I have a Savage 99 .308 winchester rifle which I have used once and shot .308 winchester ammo with no issue.

 

My question is whether I can shoot F.N. Belgium .308 Nato ammo? I see it for sale in bulk on some milsurp sites. I've read some stuff about .308 vs 7.62x51mm and how it's not a good idea to mix those two. Other information says it is safe (see quote below). I've searched the forums but haven't found anything relating to Belgium ammo and whether it differs from .308 win or 7.62 NATO. I've also not found definitive information elsewhere on the net.

 

If I had to guess I'd say that I can shoot it because it's being sold with the label .308 Nato not 7.62, although I didn't think .308 was a NATO round.

 

Wiki says this about .308 and 7.56

"Their interchange is considered safe by the Sporting Arms and Ammunition Manufacturers Institute "

 

Opinions appreciated. Thank you.

if your barrel is a 7.62 barrel .308 is good; if your barrel is .308 then 7.62 is iffy

Other way around. If you are going to post information that could lead to someone exploding their gun and possibly themselves, please check your facts. Now, the rounds are similar enough that you probably wont have a catastrophic failure, but it is not advisable to fire .308WIN out of a 7.62x51 NATO chamber

if your barrel is a 7.62 barrel .308 is good; if your barrel is .308 then 7.62 is iffy

 

WRONG- You're thinking of 5.56 and .223. With those, it's safe to fire a .223 out of a 5.56 Barrel, but not the other way around.

I have a Savage 99 .308 winchester rifle which I have used once and shot .308 winchester ammo with no issue.

 

My question is whether I can shoot F.N. Belgium .308 Nato ammo? I see it for sale in bulk on some milsurp sites. I've read some stuff about .308 vs 7.62x51mm and how it's not a good idea to mix those two. Other information says it is safe (see quote below). I've searched the forums but haven't found anything relating to Belgium ammo and whether it differs from .308 win or 7.62 NATO. I've also not found definitive information elsewhere on the net.

 

If I had to guess I'd say that I can shoot it because it's being sold with the label .308 Nato not 7.62, although I didn't think .308 was a NATO round.

 

Wiki says this about .308 and 7.56

"Their interchange is considered safe by the Sporting Arms and Ammunition Manufacturers Institute "

 

Opinions appreciated. Thank you.

(GlennP is correct here.) "Other way around."

 

308 Win vs. 7.62x51--

 

Taken from: http://www.6mmbr.com/308Win.html -

7.62 X 51 cartridge vs. .308 Winchester: the differences!

 

Before we go much further, we want to address the oft-posed question "Are the .308 Winchester and 7.62x51 NATO one and the same?" The simple answer is no. There are differences in chamber specs and maximum pressures. The SAMMI/CIP maximum pressure for the .308 Win cartridge is 62,000 psi, while the 7.62x51 max is 50,000 psi. Also, the headspace is slightly different. The .308 Win "Go Gauge" is 1.630" vs. 1.635" for the 7.62x51. The .308's "No-Go" dimension is 1.634" vs. 1.6405" for a 7.62x51 "No Go" gauge. That said, it is normally fine to shoot quality 7.62x51 NATO ammo in a gun chambered for the .308 Winchester (though not all NATO ammo is identical). Clint McKee of Fulton Armory notes: "[N]obody makes 7.62mm (NATO) ammo that isn't to the .308 'headspace' dimension spec. So 7.62mm ammo fits nicely into .308 chambers, as a rule." You CAN encounter problems going the other way, however. A commercial .308 Win round can exceed the max rated pressure for the 7.62x51. So, you should avoid putting full-power .308 Win rounds into military surplus rifles that have been designed for 50,000 psi max. For more information on this interesting topic, read the following articles: Gun Zone's 30 Caliber FAQ; Cruffler.com Technical Trivia, June 2001; and last, but not least, Steve Redgwell's .308 vs 7.62x51 Analysis, which really provides a definitive explanation. Reloaders should also note that military ammo often is made with a thicker web. Consequently the case capacity of 7.62x51 brass is usually less than that of commercial .308 brass. You may need to reduce recommended .308 Winchester loads by as much as 2 full grains, if you reload with military 7.62x51 brass, such as Lake City or IMI.

 

PS - The Savage M99 is a strong action and can handle the pressures of cartridges like .243 Win., 7mm-08, .308 Win., .284 Win. & .358 Win., which are some of its more potent chamberings.

My bad guys sorry guess i had it in reverse good save +1

Thanks guys, some good reading. Definitely answered that question.