Cartridge Numbers?

Ranger CS · #1 10-24-2013, 07:37 AM

I was asked a question today that I did not have a good answer for. What does the 06 mean when referring to 30-06 or the 8 when referring to the 308? Can someone help out?

ACKLEY ABE · #2 10-24-2013, 07:46 AM

"30 cal 1906" which was previously 30-03 (30 cal 1903) which is .308 bore diameter

308 Winchester .308 bore diameter

and then we have 32-20 ......32 cal 20 gr of black powder..... or 47-70..45 cal 70 gr of black powder...or 30-30 which was never intended to use black powder

and the 7 x 57 (as an example of Euro metric designations) 7 mm x 57 mm case length

or howza bout 38 spec 38 cal groove to groove..... 357 mag same diameter but measured land to land

confused yet?

Well so are most people so don't feel bad...

Pioneer2 · #3 10-24-2013, 07:50 AM

The 06 is the year of adoption by the USA 1906.The 30 is the caliber so they put the two together 30-06.There was an earlier round they tried 30-03 but settled on the former. The .308 is the bore size .It uses the same diameter bullets as the 30-06,30-30,30-40 Krag and 300 win mag.The 30-06 case length is 63mm and the .308 51mm.Harold

Grizzly Adams · #4 10-24-2013, 08:20 AM

Cartridge naming is an art, with little rhyme or reason. 7.62x 51, also known as .308 Win, has absolutely no physical similarity to the 7.62x 54. Heck, even the bullet diameters differ.

throw in marketing tool exaggeration and it becomes a jungle.

Grizz

Deer Hunter · #5 10-24-2013, 08:24 AM

How about the .38-40 Winchester?

billie · #6 10-24-2013, 08:34 AM

Or .303 Savage that uses a .308 bullet
And .303 Britsh that uses a .312 bullet

Au revoir, Gopher · #7 10-24-2013, 09:57 AM

And let's not forget the necked up/down cartridges that keep part of the number from the parent case. Like the 7mm-08 Remington, the .25-06 Remington or the .338 Federal. Oh, wait... forget about the .338 Federal

ARG

jethunter · #8 10-24-2013, 10:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Deer Hunter

How about the .38-40 Winchester?

.38 caliber bullet with a case that holds about 40 gr of black powder. Same with the 32-40, 25-20, 32-20, 25-35, 44-40, 30-30, 38-55, etc.

Pioneer2 · #9 10-24-2013, 11:21 AM

Was never factory loaded with BP.And the 45-70 wasn't loaded with 70 gr of BP for long as the carbines damned near kicked the rider off the horse.Guideline but not the Gospel.Harold

Deer Hunter · #10 10-24-2013, 11:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jethunter

.38 caliber bullet with a case that holds about 40 gr of black powder. Same with the 32-40, 25-20, 32-20, 25-35, 44-40, 30-30, 38-55, etc.

40 calibre bullet in a .38-40... believe it!
I lost 50 bucks to my dad on that one too

6.5swedeforelk · #11 10-25-2013, 08:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jethunter

.38 caliber bullet with a case that holds about 40 gr of black powder. Same with the 32-40, 25-20, 32-20, 25-35, 44-40, 30-30, 38-55, etc.

Jethunter, you'll be responsible for another rash of lost bets unless you remove the 32-20 cartridge from that "same with..." designation!