308 Win/7.62x51 compatibility

[immattj]

Can .308 Win ammo be shot out of rifles chambered for NATO .308?

[Rosta]

From what I've read, you can fire 7.62x51 in a .308 gun, but shouldn't fire .308 in a 7.62x51 gun.  It will fire, but isn't recommended.  The .308 round is slightly more powerful and the NATO barrel might not be made to withstand the extra punch. 

[greg212]

I shoot 308 out of my Israeli K98 and have never had any problems.  The 308 is loaded to a higher pressure than the 7.62x51 however I would think that any problem due too much pressure would be a problem for the receiver not the barrel.  In my case a K98 action is more than strong enough to hand a 308 load.

[jswledhed]

The only difference between the two is the NATO chamber tolerances are just a fuzz more generous to make for greater reliability in a military weapon.  The problem arises when firing brass-cased .308 Win in a NATO chamber.  That extra room allows the brass to stretch more than a .308 chamber would.  This can lead to case head seperations.  You definitely shouldn't try to reload .308 brass that was fired in a NATO chamber.

All that said, NATO ammo in a .308 chamber is fine.

[lonewolf]

The only difference between the two is the NATO chamber tolerances are just a fuzz more generous to make for greater reliability in a military weapon.  The problem arises when firing brass-cased .308 Win in a NATO chamber.  That extra room allows the brass to stretch more than a .308 chamber would.  This can lead to case head seperations.  You definitely shouldn't try to reload .308 brass that was fired in a NATO chamber.

All that said, NATO ammo in a .308 chamber is fine.

I've hunted with my Enfield Ishapore rifle with commercial US made ammo, zero problems...My dad reloaded hundreds of commercial brass fired through my enfield, they have all worked without a problem...

Zero problems with the brass...He just had to shave a little off the brass, but not as much that he had to on 06 brass fired through my brothers Savage rifle..

[J.A.B.M.]

same goes with the spanish mauser I used to have. 308 worked great. I do not reload. I did give the used brass to the person I sold it to. I will give him a heads up about the head separation issue. I miss that gun.

[Go_Yugo]

About the only gun that's finicky is the Hk91/CETME models. Their roller locking system likes the thicker NATO brass,.308 is a bit thin at the head in comparison,thus you get a separation occasionally. If the bolt gap is just right it doesn't seem to matter,I've logged over 400 rnds thru my '91 and nary a prob. YMMV....  

[immattj]

Thanks for the input!
My 7.62x51s are an Ishapor Enfield & a Saiga ... .

[Go_Yugo]

Just for poops and giggles I'd keep the bullet weight under 168gr or less. 180 may stress the rear lockup on the enfield.

[C13mechanic]

I've used .308 Win in my 2A and 2A1 Ishapores for years with out issues. I was also told as long as the bullet weight was leass than 168gr there would be no issues. The head space has been checked multiple times on both and has never moved on either. Even my FR 8 has shot 308 Win with out issues. Only reason I buy NATO ammo at times is for the cheaper price. Have used .308 Bear, Wolf and most American brands.

Hear is a link to a study report I found on another site a while back. Have to do a google search for it unless someone could tell me how to post a pdf file. Explains it all pretty good.

http://home.comcast.net/~ehorton/The...d 762 NATO.pdf

[immattj]

Just for poops and giggles I'd keep the bullet weight under 168gr or less. 180 may stress the rear lockup on the enfield.

Thanks for all the input.  when I first got the Saiga, I was buying up everything I could find in .308 (Nato OR Win) that seemed (at the time) affordable -- this included half boxes & such of .308 Win, & I think some of them are > 168 gr.  Can the Saiga shoot just about anything one puts through it with no danger?