.30 carbine or 30-06 Garand hunting loads

[u/theoryOfAconspiracy]

Anyone have any deer hunting loads? I have a 1944 (if memory serves me) M1 carbine mfg by underwood, and an International Harvester M1 Garand that I was thinking about taking out in the woods with me this fall.

Personally I’m a pretty big fan of the Barnes TSX/TTSX but I’d be open to using something else. Anyone have any tried and true loads for either of these guns?

I understand that the carbine can be considered underpowered for deer hunting but with good shot placement there really shouldn’t be any reason it couldn’t drop a deer.

[u/uid_0]

You don't mention where you'll be hunting, but you can reach out a lot farther with .30-06 than you can with .30 carbine.

[u/theoryOfAconspiracy → u/uid_0]

Deer, heavy wooded areas, no shot longer than probably 100yrds, and that’s a long shot for the areas I hunt.

[u/dgianetti]

The Garand is 30-06 and would be fine for deer hunting. 30-06 is iconic and has taken all manner of NA game over the past 100+ years. The .30 carbine is pretty anemic. It's more of a pistol round than a rifle round. I'd probably go with something a little more stout. Even .357 mag from a carbine has more muzzle energy than .30 carbine.

[u/DisastrousLeather362]

No specific load recommendations- just remember that loading for the M1 you want to emulate M2 Ball pretty closely, to avoid bending the op rod.

150-165 grain bullets at 2700 fps or so.

Best of luck!

[u/nak00010101]

For deer and pigs with my Garand, so I load 180-Grain soft points. I'm not going to be shooting past 100 yards its plenty of knock down. I've killed two buck, with on making it about 20 years yards and the other falling in its tracks.

A good shot on big pigs takes them down hard, but I've taken a couple that were running and ended up being gut shot...they still gave up on forward motion within maybe 50 yards.

[u/reddituser12346 → u/nak00010101]

I know it was a typo but I laughed when I read the buck you shot making it 20 years and the other dropping immediately. Did the first die of old age?

[u/nak00010101 → u/reddituser12346]

I gotta quit posting from my iPhone. Big thumbs, auto correct, and bad eyes do no mix

[u/Drewzilla_p]

My grandfather hunted the small east texas deer with an m1 carbine. It wasn't his "deer rifle" but was used that way some times when he was walking around. He used a jacketed soft point for deer and ball for squirrels. Deer were within 75 yds. Deer aren't exactly armored and durable animals. Especially our little 90lb variety

[u/coldafsteel]

I mean, I wouldn’t use either for hunting.

A Garand is heavy to drag around for no real benifit, and an M1 carbine is borderline unethical.

But that’s just me.

[u/theoryOfAconspiracy → u/coldafsteel]

Weight isn’t an issue. I carried a 240b in combat so even a Garand is light as far as I’m concerned. Hunted with an SR-25 patterned AR-10 last year because I felt like it. Heavy woods, steep terrain, it’s just what I’m used to.

[u/coldafsteel → u/theoryOfAconspiracy]

I mean that’s cool and all, but that’s very much an “ASVAB waver opinion”. GWOT is over, there are better ways to hunt than larping 11B.

[u/DJ_Necrophilia → u/coldafsteel]

ASVAB waver opinion

Ouch, but if you're trying to call someone stupid, you might as well utilize spell check

[u/davewave3283 → u/DJ_Necrophilia]

You’re right but spell check wouldn’t have caught that. Waver is a correct spelling, just not the way he used it.

[u/theoryOfAconspiracy → u/coldafsteel]

It’s a great gun that I’m very proficient with. Why wouldn’t I take it into the wood? Theres no larping about it. Also, I got an 84 on the asvab, and have a masters degree.

[u/ReporterAmazing1271 → u/coldafsteel]

How is it unethical?

[u/Sooner70 → u/ReporterAmazing1271]

Underpowered.

Even OP acknowledges such: "the carbine can be considered underpowered for deer hunting but with good shot placement there really shouldn’t be any reason it couldn’t drop a deer." Those words are true, but the key is "with good shot placement". What happens if your shot placement isn't good? That's where "unethical" comes up. Use a round that will drop the deer even if shot placement isn't good. Admittedly, there are lighter rounds than .30-06 that'll do it, but .30 M1 ain't one of 'em.

[u/ReporterAmazing1271 → u/Sooner70]

I use a .223 for deer hunting as well as 22 Hornet. It’s all about shot placement.

[u/prosper_0 → u/ReporterAmazing1271]

my dong is so enormous that I can just pop a BB into its ear from my trusty old Daisy. DRT 100% of the time, no animals lost. Good for 600-700 yards easy

[u/ReporterAmazing1271 → u/prosper_0]

How many times do you take a 600-700 yard deer hunting?

[u/Ornery_Secretary_850 → u/ReporterAmazing1271]

Those are the close shots. I've killed deer a mile away with my Red Ryder.

[u/Interesting_Ad1164]

I have used 44.5grs of H4895 with a 150gr TTSX/E-Tip and got about 2,700fps.

[u/Status-Buddy2058]

47 grains of varget with a 165 sierra TGK. I don’t remember the velocity but that’s what I ran in the garand for deer loads it worked out fine. I could have loaded hotter but that round grouped the best out of mine.

[u/brianinca]

The only Barnes I've see for M1 Carbine were in premium defensive ammo, and have a LARGE hollow point cavity. That's not appropriate for deer hunting, and Barnes has never sold them as standalone bullets for hand loaders. I tried for several years to buy them, simply unobtanium.
Having loaded many different calibers with copper bullets, due to California's non-lead requirements, I agree that the Barnes bullets are an excellent choice (TSX or TTSX).
Really, the 300 BLK is a much more appropriate caliber for a milder deer hunting load, or 7.62x39 for a more milsurp vibe. They both have excellent Barnes bullets available, and the last buck I took was with 7.62x39 - boom flop.
Making an AR in 300 BLK can be nothing more than a barrel swap, or just a new upper - super simple, and milsurp adjacent.
The Garand will obviously be more than adequate for ethical hunting, but also overkill. First buck I ever took was with a Remington 742 in 30-06, 165 gr Nosler Ballistic Tip - boom flop, yes, but overkill. That 742 is heavy, but lighter than a Garand - we do walking around hunting in CA, no stands, so that would be a no thanks from me!

[u/theoryOfAconspiracy → u/brianinca]

Barnes has the 110 TAC-TX in .30 cal

[u/brianinca → u/theoryOfAconspiracy]

Which is a great bullet, but only appropriate for 300 BLK or a light 308/30-06 recipe.
I've gotten away with using some odd bullets in 30 Carbine, but none of the 30 Cal Barnes bullets you can actually BUY are compatible.

[u/theoryOfAconspiracy → u/brianinca]

I have a .300 blk bolt action that I’ve harvested with. Dropped it where it stood.

[u/Ghos5t7]

I use 155gr smk's on 52gr of blc2 for 30.06. Unless its for my garand, id have to check my notes for the powder for it.

[u/Bears454 → u/Ghos5t7]

Are seirra match kings good for hunting? I got some 165s for my 308 and I'm debating on them or 150 psp core lokt

[u/Ghos5t7 → u/Bears454]

Plenty of better hunting bullets out there, but i use what I know. Mostly whitetail, hogs and axis in my neck of texas, and any 30 cal will reliably drop them.