312 lead bullet in 308 barrel
- Thread starter porpoise
- Start date
Technically, you probably could. However, there is a possible issue....the throat diameter of your .308 cal rifle.
If you seat a .312" diameter bullet in your 30 cal case, it may not chamber, if the throat is even a bit tight.
Many factory chambers are quite generous, whereas custom chambers tend to be tighter. You could make up a "dummy" round and see if it will chamber or not.
Regards, Dave.
I run .311" through all my .308" bore rifles and have never had an issue. I don't have any custom precision rifles so can't comment on that.
The only time I couldn't get a round to chamber was when I put a .314" in a .30-30 case. It expanded the neck too much and wouldn't fit the chamber.
The only time I couldn't get a round to chamber was when I put a .314" in a .30-30 case. It expanded the neck too much and wouldn't fit the chamber.
I'd slug the bore first just to see how much tolerance I have to be working with.
On another note, .312 diameter bullets have been so hard to find lately that you could sell them and buy 2 for 1 of the correct bullet for your .308.
On another note, .312 diameter bullets have been so hard to find lately that you could sell them and buy 2 for 1 of the correct bullet for your .308.
If by some chance you happen to have a tight chamber/throat in your rifle, usually from a minimum spec reamer, they can be a real pain in the butt but are normally a blessing. Especially with jacketed bullets.
That being said, if you don't need small base dies to resize your cases so that they will chamber in your rifle, you should be fine.
My 308 mold throws bullets that are .3115 diameter. At first I was resizing them to .309. Then, I was in a rush one time and didn't bother to resize them. I ran them through the rest of the process though and loaded them into the cases.
Lo and behold, the bullets which were lackluster at best for ranges over 50m all of a sudden found new guidance. The groups tightened right up. The same with 100m and 200m. All of a sudden, short range plinking bullets became viable hunting bullets.
Nothing changed, no pressure signs, no increased leading, all was normal other than the rifle liked them a lot more and shot them much better than their predecessors.
By the way, I always add extra lube to my cast lead bullets. A few years ago I was told about the bees wax sealing rings for toilets. They are mixed with something else to keep them soft but when you smear a bit around the ogive and load them singly so as not to create a mess they seldom leave traces of lead in the bore. Even at higher velocities.
That being said, if you don't need small base dies to resize your cases so that they will chamber in your rifle, you should be fine.
My 308 mold throws bullets that are .3115 diameter. At first I was resizing them to .309. Then, I was in a rush one time and didn't bother to resize them. I ran them through the rest of the process though and loaded them into the cases.
Lo and behold, the bullets which were lackluster at best for ranges over 50m all of a sudden found new guidance. The groups tightened right up. The same with 100m and 200m. All of a sudden, short range plinking bullets became viable hunting bullets.
Nothing changed, no pressure signs, no increased leading, all was normal other than the rifle liked them a lot more and shot them much better than their predecessors.
By the way, I always add extra lube to my cast lead bullets. A few years ago I was told about the bees wax sealing rings for toilets. They are mixed with something else to keep them soft but when you smear a bit around the ogive and load them singly so as not to create a mess they seldom leave traces of lead in the bore. Even at higher velocities.
