August 29, 2022. If you don’t match the ammo to your chamber, it’s possible for bad things to happen. BigBlack, a Forum member, had an experience at a gun range that reminded him of the importance safety shooting. BigBlack witnessed evidence that someone had accidentally fired the wrong cartridge with a 7mm WSM rifle. This problem is more common than people think. This Editor has seen novices shoot 9mm ammunition in 40 S&W pistols. BigBlack’s story is similar, but the results were far more dramatic. It’s too bad that a skilled shooter wasn’t nearby to “intervene,” before the fellow chambered the wrong ammunition.7mm-08 is not the same as a 7mm WSM
BigBlack writes: “I am sure this has been repeated a thousand times, but I feel that we must never forget safety. A ruptured case was discovered on the ground at the range this weekend. I thought it was a hot load at first, but the neck area begged me to look closer. I brought the exploded case home and searched through my other cases until I found a match. My investigation revealed that a 7mm-08 was shot in a 7mm WSM. Have a look. The above photo shows a 7mm WSM (top), a ruptured (7mm-08) and a 7mm WSM (middle). “The photo shows what happened to the 7mm08 case. The shoulder moved forward to match 7mm WSM profile. The 7mm WSM chamber had a larger sidewall, so the case sidewalls expanded outward until they were unable to contain the charge. This type of blow-out can be dangerous because the expanding gases may not be contained within the action. You might be wrong.
This mistake of chambering the wrong cartridge can happen to anyone who is distracted, places one wrong round in an ammunition box, or has two types of ammunition on the bench. Unknowingly, a Forum member was trying out two rifles and accidentally picked up the wrong cartridge. He fired a.30-6 round in a chamber of.300 Win Mag, and the case burst. Here’s his story: “I took my two hunting rifles that I haven’t used in over 25 years to yesterday’s range to get new scopes paper, a.30-06 &.300 Win Mag. I had four boxes old Winchester factory ammunition (two each cartridge) that were almost identical in appearance. Inadvertently, I chambered a Sako.300 Win Mag round. It sprayed powder all over my face and cracked my pistol grip. I could have gone blind if I hadn’t worn safety glasses.
Protective eyewear should be worn at all times when you are shooting. “I feel fortunate and am thankful that everything is going well, other than the fact that my face looks weird right now. I am grateful that I learned a valuable lesson. I will never again put two different cartridges on the table at the same time. READ MORE about this incident in our Shooters Forum. Similar Posts:Tags 7mm08 ammo, cartridge confusion. Eye Protection. Safety, WSM.
