Federal is responding to the call for .30-06 Springfield loadings intended specifically for the iconic M1 Garand with a new Patriotic-themed offering. 
 

Why is 150 Preferred for the M1?

It has long been standard for Garand owners and enjoyers to stoke their vintage rifles with .30-06 150-grain loads with a little gentler power curve than what is seen in modern commercial hunting ammo. The CMP, probably the foremost expert on the Garand, specifically warns against using bullets more than 172 to 174-grain in weight, saying, "These rifles are at least 70 years old and were not designed for max loads and super heavy bullets."

But it is not just the bullet weight. 

Federal has over 20 different .30-06 loads in production and has long made a blue-boxed Power-Shok .30-06 load complete with a 150-grain jacketed soft point lead-core bullet cataloged at a velocity of 2,910 feet per second with a .313 ballistic coefficient, but that is a medium/large game hunting load, not something you would take to the range. Likewise, Federal's 150-grain American Eagle FMJBT runs the same 2,910 fps velocity. 

Which brings us to... 
 

Meet the New Federal 150-Grain .30-06 for the M1

The company's newest load, meant specifically for Garand, is a 150-grain FMJ bullet with a fatter (than Power-Shok) .410 ballistic coefficient. It is also cataloged at 2,740 fps. 
 

Using a zeroed circa-1944 Springfield Armory-made CMP Special Rack Grade Garand complete with a new 1-10 twist, 24-inch GI profile Criterion barrel, we averaged 2.5 MOA in five-round groups from the bench at 100 yards, which is decent for a vintage reworked Garand. 

As far as operating, we went 40/40 rounds with the Federal in testing from our Garand, including both slow and rapid fire, with no issues and perfect cycling. 

Thus: 
 

When it comes to cost, Federal lists this load with an MSRP of $41.99 per 20-cartridge box, but, as of the publication of this article, we have them listed for $31.99. 
 
Compared to what else is out there, CMP offers a custom 150-grain '06 Creedmoor Berger OTM round with Lapua Brass at $175 per 100 rounds (which works out to $35 per 20). Meanwhile, Czech-made Sellier & Bellot's 150-grain M2 ball repro (at 2,700 fps) and Serbian-made Prvi Partizan's 150-grain (2,745 fps) Garand-specific loads are often tough to find in stock. 

So, with that, barring a good deal on some Cold War Lake City loads that have been in arsenal storage for the past half-century, Federal's Garand load is a decent buy for the price. 

Plus, while many loadings on the surplus market are corrosive (Norwegian) or attract a magnet (such as Greek HXP and Ethiopian), which can bar it from some ranges, the Federal load does not.

With that being said, the new load from Federal stands ready to keep your Garands fed.