300 Norma Improved. Load testing, info, and builds

[matt_3479]

What's the difference between your design and Alex wheelers design?

 

[rpierce]

What's the difference between your design and Alex wheelers design?

2 degrees on the shoulder and slightly different body dimensions.

 

[Alex Wheeler]

What's the difference between your design and Alex wheelers design?

JGS will sell you the reamer, bullet central will sell you the die.

 

[rpierce]

Check out the .13" group @100 a customer sent me with his 300 norma improved and 215 bergers. This is from my shorter freebore setup.

 

[Deviant]

Check out the .13" group @100 a customer sent me with his 300 norma improved and 215 bergers. This is from my shorter freebore setup.
View attachment 351701

These targets are using the load data from you during fire forming with 215 Bergers. Barrel not broke in and no load development done and it still shot this well.

 

[rpierce]

These targets are using the load data from you during fire forming with 215 Bergers. Barrel not broke in and no load development done and it still shot this well.

Thats some great shooting. Glad to see shes hammering for you right off the bat. This cartridge is really easy to tune. I can get about any suitable powder to shoot extremely tiny groups with any of the 215+ gr bergers.

 

[rpierce]

Here's a bull that a customer dumped at 988 yds last season with his 300 Norma improved I built him. Great shooting and congrats on filling the freezer.

 

[rpierce]

Check out these groups that Lance Kenyon shot while doing load development with 199 gr Hammer Hunters and N570 on a 300 norma improved I built. Proof carbon barrel. These were all different powder charges. The first group/position 6 on the target is the 199 hammer hunter at 3250 fps and was the top end node he settled with. Rifle gets shot in 100+ degree weather frequently and you don't want to have hot loads in those conditions.

 

[rpierce]

Well I got to shoot my 300 Norma Improved this weekend at 1000. First 3 shot group was on the bottom of the target and had 1.9"/.114 moa of vertical. I came up too much for the second 3 shot group that had .431"/.041 moa vertical. Last shot was to hit waterline on the target and true up Kestral. I think shes ready to roll.
This was shot with a Tangent 3-15x Marksman off a bipod and a rear sand bag with a decent amount of mirage. This rifle is flat out hammering. Last time I shot it at 580 yds it had well under an inch of vertical for several groups in a row. Time to put it away til hunting season.

Borden Bigfoot
Manners EH1 w elite cheek piece
Proof Research Carbon 1.250 shank
TBAC Dominus SR suppressor
Tangent Theta 3-15M bedded into NF 6 screw ultra light rings
Triggertech Diamond
Hawkins M5 CIP+ bottom metal
Accurate mag
Cadex Falcon Lite bipod

Load Info:
Lapua Brass neck turned to .01325
90 Gr of N568
230 Berger OTM
Mild load at 2990 fps. Only getting .001-.002 throat erosion every 100 rounds.
ES is single digits for 10 shots.

 

[matt_3479]

Well I got to shoot my 300 Norma Improved this weekend at 1000. First 3 shot group was on the bottom of the target and had 1.9"/.114 moa of vertical. I came up too much for the second 3 shot group that had .431"/.041 moa vertical. Last shot was to hit waterline on the target and true up Kestral. I think shes ready to roll.
This was shot with a Tangent 3-15x Marksman off a bipod and a rear sand bag with a decent amount of mirage. This rifle is flat out hammering. Last time I shot it at 580 yds it had well under an inch of vertical for several groups in a row. Time to put it away til hunting season.

Borden Bigfoot
Manners EH1 w elite cheek piece
Proof Research Carbon 1.250 shank
TBAC Dominus SR suppressor
Tangent Theta 3-15M bedded into NF 6 screw ultra light rings
Triggertech Diamond
Hawkins M5 CIP+ bottom metal
Accurate mag
Cadex Falcon Lite bipod

Load Info:
Lapua Brass neck turned to .01325
90 Gr of N568
230 Berger OTM
Mild load at 2990 fps. Only getting .001-.002 throat erosion every 100 rounds.
ES is single digits for 10 shots.
View attachment 356231View attachment 356232View attachment 356233View attachment 356234

If you don't get something this hunting season i don't think you'll have any excuse! Hoping for my Norma to be back this week or next week. Next tube will be the Norma improved

 

[7.62 Gunner]

I'm wondering why go through the trouble of fireforming to a 33, or 35 degree shoulder instead of 40?
We all know 40 is where brass growth really slows so what gives?

 

[codyadams]

I'm wondering why go through the trouble of fireforming to a 33, or 35 degree shoulder instead of 40?
We all know 40 is where brass growth really slows so what gives?

I think he answered that earlier, or maybe in another thread. That gave him the best compromise of capacity, extraction and consistency I believe? He tested a bunch of different shoulder angles.

 

[Mike D Texas]

I'm wondering why go through the trouble of fireforming to a 33, or 35 degree shoulder instead of 40?
We all know 40 is where brass growth really slows so what gives?

I was going to go 40° but sometimes they can cause feeding issues. I have several cartridges that have a 40° shoulder and they definitely hang up from time to time when feeding. Also in the case of the 300NMI for me at least, that availability of readily available dies without having to wait 4-6 months in addition to the cost of custom dies.

added on edit: with the 300 Norma remember that you are going from a 20° shoulder to a 33-35°. That's a pretty significant change. Brass stretch should significantly reduce.

 

[rpierce]

I get almost zero case growth in this setup. I have a piece of brass with over 30 firings on it and the primer pocket is still tight. The first 5 firings it grew .006. From firings 6-30+ it only grew like .005. Feeds like a dream.