New Lightweight 300 Norma Improved Ready for the Range

[rhovee]

Curious where you end up. Alex has built me a 300 NMI as well. So same reamer. You have Lapua brass?

 

[Ledd Slinger]

Curious where you end up. Alex has built me a 300 NMI as well. So same reamer. You have Lapua brass?

This one was built with my own personal reamer so its a little different. It has a .339" neck and has reduced body taper from .200" line to the shoulder junction. Body taper between those two points on the brass is .0179". The 35 degree shoulder sits a little further forward as well. All that combined gives a 110.2gr H2O capacity on my case (H2O tested with Peterson brass).

I do have 200 pieces of new Lapua brass that I will be using with the new hunting rifle. I have about 40 pieces hydro formed and ready to go. Will fully fireform the hydro formed brass during barrel break in then start testing loads at 500 yards.

Might be a month or so before I get around to producing some good data because I leave for work overseas 2 days after getting back from the Alaska fishing trip. Hoping to get the barrel broke in before leaving for work tho.

 

[Bc'z]

This one was built with my own personal reamer so its a little different. It has a .339" neck and has reduced body taper from .200" line to the shoulder junction. Body taper between those two points on the brass is .0179". The 35 degree shoulder sits a little further forward as well. All that combined gives a 110.2gr H2O capacity on my case (H2O tested with Peterson brass).

I do have 200 pieces of new Lapua brass that I will be using with the new hunting rifle. I have about 40 pieces hydro formed and ready to go. Will fully fireform the hydro formed brass during barrel break in then start testing loads at 500 yards.

Might be a month or so before I get around to producing some good data because I leave for work overseas 2 days after getting back from the Alaska fishing trip. Hoping to get the barrel broke in before leaving for work tho.

Good luck fishing!
May you be blessed with tight lines and blisters on your thumbs from the hot one's!

 

[Capt. Oblivious]

Very very nice looking 300 NMI you build there

 

[Ledd Slinger]

Been doing some load testing and a little tuning at 500 yards. Ran out of time to really dial it in so it is what it is for this hunting season. Well below 1/2 MOA at 500 yards, but didnt quite get to the 1/4 MOA accuracy I was wanting.
Could have been me tho. All groups fired from a bipod and rear bag so I might have been shaking a little too much to find that sneaky 1/4 MOA group. Got close tho and the N570 load I will be using has no vertical to speak of

All target groups at 500 yards. Squares on targets are 1" x 1"











Heres some other loads with IMR 7977. I should be able to speed them up and tune out the vertical, but I ran out of time before I had to leave for work. It seems to shoot a lot of powders pretty well. Definitely adequate for hunting.

 

[moondog]

I got one of the "Knock off" LRA Bipods and have been trying for a year to break it!
It's on a 338LM Imp. I've since bought 3 more. Tip: take the cant pads off and polish them with lapping compound. Spray with DRY lube. Huge difference.

 

[Ledd Slinger]

I got one of the "Knock off" LRA Bipods and have been trying for a year to break it!
It's on a 338LM Imp. I've since bought 3 more. Tip: take the cant pads off and polish them with lapping compound. Spray with DRY lube. Huge difference.

That was one of the first things I did cuz it was hanging up a bit. Except i used 220 grit then 400 grit sand paper.

 

[Alex Wheeler]

The 300 Norma Improved is no joke. Heres one of the better 3 shot groups out of mine at 1008yds. But you have have to mess up to make it go over 5". I am running the 230 in mine and next to the 215 its has a much better advantage in the wind than what I would have thought based on the numbers. Great case design and Lapua brass, I love it

 

[Ledd Slinger]

I have a bunch of 230gr Bergers. I might try them with the N570 powder after this hunting season. Seems N570 is a little bit slow for the 215 because I maxed out on speed at 3140 fps. No pressure signs, it just wont go any faster. 92gr and 92.5gr yielded the same speed and I'm starting to compress the load so not really any more room in the case.

The reason I kept working with N570 is because it was extremely resistant to large temperature swings in the 300 NMI.
- I first fired 92gr charge of N570 in 60 degrees F during initial testing/fireforming of hydroformed cases at 100 yards and speed average was 3140 fps.
- I fired 92gr again at 500 yards in 40 deg F and speed avg was 3140 fps.
- Tuned seating depth and fired a 3rd time at 500 yards in 25 deg F and that produced the 1.612" group in the photo above. Speed was STILL the exact same 3140 fps avg.

N570 has also produced the least amount of vertical as well. So far I'm really liking this powder. Although I'm not too crazy about the $38 per pound price tag, especially when burning up 92gr a pop!

I have a ton of room in the case left using IMR 7977 with the 215 running close to 3000 fps. So know I could get some blazing speeds with that powder. I will be doing some testing with it as well later this year or next spring.

 

[Earnhardt]

The 300 Norma Improved is no joke. Heres one of the better 3 shot groups out of mine at 1008yds. But you have have to mess up to make it go over 5". I am running the 230 in mine and next to the 215 its has a much better advantage in the wind than what I would have thought based on the numbers. Great case design and Lapua brass, I love it

Ok now... that target is just wrong...OMG!

 

[msalm]

So I'm planning on a second barrel for my 338 Lapua AI, and I have a 30-338 Lapua AI (37deg Rogue) reamer and dies...think that's too much of a good thing? 31" barrel I was thinking 215's and hoping for something over 3100 to MAYBE 3200? R33 or H50BMG were the powders I was planning on using.

 

[Ledd Slinger]

So I'm planning on a second barrel for my 338 Lapua AI, and I have a 30-338 Lapua AI (37deg Rogue) reamer and dies...think that's too much of a good thing? 31" barrel I was thinking 215's and hoping for something over 3100 to MAYBE 3200? R33 or H50BMG were the powders I was planning on using.

You could easily get well over 3200 fps, but you might have to use a little faster powder with the 215.

I sold my 300 NMI ELR rifle. It had a 31" barrel with 1 in 8" twist. With the little bit of testing I did before realizing I'd never have time for competition, I had the 230gr Berger going up over 3200 fps. Tho accuracy seemed better with the 230 around 3100 fps. So no doubt a 30-338 Lap AI would be able to duplicate those speeds and most likely even exceed them.

 

[Alex Wheeler]

So I'm planning on a second barrel for my 338 Lapua AI, and I have a 30-338 Lapua AI (37deg Rogue) reamer and dies...think that's too much of a good thing? 31" barrel I was thinking 215's and hoping for something over 3100 to MAYBE 3200? R33 or H50BMG were the powders I was planning on using.

Thats too much case for your goals IMO. If your after 3100 fps with a 215 in a 31" barrel a 300 Norma will do that, even without improving it.

 

[msalm]

Thats too much case for your goals IMO. If your after 3100 fps with a 215 in a 31" barrel a 300 Norma will do that, even without improving it.

Well I’ll take more velocity if it can do it... I’ll be hampered by bullet choices due to the 1-10tw but I want to try a Lothar Walther hammer forged blank I have...

 

[WAMBO]

I shoot a 30/338 LM Improved with a 35* shoulder pushed back .060" for a longer neck, out of a 31" Lilja 1-11" twist barrel it moves the 210 VLD's out at 3250 fps using 93grs of Retumbo, your 30/338 LM Rogue Imp with a 1-10" twist should be shooting the 215's at 3300 or so as they have a shorter bearing surface than the 210's.

 

[msalm]

I shoot a 30/338 LM Improved with a 35* shoulder pushed back .060" for a longer neck, out of a 31" Lilja 1-11" twist barrel it moves the 210 VLD's out at 3250 fps using 93grs of Retumbo, your 30/338 LM Rogue Imp with a 1-10" twist should be shooting the 215's at 3300 or so as they have a shorter bearing surface than the 210's.

Well I think that'll do just fine then

 

[Ledd Slinger]

Going out to test some of the new 220gr Berger bullets tomorrow morning. Same rifle and scope setup, but the rifle now wears an Atlas CAL bipod with some custom spike feet I spun up on my milling machine.

Took a decent size mature mule deer buck and whitetail doe with the rifle last year using the 215gr Berger. Buck was 250 yards, doe was 200 yards. Both one and done. Excellent terminal performance from Berger as usual

 

[Ledd Slinger]

Pic of Atlas bipod and the feet I made for it on my mill.

 

[nakneker]

Just read the thread, judging by your bedding job and the bipod feet you made, your a talented man. Good thread. Me and my cousin sent Alex deposits for two 300NMI rifles, waiting on a few components and then he can do what he does, we’re excited! He built me a 25x47L that has become a family favorite with 110 BIBs, never knew a Remington action could feel as good as that one does. Been reading too much good about the 300NMI between Alex’s thread and now this. Good job!

 

[Ledd Slinger]

Thanks nakneker.
Yeah @Alex Wheeler is definitely a perfectionist and master of his trade. The work he did on my chamber and muzzle brake install is impeccable.

I have all of my rounds loaded for tomorrow. Will be testing the 220gr Berger with RL26, IMR7977, VV N570, and IMR8133. All loads will be tested at 500 yards. Will let you know how it goes