Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles 308 rnd firedin 270 !!

Twice now I've managed to shoot the wrong ammo in a rifle.

The first was a .30-30 round fired in a .45-70. Rifles looked about alike (both Marlins) and I had both ammo types on the bench. (I don't do that any more. One at a time, like powder when I'm reloading.) The .30-30 came out looking like a reverse bottleneck cartridge. All I heard was the 'clack' of the hammer dropping so I tried a second time, thinking it didn't fire. Another 'clack'. Extractor wouldn't catch the rim so I had to run cleaning rod down the bore.

The other was in 2015 when I was going to take my .280 Rem elk hunting. Buddy had his 7mm RM so at the last second I switched to my .338WM but forgot to swap the ammo in my pocket. Loaded the .338WM with the .280 Rem ammo in the dark. Took a shot at a bull, 100 yards away and 40 feet below, facing away. Was shocked when it didn't drop. Ended up killing it at 411 yard with my hunting buddy's 7mm RM.

Fortunately, both cases were a smaller cartridge being fired in a larger chamber so no damage done.

From left to right:

.338WM
.280 Rem fired in ,338WM
.280 Rem
.30-30 fired in .45-70

I have a cigar box full of cases like those pictured above from my days working in Browning Arms Co. gunsmith department. Most of them came from the era when Remington renamed the .280 the 7mmExpress, lots of guys shot them in their 7mm Magnum BAR rifles. This usually splintered the forearm, blew the magazine open and bulged the sides of the receiver to say nothing about what they did to the shooters underwear. It was surprising to see how many shooters weren't checking that their ammunition's headstamp matched their rifle's chambering.

Sure you can--but first they have to be swaged down.........

I put a 300 Savage thru a .308 once. Hit the target about 6 or 8 inches low at 100 yds. Pretty funny looking case with short shoulder and no neck when it came out. I'm a lot more careful now keeping ammo straight if I have both at the range!

I did the opposite one time. Fired a .270 WSM in my .300 WSM and couldn't figure out why I didn't even hit the page so I did it again......

Picked up the ejected case and said "weeeellll shiii..."

Lack of attention to detail can be a bicth.

You dont happen to have a relative in WA. do ya? Watched a buddy shoot (2) .280’s in his 338WM at the range commenting they both sounded weird and did t hit paper. That’s when I looked down and realized what he had done.

I also watched him jump out of the truck on a good bear that crossed the road and proceed to drop it at 185yds with a 220gr ‘06 round from same 338WM.

Damn Oregon Kimbers on the Mauser action hold up well......

I fired a 7X57 round in my Model 700 270W. Bolt was stuck, and had to be pounded open with a rubber hammer. That taught me to check my ammo better.

I used to think it took a real special kind of dumba** to mix up guns and ammo.
Then a couple years ago I took my 12ga. Mossberg 1000 and my Grandad's old Sweet Sixteen dove hunting......................
Found out how special I was.

Did she complain about the recoil? Glad you weren't sitting in a blind!

Ed

I've put a 243 through a 358 once. Case neck split to 358 chamber diameter, but no harm to me or the gun. Sounded and felt like a 22 when it went off. Still had a lot of unburnt powder in the barrel.

Whoops.

I wasn't with this lady when she fired the 308 in the 270 one of the ranch guides was with her they were in a blind, doe was about 80 yrds killed drt, they brought the gun back to the gun room saying the bolt was stuck???

Fired case looked like a 38-55,there was no noticeable damage to the rifle, we pulled the scope and mounts, and took it out of our ranch loaner guns safe. it is retired from use.

Don't know how she got 308 and 270 mixed up, but we are taking steps to make damn sure it never happens again. every year I get suprised by something. Rio7

What by chance do you think the BC on that 08 bullet was once it got the squeeze. LOL. And did you tell her that the 270 was not adequately twisted for such stunts shooting.

How bout with an AMAAAAAAAAAX?>

I once witnessed a guy fire the wrong caliber out of his rifle 30+ years ago. From that day for ward I decided NEVER to have more than one rifle and its ammo out of my vehicle at a time. And then only one individual box of reloads at a time. Basically the same safety protocols as I fallow while reloading, as in only one type of power, primer, and bullet out at a time.
No its not fool proof but I hope it's 'Arthur proof".

As a side note I had had more than a few less than pleasant experiences at public ranges and once my children started going with me I joined a private range that has cameras so as to keep everybody honest and if any issues do arise it's not a matter of one persons word VS another as it's all on tape.

One of THE MOST just wrenching things I ever witnessed at a public range was a guy was shooting his brand spanking new $1400+ Fulton Armory M1 and kept laying it on a shooting bench on bags at such an angle with the back half hanging out in the pathway to be rather precarious to say the least. I as politely as I could mentioned if it were my new shiny VERY expensive M1 I would be a little bit more careful about keeping it out of harms way. His reply let me know I should have kept quiet, but was BARELY 10 minuets later when his friend smacked into the butt stock and while trying to grab to prevent it's fall actually knocked it flying and it went rattling and rolling across the concrete floor of the range. Broke off the front sight, front swivel, and scratched and dinged the living crap out of the barrel, butt plate and stock.

I know I should felt pity at his misfortune, but I did not.