300 Norma Improved

[rpierce]

Thank you Cole.

 

[snakepit]

a 3 shot .056” group at 100.
View attachment 1099345

Ryan, nice group. It looks similar to my load testing 100 yd, 5 shot .059" group from the 6.5 x 47L you built for me and using the load you recommended. Thanks for building me such a great rifle.

 

[rpierce]

Thank you Ron. Im glad your liking your 47L. Its a awesome round. I just got my new one broke in and will be doing load development soon with the 130 ar hybrids. So far they have shown insane accuracy. That was with a throw together load to get all the brass formed and barrel velocity to stabilize.

 

[Ledd Slinger]

Got the new Trijicon 4.5-30x56 mounted up on the 300 NMI. NightForce Xtreme Duty one piece mount, rings bedded to scope with JB Weld. Also hung steel targets up from 300-800 yards with another larger 1000 yard 20" gong on the way. Now if it will just stop raining....

 

[Yote Hunter]

View attachment 1099686 View attachment 1099811 Ryan, nice group. It looks similar to my load testing 100 yd, 5 shot .059" group from the 6.5 x 47L you built for me and using the load you recommended. Thanks for building me such a great rifle.

Nice group. What load were you using?

 

[snakepit]

Nice group. What load were you using?

The load was 40.5 GR H4350, Berger 140 GR Hybrid, jump .030" and CCI 450 primer. This load was recommended by Ryan Pierce who built the rifle for me. He has done a couple of rifles for me and his recommendations for their initial load development have always been right on requiring little if any changes.

 

[glider]

Check out this sexy tack driving 300 Norma improved that's shipping out to a customer. It has a Kelbly Atlas action, Cadex chassis, Brux heavy Palma barrel, slabbed 5 port “Muscle “ brake, Bixn Andy Tacsport Pro trigger, and a Kahles k624i bedded into some Nightforce rings. Target shows the first 6 shots through the rifle. This is fireforming brass w factory ABM 230 gr ammo. First 3 shots went into .326” @100. Made a scope correction, ended up turning the windage the wrong way, and pounded a 3 shot .056” group at 100.
View attachment 1099343 View attachment 1099344 View attachment 1099345 View attachment 1099346

Right out of the box this is as bad ass as it gets.
First time behind 300 Norma first time with this rifle have a look .
ABM 215 ammo
100 yrd test run,will put some distance out to 1400yrds tom.
Thanks so much Ryan
Also thx to Ledd Slinger ,back in the fall he spent a lot of time with me in regards to 300 norma imp.
Almost went with his reamer. Ryan is so confident with his chamber and how easy it is to shoot. I decided to get on board.

 

[Ledd Slinger]

Looks good glider

I just shot my 300 NMI past 100 yards for the first time the other day. Wind was gusting hard and switching directions, but I did the best I could with the situation.

Gonna shoot this group again when conditions are better and do some seating depth tests and some primer changes to tune it in with 5 shot groups. Vertical spread looks good and the rifle is showing some promise.

3 shot group at 500 yards.
230gr Sierra MK @3110 fps using IMR 8133.

 

[Rdlningcltchdmpr]

I want it.

 

[rhovee]

I would take that group for 500 yards. I would think that 3110 with 8133 is getting up there. Is it a hard load on brass? I tried 8133 for a few rounds with 230 Berger Hybrids. It was very dirty powder for me. I ended up with the 215's an H1000 shooting around 3125 very accurate.

 

[rpierce]

Heres a tack driving 300 Norma improved Brandon Luke picked up on Thursday. Test group measured .154” @ 100 yds w factory ABM 230 gr ammo. I gave him a quick tutorial on shooting the rifle off a bipod and how to manage recoil to be able to shoot consistently tiny groups with it. I then let him shoot some steel at 400 yds with factory ammo and it shot well under half moa vertical with his first shots down the rifle, all while fireforming brass.

Rifle has a:
Kelbly atlas action
Manners eh1 in swamp camo
Proof Research Carbon sendero 9.0 tw
Self timing 5 port “Muscle” brake
Triggertech Diamond trigger
Hawkins bdl hinged floor plate
Nightforce NXS bedded into a set of Nightforce rings.

 

[Ledd Slinger]

I would take that group for 500 yards. I would think that 3110 with 8133 is getting up there. Is it a hard load on brass? I tried 8133 for a few rounds with 230 Berger Hybrids. It was very dirty powder for me. I ended up with the 215's an H1000 shooting around 3125 very accurate.

I can't get the higher speeds with a 230 using H1000. The burn rate is too fast. Start seeing pressure at around 3050 fps.

My barrel is 31" with 1 in 8" twist. I can go another full grain up from the load in the pic with 8133 and hit about 3145 fps avg, but I start getting slight ejector marks and group opens up to about 3" at 500 yards. But again, conditions were bad so I cant fully agree with the accuracy. Probably better accuracy with good conditions. Will need to shoot them again when its nicer outside.

I have another carbon fiber hunting 300 NMI in the works and I plan on using the 215s for that rifle.

 

[rhovee]

31” barrel sounds a lot more like it. Mine is a 26 and looked like it wanted to shoot around 3060 FPS with 8133 and 230’s. Going off memory here but I think I was around 90 grains. I shot this last weekend. Finding the where she wants to shoot tiny. 215’s and H1000 at 300 with bipod and squeeze bag I got from Walmart when I was 13.

 

[Ledd Slinger]

My next 300 NMI carbon hunting rifle will have a 26" Proof Catbon 1 in 9" twist barrel so I expect to see lower speeds. Can safely hit 3150 fps in the 31" barrel with 230s but it's right around max with touching the lands. Still waiting on Lapua brass. Been running Peterson brass so far and had some issues with the first batch of brass I got. New batch of Peterson brass is good. I hope ADG picks up 300 Norma brass soon. If they do then Lapua will be scratched off my 300 NMI brass list.

 

[rpierce]

My next 300 NMI carbon hunting rifle will have a 26" Proof Catbon 1 in 9" twist barrel so I expect to see lower speeds. Can safely hit 3150 fps in the 31" barrel with 230s but it's right around max with touching the lands. Still waiting on Lapua brass. Been running Peterson brass so far and had some issues with the first batch of brass I got. New batch of Peterson brass is good. I hope ADG picks up 300 Norma brass soon. If they do then Lapua will be scratched off my 300 NMI brass list.

I didn't know Peterson released their 2nd batch yet. Where did you find it? Let me know when ya need that Proof. I have a ton of those instock for $730 shipped. If a guy orders one I knock $30 off one of my brakes if they buy it with the barrel.

 

[Ledd Slinger]

I didn't know Peterson released their 2nd batch yet. Where did you find it? Let me know when ya need that Proof. I have a ton of those instock for $730 shipped. If a guy orders one I knock $30 off one of my brakes if they buy it with the barrel.

Well the new Peterson brass I received as a replacement is a different lot number than the first lot I received. Said their next lot wont be out until this summer. The first lot has issues for sure.

 

[Tucker65]

Well the new Peterson brass I received as a replacement is a different lot number than the first lot I received. Said their next lot wont be out until this summer. The first lot has issues for sure.

I have a couple of boxes of Peterson brass with the same lot number as the brass you had with the tight primer pockets. I haven't had time to check them yet and thought they were going to be the new run when I was notified my back order was in. This brass is also .003 smaller at the base than there future run is going to be. Have you had any issues with that aspect of it?

Ledd Slinger, I also sent you a PM not sure if your saw it or not though.

 

[Ledd Slinger]

I have a couple of boxes of Peterson brass with the same lot number as the brass you had with the tight primer pockets. I haven't had time to check them yet and thought they were going to be the new run when I was notified my back order was in. This brass is also .003 smaller at the base than there future run is going to be. Have you had any issues with that aspect of it?

Ledd Slinger, I also sent you a PM not sure if your saw it or not though.

The primer pockets were way too tight. A pain to uniform, but not an issue after complete.

After 2-3 firings, I lost about 12 cases due to cracks developing in various areas of the body. All other cases are fine.

First lot @ .200" line: .004" too small at .5785".
New lot @ .200" line: .5825". Good.
Fired cases @ .200" line: .5855" to .586"
FL sized cases @ .200" line: .5845" (Whidden custom die)

New 50 pieces replaced for primer pocket issue all look good. Primer pockets are properly sized as well. Peterson is sending me another 50 pieces this summer for replacement of the cases that cracked due to small bases. But it's odd that most of the cracks were not developing at the .200" line. Makes me think there was something wrong with the brass alloy as well. Some are only good for a few firings.

See pics below of faulty cases from first lot. Cracks developing in all different areas. They definitely screwed the pooch on the first lot of brass...At least their CS is good and they are going to make it right.

 

[Kurz]

Well, I'm certainly not surprised but very disappointed that our Canadian brothers have the new Lapua 300 Norma Mag brass before we can get it...



https://www.tesro.ca/lapua-300-norma-mag-reloading-cases-box-of-100.html

 

[Ledd Slinger]

It used to be available there, but that brass is not available on there now. Hasnt been for quite a while. Notice how you cant add any of it to your cart? Even when it was available on Tesro, they wanted an extra $60 for shipping to the states.

I say to hell with Lapua on the 300 Norma brass. Where's the ADG reps on this forum? Think it's time we encouraged and motivated them to hurry and jump on the Norma bandwagon.