2021 CMP M1 Garand Clinic/Games/Match @ OCSA Pembroke Ma.

I saw the flyer in this thread, so I contacted the organizer and a friend and I made the trip to Pembroke. I'd never been to that club, didn't know anyone there, had never shot an M1 before, and never shot out to 200 yards. The guys at the match were very friendly and helped us get set up with the sling, scoring, and the function of the weapon. We had a great time and can't say enough about how helpful and cool these guys were. I highly recommend the future matches to anyone who wants to try shooting an M1. All you need is eyes and ears and money for ammo. They have everything else. My friend and I are already talking about making it to another match. Extra shout out to Rich, Franco and the man in the USCG hat (whose name escapes me right now).

Awesome- glad you and your friend had a good time and want to come back sometime. I'll ditto what Mac said- there were some really good first timer scores. I don't think we had the chance to meet, I was way to the left in position 1, but be sure to say 'hey' next time you come. I'm in the green and tan shooting jacket.

Even at the bigger CMP-organized events the general vibe is similar. Everyone is very friendly and helpful, and they are able to be very competitive without having an attitude. Besides Franco, who was a top national level shooter for decades, I've been given some nice tips / coaching from the two guys who are usually #1 or #2 at Camp Perry Nationals the last few years. Folks are that nice. The CMP New England Games in Vermont are a great time in an impressive setting and I highly recommend New England area shooters to attend. You need your own equipment for those, but it's still a good time to buy a M1 from the CMP. They still have Service Grades available at below market pricing. Once you dive in, it's hard not to go deeper. Just a few short years ago I won a Mac karma to attend a Pembroke match with nothing but eyes, ears, and a sweatshirt. I liked it enough to continue and have equipment for all 4 categories. The bronze in M1 and gold in Modern were me- so if I can do it, it's attainable for almost anyone, and the quality of coaching and advice at Pembroke is some of if not the best to be found.
 
NATIONAL RECORD: Brad Diehl, 294-09X, 2018
This is the top score so far for M1 as issued
Top scores range in the 280s-low 290s
CMP M1 as issued have been running since 1998?
Heres the last 12 or so years
View attachment 473997

HAH...Brad Diehl is who I bought most of my powder from (@Mountain has a little 8lbr of that Varget too)...he reached the top and then dropped off the map to shoot bullseye last year...I bought over $1000 worth of 8lb jugs off him right when COVID hit.

I met him up in NE Indiana on a rainy Saturday morning and he told me he knew Franco...had a couple of rifles built by him and asked if I wanted to buy any. ‘Sure, send me some prices’ I said...lol...but I think they were a little bit above my level.

Anyway...here’s to hoping he blessed that powder before he sold it to me!
 
HAH...Brad Diehl is who I bought most of my powder from (@Mountain has a little 8lbr of that Varget too)...he reached the top and then dropped off the map to shoot bullseye last year...I bought over $1000 worth of 8lb jugs off him right when COVID hit.

I met him up in NE Indiana on a rainy Saturday morning and he told me he knew Franco...had a couple of rifles built by him and asked if I wanted to buy any. ‘Sure, send me some prices’ I said...lol...but I think they were a little bit above my level.

Anyway...here’s to hoping he blessed that powder before he sold it to me!
LOL, how 'bout that! I received coaching in a class from Nick Till and have been given some advice from time to time from him- great guy and also a many time winner of national high power as well as other matches. Brian Williams is also a great guy who has given me some very helpful advice. Brian is usually at the top for many different classes of rifle matches. Really a nice community where the top competitors 'give back'.
 
LOL, how 'bout that! I received coaching in a class from Nick Till and have been given some advice from time to time from him- great guy and also a many time winner of national high power as well as other matches. Brian Williams is also a great guy who has given me some very helpful advice. Brian is usually at the top for many different classes of rifle matches. Really a nice community where the top competitors 'give back'.
Brian Williams is all over the leader boards in many classes along with his son now.
Never met the guy or go to any of the jig games but I do read up on whats going on
 
Ummm...is Franco ok?

Nice job Hip! Wow.
He has been shooting quite well in general, but 1-4 are combined scores for those who shot Garands twice. 5-7 are top 3 scores.

I channeled my anger over that dollar you owe me and shot a 289-5 with the Bula in Modern Military. Just share a good crayon recipe and we'll call it even.
 
He has been shooting quite well in general, but 1-4 are combined scores for those who shot Garands twice. 5-7 are top 3 scores.

I channeled my anger over that dollar you owe me and shot a 289-5 with the Bula in Modern Military. Just share a good crayon recipe and we'll call it even.
Jesus Christ...289-5?!?!?!? WTF are you feeding that thing?
 
Jesus Christ...289-5?!?!?!? WTF are you feeding that thing?
Must be that jug of Varget you sold to me. That and the vintage SMK's I bought from @wegman .

That damn Bula has been a real tack driver. I posted a 100-7X on those 'Dirty Bird' targets for a M14 forum postal match. Off the bench, but still fun to shoot and score like that. That was a fun build. Maybe I'll build an EBR someday when I have extra cash.
 
You’re shooting Varget out of an M14? I thought that was a no-no? Or were you just being funny?

I still haven’t even shot the 6.5cm Bula EMR I built 3 years ago...it’s too friggen heavy! I put 20 ‘break in’ rounds through it in the first season and haven’t had it out of the safe since except to move it to Indiana.

Probably a hint to myself that I should think about selling it.
 
You’re shooting Varget out of an M14? I thought that was a no-no? Or were you just being funny?

I still haven’t even shot the 6.5cm Bula EMR I built 3 years ago...it’s too friggen heavy! I put 20 ‘break in’ rounds through it in the first season and haven’t had it out of the safe since except to move it to Indiana.

Probably a hint to myself that I should think about selling it.
Nope, not joking. Who says Varget is NFG for M14's? One of those crusty old know it all M-Fers on that other forum?
 
While I was validating a snarky response to the post above, I found this... kind of a cool little read.

 
Nope, not joking. Who says Varget is NFG for M14's? One of those crusty old know it all M-Fers on that other forum?

I wouldn’t know...I’ve been permanently banned from that forum for almost 2 years (yet another reason I went from 7 M1A/M14’s down to 4...and still thinking about culling more of the stock).

Buncha crusty old cucks over there, for sure...but starting to think I might be the problem. Been permanently banned from CMP twice now, and just got banned for a month and a half from Indiana gun owners for using too many curse words in a single post. NES has given me 3 separate 2 week suspensions for picking on that fag in the classifieds that shills for one of the moderators here...but they keep taking me back :D
 
So yesterday I took an M1a and my #2 Garand to the local range and tried out some variations of charge in 30/06 and variation of bullets in .308. I started with the m1a and found my choice of 140 Nosler CC's and 44.5 gr of W-748 (accuracy load from Speer manual) to not be what I hoped. In fairness to the book, 2.750" was called for and I went with 2.700"
It didn't look like I had enough bullet in the case given the boat tail...so? The next load, 46.0gr of W-748 and a 125 Speer TNT was much better after two sighters and adjusting the sights some. See pic.IMG_3354.JPG
 
While I was validating a snarky response to the post above, I found this... kind of a cool little read.


Very good article- better detail than I've seen for M118 etc. With the Varget, I'm getting similar velocities as the military sniper ammo and my SD's are well within the Mk316 specs.

I do have other powders I'll use from time to time. I conserved Varget during the Leominster winter offhand series so I tried a couple others. Also that Creedmoor ammo is pretty good, so I might try to reverse-engineer some. I'll have to take a look, but it could be VV powder or from whoever produces it for VV.

I wouldn’t know...I’ve been permanently banned from that forum for almost 2 years (yet another reason I went from 7 M1A/M14’s down to 4...and still thinking about culling more of the stock).

Buncha crusty old cucks over there, for sure...but starting to think I might be the problem. Been permanently banned from CMP twice now, and just got banned for a month and a half from Indiana gun owners for using too many curse words in a single post. NES has given me 3 separate 2 week suspensions for picking on that fag in the classifieds that shills for one of the moderators here...but they keep taking me back :D

In Jeff Foxworthy's voice, "If you've been at least temporarily banned from every forum you signed up for- you might be the problem." [rofl]

LOL you have to work at it or just be naturally 'gifted' to get banned here. Some of those other sites? They can be so thin skinned that you could get banned for simply questioning the wrong 'guru'.

There's some great knowledge at some of these sites, but they can be quick to criticize info that contradicts with their accepted norms and if you prove you are right with data or pics they'll just ignore it. As I get older, one of the things I at least attempt to do is keep an open mind and learn from new ideas & younger people. They may be great ideas or may blow chunks- but you don't know if you automatically dismiss new ideas. A lot of those folks will make a snap judgement based on what they already know and ridicule the non-koolaid drinkers, which bugs me.

Also keep in mind that culturally, acceptable Woostah colorful language probably tops the national scale. Yeah, Southies sound funnier but Worcester folks are the pro's at stringing curse words together. Just an outsider opinion LOL.
 
Yeah thats it....

eh go by the flyers, I did not print those.

So thinking it might be this weekend but it's next weekend, I'm all set for loads. This gives me more time to tweak the 03A3. Was going to shoot it mostly as-is from CMP but now I can get that wider front sight down to ~.075" and install, plus spend more time on the trigger.
 
Very good article- better detail than I've seen for M118 etc. With the Varget, I'm getting similar velocities as the military sniper ammo and my SD's are well within the Mk316 specs.

I do have other powders I'll use from time to time. I conserved Varget during the Leominster winter offhand series so I tried a couple others. Also that Creedmoor ammo is pretty good, so I might try to reverse-engineer some. I'll have to take a look, but it could be VV powder or from whoever produces it for VV.



In Jeff Foxworthy's voice, "If you've been at least temporarily banned from every forum you signed up for- you might be the problem." [rofl]

LOL you have to work at it or just be naturally 'gifted' to get banned here. Some of those other sites? They can be so thin skinned that you could get banned for simply questioning the wrong 'guru'.

There's some great knowledge at some of these sites, but they can be quick to criticize info that contradicts with their accepted norms and if you prove you are right with data or pics they'll just ignore it. As I get older, one of the things I at least attempt to do is keep an open mind and learn from new ideas & younger people. They may be great ideas or may blow chunks- but you don't know if you automatically dismiss new ideas. A lot of those folks will make a snap judgement based on what they already know and ridicule the non-koolaid drinkers, which bugs me.

Also keep in mind that culturally, acceptable Woostah colorful language probably tops the national scale. Yeah, Southies sound funnier but Worcester folks are the pro's at stringing curse words together. Just an outsider opinion LOL.

IIRC creedmore was using General Dynamics bulk powder MPxxx or some shit.

I wish i put in a few orders of the 30-06 stuff.
Tossed around ordering my limit when they still had 3 million creedmoor put out for cmp.
Somewhere here on NES i have pictures of the powder in the creedmoor powder bunker
 
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IIRC creedmore was using General Dynamics bulk powder MPxxx or some shit.

I wish i put in a few orders of the 30-06 stuff.
Tossed around ordering my limit when they still had 3 million creedmoor put out for cmp.
Somewhere here on NES i have pictures of the powder in the creedmoor powder bunker

If they ever list the .30-06 again, I'll be buying some. Like you, should have bought more. I do have a good stock of the .308 now and more has been sitting in CMP's backlog.

Creedmoor offers (offered?) several types of ammo for .30-06 and .308. The Creedmoor Lapua component rounds I pulled had that powder with a very unique look to it, just like VV powder. Since the brass and projectiles were Lapua, perhaps Creedmoor was simply sourcing the ammo from Lapua and selling via their private label. If so, the powder for sure would be VV.
 
If they ever list the .30-06 again, I'll be buying some. Like you, should have bought more. I do have a good stock of the .308 now and more has been sitting in CMP's backlog.

Creedmoor offers (offered?) several types of ammo for .30-06 and .308. The Creedmoor Lapua component rounds I pulled had that powder with a very unique look to it, just like VV powder. Since the brass and projectiles were Lapua, perhaps Creedmoor was simply sourcing the ammo from Lapua and selling via their private label. If so, the powder for sure would be VV.
theres a older article out there with Dennis
Found it
 
theres a older article out there with Dennis
Found it
Yeah, but...

SMP makes ball powder. There are some pics on GD's website of the various brands using SMP powder- all are marked ball powder type or are applications we know use ball powder. Creedmoor makes pistol ammo and other calibers that could use ball. That stuff I pulled from the Creedmoor .30-06 was a funky looking short rod type, exactly like N140 or N150.
 
Your in luck i wont be playing.
I will pop in to apply some back ground distractions for a shortwhile.
P!us I need to drop of some HXP/Fees for next months Karma winner.
Bummer, but the years when the kids do their own thing will come soon enough.

Popping in for distractions? You just reminded me of last month when someone hit the warning buzzer right in the middle of my Garand match offhand string. I'm still pissed off about that. I've been to some matches where you will get your ass chewed for talking near the firing line during a match, but the chit chat never bothers me. I figure if I can concentrate with 'BOOM' going off to my left and right, a little talking isn't an issue. That damn warning buzzer is pretty loud when it's right behind your ass plus you have no choice but to see what's going on in case of emergency cease fire etc.
 
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