Like a lot of you folks that have been shooting HP for awhile in 79/80 the DCM dumped hundreds of thousands of rounds of 30.06 at Camp Perry in those years and that was what I was waiting for. I knew the stockpiles were being reduced down to War Reserves and there would be no more and to my knowledge the War Reserves is still in storage as we have (had) over 600 1903A4s in War Reserve as well.
Most of the guys that got it had no real use for it because everyone was shooting M118 Match. In our hut we had 30,000+ rounds going back to New Jersey.
I had friends from New York who didn't want it and they made me a deal, for every 168 gr. Hornady match bullet I bought them they would trade me a loaded round of M72.
As you all that have it know, it is not as accurate as the M118 and it is now about 40 to 50 years old depending on what you have and it gives vertical dispersion at long range. This is due to the mouth lacquer cause wide range of bullet pull forces.
I have found out how to make M72 far more accurate and heres how:
1. Collet pull the bullets first by inserting bullet section up into collet to the top of the travel and then lower it about 1/16th inch, tighten the collet and raise the bullet as if seating it and you will here a faint pop sound. That breaks the mouth lacquer.
2. Lower the round and bullet comes right out. If you don't break the mouth lacquer you will get some bullets out but you will have to clamp collet so tight you will disturb the bearing surface and ruin the potential accuracy of the bullet.
3. Dump the propellant (it should be 4895) in a jar. Weigh a couple charges as you dump them and you should have circa 46 grains. Make sure the tap the cases as it may stick to inside of cases.
4. Dump the 173 bullets in a jar and fill with ZEP505 cleaner. I get it at Home Depot. Submerge the bullets and let them soak two days and you will see the mouth lacquer falling off the bullets and at the end of two days they will look like brand new Sierra or Hornady match bullets--shiney. You can use the same solution about five more times so don't dump it out.
5. Run the cases in a neck size die to snug it back up.
6. Run a bronze brush in necks to remove some more mouth lacquer.
7. Use the pulled down 4895 to reload but instead of the full charges which were circa 46 grs only put back 43.3 grains. FA Ammo handbook says it could be upwards of 50 grains.
8. Reseat the nice new looking 173s to same OAL.
9. Go to range and shoot a group with untreated M72 and then shoot a group with your 43.3 loads and you should see a reduction in group size of about 30 to 40%.
The above is the load I shot at 200/300 and saved my 168s/175s for 600.
I shot mine in a bolt gun (Mod 70s) but I think this load will cycle a Garand. If it use it for 600 yard stage. I have shot cleans a 300 rapid with this load.
Most of the guys that got it had no real use for it because everyone was shooting M118 Match. In our hut we had 30,000+ rounds going back to New Jersey.
I had friends from New York who didn't want it and they made me a deal, for every 168 gr. Hornady match bullet I bought them they would trade me a loaded round of M72.
As you all that have it know, it is not as accurate as the M118 and it is now about 40 to 50 years old depending on what you have and it gives vertical dispersion at long range. This is due to the mouth lacquer cause wide range of bullet pull forces.
I have found out how to make M72 far more accurate and heres how:
1. Collet pull the bullets first by inserting bullet section up into collet to the top of the travel and then lower it about 1/16th inch, tighten the collet and raise the bullet as if seating it and you will here a faint pop sound. That breaks the mouth lacquer.
2. Lower the round and bullet comes right out. If you don't break the mouth lacquer you will get some bullets out but you will have to clamp collet so tight you will disturb the bearing surface and ruin the potential accuracy of the bullet.
3. Dump the propellant (it should be 4895) in a jar. Weigh a couple charges as you dump them and you should have circa 46 grains. Make sure the tap the cases as it may stick to inside of cases.
4. Dump the 173 bullets in a jar and fill with ZEP505 cleaner. I get it at Home Depot. Submerge the bullets and let them soak two days and you will see the mouth lacquer falling off the bullets and at the end of two days they will look like brand new Sierra or Hornady match bullets--shiney. You can use the same solution about five more times so don't dump it out.
5. Run the cases in a neck size die to snug it back up.
6. Run a bronze brush in necks to remove some more mouth lacquer.
7. Use the pulled down 4895 to reload but instead of the full charges which were circa 46 grs only put back 43.3 grains. FA Ammo handbook says it could be upwards of 50 grains.
8. Reseat the nice new looking 173s to same OAL.
9. Go to range and shoot a group with untreated M72 and then shoot a group with your 43.3 loads and you should see a reduction in group size of about 30 to 40%.
The above is the load I shot at 200/300 and saved my 168s/175s for 600.
I shot mine in a bolt gun (Mod 70s) but I think this load will cycle a Garand. If it use it for 600 yard stage. I have shot cleans a 300 rapid with this load.
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