What's the difference between .308 Win. and 7.62 NATO?

They are both the same round. The NATO standard hard ball loads a 147 grain projectile to about 2800 fps. The NATO match 180-grain bullet loads to about 2650 fps. NATO loads an AP round, but it is not readily available to civillian sales.

Hunting loads in .308 Winchester/7.62 NATO are available in bullet many bullet weights and styles, with 170-grain soft points being particularly effective on deer.

Just to spare any confusion, .308 Winchester, 7.62 NATO, and 7.62X51 are all the same thing. Rounds such as 7.62x39 or 7.62x54R are different and not interchangeable.
 
For all intent and purposes there is no difference. All of the hundreds of sniper rifles I have built for the military were chambered with reamers marked 762 NATO-308Win. And were head spaces with 308 Win go no go gauges. They all passed DECASMA inspections. You will find gas operated guns like the M14 are chambered with more head space than bolt guns thus the reason for different specs the reason for this is to give less resistance to bolt closure.
 
True M14's may be chambered this way but not springfield rifles with national or super barrels, have seen three recently with headspaces of 1.632, 1.632, AND 1.6315 this last one is almost min 308 SAAMI, and the minimum 7.62 NATO exceeds max of 308, have heard of no problem shooting either from a number of people, but have read in M14 SHOP MANUAL (Jerry Khunhausen) that there is a difference and for liability reasons to stamp barrel EITHER 308 win or 7.62NATO (This liability issue is for gunsmiths building gas guns.) I have posted this topic before because of my concern of using significant amount of LC brass I own, compliments of the Corps.

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The beauty of the second Amendment is that it is not needed until they try to take it. T JEFFERSON
 
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