[SAPPNASTY]

I use IMR4895 for my Garand, M1A and AR-15. Of course I stick with the 168gr bullets for my Garand and M1A and 55gr for my AR. If you don't already have it, buy Hornady's 8th edition reloading manual. It has specific loads for the M1A and Garand! As far as the bullets go, I usually stick with Hornady Match or Amax and the Sierra Match Kings....both 168. I might try a different powder next being that I now have a Chrony

 

[GoingDeaf]

I think it depends on what you're going to be shooting. There's a lot of combinations out there. Every rifle is different, so what works for one, may not work for another.

I mostly use IMR 4895. For the local matches, I use it with Speer 125 TNT's, as we shoot the reduced course at 200 yards. These 125's work well for me, maybe not as well as some of the other lighter bullets out there, but I can't beat the price of them. For longer shooting, I use either 168's or 175's, sometimes with IMR 4064. I also have some plinking ammo I loaded with surplus 147's and 152's that work pretty well.

 

[charlesPOSTLEwade]

As said every Weapon will favor a Different Load Combination .
Out of 7 AR's 2 like the Same Load
out of 3 M14 none like the same
out of my M1's None like the same and 1 HRA Hates reloads Period !!! it prefers Military Surplus. I cant explain it but that are the Facts

 

[donker2]

You can use 125's and still get it to cycle? I have a bunch of 110 ers I wonder if they would work.
I bought them for the bolt action trying to reduce the felt recoil before I saw the light of the auto-loaders.
Any ideas? on a load? I have IMR-4064 and IMR-4895
I use a SA NM with a SS barrel I now have a Sadlak TIN piston without the grove.

 

[Phil “Murphy” McGrath]

You can use 125's and still get it to cycle? I have a bunch of 110 ers I wonder if they would work.
I bought them for the bolt action trying to reduce the felt recoil before I saw the light of the auto-loaders.
Any ideas? on a load? I have IMR-4064 and IMR-4895
I use a SA NM with a SS barrel I now have a Sadlak TIN piston without the grove.

Your, joking? arn't you.

Reduced recoil load. If you useing GI or mil-spec cases this load should get you up and running, if you using commercial cases add 1 grn extra powder

Full lenth resize and trim too 2.005
41.5 IMR or H-4895
Any primer you wish, I currently use Win Large Rifle and whan I run out I will swap over too the Russian's
Speer 125 TnT
Coal 2.70
This load will have the recoil level about the same as a AR/15 and will hold the 10ring at 200yds. M/V is in the 2800fps range, over 3000fps you run the risk of them disapearing on you.


Save your IMR-4064 for the 168 or 175's

 

[oregonM14]

Has anybody played with IMR 8208?

 

[RAMMAC]

Do a search for 8208 and you will find several conversations but here are a few.

http://m14forum.com/ammunition/87691-fyi-imr-8208-xbr-barnes-168gr-ttsx.html

http://m14forum.com/ammunition/90732-loading-smk-135-gr-hpbt-imr-8208xbr.html#post619230

http://m14forum.com/ammunition/95566-im-giving-up-aa2520-h4895-here-i-come.html#post660368

Overall I tested 8208 with the heavier bullets in my SOCOM 16 more than I tested the loads in the longer barreled rifles. In the short barrel I found that the powder was too finicky, just as I got to muzzle velocities that I liked I would get high pressures. I ended up settling with IMR 3031 as my go to powder for the short barreled rifle but 8208 might work out well in the 22" barrels using mid weight bullets (147gr - 155gr).

I just got a copy of Hodgdon's 2012 reloading book and their numbers don't really match well with mine. In fact, they claim that you can use max loads that I would say were unsafe in the M1A rifle. They used a bolt action rifle with a 24" barrel to test their loads but I still think that their numbers are slightly suspect. If I were to drop their powder charge weights by about 1 grain then their numbers would match mine pretty well. I have noticed that 8208 is effected by case volume very quickly as compared to some other powders, if you change the case or the bullet you should pay careful attention to pressure changes.

All that being said, I would love to test 8208 again and use slightly lighter bullets because the group sizes were pretty impressive. I might try some loads for my loaded model, maybe a lighter bullet in the longer barrel will give me some very tight groups without the high pressures.

As an aside, Hodgdon did just come out with a new powder, CFE 223, it looks interesting and they claim that it works well in the .308 rifles, I think I need to try some out. DI5