M1 Garand vs bolt action 30-06 ?

The Garand is a 9lb rifle, built to launch 150gr bullets at 2750fps +/- (or the 173 match @ 2640+/-.

Current .30-06 sporting ammo lists velocities in the 2900fps range, some 150s are listed at 3000fps+. Along with the higher velocity, the pressure curve of this ammo is bad for a Garand.

Felt recoil from a 9lb semi auto, firing a 150gr at 2750 is going to be noticeably less than a 7lb (or 8lb) bolt action shooting a 150 at close to 3,000fps.

How much difference you feel, and how it affect you is a matter for the individual shooter. But I can guarantee you that the Garand, with its proper ammo will feel like less kick than a bolt gun with modern sporting loads.
 
soft

I'm always amazed at how soft a Garand feels. I liken it to a 20ga shotgun, not a single barrel mind you, but a full size gun like a pump or full length double.

By contrast, the two '06 bolts I've worked with, one a S&W 1500 and the other a Mauser Mark X, kicked a bunch more. With 180 grain slugs, either would get your undivided attention.

I've not shot 180's from the M1 and don't intend to, as there's a port pressure issue. But there's no doubt in my mind, a Garand kicks less.
 
Maybe its me, and the way I shoot, but I can't tell the difference in recoil from my Garand and my M1903a3, using the same loads.

If the recoil of these rifles bother you sling up. You'd be surprised how much you can cut back on the felt recoil if you use the sling properly.
 
jimbob86 says the Garand won't handle the same level of loads a modern bolt gun will. . . .

I and others have shot 7.62 NATO ammo with peak pressures equal to that of proof loads (70,000 cup, 85,000 psi) in competition. No problems at all with them in M1's nor M14NM's.

It's not the rifle that handles the load, it's the brass case. It's the weakest part of the system. And they're what SAAMI and MIL SPEC pressures are established for.
 
My Garand kicks like a mule, much harder than my Model 77 in .338 Winchester Mag. The 77 has a Hogue stock and recoil pad, which really tames it down. I am going to put a rubber pad on my Garand, less for recoil reduction than for longer length of pull. Apparently they didn't grow men my size in the '40s:D. The first time I fired it my thumb hit me squarely on the nose.
 
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