Hickok
04-28-2011, 12:14 PM
My computer has been away getting a "cleanout" and here in WV all we have had is snow, rain and more of the same. Finally the PC is back and the weather is getting better.
Took the Springfield M1A NM several times before getting rained out and it really shoots! Winchester 7.62mm 147gr. FMJ Whitebox shoots fair, but it isn't tackdriving, and I didn't expect it to be. I buy it for the good military brass.
My reload that finally shoots best is 150 Horn. SST with 42.5gr. of IMR 4895 in Win. mil. case and CCI #34 primer. Used a new set of Lee dies, as I have found they really load rounds with very little bullet runout.
Peep sight @ 100yds, holding right at the bottom of the paper plate, shot one group, gave two 1/2 min clicks for windage (NM sights) and fired next group. Both groups measure 1" with a couple of thousandths added in. Sorry I just couldn't bring myself to fire 5 shots and these two targets! The excitement was setting in!
Also fired some Remington 150gr. factory Corelokts and they do pretty good, running 2" groups for five shots consistantly, and same POI. Good to grab when reloads run low. Pressure seems ok. Wally world has them for $20 a box.
Winchester 7.62 147 FMJ shoots about 3" groups for 5 shots, so it is "minute of man" accurate. Very good mil. brass. Excessive bullet runout hurts accuracy with these cartridges. Roll them across a flat surface and the naked eye can see the wobble.
I did have two problems to sort out that may help others. I kept getting one shot going out of a very good group consistantly. Looking the rifle over, I saw where wood was being "shaved" off on the stock under the operating rod, down in the stock near the barrel channel. It seems a casting "Flash" or piece of fin from casting was protruding from the operating rod , just under "lever" where you fingers go to pull the op. rod back.(picture 3)
I took a small punch and pecked off the piece of "flash" and then used a small jewelers file to smooth up and round over the wood in the stock and doctored the scrapped up area with Tru-oil. ( I get real bothered over stuff like this, it really never hurts anything, but the stock being scrapped up, even if it is toward the inside of the stock really bothers me! Perfectionism is a curse!)
The flyers in the groups disappeared.
I use a Hart bench rest front rifle rest for most of my scoped shooting, it weighs about 12 to 15 pounds, with all the goodies, and a leather sand bag under the rifle butt. But M1a just didn't want to shoot off this type of rest, stringing shots vertical. Switching to the ever reliable "sandbag" under the front and the small leather sandbag under the butt, she started tack driving! I have done this before with other rifles that are light weight or have some drop of the stock at the rear for iron sight use. They seem to settle in better on a sandbag, don't jump up, and you can postition your left hand better to steady them. Straight stocked scoped rifles seem recoil directly back and settle in better on my Hart front rest.YMMV.
I love this rifle! A big thumbs up to Springfield Armory. The rifle shoots better than I can, without a doubt.
Next I will scope her up with the Bassett mount and a P2 Shepard scope and relate another long winded tale of my trials!:sleepy:
Took the Springfield M1A NM several times before getting rained out and it really shoots! Winchester 7.62mm 147gr. FMJ Whitebox shoots fair, but it isn't tackdriving, and I didn't expect it to be. I buy it for the good military brass.
My reload that finally shoots best is 150 Horn. SST with 42.5gr. of IMR 4895 in Win. mil. case and CCI #34 primer. Used a new set of Lee dies, as I have found they really load rounds with very little bullet runout.
Peep sight @ 100yds, holding right at the bottom of the paper plate, shot one group, gave two 1/2 min clicks for windage (NM sights) and fired next group. Both groups measure 1" with a couple of thousandths added in. Sorry I just couldn't bring myself to fire 5 shots and these two targets! The excitement was setting in!
Also fired some Remington 150gr. factory Corelokts and they do pretty good, running 2" groups for five shots consistantly, and same POI. Good to grab when reloads run low. Pressure seems ok. Wally world has them for $20 a box.
Winchester 7.62 147 FMJ shoots about 3" groups for 5 shots, so it is "minute of man" accurate. Very good mil. brass. Excessive bullet runout hurts accuracy with these cartridges. Roll them across a flat surface and the naked eye can see the wobble.
I did have two problems to sort out that may help others. I kept getting one shot going out of a very good group consistantly. Looking the rifle over, I saw where wood was being "shaved" off on the stock under the operating rod, down in the stock near the barrel channel. It seems a casting "Flash" or piece of fin from casting was protruding from the operating rod , just under "lever" where you fingers go to pull the op. rod back.(picture 3)
I took a small punch and pecked off the piece of "flash" and then used a small jewelers file to smooth up and round over the wood in the stock and doctored the scrapped up area with Tru-oil. ( I get real bothered over stuff like this, it really never hurts anything, but the stock being scrapped up, even if it is toward the inside of the stock really bothers me! Perfectionism is a curse!)
The flyers in the groups disappeared.
I use a Hart bench rest front rifle rest for most of my scoped shooting, it weighs about 12 to 15 pounds, with all the goodies, and a leather sand bag under the rifle butt. But M1a just didn't want to shoot off this type of rest, stringing shots vertical. Switching to the ever reliable "sandbag" under the front and the small leather sandbag under the butt, she started tack driving! I have done this before with other rifles that are light weight or have some drop of the stock at the rear for iron sight use. They seem to settle in better on a sandbag, don't jump up, and you can postition your left hand better to steady them. Straight stocked scoped rifles seem recoil directly back and settle in better on my Hart front rest.YMMV.
I love this rifle! A big thumbs up to Springfield Armory. The rifle shoots better than I can, without a doubt.
Next I will scope her up with the Bassett mount and a P2 Shepard scope and relate another long winded tale of my trials!:sleepy: