Quoted:
Quoted:
Quoted:
Don't know that its true but I've read the 147 grain boat tails made for the 7.62 NATO rounds were never intended to be as accurate at the M2 ball for 30.06. They wanted a round that would be interchangeable between the M14 rifle and M60 machine gun and they wanted the machine gun round to be able to provide some additional dispersion at the target's range. If there were 4 or 5 people fairly close to each other they wanted the "group" fired by the M60 to be large enough to hit multiple targets so the bullets won't be as uniform as the M2 ball bullets for the 30.06.
If you want really accurate loads (if you and your rifle are good enough to benefit from them I'd suggest trying to Sierra 180 grain matchkings. Then, just for peace of mind get an adjustable gas plug to make sure your loads don't strain the gas cylinder/op rod.
Use a suitable powder (such as IMR 4895) with the correct burn rate and load it to within safe Garand specs––no need for an adjustable unless you want to run all kinds of different stuff through it...
Can somebody explain this. I always hear that if you are going to use modern ammo or load your own for a Garand you need a new gas plug. Why is that? Was the old ammo loaded to lower pressures than the new stuff?
You don't NEED a new gas plug. IF your reloads have a gas port pressure that does not exceed the military specifications for that rifle, you can shoot forever. If the gas port pressure exceeds mil-specs, more gas pressure is pushing/slamming on your gas system and might damage parts if too powerful. The M1 long op rod is probably the most challenged by EXCESSIVE pressures.
Slow burning propellants reach max chamber pressure later; but, are still burning while the bullet is still in the barrel and continues to push on it. This is fine for a bolt rifle. For a gas gun, that means that the pressure isn't falling off fast enough when the bullet passes the gas port and the port pressure is excessive.
If you reload with slow burning powders, get a venting gas plug.
If you shoot any commercial ammo that is available, get a venting gas plug.
The older ammo wasn't loaded to lower pressures and different burn rates. It was loaded to correct pressures and burn rates for that system.