Can you shoot a .270 thru a .30-06?

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While physically possible and likely done for giggles by some (definitely not I), it's obviously not going to be recommended by anyone with any "smarts".

But your father's friend is correct, it can be done, it has been done and it will certainly happen again for the careless or curious few.

What you'll have is garbage accuracy and fire formed cases, not making handloading any easier.

Below is an example of fire formed brass.
Image found at levergun.com
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yah I wasnt going to try it after he told me, I compared the rounds next to each other and it did seem possible as they appeared to have the same size
 
A .270 is a necked down 30/06. It can and will fire out of one, even though it's dumb to try. Along with a 25/06 and .280 Remington, maybe others.
 
I shot several boxes of boxer primed 6.5X 55 in a French MAS 36. I wanted to fireform the brass to 7.5 X 54. All brass fireformed, the bullets landed anywhere within 20 feet of the aimpoint, at 50 yards. Pressures were low.

The MAS and Swede round use the same parent case. When I fired the Swede cases in the MAS rifle, OAL was close, so there was no chance that the bullet could somehow turn sideways before entering the throat and thus plug up the bore. That might have blown the cartridge head. Firing a 308 in a 30-06 chamber could result in that, because the bullet has a half inch jump before it goes into the throat.

Since the bullet was not pinched, and was smaller than the bore, my experiment worked without developing high pressures.

I have never tried shooting a .270 in a 30-06, but I don't see why it would blow the rifle up. It would be a waste of a good .270 case.

Now firing a 30-06 in a 270, that would be a very bad thing.
 
Can it be done--in the strictest sence--yes.

Is it advisable?----NO!!!

Don't think you be doing anything other than fireforming brass----accuracy will be horrible.
 
I'll preface this by saying I don't know much about what happens inside the bore when you pull the trigger. The extent of my knowledge is that pressure pushes the bullet out and the rifling spins it.

If you were to do this, wouldn't it be possible for some of the pressure to "pass" the bullet inside the barrel, since the bullet's diameter is less than that of the bore? Couldn't this potentially cause a dangerous situation similar to an obstructed bore?
 
Nope. Not that much difference. But the bullet will have the accuracy of a musketball as the rifling won't stabilize it.

Now, if one were to do this with a cast lead bullet instead of jacketed, you'd have an un-holy mess in the barrel from the flamecut loose fitting slug.
 
You'd be an idiot...

to try it, but as has been pointed out, the smaller-diameter bullet of the .270 will certainly permit doing it--basic case is the same.

It can be done with a .308 Win in an '06, too. I know because @ my club range, I found 3 cases headstamped .308 Win, that were blown out and had no neck, just the hint of a shoulder, 'way too far forward for a .308. Apparently they'd been chambered in an '06, and fired off.

I could see one done by accident (although even that violates all the rules there are about careful handling of ammo) but it would seem that whoever it was, had to try it twice more.

Gee whiz, son, that grey stuff is in your head for a reason...

(I plan to use those cases in Hunter Safety classes as a bad example.)
 
CAsharpshooter;

As several have stated above, it can be done. What they haven't done, other than cautioning you not to do it, is point out the possible consequenses. Consider that across the mouth of the .30-06, the brass spec's at .3397". The .270 spec's at .308", a difference of .0317", all measurements taken from Speer #14. Given that commercial ammunition will typically operate at, or in excess of, 50,000 psi, the possibility of a ruptured case has to be seriously considered. If the case fails, then not all the extremely high pressure gas is going to go down the barrel. Different actions have different methods of handling a case rupture, not all of them being optimum.

Even if gas pressure has fallen to one tenth, say 5,000 psi, when it encounters you through a magazine well, or bolt raceway, the results will be gruesome. It has severly maimed and killed people.

Will it happen? Maybe. Can it happen? Not only yes, but hell yes.

900F
 
Zero accuracy and low velocity but not dangerous. I do this routinely when forming cases for "wildcat" cartridges. Other way around, where the bullet is bigger than the bore is real trouble.
 
Today I mistakenly fired four 270 rounds thru my 06 bolt action custom rifle with a Shilen barrel. Near as I can tell, the only result was a fire formed case. I hope I have not hurt the accuracy of this rifle.
 
If you were to do this, wouldn't it be possible for some of the pressure to "pass" the bullet inside the barrel, since the bullet's diameter is less than that of the bore? Couldn't this potentially cause a dangerous situation similar to an obstructed bore?

Yes, and no. No danger from the pressure escaping around the bullet. Will just result in low velocity.

And as others have said, accuracy will be terrible, since the bullet is a full .031" smaller than the bore. Lands usually stick up .004"-.006", so it won't even come close to engaging the rifling.
 
Guy's this is wrong but I've got a 7.92X57 case which was fired trough a Rem 700 30-06
0wner said it kicked worse than he ever remembered, He only fired a 20 round box as his shoulder was tender. I checked that rifle carefully and could find no problems from .323 dia. bullets fired in .308 dia 30-06 bore, it still fires 1.5" groups off hand at 100 yds.
The mistake happened because a salesman told him that 7.92X57 was the German 30-06. So he said give me a couple boxes and I'll try them.
 
^Lucky man...real [strike]good[/strike] effective way to proof a action/barrel. My suggestion...use plenty of string if you want to try to duplicate the experiment.

:)
 
All of the sciences aside...please ! The answer to the question is simply "No." An idiot might would, but basic firearms safety tells you that you only fire ammunition that is recommended in any specific weapon. No, no and no. Firearms may say if you are 6'4", and weigh 250lbs, but if you are the wrong 250lbs I would not recommend going toe to toe with a NCAA line backer. Everything has a specific purpose, and if it says .270 Win, then it goes into a .270 Win. rifle and not a 30.06 rifle. Period.
There are exceptions to every rule, ie: .38-.357, some .223-5.56 rifles and the 7.62-.308, and I do understand that, but in this case, I would say stick with the manufacturers guidelines.
 
uuuuuuhhhhhhhhh

I read my instruction manuel you know the one that comes with your gun when you buy it?

It says never load>any other round that is not what you bought!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! if you bought a .22 would you wanna shoot 9mm out of it? NO! if you bought a 5.56 would you wanna shoot a .50BMG through it? NO!!!!!!

Just common sence and book sence :D
 
Actually a 270 Win is a necked down 30-03 case. The 270 winchester case is .046 longer than a 30-06 case.
Are you sure that it isn't simply a result of stretching out the '06 due to necking it down, the .30-03 was long out of service/widespread use when the .270Win. was designed. :scrutiny:
 
Are you sure that it isn't simply a result of stretching out the '06 due to necking it down, the .30-03 was long out of service/widespread use when the .270Win. was designed.
Yes, when you make 270 Win cases out of 30-06 they still come out short for the 270 Win by about .035 give or take .005. The 30-03 and the 270 Winchester have identical case lengths.
 
Guy's this is wrong but I've got a 7.92X57 case which was fired trough a Rem 700 30-06
0wner said it kicked worse than he ever remembered, He only fired a 20 round box as his shoulder was tender. I checked that rifle carefully and could find no problems from .323 dia. bullets fired in .308 dia 30-06 bore, it still fires 1.5" groups off hand at 100 yds.
The mistake happened because a salesman told him that 7.92X57 was the German 30-06. So he said give me a couple boxes and I'll try them.

I think everyone has seen the pictures of 03 Springfields blown up because someone fired a 8mm Mauser in the things.

To prove the point that single heat Springfields were not dangerous, a gun collector on Culver's fired 8 mm Mauser rounds in a couple of single heat treat receivers. The receivers were not blown up. He posted the pictures but took them all down after receiving a lot of criticism. Wish I could have seen them.

Sometimes people can do these things and not get hurt, but shooting a larger bullet down a smaller bore is dangerous, and if your gun does not blow up, you are just lucky.
 
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