http://www.levergun.com/articles/wrong.htm
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If the shooter is lucky, this is what can happen when a 270 Win cartridge is fired in a 7mm Rem Mag rifle. In this instance, the smaller diameter Nosler Partition did not swell into the rifling - it was therefore unstable. This target was next to the one the shooter was aiming toward. The four-shot "group" was from another shooter. See text.
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Fired cases from left to right: 270 Win, 270 Win fired in a 7mm Rem Mag, 7mm Rem Mag. Fortunately for the shooter, this case held - that is not always the result. The author is aware of two instances where a 270 Win was fired in a 7mm Rem Mag and the case body ruptured. Both resulted in significant (although repairable) damage to both rifle and shooter.
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A rare exception. It is usually harmless to chamber and fire 300 Savage ammunition (left) in a 308 Win rifle. Generally, firing a smaller or shorter case is unsafe and prone to result in a dangerous case rupture. See table notes.
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The 44 Magnum (right) will chamber and fire in a 45 Colt chambered gun. Usually the case body will swell to seal the chamber without rupturing. However, with certain bullets and certain loads the bullet can swell to seal the bore. When this happens, peak chamber pressure can approach the level of 45 Colt proof loads.
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Depending upon bullet ogive placement, it is possible to chamber and fire a 308 Win load in a gun chambered for the 25-06 Rem, 270 Win or 280 Rem. Doing so is practically certain to wreck both rifle and shooter. Many 30-06 chambered rifles will also accept factory 308 Win loads. Such a combination can also lead to catastrophic gun failure (see table notes).
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Firing a 270 Win in a 280 Rem rifle will usually not destroy the rifle. However, the extreme headspace condition (0.050") provides the potential for a case head separation. (See table notes.)
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A common mistake, especially among those owning a convertible rimfire revolver. All sizes of conventional 22-rimfire ammunition will chamber and fire in the 22 Magnum chamber. Usually, no harm is done. However, the smaller diameter case can split. This results in a potentially dangerous gas leak.
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Some 30-40 Krag ammo (right) might chamber in some 303 British rifles. Doing so is almost certain to result in the case neck crimping the bullet in place. Firing such a round is likely to destroy the rifle and is quite unlikely to do the shooter any good.
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7mm Wby Mag and 270 Wby Mag., other than bullet length, can you tell which is which? This is one of the more dangerous mismatches. The 7mm Wby Mag (left) will chamber in some 270 Wby Mag rifles. Doing so crimps the bullet tightly into the case neck - the bullet cannot move until chamber pressure is far higher than it would normally be. Firing such a combination is almost certain to destroy the rifle, with potentially fatal consequences. Also note that it is entirely possible to seat a 7mm bullet in a 270 Wby case, resulting in precisely the came outcome.
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The result of two (usually) harmless mismatches. Left, 243 Win fired in a 308 Win rifle. Note the neck split and that the end of the neck did not fully expand into the chamber. Right, 270 Win fired in 30-06 Springfield rifle. Note the second shoulder, where the end of the longer case neck swelled against the end of the 30-06 chamber.
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Depending upon bullet used and cartridge length, the 8mm Mauser can chamber and fire in a 270 rifle. Case on left: fired in 8mm chamber. Case on right: fired in a 270 chamber. Author found 18 of these in one pile…. One has to wonder why there were not 20. See text and table notes.
1.jpg (33438 bytes)
If the shooter is lucky, this is what can happen when a 270 Win cartridge is fired in a 7mm Rem Mag rifle. In this instance, the smaller diameter Nosler Partition did not swell into the rifling - it was therefore unstable. This target was next to the one the shooter was aiming toward. The four-shot "group" was from another shooter. See text.
2.jpg (28617 bytes)
Fired cases from left to right: 270 Win, 270 Win fired in a 7mm Rem Mag, 7mm Rem Mag. Fortunately for the shooter, this case held - that is not always the result. The author is aware of two instances where a 270 Win was fired in a 7mm Rem Mag and the case body ruptured. Both resulted in significant (although repairable) damage to both rifle and shooter.
3.jpg (17535 bytes)
A rare exception. It is usually harmless to chamber and fire 300 Savage ammunition (left) in a 308 Win rifle. Generally, firing a smaller or shorter case is unsafe and prone to result in a dangerous case rupture. See table notes.
4.jpg (16898 bytes)
The 44 Magnum (right) will chamber and fire in a 45 Colt chambered gun. Usually the case body will swell to seal the chamber without rupturing. However, with certain bullets and certain loads the bullet can swell to seal the bore. When this happens, peak chamber pressure can approach the level of 45 Colt proof loads.
5.jpg (19937 bytes)
Depending upon bullet ogive placement, it is possible to chamber and fire a 308 Win load in a gun chambered for the 25-06 Rem, 270 Win or 280 Rem. Doing so is practically certain to wreck both rifle and shooter. Many 30-06 chambered rifles will also accept factory 308 Win loads. Such a combination can also lead to catastrophic gun failure (see table notes).
6.jpg (23051 bytes)
Firing a 270 Win in a 280 Rem rifle will usually not destroy the rifle. However, the extreme headspace condition (0.050") provides the potential for a case head separation. (See table notes.)
7.jpg (16954 bytes)
A common mistake, especially among those owning a convertible rimfire revolver. All sizes of conventional 22-rimfire ammunition will chamber and fire in the 22 Magnum chamber. Usually, no harm is done. However, the smaller diameter case can split. This results in a potentially dangerous gas leak.
8.jpg (23467 bytes)
Some 30-40 Krag ammo (right) might chamber in some 303 British rifles. Doing so is almost certain to result in the case neck crimping the bullet in place. Firing such a round is likely to destroy the rifle and is quite unlikely to do the shooter any good.
9.jpg (23165 bytes)
7mm Wby Mag and 270 Wby Mag., other than bullet length, can you tell which is which? This is one of the more dangerous mismatches. The 7mm Wby Mag (left) will chamber in some 270 Wby Mag rifles. Doing so crimps the bullet tightly into the case neck - the bullet cannot move until chamber pressure is far higher than it would normally be. Firing such a combination is almost certain to destroy the rifle, with potentially fatal consequences. Also note that it is entirely possible to seat a 7mm bullet in a 270 Wby case, resulting in precisely the came outcome.
10.jpg (23206 bytes)
The result of two (usually) harmless mismatches. Left, 243 Win fired in a 308 Win rifle. Note the neck split and that the end of the neck did not fully expand into the chamber. Right, 270 Win fired in 30-06 Springfield rifle. Note the second shoulder, where the end of the longer case neck swelled against the end of the 30-06 chamber.
11.jpg (23485 bytes)
Depending upon bullet used and cartridge length, the 8mm Mauser can chamber and fire in a 270 rifle. Case on left: fired in 8mm chamber. Case on right: fired in a 270 chamber. Author found 18 of these in one pile…. One has to wonder why there were not 20. See text and table notes.
