Is PPU .308 Win brass the same as 7.62?

[Spyguy]

I just bought some Prvi Partizan .308 Win ammo (FMJ BT 145 gr). The brass is head stamped " PPU 308 WIN". I thought that all Prvi Partizan ammo was military, but then I would have expected it to be stamped 7.62. Is it the same? Or does Prvi Partizan also make hunting/sport ammo? Does it make a difference for reloading (or for shooting in a rifle chambered for 7.62)?

[Bastard]

I don't beleive that it matters, .308 is higher pressure than 7.62x51, so if anything I would assume the brass to be better/stronger/thicker.

I would not worry about reloading it.

[ZRen]

From my personal experience, PPU .308 brass tends do be a little thinner than any 7.62x51 military brass I have seen.

This is just my experience. Outside dimensions are the same, but the walls of the casings (of the PPU brass) are noticeably thinner.

I don't think this will be any kind of problem for you. You just won't get as much mileage out of the brass, if it's anything like PPU .308 brass that I've gotten in the past.

.308 and 7.62 are basically the same dimension-wise. But the real difference is the pressures. .308 fires at a higher pressure than a 7.62.
The military specifically had the 7.62 NATO cartridge's pressure toned down as a way of preserving barrel life.

You should not fire a .308 Win round out of a gun chambered specifically for 7.62x51.
But you can totally fire a 7.62x51 NATO round out of a rifle chambered for .308 Win.

There should be a stamp somewhere on your barrel where either "7.62x51 NATO" or ".308 WIN" is stamped.

Hope that helps.

[CK_32]

308 vs 7.65 is the same exact thing.


but 5.56 and 223 is not.

[therealnickb]

308 vs 7.65 is the same exact thing.


but 5.56 and 223 is not.

Not exactly.

The 7.62 NATO brass is in fact thicker. Which means a little less volume.

[Raralith]

308 vs 7.65 is the same exact thing.


but 5.56 and 223 is not.

Not quite
- The commercial 308 Winchester is hotter than the 7.62 NATO round, roughly 12k more pressure
- The 7.62 has a thicker case so when reloading, you put in ~1 gram less powder to make it the "equivalent" 308 load
- I believe there could be some headspace issues when using 308 in a 7.62 rifle

['ol shooter]

I just bought a load of .308 brass from a member, and you can really feel the difference between the commercial and military brass' heft, feels almost twice as heavy. Thanks for the above comment on decreasing the powder, I'll write that one down.