T/C’s Icon Precision Hunter in .308 Winchester turned in teacup-sized groups at 600 yards.

10. Springfield M1 Garand & Hornady .30-06 Match Load
General George Patton described the M1 Garand as "the greatest battle implement ever devised," and I am sure enemy soldiers who faced it while armed with bolt-action rifles during World War II knew firsthand what he meant by that evaluation. I have always loved John Garand's classic battle rifle, and shooting one built by Springfield Armory in the midst of all the other more modern rifles was a real treat. It was made even more fun by a generous supply of Hornady's new match ammunition.

As anyone who has loaded ammo for the Garand knows, powder burn rate is critical, and anything that burns too slow can, over time, damage its gas system. The development team at Hornady came up with a gas-gun-friendly combination by seating the extremely accurate 168-grain A-Max bullet atop just enough powder of optimum burn rate to reach 2,700 fps at the muzzle.

The Garand I shot was not a match rifle, but 2-inch groups with iron sights at 100 yards convinced me that a bit of fine-tuning by a good gunsmith would make it more than accurate enough for service rifle matches in the Civilian Marksmanship Program. The Hornady ammunition is certainly capable of delivering the accuracy required for competitive shooting. And so that everyone will know what the ammo is intended for, each box is marked "Garand Load."

There you have them, the guns I found to be most fun to shoot at the 2009 InterMedia schutzenfest. If I have as much fun in 2010 as I did this year, I will report on those guns as well. In the meantime, regardless of where your interests lie, head on down to your local gunshop and treat yourself to a new gun. You will be happier for it.

Hornady’s new “Garand Load” .30-06 match ammo is designed specifically for shooting in the classic M1 Garand rifle.