A few years ago i purchased a adapter you put in your 06 so you can shoot 7.62.39 I tried it in a browing A-bolt directions said to loc-tite in and I tried but the bolt closed really hard with some cheap china ammo i had. none the less I never fired it. well my some is getting at that age and I figured this might be a great round for him to shoot due to the low recoil and with this setup its a single shot which i like the idea of for a first timer. Is that 7.62x39 china ammo a bit larger than american hunting ammo. Anyone got a clue.
Anyone ever used these metal cartrige adapters? with what result?
thanks

 

The bullets in most Chinese 7.62x39 ammo measures .311". The bullets in the 30-06 are sized .308" The difference is only 3 thousands of an inch, but it enough to cause high pressures in some rifles. Personally, I wouldn't risk damage to an A-Bolt by using the adapter. If you're looking for something with low recoil for a young shooter, you might look at the NEF single shot rifles. You can get them with shorter youth stocks, and a .243 would be a good round to start off with.

Nashcat

 

It's a larger diameter, which means more pressure, and...the bullets could be steel jacketed, rather than copper, which probably increases the pressure, and probably isn't good for the bore, and... who knows if the cheap ammo is corrosive or not, and...if the device doesn't get the headspacing just right, and the shoulder of the case can't move, the pressure will go way, way, way up, and...if the device is steel, and slides into the chamber, then all of the recoil force will be directed against the bolt face, where with a proper cartridge, the case expands into the walls of the chamber, and only part of the recoil force is directed against the bolt face.

I'm sure I missed a few. I suppose it could be safe, but it doesn't seem like it to me.

If he doesn't have one, I'd get him a .22, maybe a nice 10/22 with a scope. Inexpensive to shoot, and great to learn with because of the low recoil. Let him shoot the '06 once in a while, as nothing special, and I'll bet he comes back to the .22.

 

Plus, you could always use sabot loads in the 06....very light recoil. If you handload there are a lot of reduced loads available....Bob Forker (G & A) has written several articles on reduced loads using dacron as a case filler to keep the powder near the primer. I agree that the chinese ammo is probably steel-jacketed as is most military surplus ammo in this caliber. And, I'd bet the adapter is not made of the same grade of steel the barrel is made of....barrels/bolts/etc are the only thing separating you from a face full of gas and/or shards of brass/steel/whatever. nashcat has the best idea....the NEF .243 youth is the way to go, plus you get a certificate for an adult stock as he grows into it. Be safe and put the adapter away in your goodie box...forever!

 

I talked with a gunsmith and he recommeded not trying the insert due to the variation in each manufactures chamber tolerance he's not sure how a device could be sold! well cabela's did for a while anyway.

solution was to buy a used .308 savage bolt action which I reload for and can lighten it for my sons first deer rifle.
thanks for imput,

 

mtisfullofit,

Since you reload, go to the Hodgdon website. They have a .308 "Youth Load" listed.

I have used it with success.

Good Luck!
Shoot Safe!
Shoot Often!