast here? I can't remember if I've seen yours. Probably have, but still... What glass do you have on yours to get those kind of groups?

Yeah, FGMM seems to be really good stuff. Heck, even the American Eagle shoots halfway decent in that gun. For some reason Remington isn't touted as great ammo but it the few times I've shot it, it was really good. To my recollection. If I'm not mistaken the smallest group I've gotten with this thing was with the remington ammo. 168 grain bthp. I'd have to double check. I should try some of their match ammo in .223 in my AR's. But it is usually expensive. But so is FGMM.

Posted: 10/26/2016 11:06:50 PM EDT

[#13]

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Quoted:

Can we get a picture of that beast here? I can't remember if I've seen yours. Probably have, but still... What glass do you have on yours to get those kind of groups?

Yeah, FGMM seems to be really good stuff. Heck, even the American Eagle shoots halfway decent in that gun. For some reason Remington isn't touted as great ammo but it the few times I've shot it, it was really good. To my recollection. If I'm not mistaken the smallest group I've gotten with this thing was with the remington ammo. 168 grain bthp. I'd have to double check. I should try some of their match ammo in .223 in my AR's. But it is usually expensive. But so is FGMM.

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Quoted:

Quoted:
Nice, my NM in a Sage usually shoots a little over an inch at 100 with FGMM. Nice rifle and nice ammo.

Can we get a picture of that beast here? I can't remember if I've seen yours. Probably have, but still... What glass do you have on yours to get those kind of groups?

Yeah, FGMM seems to be really good stuff. Heck, even the American Eagle shoots halfway decent in that gun. For some reason Remington isn't touted as great ammo but it the few times I've shot it, it was really good. To my recollection. If I'm not mistaken the smallest group I've gotten with this thing was with the remington ammo. 168 grain bthp. I'd have to double check. I should try some of their match ammo in .223 in my AR's. But it is usually expensive. But so is FGMM.

It is due for a photo session, I picked it up locally for $1800 with two mags and a hard case so I did alright. It's just got an SWFA SS 10X on it currently, but given it's just a range/light hunting rifle I'm not too worried about upgrading. I haven't really done a lot of ammo testing, but it shoots both 168 FGMM and 178 ELD-X at a little over MOA so far. I don't pretend to know anything about M1A's, but so far I've been very happy with mine especially given how much I paid for it.

Posted: 10/27/2016 1:22:48 PM EDT

[#14]

Holy crap. You stole it. Now I REALLY want to see it. LOL.

I think the sages are a good idea because the bedding is probably more stable than a gi stock wood or synthetic. And maybe it would be more consistent. I don't have enough rounds through mine to judge how everyone poo poo's it. Sometimes I think it's hype because people just like to be emotional about what they like and don't like. But there's probably some truth to it because so many people have said it's harder to keep them consistent. I've been please with the accuracy of mine. I'd still probably rather have an M24 / M40 copy. This was my Dad's gun but he didn't like shooting it because it "beats you up". So he basically let me keep it at my house and I shoot it whenever I want. LOL.

Posted: 12/1/2016 11:24:50 AM EDT

[#15]

Not surprised by the accuracy. The only people who claim the M14 isn't accurate either haven't shot one, or can't shoot worth a damn to begin with.

Posted: 12/1/2016 12:39:47 PM EDT

[#16]

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Not surprised by the accuracy. The only people who claim the M14 isn't accurate either haven't shot one, or can't shoot worth a damn to begin with.

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This

Posted: 12/1/2016 3:00:02 PM EDT

[#17]

Well from what I can tell the claims by some are that it doesn't HOLD accuracy because of the bedding. I can't confirm or deny it, I don't have enough rounds through it. But mine has always shown very good accuracy. I wouldn't think it's any different than any bolt gun. Like the M24's and M40's. Well at least the older ones. Nobody ever scoffs at bedding those types of guns.... Maybe there is a difference, but I'm not understanding what it is. The M40 and M40A1 wouldn't have had any differences in materials in the bedding. I don't know if the A3's or A5's have any kind of metal bedding. Plus you'd think with the sage stock this wouldn't eve be a problem, but the hate and discontent seem to follow any M14/M1A platform.

And maybe AR10's are a lot better. But I don't get the arguments of how the M14's are some how sub par.

Posted: 12/1/2016 6:06:47 PM EDT

[#18]

The difference I think is that the way the trigger guard locks up speeds up the accuracy degradation. That's what I've always interpreted by the loss of accuracy complaints.

Posted: 12/1/2016 9:38:43 PM EDT

[#19]

Yeah, I guess there is that difference. Duh. LOL.

But I'm not sure it's as bad as some people make it out to be. Maybe it is. A lot of guys that shoot them in comps seem to say it's not the best deal.

Posted: 12/1/2016 10:35:08 PM EDT

[#20]

I can't speak to how bad it is. That's just my interpretation of the complaints.

My m1 isn't loose but the trigger guard doesn't have tension on it until it's nearly closed. I can still manage 6" groups at 200 yards from a shitty prone and ppu m1 ball so I really don't know

Posted: 12/1/2016 11:44:05 PM EDT

[#21]

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This

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Quoted:

Quoted:
Not surprised by the accuracy. The only people who claim the M14 isn't accurate either haven't shot one, or can't shoot worth a damn to begin with.

This

This as well.

Posted: 12/2/2016 3:56:34 PM EDT

[#22]

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Quoted:
I can't speak to how bad it is. That's just my interpretation of the complaints.

My m1 isn't loose but the trigger guard doesn't have tension on it until it's nearly closed. I can still manage 6" groups at 200 yards from a shitty prone and ppu m1 ball so I really don't know

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Time to shoot a Garand Match.

See how well you do offhand.

For some reason off hand really gets me with the Garand. I would say it's the recoil because there are times where I'm just about to shoot and I don't like it, so I'll let off and then I flinch. LOL. But I swear I don't have that problem with the 03A3. It's something the bolt gun that helps me have better follow though and flinch less. I can't explain why. Other than just not practicing enough with it.

bfoosh, thanks for the quoted thumbs up. If that was meant for me. Ooops, I went back and looked, you guys were agreeing with the other guy who said those who complain about it don't have a clue type of a thing. Got it.

Posted: 12/11/2016 6:22:27 PM EDT

[#23]

The loaded model is not all that bad, but is does just have a semi heavy Production barrel in it, and is throated for ball ammo instead.

So the problem you get with them (the barrel in general), is that with a 168gr load, you end up having to sled in the long loads for a .003" jump to lands instead.
This is not a problem for prone when you are going to sled anyways, but causes a problem for rapids when you are having to come out of the mag isntead.

Hence for rapids and having a long jump to lands coming out of the mag, the rig will do better with a standard flat tail bullet at the shorter yardage with the long jump to lands, then trying to use a BT bullet isntead.

Note, just food for thought, if you thinking of taking a loaded up to a NM grade rifle. Hence the throat is too long on the barrel for rapids with 168gr HPBT when you are limited to the lenght of the mag and how long you can load the rounds to try keep the jump to lands short instead.
To add, on reduced range shoots, the 110gr bullet loves to jump a longer distance without problems, and does shine for these type of matches instead. So if this is the types of shoots you are shooting, the the loaded would be a good rifle to upgrade to a NM rig for those types of shoots.

Posted: 12/12/2016 3:22:33 PM EDT

[#24]

I've never shot the 110's. Interesting. Now you've got my interest piqued. For 100 yard shooting. Plus I wonder if the recoil is a little less.

Posted: 12/13/2016 6:08:37 AM EDT

[#25]

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I've never shot the 110's. Interesting. Now you've got my interest piqued. For 100 yard shooting. Plus I wonder if the recoil is a little less.

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http://jbmballistics.com/cgi-bin/jbmrecoil-5.1.cgi

Depends how low you go.

Straight Pull "Bolt Action" M1 Garand

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=haE4neqLnvo

Posted: 12/13/2016 6:53:22 PM EDT

[#26]

I ran some managed recoil .30-06 through my Garand before and know what that is like. No biggie. Faster than a bolt gun. They weren't very accurate in mine though. I think they were the Remington 125 grain soft point load.