November 30, 2021. If you don’t match your ammunition to your chamber, bad stuff can happen. Forum member BigBlack experienced a shooting accident at the gun range a while back. 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 was too bad that a skilled shooter wasn’t nearby to “intervene”, before the fellow chambered the incorrect ammo. 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. To match the profile of 7mm WSM, the shoulder moved forward. The 7mm WSM chamber had a larger sidewall area, so the case’s sidewalls expanded. They were unable to contain the charge and the case sides burst. This type of blow-out can be dangerous because the expanding gases may not be contained completely within the action. It’s not possible for you to get hurt. You might be surprised.
This mistake of chambering the wrong cartridge can happen to anyone who is distracted, places even 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), and they were almost identical in appearance. Inadvertently, I chambered a Sako.300 Win Mag round. It sprayed powder all over my face and cracked the pistol grip stock. 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 same bench. READ MORE about this incident in our Shooters Forum. Similar Posts: Tags: 7mm08, ammo, cartridge confusion, Eye Protection, Reloading, safety, WSM
