[mrdux]

Well someone gave me 150+ loaded 308 ammo. They are loaded with LC brass. Well I got my micrometer out and checked and they are really .310 diameter. They weight 123g Would it hurt to shoot in a .308 or do I just need to pull the bullet and dump the power and start over?

[lgbloader]

Did the person give you specs on the assembled rounds? are they lead or jacketed? not enough info so based on what you gave us, I would say pull the bullets.

LGB

[Riss]

If I recall correctly that I why you always check things first. .310 was used in other countries in their ".30 cal" rifles. Do not remember which ones at the moment are .310 instead of .308 ie. .303 Brit, other 7mm variants. If you have a loading manual handy check through the 30 cal section to see what .310 could be.

[mrdux]

No he didn't give me much info at all. But he is a idiot (my brother). But it is a jacketed bullet.

[El Hombre]

It is not uncommon to use .310 bullets in a 30 caliber rifle that has seen some heavy usage and measures high on a barrel erosion gauge. Usually done for mil-surp rifles as an alternative to a rebarrel. Guns that are termed "shot out" can actually give some good accuracy. There was a recient write up about this in Handloader magazine.

[Marlin 45 carbine]

IMO you should pull a few of them to check if there is any powder in the case. an 'idiot' should not be trusted IMO.
fireing the .310 slugs will not cause any damage at all if they are made up correctlly.

[jcwit]

If I thought no more than that of my brother I would not think much of his reloads either. Sounds like a good idea to break them down and "maybe" try to find out what kind of powder was used. Even then I might be skeptic.

[Ol` Joe]

Sounds like they were designed for the 7.62x39 or 303. Both use .311" bullets.

[mrdux]

yes i did weight all of them and they are all the same total weight. I also pulled some of the bullets and the powder is a flake powder. Now what kind of powder:confused: I think my best bet is just pull, dump and start all over

[Gadzooks Mike]

How much powder? Unique, at between 7 and 10 grains makes a terrific plinking round for many of the 308 caliber rounds, 30-30, 303 Savage, and 308 Win. That's normally used with light weight bullets (I use 110 FMJ 30 carbine bullets) and heavier cast bullets.

[Sunray]

Never shoot somebody else's reloads out of your firearm. Your idiot brother(I have one of those. I'm safe though. He doesn't shoot.) has used the wrong bullet. He probaly thinks all 7.62mm ammo uses a .308" bullet. And that all .308" ammo is called 7.62mm.
"...what kind of powder..." You can't tell just by looking. Pull 'em and start over. Hodgdon's site has a bunch of 125 grain SP .308 loads. If you plan on staying with that weight. Sierra makes a 125 grain SP.
"...other 7mm variants..." Those use a .284" bullet. 7.62mm isn't a 7mm either.
"...designed for the 7.62x39 or 303..." 7.62 x 39. The .303 doesn't use a 123 grain bullet. Barrels aren't necessarily .311" either. The 7.62 x 54R uses a .311" bullet too, but not 123 grains.

[Remo-99]

I suspect those are intended for 7.62x39mm and rifles with .310" barrels.
If they were loaded by mistake using 125gr .308" max data for a .308win, they will surely give over pressure issues when fired in .308" bore.
Like El Hombre says oversize bullets can be used in heavy worn/pitted out bores to improve accuracy. But powder charges need to be carefully worked up in those particular rifles.

I'd be pulling them, maybe you can find someone with a .310" rifle to trade off the bullets with.

[qajaq59]

I think my best bet is just pull, dump and start all over I agree.....

[NuJudge]

If your measuring tool is a cheapie electronic vernier Caliper, suspect it. I find they are usually off by about .002".

CDD

[rcmodel]

It's not the caliper being off that makes them weigh 123 grains.

That is the standard weight bullet, as well as the .310" diameter used in the 7.62x39.

Ergo = They are 7.62x39 bullets.

Flake powder is also very suspect!
It is not something you would normally use in a 30-06.
Some flake powders could be used in "reduced loads", but people who load reduced loads usually are experianced reloaders who have enough brain cells to write down the load they used on the box.

I would strongly suggest you pull them.
But before you do, check and see if they will even chamber in your rifle.
The larger bullet may not fit in a tight chambered 30-06 rifle.

If you do chose to re-use the bullets in your 30-06, I would suggest you use 150 grain starting load load data.

That differance in weight will make up for the differance in diameter.

rc

[fireflyfather]

rcmodel is dead on (as usual) as far as I can tell.

123 grain .310 is a dead giveaway for 7.62x39mm. Sounds like someone was using reduced loads of fast powder (I do this for my rifle exclusively) both to save money, and maybe using load data meant for cast bullets in cartridges not designed for them. (i.e. full power rifle rounds using soft cast bullets need faster powders at lower charges to prevent massive leading) In other words, if he is truly an idiot, as you say, he may have loaded those jacketed bullets based on something he read on the internet or heard in a gun shop instead of from a reputable manual.

I'm with the crowd here. Pull the bullets, use them as plinkers in an AK, SKS, Mosin, .303, or a really worn out .308/30-06/M1 carbine, 30-30, etc. The powder I hear makes nice fertilizer, but be sure to mix it WELL into the earth. I've heard of it still being flammable months later. Then you will need to reload the brass, and probably use something like a lee factory crimp die to eliminate the bulged necks from the larger bullets. Neck tension might be a problem with the .308 bullets. You could deprime/size, but then you are wasting the primers. Might work to use the FCD, then somehow expand/bell the case neck before seating a new bullet. Have fun pulling those loads.