Learning to reload:7.62x51 casing with a 308 bullet? - Page 2

Negative Investment · February 9, 2015, 11:03 PM

I reload 308 and 7.62 NATO, you will be fine loading to 308 specs as long as you make sure you trim your brass and avoid max loadings. I load my Lake city NATO brass the same as my 308 lapua brass. I never use the max loadings and the brass never shows signs of high pressure. My current lot of brass has 15 firings through my AR-10 which has a 308 barrel. The "paranoia" is because a 7.62 chamber is roomier and it is possible for a hot loaded 308 to stretch or separate in the 7.62 chamber because of the headspacing. If your gun in fact has a 7.62 chamber you can reload "308" and make it weaker and more like a NATO round. Then the only difference is the stamping mark on the rim. If your barrel is 308 I wouldn't even worry about it and just lower the max charge 1 grain in the NATO brass because it is thicker and theoretically has less capacity.

hartcreek · February 10, 2015, 05:01 AM

Better yet you can do as I and other have done loading .308. Use whatever brass size them removed primer crimps and cut them to the proper length then seperate the cases by headstamp and weigh the different headstamps.

Work up your load using the heaviest cases as they will have the least volume. When you add another brand case weigh it and make sure that it is not heavier the the headstamp that you worked your load up with.

February 9, 2015, 11:03 PM	#26
Negative Investment Member Join Date: January 18, 2015 Posts: 43	I reload 308 and 7.62 NATO, you will be fine loading to 308 specs as long as you make sure you trim your brass and avoid max loadings. I load my Lake city NATO brass the same as my 308 lapua brass. I never use the max loadings and the brass never shows signs of high pressure. My current lot of brass has 15 firings through my AR-10 which has a 308 barrel. The "paranoia" is because a 7.62 chamber is roomier and it is possible for a hot loaded 308 to stretch or separate in the 7.62 chamber because of the headspacing. If your gun in fact has a 7.62 chamber you can reload "308" and make it weaker and more like a NATO round. Then the only difference is the stamping mark on the rim. If your barrel is 308 I wouldn't even worry about it and just lower the max charge 1 grain in the NATO brass because it is thicker and theoretically has less capacity.

February 10, 2015, 05:01 AM	#27
hartcreek Junior member Join Date: April 22, 2014 Location: Washington Posts: 1,549	Better yet you can do as I and other have done loading .308. Use whatever brass size them removed primer crimps and cut them to the proper length then seperate the cases by headstamp and weigh the different headstamps. Work up your load using the heaviest cases as they will have the least volume. When you add another brand case weigh it and make sure that it is not heavier the the headstamp that you worked your load up with.