.308/7.62X51M AMMO
In Stock .308/7.62X51M Ammo For Sale- Coupons & Bulk Ammo Deals
The .308/7.62×51mm NATO is a rimless bottlenecked rifle cartridge developed in the 1950s as a standard for small arms among NATO countries. It should not be confused with the similarly named Russian 7.62×54mmR cartridge, a slightly longer, rimmed cartridge.
The .308/7.62×51mm NATO cartridge approaches the ballistic performance of the original U.S. military .30-06 Springfield M1906 service cartridge. Modern propellants allowed for a similar performance from a smaller case with less case capacity, a fact that requires less brass and yields a shorter round.
This shorter cartridge allows a slight reduction in the size and weight of firearms that chamber it and better cycling in automatic and semi-automatic rifles. The .30-06 Springfield M1906 round weighed 26.1 grams (403 gr), and the .308/7.62×51mm NATO M80 round weighs 25.4 grams (392 gr).
About: .308/7.62x51mm
- Type: Rifle
- Place of origin: United States
- In-service: 1954–present
- Used by: NATO and others
Specifications
- Parent case: T-65 experimental cartridge series (derived from the .300 Savage)
- Case type: Rimless, Bottleneck
- Bullet diameter: 0.308 in (7.82 mm)
- Neck diameter: 0.345 in (8.8 mm)
- Shoulder diameter: 0.454 in (11.5 mm)
- Base diameter: 0.470 in (11.9 mm)
- Rim diameter: 0.473 in (12.0 mm)
- Rim thickness: 0.050 in (1.3 mm)
- Case length: 2.015 in (51.2 mm)
- Overall length: 2.800 in (71.1 mm)
- Rifling twist: 1 in 12 in (304.8 mm)
- Primer type: Large Rifle or Berdan
- Maximum pressure (NATO EPVAT): 60,191 psi (415.00 MPa)
Ballistic performance
Bullet mass/type | Velocity | Energy |
---|---|---|
147 gr (10 g) M80 FMJ | 2,800 ft/s (850 m/s) | 2,559 ft⋅lbf (3,470 J) |
175 gr (11 g) M118 Long Range BTHP | 2,600 ft/s (790 m/s) | 2,626 ft⋅lbf (3,560 J) |