Reducing caliber mixups

[FLS]

I was ROing a shooter that blew up an AR in 223 with 300 BO that got in the mag. Both of us had to check our shorts. Luckily no one was hurt but the rifle was destroyed. To add insult to injury it was an SBR. $200 tax stamp and a years wait gone in an instant.

 

[brockel]

I've never had a mixup, but I get concerned I'm going to try to jam a .280 round into a .270 some day, although I think I've read the .280 has a little different taper at the shoulder so it actually wouldn't chamber. ???

I alternate shooting a .270 and .280 at the range a lot. Same with a .308 and 7mm-08. I'm kind of paranoid about mixing up ammo so I tend to be very careful about it.

You would really have to jam to get a 280 into 270

 

[.270Rem]

Talked with a gentleman at the public range and he asked several of us what was wrong with his brass. He showed us three or four fired cases and the necks had all been ripped and blown out and were .308 Win. It was his father's rifle and it had .308 on the barrel, but no other markings. Obviously it wasn't a run of the mill .308 Win., so we all encouraged him to unload, not shoot anymore, and take the rifle to a gunsmith so he could find out what he had.

 

[runningmt]

Was at the range one day and a guy was struggling to get his new weatherby to shoot good. Finally after a box through it he asked for help. When I walked up to the bench the brass looked a little funny. Asked him what he was shooting and he says 300 mag. So I asked which one. He says “the mag”. So I look at his gun and it’s a 300 weatherby and he’s shooting 300 win mag ammo in it. Told him he was shooting the wrong ammo in it and he said the weatherby stuff was to expensive. That was the day I quit shooting at the range with other people I don’t know

 

[Nambaster]

I have 7mm-08,308,and 243.... all three cartridges can used fire formed Lake City brass necked down from 308 to either 7mm-08 or 243. Eye balling the difference between 243 and 7mm-08 is very easy for me since my 7mm-08 likes to shoot Berger’s seated way out to the lands. The 243,s shoot a Sierra that seats a little deeper. My 308 rounds are Hornady Interbonds with a red tip. All the brass is head stamped the same with an LC-61 I don’t even look at the stamp at the bottom of the cartridges. I just look at the bullet tips.

What happens if a 243 gets in the 7mm-08 or the 308? Nothing catastrophic. The bullets wont maximize velocity because of the riflings. A 308 won’t chamber in the 7mm-08 and the 7mm-08 won’t chamber in the 243.

Guns that don’t belong in the safe together are 300 WSM and 300 Remington Short Action Ultra Mag. Those 2 chamberings are very similar in appearance and the head spaces are different to result in exploded barrels and crazy pressure differences.

 

[Nambaster]

Talked with a gentleman at the public range and he asked several of us what was wrong with his brass. He showed us three or four fired cases and the necks had all been ripped and blown out and were .308 Win. It was his father's rifle and it had .308 on the barrel, but no other markings. Obviously it wasn't a run of the mill .308 Win., so we all encouraged him to unload, not shoot anymore, and take the rifle to a gunsmith so he could find out what he had.

I have a 308 Norma Magnum. A 308 win round chambered in my 308 Norma Magnum chamber would have bad results, but likely would not even seat.

 

[mtmuley]

Good luck on that motorcycle crossing. mtmuley

 

[williaada]

I was at a public range to sight in one of my rifles, and the guy next to me could not get his .270 to hold steady groups of less than 12” after 2 or 3 boxes. Later when we looked at the rifle the gun was chambered for the 30.06.

 

[nettereo16]

My dad fired one of my 270win rounds through his 30-06 when I was a kid. These two rounds do look very similar. The round went off alright but something obviously happened as soon as it left the barrel. He was using the hood of the truck as a rest to check zero and the bullet tore a hole in the hood.

This was a great lesson in gun safety growing up! I suspect a 30-06 in a 270 would have been a lot more catastrophic...

 

[Don Fischer]

I doubt anything would hav happened shooting the 7mm mag in a 300 mag chamber. 7 mm bullet will rattle down the barrel and fall on the ground fairly close. Got a lesson in that from my son years ago I had a 308 that was a great shooter and he brought home a friend to show off. grabbed a box of ammo loaded in LC Nat match case's and assumed they were 308's, they weren't. 243's! He let me know something had gone terribly wrong with my 308 when I got home and told me about it. The case's did not get blown all the way back out and a trip through the 243 die fixed it. Now turn it around and run a 309 througha 243 and I doubt you could close the bolt! Neck of the 308 wouldn't fit in the chamber of the 243! I just wonder if it is possible to put a larger cal cartridge in a smaller chamber and fire it? Got an idea you can't do it!

Probably should mention the 243 dia bullet won't seal the 308 chamber and the pressure escapes around the bullet. Just the same I would not do it intentionally just to check my theory!

 

[QuazyQuinton]

I doubt anything would hav happened shooting the 7mm mag in a 300 mag chamber. 7 mm bullet will rattle down the barrel and fall on the ground fairly close. Got a lesson in that from my son years ago I had a 308 that was a great shooter and he brought home a friend to show off. grabbed a box of ammo loaded in LC Nat match case's and assumed they were 308's, they weren't. 243's! He let me know something had gone terribly wrong with my 308 when I got home and told me about it. The case's did not get blown all the way back out and a trip through the 243 die fixed it. Now turn it around and run a 309 througha 243 and I doubt you could close the bolt! Neck of the 308 wouldn't fit in the chamber of the 243! I just wonder if it is possible to put a larger cal cartridge in a smaller chamber and fire it? Got an idea you can't do it!

Probably should mention the 243 dia bullet won't seal the 308 chamber and the pressure escapes around the bullet. Just the same I would not do it intentionally just to check my theory!

I've done it unintentionally with a box of .243 ammo that was labelled as 7mm-08 from the store. Nothing explosive happens, just sounds funny and you can't find a bullet hole in the paper.

QQ

 

[Curvebow]

I heard on a Meateater podcast that Janis Putrellis was shooting Steve's Rinella's rifle. Steve's gun was a left handed 270 WSM and somehow Janis loaded a 7mm-08 into it. The round chambered and fired, destroying the gun. I think the bullet even hit the target after being squeezed from .284" to .277".

Since Janis was right handed, the gases were routed right into his face (bolt guns have a hole in the receiver for gases to be routed - usually away from the shooter should something catastrophic like this happen). It required a trip to the hospital but he escaped serious injury. Out of deference to the gun manufacturer, they never mentioned what gun it was. I know on his shows, Steve had been using a 7mm Rem Mag custom left handed rifle. This was a different rifle.

I've also seen 7mm Weatherby brass that had been fired in a 300 Weatherby rifle laying around at a range.

Beware - "THEY" are out there!

 

[Dsnow9]

Only applies to ARs but my brother just sent me this.

 

[noharleyyet]

Never had a mixup but I am OCD with my brass and with my loaded ammo on how it is stored. There are NEVER any loose shells floating around.

Yep...now I have forgotten to bring any to the deer woods....but never the wrong ammo.

 

[Ben Lamb]

I put some 7mm Mauser down a 30-06 once. Never made that mistake again.

 

[AvidIndoorsman]

I heard on a Meateater podcast that Janis Putrellis was shooting Steve's Rinella's rifle. Steve's gun was a left handed 270 WSM and somehow Janis loaded a 7mm-08 into it. The round chambered and fired, destroying the gun. I think the bullet even hit the target after being squeezed from .284" to .277".

Since Janis was right handed, the gases were routed right into his face (bolt guns have a hole in the receiver for gases to be routed - usually away from the shooter should something catastrophic like this happen). It required a trip to the hospital but he escaped serious injury. Out of deference to the gun manufacturer, they never mentioned what gun it was. I know on his shows, Steve had been using a 7mm Rem Mag custom left handed rifle. This was a different rifle.

I've also seen 7mm Weatherby brass that had been fired in a 300 Weatherby rifle laying around at a range.

Beware - "THEY" are out there!

Which episode was that?

 

[Schaaf]

My first hunting trip on my own as a kid I missed one of the biggest mule deer I've still ever seen at 200 yards because I was shooting .270's out of my .30-06.

My dad chewed my ass and somehow knew about it before I had even told him.

 

[R.K.]

My first hunting trip on my own as a kid I missed one of the biggest mule deer I've still ever seen at 200 yards because I was shooting .270's out of my .30-06.

My dad chewed my ass and somehow knew about it before I had even told him.

Because you probably took his ammo for your rifle?

 

[Schaaf]

Because you probably took his ammo for your rifle?

Nope, he was shooting a .300 then. I relate it to a dads intuition of knowing when you effed up haha

 

[noharleyyet]

My first hunting trip on my own as a kid I missed one of the biggest mule deer I've still ever seen at 200 yards because I was shooting .270's out of my .30-06.

My dad chewed my ass and somehow knew about it before I had even told him.

He probably heard the rattle.