Lindcott Armory Rifle · NATO
7.62x51mm NATO
7.62x51mm NATO is the standard rifle cartridge of NATO member nations, introduced in 1954 as a replacement for the .30-06 Springfield.
- Caliber
- 0.3079″ · 7.82 mm
- Introduced
- 1954
- Case
- Rimless
- Parent
- .300 Savage
- Primary use
- military, target, hunting
- Status
- Active
- Introduced
- 1954
- Type
- Rifle
- Origin
- United States
- Inventor
- Frankford Arsenal / Springfield Armory
- Manufacturer
- FN Herstal
- Standard
- NATO
- Status
- Active
- Availability
- Common
- Twist (typical)
- 1:10
- Primer
- Large Rifle
- Case type
- Rimless
- Max pressure
- 60,191 psi
- Eff. range
- 800 yd
Ballistics
- By real loads
- 2,600–2,820 fps · 43 loads
- Parent case
- .300 Savage
Representative trajectory — modeled from a single velocity input (no published BC for this cartridge yet).
Performance
Buy links open 7.62x51mm NATO ammunition at Rivertown Munitions.
Dimensionscase measurements · scale drawing · size vs familiar rounds
Case dimensions — the scale drawing at the top of the page is built from these.
SAAMI · verified| Measure | mm | in | ✓ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bullet ⌀ | 7.82 | 0.308 | ✓ |
| Neck ⌀ | 8.72 | 0.343 | ✓ |
| Shoulder ⌀ | 11.53 | 0.454 | ✓ |
| Shoulder angle | 20° | — | ✓ |
| Base ⌀ | 11.96 | 0.471 | ✓ |
| Rim ⌀ | 12.01 | 0.473 | ✓ |
| Belt ⌀ | n/a | ||
| Rim thickness | 1.37 | 0.054 | ✓ |
| Neck length | 7.70 | 0.303 | ≈ |
| Case length | 51.18 | 2.015 | ✓ |
| Overall length | 71.12 | 2.800 | ✓ |
Size vs familiar rounds
Drawn at true 1:1 — every case is accurate relative to the others. Absolute size depends on your screen's pixel density, so measuring one against a real ruler may be off. 7.62x51mm NATO is highlighted below.
Factory loads
In production — 43 active loads across 18 brands. Top 15 shown · see all 43 →.
| Brand | Load | Grain | Bullet | FPS | ft·lb | BC |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Black Hills | Gold | 155 | Nosler CC | 2,850 | 2,795 | — |
| Fiocchi | Rifle | 150 | PSP | 2,820 | 2,648 | — |
| Federal | Fusion | 150 | Fusion SP | 2,820 | 2,648 | — |
| Remington | Core-Lokt | 150 | Core-Lokt PSP | 2,820 | 2,648 | — |
| Federal | Power-Shok | 150 | JSP | 2,820 | 2,648 | — |
| Norma | TipStrike | 150 | TipStrike | 2,820 | 2,648 | — |
| Hornady | Interlock | 150 | SP | 2,820 | 2,648 | — |
| Winchester | Power Point | 150 | Power Point | 2,820 | 2,648 | — |
| Nammo | M80 Ball | 147 | FMJ | 2,800 | 2,559 | — |
| Winchester | USA Ready | 147 | FMJ | 2,780 | 2,522 | — |
| MEN | FMJ | 147 | FMJ | 2,780 | 2,522 | — |
| Remington | UMC | 147 | FMJ | 2,750 | 2,468 | — |
| True Velocity | Composite Case | 147 | FMJ M80 | 2,750 | 2,468 | — |
| IMI Systems | FMJ M80 | 147 | FMJ | 2,750 | 2,468 | — |
| Poongsan | FMJ M80 | 147 | FMJ | 2,750 | 2,468 | — |
Velocities are manufacturer-stated (test-barrel). Discontinued loads dimmed.
Suitable powders
5 reloading powders listed for 7.62x51mm NATO, fastest to slowest. Cross-reference in the finder →
Reloading costestimate cost per round vs factory
Estimate your cost per round and how it compares to factory. Inputs are yours — nothing is stored.
Cost estimate only — not load data. Charge weight is your input; follow published manuals for safe charges.
Firearms chambered in 7.62x51mm NATO
12 models in the database chamber 7.62x51mm NATO. Browse all →
Lineage
Connected reference
History
Developed in the early 1950s to standardize a common rifle cartridge across NATO allies. Adopted by the United States as the T65 before formal NATO standardization. Chambered in the M14, FN FAL, G3, and numerous other service rifles. Still in front-line use in the M240 machine gun and M110 sniper system.
FAQs
- What twist rate does 7.62x51mm NATO use?
- 7.62x51mm NATO typically uses a 1:10 twist rate.
- What bullet diameter is 7.62x51mm NATO?
- 7.62x51mm NATO uses a 0.3079″ (7.82 mm) diameter bullet.
- Is 7.62x51mm NATO still in production?
- 7.62x51mm NATO is active; typical availability is common.
- What is 7.62x51mm NATO used for?
- 7.62x51mm NATO is primarily used for military, target, hunting.
- What is 7.62x51mm NATO based on?
- 7.62x51mm NATO is derived from the .300 Savage case.
- What are the best powders for 7.62x51mm NATO?
- Reloading powders commonly listed for 7.62x51mm NATO include Ramshot TAC, BL-C(2), 4064, N540, among 5 suitable options.
Sources & provenance
Data & sources. Specs compiled from the Lindcott Armory reference; availability counted from 43 live factory loads; the trajectory is modeled (point-mass), not measured. See methodology. Spotted an error? Report it →