Is .308 and 7.62×51 the same?
Most rifle owners do use these two calibers interchangeably, however. Now, on to the fun stuff, because 7.62 NATO, also known as 7.62×51, is different from .308 Winchester, albeit not by much. The story goes back to the development of the 7.62 NATO round, and the formation of NATO itself.
Is 7.62×39 the same as 308?
This is point that is confusing to new shooters, as the 7.62×39 is not a true 7.62mm caliber like the 7.62x51mm NATO (308 Winchester). The second major difference is the case length, as the 30-30 is over a half inch longer than the 7.62×39.
What’s the difference between the .308 and .223?
The .308 uses a much larger 30-cal bullet while the .223 uses the smaller 20-cal bullet. Right there we can expect some pretty dramatic differences between these two cartridges and how they will fly. The .308 case and overall cartridge length are a few tenths of an inch longer than the .223 cartridge as well.
Is 7 62×51 same as 308?
The short answer is that .308 and 7.62×51 are dimensionally the same. But .308 is a higher pressure cartridge, and the brass is slightly different between the two. If I remember, 7.62 is strong brass. Short answer, you can often interchange the two, but check before hand. Putting .308 into a weapon designed for 7.62 could be dangerous because …
Can .308 shoot 7.62 NATO?
As a result, commercial rounds can be up to 12,000 psi hotter than NATO. Therefore, general consensus dictates it’s perfectly safe to fire 7.62 NATO in a . 308 Win chamber, but the reverse is inadvisable.
What NATO round is the same as 308?
308 Win was specifically designed to be a civilian variant of the 7.62x51mm NATO, even hitting the market two years before the NATO adoption of the 7.62. Today, . 308 Win ammo is the most popular short-action, big-game hunting cartridge around, leaving its twin in the dust.
Is 7.62 x54 the same as 308?
308 Winchester and 7.62x54R both have very similar external ballistics, but the . 308 has a slightly flatter trajectory and retains a little bit more energy at longer range because it fires a bullet with a higher ballistic coefficient.
What is the difference between 308 Winchester and 308 NATO?
0:412:04Quick Tip: 7.62×51 NATO vs .308 Winchester – What’s the Diff?YouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipAnd is a lower pressure cartridge. So most 760 251 NATO chambers are chambered a little bit longerMoreAnd is a lower pressure cartridge. So most 760 251 NATO chambers are chambered a little bit longer as far as the headspace goes. Because they’re made to accept cartridges made all over the world it’s
Is 308 and 7.62 NATO the same?
308 Winchester cartridge case and the 7.62 NATO (7.62 x 51 mm) are the same thing. In fact, the 7.62 was developed using the general design of the . 308 as its ‘parent’ case.
Is 5.56 NATO the same as 308?
308 Winchester (308 Win) and 7.62x51mm NATO (762 NATO) will be used interchangeably. The same can be said for . 223 Remington (223 Rem) and 5.56x45mm NATO (556 NATO).
What rounds can a .308 shoot?
All modern . 308 rifles can chamber and shoot modern . 308 and 7.62 NATO ammunition without any problems, such as the SAINT Victor . 308 rifles.
Is 308 a good sniper round?
The . 308 Winchester is the most popular sniper/counter-sniper round by far. It far outweighs any other caliber when it comes to standard-issue rifles.
Is 30.06 the same as 7.62 x54?
The . 30-06 Springfield cartridge (7.62×63 mm), with its higher service pressure and case capacity, will outperform the 7.62×54mmR when same-length test barrels are used, though this is very uncommon as . 30-06 Springfield firearms are generally sold with much shorter barrels than 7.62×54mmR firearms.
What is the NATO equivalent of 30 06?
7.62×51mm NATO roundThe .30-06 round was replaced by the 7.62×51mm NATO round in 1954.
Is .308 the same as 7.62 x39?
308 is a much larger cartridge than the 7.62×39 round. The neck diameter is similar which we would expect given the diameter of the bullets used are 0.004″ within each other. The . 308 Win has a much wider case base as well as half an inch more on the length and the overall length with how the bullet is set.
Is .308 better than 7.62 x39?
Measuring the bullet right as it exits the muzzle, . 308 Winchester packs a whopping 2,727 foot-pounds of energy on average, compared to 1,525 foot-pounds for 7.62x39mm. Right away, the difference is clear. But at 300 yards, a .
What is the NATO equivalent of 30 06?
7.62×51mm NATO roundThe .30-06 round was replaced by the 7.62×51mm NATO round in 1954.
Is 7.62 x39 A NATO round?
Velocity Difference – 7.62×39 vs. There are many variations, but Federal offers both cartridges. Their 7.62 NATO rounds are listed at nearly 2,800 feet per second in muzzle velocity. Their 7.62 Soviet rounds only reach 2,350 feet per second.
What rounds can a .308 shoot?
All modern . 308 rifles can chamber and shoot modern . 308 and 7.62 NATO ammunition without any problems, such as the SAINT Victor . 308 rifles.
Can a scar 17 shoot 308?
Available for law enforcement and military. Firing the long-range, hard-hitting 7.62x51mm NATO/308 Winchester cartridge, the selective-fire FN SCAR® 17’s innovative gas-operated, short-stroke piston system reduces fouling for greater reliability.
How much pressure is needed for a 0.308?
The pressure of the two bullets is where things can get really confusing. The pressure of the calibers is considered to be 50,000 psi for the 7.62 and 62,000 psi for the .308. So it’s obvious one shouldn’t fire a 0.308 cartridge using a rifle built to use 7.62 cartridges. The problem is that this 50,000 psi number is for when using copper units of pressure. This is a basic way to measure pressure and is different from true “psi” or “pounds per square inch”. When adjusting for psi the difference is much smaller as the NATO actually fires at 58,000 psi.
What is the difference between 7.62 and 7.62?
The real difference comes from the headspace. Military rifles using 7.62 cartridges tend to have longer chambers. There has to be some slack to allow for reliable operation in machine guns made to be used by most kinds of ammo. The solution to the problem is to increase the length of the chamber headspace.
How much headspace does a Winchester bolt have?
Too little headspace and the bolt isn’t able to close or would need to be forced close. The .308 Winchester has a chamber headspace of between 1.630 and 1.6340 inches while the 7.62 NATO has a headspace between 1.6355 and 1.6405 inches.
Can you use 7.62 ammo with a 308?
Even though 7.62 ammo can be longer, this is rare to find, so most people have no issue using 7.62 ammo with a .308 chamber rifle. You shouldn’t have any problem with most modern 7.62 chambers, provided they are cut close to the dimensions of a .308 rifle. Play it safe by making sure just how much headspace you have.
Is a 308 a 7.62?
The 7.62 x 51 mm can be thicker, and the .308 is loaded to a higher pressure, but there isn’t much difference between cartridges outside of this. If you want to be safe then only use 7.62 cartridges in a 7.62 rifle and .308 cartridges in a .308 rifle. Another risk factor is using 7.62 ammo with a .308 chamber.
Is a 308 Winchester the same as a 7.62 NATO?
The question of whether the .308 Winchester is the same as a 7.62 NATO is one that divides the gun community. Unfortunately the answer is complicated. In some ways they are different, and in some ways they aren’t. Here’s a look at the comparisons between the .308 Winchester and the 7.62 NATO to give you an idea of what we mean.
Can a 308 Winchester be shot through a 7.62?
You have to know the head space of your rifle to understand if it can safely shoot commercial .30 8 Winchester ammo through a chamber built for a 7.62. Check the chamber size of your rifle with a Go/No-Go headspace gauge.
How much pressure is a 308?
Here’s where some of the confusion comes into the picture. Maximum pressure numbers thrown around for the two calibers are often shown as 50,000 “psi” for 7.62 and 62,000 psi for .308. At first glance, that appears to be a big difference and a potential reason why folks might consider it unsafe to fire a “ higher pressure ” commercial .308 cartridge in a rifle built for 7.62x51mm NATO.
How much headspace is a 308 Winchester?
How much different is the headspace? The .308 Winchester chamber headspace is between 1.630 and 1.6340 inches ( SAAMI Info ). The 7.62x51mm NATO is between 1.6355 and 1.6405 inches. While the published numbers show about six-thousandths of an inch difference, it’s not unusual for the headspace in a surplus 7.62 rifle to be 10 or even 15 thousandths longer than that of a commercial .308. That doesn’t sound like a big deal, right up to the point where you fire thinner commercial brass in a long-chambered rifle. The brass will stretch, possibly enough to contribute to a dangerous case rupture. Doing the same thing with thicker military brass is no big deal and the way the system was designed. Thicker brass can handle some extra stretching into a longer chamber throat, so it’s no big deal.
What cartridge is used in the M1 Garand?
During the 1940s and early 1950s, military rocket surgeons wanted to improve the effectiveness of the M1 Garand rifle and its .30-06 cartridge. One contender, more suitable for higher capacity box magazines was a modified .300 Savage design called the T65.
When did the 308 Winchester come out?
But, as usual, the commercial market was more nimble, and Winchester launched the .308 Winchester in 1952 . It took the government until 1957 to have a cartridge and rifle hitting the barracks with similar specs.
Is 7.62 ammo dangerous?
Ammo might not chamber at all or might require undue pressure to the chamber. That could result in dangerously high pressure. In reality, that would be really unusual. While 7.62 ammo could be significantly longer, that’s a pretty rare thing, at least to a significant level, so most people don’t consider it a big deal to use 7.62 ammo in a .308 chambered rifle.
Is 308 ammo higher than 7.62x51mm?
While commercial .308 ammo may have slightly higher pressure than 7.62x 51mm NATO, it’s really the brass and chambers that are the issues to understand. As with most things, the devil is in the details.
Can you use 7.62 ammo in a 308?
While 7.62 ammo could be significantly longer, that’s a pretty rare thing, at least to a significant level, so most people don’t consider it a big deal to use 7.62 ammo in a .308 chambered rifle.
What is a 308 cartridge?
The .308 (left, shown with .270 and 6.5×55) is a true short-action cartridge.
How many loads does a 308 have?
The .308, however, dominates ammo rosters, with 79 loads from five U.S. ammo makers. Federal catalogs 24 loads, Hornady 17. Even Norma of Sweden has seven loads, more than for any other cartridge in its line. No centerfire round is chambered in more rifles worldwide.
What is the headspace of a SAAMI reamer?
SAAMI diagrams show a headspace measure of 1.630 to 1.640 for the .308. A Frankfurt Arsenal diagram indicates a range of 1.628 to 1.634 for the 7.62×51 NATO cartridge case, while JGS reamers are held to 1.630-.640 for the .308 and 7.62×51 NATO. Barrel-maker John Krieger tells me even his reamers with special-order throats hew to SAAMI headspace specs.
How much less powder is in a 308 case?
The .308 case holds 20 percent less powder than a .30-06, and about 40 percent more than a .30-30. It has roughly half the capacity of a .300 Weatherby Magnum.
How many barrels does Dave Tooley have?
Dave Tooley’s Bench Rest experience nudges him toward modest spin rates. Having chambered more than 7,000 barrels, he likes 1-in-12 twist even for long-range bullets. “An exceptional 1-in-14 Hart barrel held half-minute accuracy with flat-base 187s at 1,000 yards.”
What is the M1A?
The M1A rifle (shown) from Springfield Armory is a semi-auto rifle inspired by the 7.62 NATO M14 rifle.
How far from the muzzle is 7.62?
He also says velocities for the 7.62×51 NATO are often taken 78 feet from the muzzle, not SAAMI’s standard 15. “A small difference, but important if you’re loading thousands of rounds to exacting standards.”
What is a 308 round?
While the M14 soon fell out of favor in the military, the .308 round survived as a light machine gun and sniper round , and it is still used today in specialty roles by several branches.
Which has more stopping power, 308 or 30-06?
The .308 has a slight accuracy advantage, while the .30-06 can be modified to rival the power of some magnum loads. The .308 has less of a recoil, but the .30-06 has more stopping power.
What caliber was the M1906?
That round was called the “Cartridge, Ball, Caliber .30, Model of 1906,” the M1906 or the .30-06 Springfield. The rifles that were made for the .30-03 were modified by shortening the breach and rechambering the rifle to better accommodate the pointed bullet.
What is the most famous rifle chambered in a 30-06?
The semi-automatic M1 Garand is probably the most famous rifle chambered in .30-06. It was deployed extensively in World War II and the Korean War. But, advancements in ammo propellant allowed Winchester to develop a smaller round with similar ballistics to the .30-06.
How many grains can a bullet handle?
The cartridge is one of the most versatile in the world. It can handle bullet weights from 110 grains to 220 grains. And, when it’s loaded properly and used with the right rifle, it can rival most magnum rounds.
How far can a 30 caliber rifle shoot?
Depending on the round and the rifle, it is effective at killing a good sized animal at long ranges. It can shoot accurately to 1,000 yards and more. And it is plentiful enough so that it’s easy to find and can be reloaded fairly easily.
What was the first commercially produced 3006 rifle?
In 1908, the Model 1895 Winchester lever action rifle was the first commercially produced .30-06 rifle. The surplus brass from the various large and small wars in the first half of the 20th century made it the perfect round for reloading and commercial production. Thus, it has become a very popular hunting round for large game, such as bison and bears.
How much does a 308 pistol weigh?
With a weight of just 4.4-pounds, the Modern Precision Pistol from Christensen Arms is something of a unicorn when it comes to .308 pistols.
What mag does a 308 semi auto have?
Speaking directly to the magazine interchangeability issue, most of today’s semi-auto .308 pistols come standard with Magpul’s LR/SR25 GEN M3 polymer-body mag.
What to look for in a 308 pistol?
Going together with selecting a mature design made by a reputable firm, one of the primary things to look for in a .308 pistol is that it is supportable.
How long is a 308 mag?
Still, using an efficient PARA operating system and accepting standard 20-round mags, this is one serious .308 handgun that only runs 20.75-inches overall length.
How long is a HK91?
Overall length is 23.5-inches, and it uses 20-round G3/HK91 style magazines, which are possibly the cheapest ($6!) and most available mags on the surplus market.
When was the 7.62 NATO introduced?
Introduced by Winchester in 1952 as a sporting round for use in rifles — two years before the adoption by America’s western allies of the U.S. Army’s T65E5 cartridge as the just slightly different 7.62 NATO– there were soon efforts afoot to use it in pistols.
Is Nosler 48 a bolt action?
Renowned for making the top-of-the- line ammo and components, they also make a lesser-known but no less accurate line of firearms. Interestingly, in 2019 they introduced their single-shot bolt-action Nosler 48 series including the NCH, or Nosler Custom Handgun, as well as the more off-the-shelf Independence.
What is a 308 Winchester?
In North America it is used extensively on whitetail deer, pronghorn and even the occasional caribou or black bear.
How many grains are in a 308 Winchester?
The .308 Winchester has 3.64 ml (56.0 grains) cartridge case capacity. The exterior shape of the case was designed to promote reliable case feeding and extraction in bolt action rifles and machine guns alike, under extreme conditions.
What is the most popular cartridge for metallic silhouettes?
While .308 Winchester has traditionally been the most popular cartridge in the past, the development of lighter recoil chamberings with sufficient downrange energy, like the 7mm-08 Remington, .260 Remington, and 6.5 Creedmoor, is becoming more common for metallic silhouette shooting.
How much pressure can a 308 Winchester handle?
(Commission Internationale Permanente pour l’Epreuve des Armes à Feu Portatives) rulings the .308 Winchester can handle up to 415.00 MPa (60, 191 psi) P max piezo pressure. In C.I.P. regulated countries every rifle cartridge combo has to be proofed at 125% of this maximum C.I.P. pressure to certify for sale to consumers. This means that .308 Winchester chambered arms in C.I.P. regulated countries are currently (2008) proof tested at 519.00 MPa (75,275 psi) PE piezo pressure.
What cartridges were used in the 1940s?
During the 1940s, the .300 Savage became the basis for experiments on behalf of the U.S. Military that resulted in the development of the T65 series of experimental cartridges. The original experimental case design by the Frankford Arsenal was designated the T65 and was similar to the .300 Savage case, but with less taper. The experimental cases were made from standard .30-06 Springfield cases which gave a little less capacity than standard .300 Savage cases because the Frankford Arsenal cases had slightly thicker case walls. The later T65 iterations were lengthened compared to the original T65 case and provided a ballistic performance roughly equal to the U.S. military .30-06 Springfield service cartridge. Over forty years of technical progress in the field of propellants allowed for similar service cartridge performance from a significantly shorter, smaller case with less case capacity.
What caliber is best for a black bear?
Although in North America it is commonly thought that it is only recommended for whitetail deer, pronghorn and the occasional caribou or black bear, the .308 Winchester is among the calibers recommended for hunting brown and grizzly bears by the Alaska Department of Game and Fish.
What caliber is used for bushveld hunting?
In Africa the .308 Winchester is one of the most popular calibers among Bushveld hunters and is used on anything from duiker right up to the massive eland (a small and large African antelope respectively).
