Guys where would be a safe place to start with N570 and 225 elds with the 300nm improved?
Ouch! I’m learning a lot reading this thread. I have a Savage 338 LM that doesn’t shoot well, and I was considering buying a 300 NM pre-fit barrel for it. Only 6-1/2 more pages to read, looking forward to learning if anyone has tried this. The 300 NMI does sound interesting.Savage is not worthy of the 300 NM![]()
Looks great. Only 10 lbs with optics, sounds painful no matter what brake, hopefully it’s mainly for hunting.Check out this lightweight 300 Norma improved I just finished for a customer in Iowa. It has Manners new lightweight adjustable cheek piece. Only adds 1.8 oz. Saves 18 oz over standard cheek piece. Rifle with optics weighs 10.0 lbs.
The rifle has a:
Lone Peak titanium Fuzion w timed ignition
Manners eh1 w new cheek piece
Proof Research barrel
Self timing 5 port “Muscle” brake w 3/4x24 threads,
Huber trigger,
Apa bottom metal w 3 round 3.850 accurate mag
Nightforce nxs bedded into a set of Nf rings.
Ouch! I’m learning a lot reading this thread. I have a Savage 338 LM that doesn’t shoot well, and I was considering buying a 300 NM pre-fit barrel for it. Only 6-1/2 more pages to read, looking forward to learning if anyone has tried this. The 300 NMI does sound interesting.
Great thread to find when interested in getting started with a 300 NM. Lots of comments questions for @rpierce , @Ledd Slinger , @Alex Wheeler , or anybody else.
What is the shoulder angle on 300 NM? Visually looks like around 20-22 deg, but I haven’t seen a drawing. I just thought it was interesting that the shoulder angles for the 300 NMI are in the low- to mid-thirties when a lot of the smaller diameter improved cartridges seem to have a little higher angles.
With people trying several different new shoulder angles, how to choose? I saw PT&G sells a reamer “30 Norma 33 Imp”, which sounds like almost the same thing as some of the others mentioned in this thread.
@Ledd Slinger, can you explain a little more what you meant about how you made your custom seater die? I’m a little too new to understand what you meant.
@Anybody, how much extra does it generally cost to get someone to make you a FL sizing die? Do you do that by sending them a drawing or some fireformed brass or maybe both?
Dang this thread was so fun to read I’m missing some good rivalry football games. I won’t mention any specific teams though, since were not supposed to talk politics.
Thanks again for the great info, and belated Happy Thanksgiving.
Thanks Ron, I get it now about the die, sounds like a great idea.The Standard 300 Norma Magnum has a 20.5 degree (20 degree's 30 minutes) shoulder angle. - There are a bunch of "improved" designs out that have 35 & 40 degree shoulders. - The version that I have has a 40 degree shoulder and the body taper is also reduced. - I wouldn't say that one version is any better than another (35 degree versus a 40 degree). - A "custom" seater die can be made by having your gunsmith chamber a Wilson Straight-Line Bullet Seater Blank with your chambering reamer and you can add a VLD bullet seater stem to it if you want. - It will produce very straight loaded rounds. Or you could have a custom die maker build you a seater die (i.e. Whidden Gunworks) - When I have a rifle barrel chambered, I provide a Wilson die blank (cost is approx. $45.00) and have it chambered when the gunsmith is doing my barrel(s). - They usually charge from 80-120 dollars to do one. A Full-length Sizer die for an improved can be had by sending 3 or 4 pieces of fired (2 to 4 times) brass to Whiddens Gunworks along with a copy of your chamber print. - They (Whiddens Gunworks) do an excellent job (IMO) of making custom die sets for reloading wildcat & custom chamber spec'd rifles.
- Ron -
Great thread to find when interested in getting started with a 300 NM. Lots of comments questions for @rpierce , @Ledd Slinger , @Alex Wheeler , or anybody else.
What is the shoulder angle on 300 NM? Visually looks like around 20-22 deg, but I haven’t seen a drawing. I just thought it was interesting that the shoulder angles for the 300 NMI are in the low- to mid-thirties when a lot of the smaller diameter improved cartridges seem to have a little higher angles.
With people trying several different new shoulder angles, how to choose? I saw PT&G sells a reamer “30 Norma 33 Imp”, which sounds like almost the same thing as some of the others mentioned in this thread.
@Ledd Slinger, can you explain a little more what you meant about how you made your custom seater die? I’m a little too new to understand what you meant.
@Anybody, how much extra does it generally cost to get someone to make you a FL sizing die? Do you do that by sending them a drawing or some fireformed brass or maybe both?
Dang this thread was so fun to read I’m missing some good rivalry football games. I won’t mention any specific teams though, since were not supposed to talk politics.
Thanks again for the great info, and belated Happy Thanksgiving.
Great thread to find when interested in getting started with a 300 NM. Lots of comments questions for @rpierce , @Ledd Slinger , @Alex Wheeler , or anybody else.
What is the shoulder angle on 300 NM? Visually looks like around 20-22 deg, but I haven’t seen a drawing. I just thought it was interesting that the shoulder angles for the 300 NMI are in the low- to mid-thirties when a lot of the smaller diameter improved cartridges seem to have a little higher angles.
With people trying several different new shoulder angles, how to choose? I saw PT&G sells a reamer “30 Norma 33 Imp”, which sounds like almost the same thing as some of the others mentioned in this thread.
@Ledd Slinger, can you explain a little more what you meant about how you made your custom seater die? I’m a little too new to understand what you meant.
@Anybody, how much extra does it generally cost to get someone to make you a FL sizing die? Do you do that by sending them a drawing or some fireformed brass or maybe both?
Dang this thread was so fun to read I’m missing some good rivalry football games. I won’t mention any specific teams though, since were not supposed to talk politics.
Thanks again for the great info, and belated Happy Thanksgiving.
I’m actually surprised you replied so soon. I knew you would be extra busy this time of year. Now I’m going to have the opportunity to learn about arbor presses. There’s always going to be more interesting stuff to learn about the shooting sports.Sorry for not being present on the site much lately. Hunting season in Montana and have been working on getting animals cut up before I leave for work.
Ron pretty much answered the die question.
You just buy a 30 cal Wilson micrometer inline seater blank and have your gunsmith cut and chamber the die when he does your barrel. Of course you would want an arbor press for an inline die. I use the 21st Century Gen 2 Arbor and it's great. However, an arbor press is not actually "needed" for inline dies. A rubber mallet works fine as long as you use lighter neck tension and keep your strikes straight and true.
For threaded dies, Whidden makes many seater and sizer versions of the 300 NMI. My FL sizer die was custom built by Whidden straight from my custom JGS reamer print. Never sent him any fired cases. The die John made from my print reduces body diameter of my fired cases by only .0015" so its PERFECT! I like using a Whidden FL bushing sizer die along with his custom graduated expander ball set. The expander balls allow you to control neck tension in conjunction with neck bushings to work the brass as minimally as possible and keep perfectly round IDs on the necks.
Also pick up a KM adjustable VLD chamfer tool. Works really good for consistently concentric cuts that give smooth scratch-free seating of bullets
As for the Savage not being worthy...that was obviously a joke. Hence the "" face I posted with the comment. I knew Ron wouldnt understand it because he is thin skinned and owns a Savage 338 Lap, but I figured everyone else would catch on that it was nothing more than a jest
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Its not bad at all. My 5 port kills the recoil and enables me to watch the vapor trail. Spotting hits is a breeze. Heres a video of a customer fireforming his brass w a 10 lb rifle w optics. 230 berger at 2900 fps. My wife has shot it with no issues. Heres the video,Looks great. Only 10 lbs with optics, sounds painful no matter what brake, hopefully it’s mainly for hunting.
I knew Ron wouldnt understand it because he is thin skinned and owns a Savage 338 Lap, but I figured everyone else would catch on that it was nothing more than a jest![]()