The Truth About 308 Win and 762 NATO

[Edward Horton]

To all

I’m not hot under the collar but I do not understand the reaction to posting the most accurate information on the subject of the .308 and 7.62 I can find. I have spent years looking for Enfield manuals and information to share with others and the moderators reaction here puzzles me. (Posting cartridge pressure levels should not be this painful)

We have collectors and shooters in our forums and my main interest has always been the care and feeding of the Enfield Rifle. If you gain anything from this posting you should note that factory ammunition (.303 and .308) is downloaded to lower pressure levels than it is actually rated for. This is one of the reasons why .303 SAAMI American factory cases do not last long when reloaded and fired in the Enfield rifle compared to Greek HXP cases. (Our American .303 cases are designed for lower chamber pressures to avoid lawsuits)


Below is an example of this from the Speer reloading manual on the 8mm, American .303 British ammunition is loaded to pressures below 43,000 CUP.

“Part of the interest in handloading the 8mm Mauser can be traced to the low power of U.S. factory ammunition. Because of industry concerns over shooters using S-type ammunition in the weaker (and tight-bored) Model 1888 action, the industry pressure limit is set very low-37,000 CUP. As a result, the performance of American 8mm Mauser factory ammo is rather disappointing-not much better than a 30-30. European ammunition is loaded to higher limits allowing the true nature of the cartridge to be experienced. Speer pressure-tested some surplus 8x57mm Turkish military ammunition and it was loaded to 50,000 CUP. Handloaded to higher pressures, the 8mm Mauser is close to the 308 Winchester in power and is suitable for most North Ameri- can game except the great bears.”

No4Mk1(T)

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