Risk of .308 fitting in .25-06?

[Buck13]

I heard that it's possible to squeeze a .308 round into a .270 Win chamber and fire it, with disasterous results. Is the same true of a .25-06 chamber, or does the smaller neck typically keep the .30 bullet ogive out far enough to prevent engaging the bolt lugs?

 

[Grumulkin]

The same would be true of a 25/06 case and a 280 Remington case.

 

[garyhan]

I can't answer specifically, but I once negligently fired a 3 shot group with .260 Rem ammo, through a .25-06. Similar in that .260 is based on the .308 case. I noticed nothing unusual until I checked the target and found a group over 3" from a sub moa rifle; and several inches from point of aim. No damage resulted to me or the rifle, but it shook me up and led me to change my bench procedures.

gary

 

[Buck13]

I'm specifically concerned with the .308 because it's so common, and a shooting buddy has one.

 

[CarJunkieLS1]

.264 bullet in a .257 barrel...you sir are very lucky.

OP Out of curiosity I took a SAAMI spec .308 dummy round and tried to chamber it in my factory Tikka T3 .270 Win. The bolt DID NOT close and it wasn't even close the bolt probably had another estimated 1/4 inch of travel before the bolt closed. I seriously doubt it would be possible to to load a .308 round into a 25-06 barrel, however I have been wrong before. Be extra careful if it is a valid concern for you.

 

[eldon519]

From pictures of the two rounds it doesn't look as though it would be possible but a quick google search shows at least one blown up rifle where that was the explanation (.308 in a .25-06).

 

[natman]

I just dropped a 308 dummy round into a Browning 78 (a Winchester 1885 single shot copy) and it chambered just fine. I don't have a 25-06 bolt action rifle to check with, but I do have a short chambered 25-06 Mauser barrel and the 308 dummy (complete with fake bullet) fits in the chamber like it was made for it.

A 308's neck comes up to the shoulder of a 25-06 case. If the 308 bullet isn't especially long, its tip would fit into the shoulder and neck of the 25-06. So I'd say it would be possible for some 308 rounds to fit and chamber in a 25-06.

So be careful.

 

[AKElroy]

I fired a .243 through my .308; got a nice fire-formed case. Nice low recoil as well. Not sure that round even made it to the berm.

 

[MachIVshooter]

.264 bullet in a .257 barrel...you sir are very lucky.

The non-existent headspace is at least as much a concern as swaging the bullet down 0.007"

 

[double bogey]

2 weeks ago my brother fired a .308 in his .270. Lots of gas back in his face, gun locked up. Gunsmith thinks rifle is ok, has not checked headspace yet. This was a Remington 700 I think he was very lucky to have only damaged his rifle. He is seriously working on his bench routines.

 

[Buck13]

I looked up the SAAMI drawings and the base of the neck of a 25-06 is a little farther from the breechface than a .270's, so that would tend to offset its smaller diameter. At least with some bullets, I'm going to believe the .308 problem applies to both.

If I get a .25-06, I think I will make a point of drawing a couple of rings around the body of ALL my cases with a purple Sharpie, so it should be obvious if I've picked up someone else's ammo!

 

[Davek1977]

Even if it is possible, I don't know why one wouls have to go through such extremes to make sure a mix-up doesn't happen. While its true you can't be "too safe"....I have multiple rifles, many of which will load and chamber other calibers if I tried. that said, in 20 plus years of shooting.....I've never done so, and I simply keep my ammo sperated by caliber....sharpieing perfectly pretty brass just seems like overkill to me, but to each their own. I guess its not hurting anything

 

[ID-shooting]

Even if it is possible, I don't know why one wouls have to go through such extremes to make sure a mix-up doesn't happen. While its true you can't be "too safe"....I have multiple rifles, many of which will load and chamber other calibers if I tried. that said, in 20 plus years of shooting.....I've never done so, and I simply keep my ammo sperated by caliber....sharpieing perfectly pretty brass just seems like overkill to me, but to each their own. I guess its not hurting anything

Two instances come to mind, buddy of mine accidentaly grabbed and loaded a 9mm into the mag for his .40. It fed/fired. Sounded different is what made us stop and look.

Second, was bumming in the LGS, guy comes in and asks for "30-06 shorts" Took us a few to figure out it was .308 he was asking for, another but to get him in the right direction.

 

[dvdcrr]

As I recall I may have accidently fired 5.56 through an SKS is that possible?

 

[gwpercle]

Some times you just got to pay attention to what you do.
Mamma told me the Good Lord looked out for children and most fools, but I still had to look both ways before crossing the street....
Gary

 

[Davek1977]

As I recall I may have accidently fired 5.56 through an SKS is that possible?
__________________

I'd have to say NO....the 5.56 case would fit so loosely in the chamber, the odds of the firing pin actually hitting the primer would be slim to none IMO. Maybe I'm wrong, but I can't see this as being a possibility. Firing a .270 in a 30-06 or something is certainly possible, being based on the same case and whatnot, but a .223 case would literally be swimmong in the short, fat chamber of the 7.62x39 round

 

[Grumulkin]

Firing a .270 in a 30-06 or something is certainly possible, being based on the same case and whatnot.

You're right. I did that on purpose many years ago after reading somewhere (I think Jack O'Connor said it) that it could be done. Don't expect accuracy to be good but that interchange won't blow up a gun.

There was also, in one of the Africa books I read, perhaps by Capstick, about some safari clients who were rather poor shots and the lack of availability of proper ammo. They ended up using inappropriate ammo (I don't remember the details of caliber) in the rifles and successfully taking game with said ammo.

 

[dvdcrr]

Two easy ways to prevent this, just use separate and well marked plastic ammo boxes. Big numbers in black marker on top. Then just reload one caliber at a time and put the ammo box away.

 

[X-Rap]

This is one of the reasons I quit resizing brass with different head stamps, ie necking down 30-06 to 25 or opening up from 280 to 30-06.
There are slight differences in some case dimensions that will prevent firing of resized cases from the same parent case but not all, the worst is a terrible accident the best is a ruined hunt with a gun that won't fire.

 

[ParkerBoy]

As a kid, I remember seeing a display at a gun show of the results of such happenings.....It always stuck with me, as pretty impressive!

When I got my first 25-06, I had to size down 30-06. It was still a "wlidcat". I do agree with X-Rap, It's not a good idea now that correctly marked brass is available.

On the other hand, if I wanted to shoot any of my 38-55s, I had to take what brass I could get my hands on. That was 30-30 and 32 Special fire formed in a 38-55 and then reloaded. Not the greatest way to do things, but in those days the only 38-55 available was usually very old.......you do what it takes to put ammo in the chamber.

I've always avoided "similar cased cartridges", that might result in that sort of thing happening. Unfortunately, that means that I have not owned all the rifles in various calibers that I would have liked to have owned.

 

[X-Rap]

I agree that there are some circumstances in which one has to reform brass to make rare calibers usable but just as we are responsible for the powder we throw into our cases we are responsible for keeping track of the loaded rounds that are stamped other than what they actually are.
Mark those boxes well since that's the most practical way but also understand that at some point we will cross the great divide and it's imperative to make sure we leave important information like that for those who follow, what may seem second nature for us might not be so for one of our kids or grand kids.

 

[tark]

My friend has a 25-06 and I had him try out the 308 mistake. The round fed from the mag and chambered easily. Scares me to death!

A 308 will chamber in some Arisaka type 99s (the ones with loose chambers) and can be fires without incident. A .308 bullet in a .311 bore. Accuracy is not bad, actually, but the case is trashed. You end up with a shoulder and no neck.

 

[X-Rap]

Scares me to death!

Many things in life probably scarier, if you do your own electrical or auto work, pick your own mushrooms or edible plants, swim in the ocean, climb Fourteeners on summer afternoons.
Check out the 12/20 burst for another frightening gun mishap.

 

[rodregier]

I had the "pleasure" of firing a .308 Win cartridge out of a .270 Spr chambered bolt gun. Not and experience I would care to repeat. Case failure, spit fine brass particles on my shooting glasses, split the wood stock, froze the bolt handle and blew out the drop magazine. Spanish Mauser action, other designs would have handled the gas better. Swaged bullet hit the target. Mix of rifles in use. Cautionary tale for others. Use one cartridge/rifle chambering ar a time.

 

[rondog]

Guess I'm just extra anal and pay closer attention than some. I tend to be obssesive about what ammo I put in my guns, although there may be several types on the bench.