Rifle explodes

[shooter32]

 
That look on his face says it all

[JohnJacobH]

A friend of mine received this from his friend.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
He loaded a .308 into a 25.06 by accident while hunting in Namibia....

He had already got one of his tags filled the day before..(last pic)

He loaded a .308 or .30-06 instead of a 25.06? Just curious.

Thanks.

[gunman1911]

I had something like that happen to me only with a NEW 1911 after 20 rounds the slide came apart just behind the ejection port and the rear half hit me in the mouth can you say OUCH, I learned two lessons that day, never buy cheap guns and buy AMERICAN!

[TAB]

He loaded a .308 or .30-06 instead of a 25.06? Just curious.

Thanks.

a 30-06 would not chamber in a 25-06 unles there was something really wrong with the chamber.

[MikeBjerum]

Just talked to the kids at firearm safety about this danger and only carrying the ammo for the gun in hand.  Thanks for the pictures, the will be used next Monday in class.

[Sponsor]

[Teresa Heilevang]

Here are the other 3 pictures if you need or want them.

[m25operator]

Mauser action, and WOW look at the case, blown out head and nearly straightwalled. Man was he lucky.

[JohnJacobH]

a 30-06 would not chamber in a 25-06 unles there was something really wrong with the chamber.

By measurement I can not make either a .308 or 30-06 fit in a 25-06 chamber.

The overall length on some match grade Black Hills 175 grain Boattail Hollowpoint .308 I have (chosen for it's presumed precision) is right at 2 13/16 inches. If the loading manual case size is correct a 25-06 case is just shy of 2 8/16 inches ( 2 31/64"). If even a small projectile (87 grains)is attached it would almost certainly consume  another 8/16 of chamber. Which means the .308 would be at least  4/16 inch too short for the firing pin to reach it.

It gets even worse if you assume shoulder or case mouth or ogive "pinch".

With a 30-06 the case is at least more or less the right size, but you still have to cram the projectile into the case when you close the bolt ( a red flag if ever there was one)

Seems to me a small miracle the gun fired at all, let alone exploded.

Just saying.

I will closely examine the next 25-06 I run across in my travels. Maybe some reloaders or gunsmiths can explain it to me.

[CZShooter]

By measurement I can not make either a .308 or 30-06 fit in a 25-06 chamber.

The overall length on some match grade Black Hills 175 grain Boattail Hollowpoint .308 I have (chosen for it's presumed precision) is right at 2 13/16 inches. If the loading manual case size is correct a 25-06 case is just shy of 2 8/16 inches ( 2 31/64"). If even a small projectile (87 grains)is attached it would almost certainly consume  another 8/16 of chamber. Which means the .308 would be at least  4/16 inch too short for the firing pin to reach it.

It gets even worse if you assume shoulder or case mouth or ogive "pinch".

With a 30-06 the case is at least more or less the right size, but you still have to cram the projectile into the case when you close the bolt ( a red flag if ever there was one)

Seems to me a small miracle the gun fired at all, let alone exploded.

Just saying.

I will closely examine the next 25-06 I run across in my travels. Maybe some reloaders or gunsmiths can explain it to me.

Here's my theory...the .308 is shorter, but the bullet is a larger diameter (.308 vs .257). I believe a .308 will chamber, but the bullet will not enter the barrel. Depending on bullet ogive...this will leave the head in the proper place to for the firing pin to reach it. This creates the worst case scenario as the bullet ain't going down the pipe and all that energy has no place to go except through the action.

[Hazcat]

Sounds and looks plausible.  I have a .308 but not a 25-06 (wish I did!).

Hope some one here has both and can attempt to chamber the .308.