Anyone here shoot a 338 Norma?

shorty · #1 12-15-2017, 07:37 AM

Just curious about your experience with this caliber. I'm not looking for peoples opinions if they don't own one of these.

Dean2 · #2 12-15-2017, 09:59 AM

Had one on a Shultz and Larson action, don't own it any more. Very little difference between it and the 338 Win Mag. Both are great all round hunting cartridges. 338 Norma is harder to find ammo for but I reload so makes no difference to me from that aspect.

shorty · #3 12-15-2017, 08:44 PM

I'm not sure you can compare the two 338 win mag pushes a 275 gr bullet 2500 and 338 norma will push a 300 gr bullet 2800. It had comparable ballistics to a 338 Lapua.

Dean2 · #4 12-16-2017, 11:05 AM

I shoot and work on guns predominantly as hunting pieces. A couple of hundred feet a second in a hunting round never struck me as overly material. A 30 grain difference in bullet weight is more than offset by bullet construction when hunting. In the 338s I almost always used 210 to 250 grain bullets, mostly Partitions and Barnes. If I wanted something to sling 270 - 300 grain bullets I would use a 375.

If you are building something for shooting stuff at 500 yards plus, then the velocity difference, bullet weight, starts to become material, but until then it is an interesting variation that creates no real world performance difference.

If you want a long range shooter, the 338-378 Weatherby, 338 RUM, 338 Lapua and 338 Norma are a toss up for that kind of work. If I was doing it I would get the Lapua, just because it is the far more popular round, easier to find components for etc. As long as you have it built on a long enough action, the one big advantage of the Norma is is works well on a regular mag length action, the Lapua would be my first choice.

Hensley · #5 01-01-2018, 08:53 PM

338 Norma mag is superior to a Lapua in every way. Absolute monster. 338 Lapua is a waste of brass and sucks for being built on a Hunting platform as nothing worth a **** for a load will go in a mag. 338-378 Weatherby, 338 RUM, are even worse really. 338-378 is a toad and Rum has junk for brass and is a long and crappy case as well

propliner · #6 01-01-2018, 10:00 PM

I shoot a .338 Norma. It's a Stiller Tac 338 action and 25" Krieger barrel in a Manners stock. The .338 Norma is a beast of a round that approaches the Lapua round in velocity while being able to seat a 300-grain bullet where it should be and still fit in a standard 338-sized magazine.

There have been some excellent articles written about the big Norma that prove its inherent accuracy at ranges beyond 1000m and that's why I built mine. And you just have to check out the General Dynamics machine gun based on this cartridge.

Though I've only fired it to 500m before the big snow came, I'm very impressed with it so far. The 4" gong at 500m is simply a waste of ammo.

Norma-brand brass is very hard to find but Hornady brass can be readily ordered. Find some big Match Kings or OTM's, a few lbs of Retumbo or H1000 and live large. It's unique in a reassuring way and I wonder why it never took off more than it did.

I have a long throat in my barrel and wish there was a 320-grain bullet available.

propliner · #7 01-01-2018, 10:39 PM

Here is a pic of some Berger Hunter Elite 300gr rounds hot off the press.

wolf308 · #8 01-02-2018, 08:02 AM

mmmmmmm ^ .. re - load porn......love it

sns2 · #9 01-02-2018, 08:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hensley

338 Norma mag is superior to a Lapua in every way. Absolute monster. 338 Lapua is a waste of brass and sucks for being built on a Hunting platform as nothing worth a **** for a load will go in a mag. 338-378 Weatherby, 338 RUM, are even worse really. 338-378 is a toad and Rum has junk for brass and is a long and crappy case as well

Great first post. Only one way to go from here. Sheesh.

sns2 · #10 01-02-2018, 08:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by propliner

I shoot a .338 Norma. It's a Stiller Tac 338 action and 25" Krieger barrel in a Manners stock. The .338 Norma is a beast of a round that approaches the Lapua round in velocity while being able to seat a 300-grain bullet where it should be and still fit in a standard 338-sized magazine.

There have been some excellent articles written about the big Norma that prove its inherent accuracy at ranges beyond 1000m and that's why I built mine. And you just have to check out the General Dynamics machine gun based on this cartridge.

Though I've only fired it to 500m before the big snow came, I'm very impressed with it so far. The 4" gong at 500m is simply a waste of ammo.

Norma-brand brass is very hard to find but Hornady brass can be readily ordered. Find some big Match Kings or OTM's, a few lbs of Retumbo or H1000 and live large. It's unique in a reassuring way and I wonder why it never took off more than it did.

I have a long throat in my barrel and wish there was a 320-grain bullet available.

Very nice rifle! Thanks for the pics. I sure wouldn't want to be a moose with you around

propliner · #11 01-02-2018, 09:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sns2

Very nice rifle! Thanks for the pics. I sure wouldn't want to be a moose with you around

Thanks, I forgot to mention that with the 60moa rail/mount combo and the 120+moa elevation adjustment of the Nightforce, I can dial a shot from 50 to 2150m with the elevation turret. The .338 Norma is a flat shooter with the ultra efficient 300's.

aardvaark · #12 01-05-2018, 09:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by propliner

Thanks, I forgot to mention that with the 60moa rail/mount combo and the 120+moa elevation adjustment of the Nightforce, I can dial a shot from 50 to 2150m with the elevation turret. The .338 Norma is a flat shooter with the ultra efficient 300's.

What twist rate have you got that stabilizes those 300 gr Bergers?

gitrdun · #13 01-05-2018, 07:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hensley

338 Norma mag is superior to a Lapua in every way. Absolute monster. 338 Lapua is a waste of brass and sucks for being built on a Hunting platform as nothing worth a **** for a load will go in a mag. 338-378 Weatherby, 338 RUM, are even worse really. 338-378 is a toad and Rum has junk for brass and is a long and crappy case as well

Welcome...

propliner · #14 01-07-2018, 02:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by aardvaark

What twist rate have you got that stabilizes those 300 gr Bergers?

It's a 1:10 twist and works well. I'd recommend a 1:9 for anyone building one, however. It's what everyone seems to be doing now.

This round is like a scaled up 6.5 Creedmoor. It is very similar looking in its proportions.