7.62 NATO in a .308 winchester rifle?

[ARCHIVED THREAD] - 7.62 NATO in a .308 winchester rifle?

Posted: 9/7/2010 1:29:07 PM EDT

I just picked up a DPMS LR-308 sportical last night, and before I take her out shooting I'd like some clarification on what ammo it will run. DPMS's website states it is a 7.62nato/.308 win rifle, and all of my google research thus far shows that the only issues in interchanging the ammo types is shooting .308 win in rifles that are 7.62 nato, and then generally only if you're reloading.

So, is 7.62 NATO kosher to shoot through this thing? Cheaper ammo is always a plus, especially in .308.

Also, how much am I going to hate my Leupold VX3 1.5-5 on top of it, should I look at replacing it immediately, or for most purposes is that scope going to work just fine?

Posted: 9/7/2010 1:33:08 PM EDT

[#1]

generally so

but I have had a few DPMS 308s customers complained would not extract some 7.62 surplus

Posted: 9/7/2010 1:33:29 PM EDT

[#2]

Same ammo.

Posted: 9/7/2010 1:34:03 PM EDT

[#3]

My 2 cents -

I own a DPMS carbine I shoot surplus 7.62 out of almost exclusively. Mine works just fine. I scope my Imbel FAL and, while not the most accurate, I've never had any eye relief problems.

ETA: an M.

Posted: 9/7/2010 1:34:40 PM EDT

[#4]

Quoted:
generally so

but I have had a few DPMS 308s customers complained would not extract some 7.62 surplus

Was there a fix for this aside from "don't shoot 7.62 surplus" if it happens to me? Upgraded extractor perhaps?

Posted: 9/7/2010 1:36:19 PM EDT

[#5]

Quoted:

Same ammo.

no, different pressures

Posted: 9/7/2010 1:37:00 PM EDT

[#6]

My AR10 has feeding and extraction issues with the German DAG NATO ammo. Never a problem with Federal match.

Posted: 9/7/2010 1:38:17 PM EDT

[#7]

Just send me the Leupold, wouldn't want to cause you any unnecessary frustration.

Posted: 9/7/2010 1:38:17 PM EDT

[#8]

either one will be fine for your rifle.

Posted: 9/7/2010 1:38:32 PM EDT

[#9]

Quoted:

Quoted:
Same ammo.

no, different pressures

This.

.308 is slightly hotter than the 7.62 NATO Round. Similar to the .223 / 5.56 mm comparison except in this case the civilian round is hotter than the military round.

Posted: 9/7/2010 1:38:40 PM EDT

[#10]

Quoted:

Quoted:

generally so

but I have had a few DPMS 308s customers complained would not extract some 7.62 surplus

Was there a fix for this aside from "don't shoot 7.62 surplus" if it happens to me? Upgraded extractor perhaps?

seemed to be ammo specific some would work with Portuguese but not Radway Green

some liked south African but wouldn't work with Portuguese

since all the good 7.62 surplus is drying up its kinda a moot point really

avoid Egyptian 7.62 like the plague nothing works with that shit

Posted: 9/7/2010 1:38:48 PM EDT

[#11]

Quoted:

Same ammo.

No it's not.

Posted: 9/7/2010 1:40:23 PM EDT

[#12]

Quoted:

Quoted:
generally so

but I have had a few DPMS 308s customers complained would not extract some 7.62 surplus

Was there a fix for this aside from "don't shoot 7.62 surplus" if it happens to me? Upgraded extractor perhaps?

Buy a better rifle.

Seriously I had many problems with the DPMS LR-308 I used to own. It didn't like to feed handloads and it ripped the rim off of surplus.

Posted: 9/7/2010 1:41:50 PM EDT

[#13]

Some reading, there's plenty on 308 vs 7.62 just put that in Google and wa la .http://www.303british.com/id36.html

Posted: 9/7/2010 1:44:01 PM EDT

[#14]

Quoted:

Quoted:
Same ammo.

No it's not.

I think dimensionally, 7.62NATO & 308Win are NEARLY the same, but not exact. I believe that the 7.62NATO is a few thousandths of inch longer. But the big difference is that the 7.62NATO is a bit weaker than the 308Win, so it may not cycle the action if it is gas/recoil operated.

Posted: 9/7/2010 1:52:27 PM EDT

[#15]

Quoted:
Some reading, there's plenty on 308 vs 7.62 just put that in Google and wa la .http://www.303british.com/id36.html

I found plenty of those articles, but they all had to deal with shooting .308 win in a rifle chambered for 7.62 nato, not vice versa, so I wanted to be sure.

Big differences seem to be: Much thicker cases on 7.62 NATO ammo, 50k psi in NATO vs 65k psi in .308 win, and .308 win brass expanding to the point it can't be reloaded if shot through a 7.62 NATO chambered rifle.

Looks like I was right in my assumption that 7.62 in .308win is good to go though, doubly so since I won't be reloading for some time.

Posted: 9/7/2010 2:18:45 PM EDT

[#16]

Same cartridge dimensions.

Different chamber dimensions and headspace tolerances ~7.62 chamber can be longer.

SAME PRESSURE for all practical purposes. The confusion comes from different methods of testing/measuring pressure.

7.62 is historically measured in CUP, where modern 308 is psi according to piezoelectric measurements. CUP is not PSI, and piezoelectric sensors are much more sensitive to peak pressure than copper deformation testing.

Some 7.62 ammo will be manufactured to different tolerances and will not chamber easily in tighter 308 guns, and some 7.62 chambers will have headspace that is excessive for (thinner) commercial 308 brass.

In the overlap of acceptable headspace there is no difference.

If you have trouble wrapping your head around the pressures being the same, google up some European spec's for 7.62 pressure.

.

Posted: 9/7/2010 5:46:22 PM EDT

[#17]

I heard that the new R-25 is made by Dpms for Rem. and that you can not shoot 7.62 ammo through it

Posted: 9/8/2010 9:30:37 AM EDT

[#18]

Quoted:

Same cartridge dimensions.

Different chamber dimensions and headspace tolerances ~7.62 chamber can be longer.

SAME PRESSURE for all practical purposes. The confusion comes from different methods of testing/measuring pressure.

7.62 is historically measured in CUP, where modern 308 is psi according to piezoelectric measurements. CUP is not PSI, and piezoelectric sensors are much more sensitive to peak pressure than copper deformation testing.

Some 7.62 ammo will be manufactured to different tolerances and will not chamber easily in tighter 308 guns, and some 7.62 chambers will have headspace that is excessive for (thinner) commercial 308 brass.

In the overlap of acceptable headspace there is no difference.

If you have trouble wrapping your head around the pressures being the same, google up some European spec's for 7.62 pressure.

.

That is correct.

[ARCHIVED THREAD] - 7.62 NATO in a .308 winchester rifle?

General » General Discussion

Win a FREE Membership!

Sign up for the ARFCOM weekly newsletter and be entered to win a free ARFCOM membership. One new winner* is announced every week!

You will receive an email every Friday morning featuring the latest chatter from the hottest topics, breaking news surrounding legislation, as well as exclusive deals only available to ARFCOM email subscribers.

Warning

Confirm Action

About AR15.COM

Stay Connected

Newsletter

Contact Us