Mistake: Shot a 308 Cartridge Today in my 06

[General RE LEE]

I loaded some 130 grain Barnes TTSX 130s in 308 and 30 06. I have great loads for both so brought my Tikka T3 308 and Tikka T3x 30-06 to the range today with my ammo boxes. I had both ammo boxes on the bench and was alternating between the 308 and 06 shooting the Barnes.

On the 4th shot on my 06, something went way wrong. My face was sprayed with powder fouling, the bottom of my detachable magazine was on the ground and I couldn't extract the cartridge. When I finally got the bolt open, my extractor was gone. I found the extractor on the ground but my plunger is missing so I had to order new parts.

My chamber was filthy and the primer had blown out of the case. I figured I'd had a case separation or wrong charge so I went back to shooting. I wasn't able to extract the case until I got home.

When I got home I knocked the case out with a ramrod. Mystery solved! It was a 308 case blown open to a straight walled case.

Lesson learned, make dang sure if you are shooting the same bullet out of two different rifles, to keep ammo separated.

Here is the case. I'm assuming the only damage was the extractor. When I get it fixed I'll head back to the range.

 

[jsthntn247]

Daumn

 

[Coyote Shadow Tracker]

I loaded some 130 grain Barnes TTSX 130s in 308 and 30 06. I have great loads for both so brought my Tikka T3 308 and Tikka T3x 30-06 to the range today with my ammo boxes. I had both ammo boxes on the bench and was alternating between the 308 and 06 shooting the Barnes.

On the 4th shot on my 06, something went way wrong. My face was sprayed with powder fouling, the bottom of my detachable magazine was on the ground and I couldn't extract the cartridge. When I finally got the bolt open, my extractor was gone. I found the extractor on the ground but my plunger is missing so I had to order new parts.

My chamber was filthy and the primer had blown out of the case. I figured I'd had a case separation or wrong charge so I went back to shooting. I wasn't able to extract the case until I got home.

When I got home I knocked the case out with a ramrod. Mystery solved! It was a 308 case blown open to a straight walled case.

Lesson learned, make dang sure if you are shooting the same bullet out of two different rifles, to keep ammo separated.

Here is the case. I'm assuming the only damage was the extractor. When I get it fixed I'll head back to the range.

Wow thank God you or someone else was not injured.
No need to talk about having similar or different cartridges on the bench together while shooting.
Good story to advise others.

 

[Bucklowery]

Thank God it was just a lesson learned and just parts damaged. Thanks for sharing and keeping us all on our toes.

Buck

 

[MTGEEZER]

Wow thank God you or someone else was not injured.
No need to talk about having similar or different cartridges on the bench together while shooting.
Good story to advise others.

Thank God indeed! So glad you were not hurt! Truth: I nearly did the same thing a few years ago. Now I am way anal about taking only 1 bullet to the table at a time and double checking everything before chambering. Ya, over doing it for sure. Thanks for the honest reminder that we ARE playing with fire! DT in MT

 

[memtb]

Really glad that it was no worse than that…..potentially could have been ugly!

Many years ago I was doing chrono work with my wife's .338 WM and my 375 AI. When I touched-off a round in my AI…..it was quickly apparent that something wasn't right. Recoil was near non-existent and my chronograph "came from untogether"! When I ejected the brass, it looked like my AI brass had separated at the shoulder. In a minor panic, I began trying to get the case remnants out of my chamber. Not having any success, and not being able to see anything, something told me to look more closely at the case …..it was the .338 WM.

Other than the embarrassment, a destroyed chronograph, and a ruined brass…..no harm-no foul! memtb

 

[RidgeTop]

I would run out and buy a lottery ticket.

I had a 7X57 split in a Mauser Mod '98, large ring.
The blast came back along the bolt and luckily was deflected up to my forehead rather in the face/eyes. It was like getting hit with a 2X4. I saw stars. Thank God for the large ring.

 

[cornshank]

Glad your not hurt , we had similar thing happen to guy in our group in Colorado one year.
He was checking to make sure his rifle was sighted in at the local range , he put a 270 or 30-06 round in his 300 weatherby mag,
After he touched one off he turned to us and said , what the hell happened?
Then blood immediately started dripping off his face from the blow back ,lucky he wore glasses.
Didn't hurt his pre 64 model 70.

 

[RidgeTop]

I read in the Norma website a test they did for Roy on a Weatherby Mk V. Roy wanted to see just how strong his action was.
They put a bullet in the rifle with a live .300WbyMag shell behind it. They fired the rifle. Engineers examined the action and found no damage. The engineers think the action may have had 250,000psi from the obstruction.
True story - was on their web site. I have also seen the story in print.

 

[Calvin45]

Thank god it was a cartridge of identical bore diameter at least. I don't know what would happen if say a .358 Winchester got chambered in a .25-06 or something (and it could happen) and I also don't plan on ever finding out!

Thanks for sharing. It'd be easy and tempting to keep this sort of thing oneself.

 

[Varmint Hunter]

My buddy uses factory ammo in his hunting rifles. The ammo he preferred had nickel cases and black oxide coated bullets. Very unique looking ammo for sure. He had the same ammo for more than one rifle.

On a once in a lifetime moose hunt he gets an opportunity at a nice bull on the top of a clearcut at daybreak. He carefully gets lined up and squeezes the trigger while I'm running the video camera from the top of a pickup. I was waiting for the BOOM but all I heard was a faint "click". I look at him and he looks up me in total confusion. I tell him rack in another one as the bull moved out of sight. His guide walked over and pick up the round and asked "are you shooting a .308?" My buddy said "hell no - this is a 300WSM"! Problem solved.

How he managed to get an identical (nickel & black) .308 round into a box of 300WSM ammo is still a mystery. The ejected .308 round did have a light strike on the primer but didn't fire. That bull moose is probably still walking around five years later. LOL

 

[just_jon]

I've seen this happen several times at the range. It is why I only have 1 rifle and 1 box of ammo at the bench. Other guns and ammo stay in the truck until their turn comes.

 

[Weaver93]

A story like this always makes me cringe when I recall it at the range while watching at least one person shoot without eye protection.

 

[jessej]

Bought lessons stick with us the longest.
You're very fortunate that this one's cost was minimal.