I'm not going to start any kind of .308 Win. vs. 7.62 NATO dispute: the two are different and the same - that's it. I would, however, like advice on shooting low-powered .308 Win. ammo in military 7.62 x 51 caliber rifles. The specs for the 7.62 NATO round, according to a credible Internet source are 2750 fps and 2520 ft-lbs. Now, I recently found a vendor who is selling current production commercial .308 Win. ammo with the following specs: 2643 fps and 2326 ft-lbs. Naturally, you don't have to be a genius to realize that these numbers are lower than a NATO round's spec. Therefore, is it safe, and indeed possibly even better, to shoot these commercial rounds in my 7.62 rifle? I know the metal thickness and headspace and all those other specs are slightly different between the 7.62 NATO and .308 Win. round. The most important difference is their CUP and PSI. Personally, I am not technically orientated - especially in the realm of gunsmithing and reloading - so I need advice: Is it okay, or even better, to buy this low-powered, current production .308 Win. ammo than old made-who-knows-where 7.62 NATO ammo?
I'd appreciate answers and opinions. Thanks!
- I should add, about safety, that I've already fired a couple 150 grain .308 Win. rounds in my rifle with no ill effects - and the specs for these were a little over NATO round specs, but not by much at all.