The temperature dependence of the magnetic moment in La 0.7 Sr 0.3 MnO 3 and La 0.7 Ca 0.3 MnO 3 ferromagnetic manganites was studied by means of dc magnetic measurements and by NMR on 55 Mn nuclei. In addition, for temperatures close to T C , the ac susceptibility and the NMR spin-lattice relaxation were determined. From the results it follows that the phase transition changes from the conventional continuous second order for La 0.7 Sr 0.3 MnO 3 (T C ϭ364 K͒ to more abrupt but close to continuous for La 0.7 Ca 0.3 MnO 3 (T C ϭ265 K͒. The change of the character of the phase transition is explained on the basis of the mean field theory of double exchange taking into account the spontaneous magnetostriction. ͓S0163-1829͑99͒04833-X͔