Thread: Caliber Question

I am looking into getting a rifle chambered in .308.

It it my understanding that this rifle can also shoot 7.62 NATO rounds...yes,no?

what is the difference between 7.62*51 and 7.62*39?...is there a difference? Can the .308 rifle shoot both?

Technically .308 and 7.62 Nato (7.62x51) are the same size but loaded to slightly different pressures. You can shoot either in either but most suggest you dont shoot .308 in a 7.62 nato due to the higher pressure.

The difference in 7.62x39mm and 7.62x51mm is they are a completely different round and one is 12mm longer. ALL .30 caliber guns are 7.62 mm in diameter so there are many 7.62x XXmm guns out there and they are NOT interchangeable. For example .30-06 would be 7.62x63 and .300 WM would be 7.62x67.

Thank you!

Originally Posted by Nwcid

Technically .308 and 7.62 Nato (7.62x51) are the same size but loaded to slightly different pressures. You can shoot either in either but most suggest you dont shoot .308 in a 7.62 nato due to the higher pressure.

The difference in 7.62x39mm and 7.62x51mm is they are a completely different round and one is 12mm longer. ALL .30 caliber guns are 7.62 mm in diameter so there are many 7.62x XXmm guns out there and they are NOT interchangeable. For example .30-06 would be 7.62x63 and .300 WM would be 7.62x67.

Nwcid - very nicely done........

the term 7.62 is thrown around rather loosely, and for those not entirely educated in firearms nomenclature it can be rather confusing.
30-30, 30-40, 308, 30-06, 7.62x51, 7.62x54, 7.62x63. Personally I have a .300 Savage and I love it, but most that I encounter
have never heard of it!

the term 7.62 is thrown around rather loosely, and for those not entirely educated in firearms nomenclature it can be rather confusing.
30-30, 30-40, 308, 30-06, 7.62x51, 7.62x54, 7.62x63. Personally I have a .300 Savage and I love it, but most that I encounter
have never heard of it!

The cases are loaded differently also, the military brass has a crimped primer. this is so the primer doesn`t come lose during full automatic fire..
you can reload milsurp brass but only after deburring the primer pocket

Also, 7.62mm (0.300") refers to the grooves diameter. Many calibers share the same groove diameter but have different lands diameter. For instance, 7.62x51 has a lands diameter of .308", but 7.62x39 has .311". Check these links for more information:Military Cartridge Diagrams
http://7.62x54r.net/MosinID/MosinSlug.htm

Also 7.62 NATO brass can vary in thickness and this can cause reloading problems, particularly with resizing. Neck wall thickness can sometime cause problems with rifles that are chambered specifically for .308 Winchester.