conversion chart?

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I have a .308 Winchester, and have been told that 7.62x51 is the conversion, as is 7.62 NATO.
Does that mean that I can buy crates of ammo in those numbers and shoot it in my .308 Win?....I have been also told that these rounds are loaded higher due to military use, and should not be shot in a hunting .308 Win.
I see alot of Metric numbers on here....does someone have a conversion chart to decimal ?
7.62x39 equals what?....
 
If you want to be able to identify those, the first number is the nominal bore diameter (7.62mm being 0.300") and the X 51 is the lenght of the sace, less the bullet 51mm = 2.008").

Now, it's the inverse; military working pressure specs are slighlty less than SAAMI; but except for some high grade hunting ones, commercial loads are loaded very close to the military ones.
The main difference is in headspace of the military firearms, wich usually commands the use of thicker brass.

Now, many European calibers (and from the rest of the world, excpet the US) have no equivalence in US system. It's the case for the 7.62X39...
 
"...can buy crates of ammo in those numbers..." Yep. If you can find any milsurp 7.62 x 51.
"...7.62x39 equals what?..." It doesn't equal anything. It's the bore diameter(the hole in the barrel, measured across the lands) in MM's x the length of the cartridge in MM's.
Like Baribal says, 7.62mm's doesn't convert to .308". It converts to .300". .308" doesn't convert to 7.62mm's either. Converts to 7.82mm's.
Don't even think about trying to figure out why a cartridge is called what it is called. It'll give you brain damage. In any case, the 7.62 x 39 doesn't use a .308" bullet in milsurp rifles. It uses a .311" bullet. Just because a cartridge is called a 7.62, doesn't mean it uses that bullet diameter. Some cartridges aren't called a 7.62, but do use a .308" bullet. 7.5 x 55 Swiss, for example.
Have a look at this. Tells you what cartridges not to use in a given chamber. Some of 'em are kind of obvious.
http://www.saami.org/Unsafe_Combinations.cfm
 
Regarding the bullet size of the 7.62X39 (Soviet's M43), CIP is specifying a bore of 7.62mm (0.300") and the grooves at 7.92mm (0.312").
Actually, AFAIK, only Ruger (Mini-30) makes .308" grooves for the 7.62X39, adding a lot to the general confusion.

The pressure reading (MAP) are, most of the time different between CIP and SAAMI. This is due to the methods (places) used to take the measurements.
 
I thank you for the advice...and I am still confused....
If I buy a crate of 7.62 NATO...and that is all is says on the box...is it .308 Win?
Same applies for the 7.62x51...crate marked same....is it .308 win equivilant?
and just exactly is the caliber of an SKS.... in decimal form?
 
An SKS is designed to use the 7.62x39 M43 cartridge.
Its bore diameter will be .300" -.302", and groove diameter .310" -.312", depending on manufacturing tolerances.
I have fired 7.62x51/7.62 NATO ammunition in a .308 Winchester calibre rifle. I have fired .308 Winchester cartridges in a 7.62x51/7.62 NATO rifle.
As noted above, there are differences in headspace specs. for .308 and 7.62x51/7.62 NATO rifles. This can be an issue if handloading.
 
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