My rifle reloads are a little slow.

[Bryan 45]

I don't practice a lot. But after watching video from a match this past weekend, I think I need to work on my rifle reloads. Splits between last shot/first shot on reloads are prob in the 5-6 second range.

Any advise?

[Dan Sierpina]

Your clips were just stuck into the opening of your pocket? After you grabbed it, you had to rotate the clip to the proper orientation and grip to get it into the rifle, and keep your thumb from getting chewed up. A better orientation for the clips should help.

[1chota]

Actually that was not bad for a Garand. I used some cloth double wide mag pouches for my pistol to hold the clips.

I also now have a five pocket set up just for Garands. Of course that is why lots shoot the M1A. more cartuchos and easier reload.

[Ming the Merciless]

A local shooter here uses a Molle drop leg panel as a Garand clip holder and it works really well.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rbGmLM4f4Ec

[sjs]

Will there ever be another ww 2 class in a major 3 gun match? Shot the one in Texas a few years ago and it was the most fun I ever had.

[Bryan 45]

A local shooter here uses a Molle drop leg panel as a Garand clip holder and it works really well.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rbGmLM4f4Ec

I have one that I've used before, but this stage was the highest round count for rifle and only required 2 loads, so I just skipped the leg panel and clipped them on my pocket.

My right palm was sore by the end of the day. These enblocs were tight, and I had to whack the op rod handle pretty hard to get the bolt to close on the 1st round after reloads. No chance of M1 thumb though.

1chota- I greatly prefer the M1A, but it was sure fun running a M1 for a change.

SJS- I'd say most match directors look at how hard it is to get enough shooters in Heavy Metal to recognize the division, and figure it would be even more difficult to gather more than 1 or 2 for WWII. But I'd shoot it. That would be a lot of fun.

[1chota]

I shot that Texas match also. They played up the WWII aspect, then set the par times for open shooters. There were a few WWII shooters tho, which shows there is some interest. Maybe the Marble Falls match will put in a WWII division some day.

I really like the M1. I shot the M1A the first few years I was in heavy metal (He-man) then my eyes went south, so now the scope.

[BobS761]

Bryan, I think some of us would like a Garand division once in a while. I'm feeling we got something going on for at least once a season. We are going to try it at Owensboro, with a heads up to the MD. Just a thought.

[StealthyBlagga]

Cinched mags speed up my reloads... maybe try cinching your clips together

[1chota]

"Cinched mags speed up my reloads...maybe try cinching your clips together." Now THAT is funny.

[Bryan 45]

Bryan, I think some of us would like a Garand division once in a while. I'm feeling we got something going on for at least once a season. We are going to try it at Owensboro, with a heads up to the MD. Just a thought.

I really like the idea of WWII division, but for a local it's kind of rare already that we get a HM shooter, let alone try to whittle the pool down further.

Maybe just some strong encouragement towards our shooters and we'll see more of the old warhorses.

[michael1778]

From a scoring perspective, I wonder if it would be a good idea to let someone shooting an M1 Garand only have to engage the paper targets once instead of twice. It *is* a .30-06 after all. I don't have great affection for the 1911 pistols but I have been in love with the M1 for decades. I will get one someday. If we had a match somewhere that would let us run them even once a year, I'd pony up the money for a 1911 single stack and do WW2 3-gun with them both. I was just boring my wife talking about period-specific multi-gun concepts last night!!

Your rifle control looked very good to me. The <ping> always makes me smile.

[Bryan 45]

Some matches do that, Michael. But I come to shoot. I should have put 4 holes in each of those paper targets.

Dave Merryman also shot a M1 at this match and used the "1 Alpha" for the paper. I'd rather let the rifle eat though.

I was really surprised how close some of the splits were. I should have taken a picture of a few of them. 9.5# rifle helps. 70 year old rifle, 41 year old ammo. 37 year old shooter.

[DocMedic]

I wonder if a modified load2 technique would work best. Throw the buttstock on the shoulder face the load port to load hand, slide clip in with one hard push using your thumb to block the bolt handle. I would try it but I grown up in the AR era of rifles

[LSnSC]

I would do it. I love shooting HM, but it's all but dead on the east coast. I believe I am the only Heavy Irons shooter signed up for the Tarheel Bushmaster match. There are a few in HMO, but that class doesn't interst me. If they would make it pump and 45 I would try it, but 9mm and semiauto doesn't seem heavy to me. We had 5 or 6 the first year I shot it.

[Matt in TN]

I love the old warhorses - great video! Look to the old Highpower Rifle guys if you want to get faster at loading. The good ones won't even take the rifle out of their shoulder to do it. A good friend of mine was well known for his in the shoulder reload at Camp Perry, and set several records there with it. Unfortunately, he left this earth unexpectedly before I got a chance to learn it from him. It can be done though, and done well.

[NickBlasta]

Mine too.

[michael1778]

I would do it. I love shooting HM, but it's all but dead on the east coast. I believe I am the only Heavy Irons shooter signed up for the Tarheel Bushmaster match. There are a few in HMO, but that class doesn't interst me. If they would make it pump and 45 I would try it, but 9mm and semiauto doesn't seem heavy to me. We had 5 or 6 the first year I shot it.

9mm with a semi shotgun just kills the concept to me. I dislike that. Much prefer the He-Man Nationals rule set. The pistol (10 round max 45) and shotgun (pump gun) rules are the same for both types of HM rifle (1x/Irons or Mag optics). Otherwise, yeah....what's so "Heavy" about it?

[Bryan 45]

NickBlasta- You Win!

Awesome rifle.

[HRider]

Bryan, I thought that your reloads looked pretty good, it definitely wasn't the first time you have done that. What about a caddy built like the old weakhand shotgun caddies? There is a fellow that used to shoot a Garand at Tapp's match in Birmingham that loaded out of an old military shotshell pouch, he was pretty proficient with his Garand also.

I like shooting my Garand, just have not ever brought it to a match.

Hurley

[Bryan 45]

Steve Griffin at Gut Level Gear actually made some Kydex pouches for enblocs for Dave Merryman. Pretty slick idea.

We're discussing some options for a wwii division at locals now- to possibly include provisions for the M1 Carbine to be a substitute for the pistol targets.

[kurtm]

And here I thought you were reloading that slow because you were re-enacting the Chosin Reservoir fight. You will do better when it warms up!

On a second note, should a WW II class even allow Kydex??? Seems to me it should be M1, 1911-A1, pump shotgun, with as close to period correct web gear as possible. But what do I know.

[mike cyrwus]

M1 carbine??

[Bryan 45]

M1 carbine??

Hell yeah! Without trying it yet, I'm thinking just having a location for the M1 carbine to be staged, should the shooter decide to use it instead of the pistol. Just need to see if our pistol steel targets handle a 110g at 1950fps.

For those that's aren't aware of US arms history- the carbine was conceived to replace the handgun for rear area, artillery, etc troops that didn't need a full sized rifle. It was never intended to be a front line primary weapon for infantry.

[michael1778]

First gun I ever owned was a clone M1 carbine. Fun gun! Too bad I didn't take care off it properly. I didn't have anybody to help me learn back then.

Edited January 9, 2016 by michael1778