I am looking to build a 300 norma. Wondering what my action choices are, the catch is I hate 90 degree bolts. I would like a 60 for this. It is just personal choice. Only two I can think of that are repeater actions are badger 2013 and the ai stuff.... which ones am I missing?
- Thread starter jcwarrior87
- Start date
Ruger Precision Rifle. Originally a 26" 338, now a 32" 300 Norma.
A field expedient solution, not a full custom. Any 1.25" shank blank can be fit if the barrel nut is bored 50 thou.
A field expedient solution, not a full custom. Any 1.25" shank blank can be fit if the barrel nut is bored 50 thou.
Nice! I hadn't considered that option. What are the barrel specs and how does she shoot?
1.25" for 5" taper to 1" at 32". 1:8 5R. Muzzle Brakes and More brake.
Shoots like you'd expect, half moa at 100 yards is typical for prone, off a bipod, on natural terrain. It's up to 22#, so very easy to shoot. Extracts well. There is a little hitch feeding from 338 lapua magazines. It's the cartridge in that magazine, not the action.
230 ATips pelted my target at 2300 yards like nothing I've seen so far. The BC and it's consistency are remarkable. I think AB has the BC at .414 and it beat their curve by 1/2 mil at 2300 yards. 3060 fps at the muzzle.
It's not for everyone. There is only 1 trigger available for them so it won't work for trigger princesses. The stock is a little irritating until you figure it out. For just another gun types, it's cheap, fast to build, and very effective.
^Sounds like a great value. I'm waiting for the Savage Elite Precision in 300 Norma to make up my mind. Will the 8 twist still toss 215's just as well, or are you better off with the 225 eld-m and up? I've read about people having issues twisting that fast with 30 cal - would you do 8 twist again?
I"m basically doing the same thing, building cheap guns until I figure out what I really want. I'm up to 5 cheap ELR rigs, so maybe what I really want is just a lot of guns.
The direct answer to your twist question is this is the third 8 twist 30 cal I've built and Bartlein delivered 2 more blanks last week. I haven't had any problems.
That being said, 8 is over the top for the 215 hybrids. The 9 twist, 215 hybrid, 300 Norma is one of those peanut butter and jelly combos that just works.
My original motivation for running the 8 twist was to get more consistent performance from the 198 Flatlines. Then it became the 230 hybrid shows enough BC increase at 8 twist that the decision between it and the 215 isn't as clear cut as it is with say a 1:10 300wm. With the constant introduction of new long range bullets over the last few years, the 8 twist became insurance the gun would run newer bullets well. The end game of that strategy has been the 230 ATip. I don't have enough of them down range to recommend the rest of the world goes that way, but the first results are looking pretty good.
I've turned a lot of 7mm bullets inside out, but no 30s yet. I think the minimum twist to run a given bullet is a good question when the barrel is already on the gun. The twist you should order for a given bullet is a completely different question. I try for a stability factor near 2.0 with jacketed bullets. My primary motivation is minimizing BC variations rather than maximizing the BC. With many jacketed bullets, the difference in performance for stability factors between 1.5 and 2.0 is small. Some, like the 215 and 230 hybrids, work well at low stability factors. Others, even 2.0 won't save. I haven't had much luck down range with the 225 ELDm. The 230 hybrids are the baseline I test against. I test for score or vertical spread at distance, not drop. Distance in the past was 2200 yards, but we moved the firing position back last year to get another 100 yards.
^Seems we're working with the same mindset, but you're a year or so ahead of me. After buying a stock Savage, Remmy, and Tikka that all shoot 1/4", I decided to stick with value plays - the modern CNC takes the artistry and skill mostly out of the equation. That said, I'm open to a high dollar custom once I'm sure of config.
I was asking about the twist for the same reason, looking at cutting edge bullets for hunting, as I'm in CA (no lead), and like the flatlines, they require more twist. Still, 95% of my shooting will be target. Interesting about the 225 eld-m's. I guess they have to make the A-Tips better otherwise why buy them... although I've seen some stellar results from 225's in the PRC.
The reason to go with the Norma over a different magnum, for me, would be the ability to improve it. Otherwise, I see a WSM or Sherman Max as the more efficient use of powder, and potentially better accuracy (shorter, fatter), albeit with less range. The Norma's Lapua bolthead means moving up to 338 is simple as well, and in that vein, another interesting route is the RUM, with potential to become an Edge.
Thanks for all the info - just more to chew on...
I was asking about the twist for the same reason, looking at cutting edge bullets for hunting, as I'm in CA (no lead), and like the flatlines, they require more twist. Still, 95% of my shooting will be target. Interesting about the 225 eld-m's. I guess they have to make the A-Tips better otherwise why buy them... although I've seen some stellar results from 225's in the PRC.
The reason to go with the Norma over a different magnum, for me, would be the ability to improve it. Otherwise, I see a WSM or Sherman Max as the more efficient use of powder, and potentially better accuracy (shorter, fatter), albeit with less range. The Norma's Lapua bolthead means moving up to 338 is simple as well, and in that vein, another interesting route is the RUM, with potential to become an Edge.
Thanks for all the info - just more to chew on...
