Norma 308 Brass

[rduckwor]

I bought 100 rounds of Norma 308 a good while back, primarily for the brass, but I enjoyed shooting it as well.

Today, I though I would load the brass for an upcoming match.

I started priming with Wolf LR primers,

WTF??!! The primers will barely seat using a Lee hand primer.

Fought my way thru about 10 and thought maybe there's a crimp.

So I got my cutter and chamfered ten and no joy. Still gut-busting difficult to seat the primers.

I thought maybe the Wolf primers are just a tad bigger.

Got the CCI LR primers, no joy.

Switched the 550B over to the LP system and tried there. No joy.

Has anyone had any experience with this brass? Its definitely LR primer brass as a SR primer just falls into the pocket.

Where can I buy a primer pocket reamer that will open these up just a bit? Sinclairs?

Its beautiful brass and I do not want to waste it.

Thanks,

 

[HumbleEinstein]

I just hand primed 45 rounds of once fired Norma 308 with no issues last weekend. I used CCI 200 and the RCBS universal hand priming tool. I did uniform the primer pockets with a Lyman case prep station beforehand.

 

[rduckwor]

"I did uniform the primer pockets with a Lyman case prep station beforehand. "

Well, I think that has to be the answer here.

I will find a pocket reamer somewhere and give that a try.

Thanks,

RMD

 

[illae]

I had the same problem with Hornady match brass - it ended up being crimped, and I had to chamfer the primer pocket.

 

[rduckwor]

Thanks guys.

I spoke to a trusted reloading mentor and he told me that the Norma primer pockets are very tight and the brass is first quality (I thought that as well). He said to get some Federal 210 Match primers and they would be soft enough to fit the pockets for the first couple of firings.

FYI: The Norma PP are 0.208" in diameter. (He knew this off the top of his head and I confirmed by measuring.) Other brass has pockets of 0.2085-0.2095 while typically primers are 0.210-0.211. Just cocktail party knowledge should an acquaintance ask.

He also told me not to ream the pockets unless absolutely necessary, but to chamfer the pockets gently and use the Fed primers.

 

[HumbleEinstein]

Good luck finding 210M primers. About the only way to get them in hand is if you're willing to get reamed yourself.

 

[rduckwor]

Good luck finding 210M primers. About the only way to get them in hand is if you're willing to get reamed yourself.

Yep. Looks like the Norma will ride the shelf for a bit longer.

 

[HumbleEinstein]

Personally, I don't see any downside to uniforming the primer pocket, your guy is more knowledgable than I am though. I did everything from the flash hole to trimming on my Norma brass. I weighed 152 cases and the consistency is stellar. Kind of a waste to shelf it to wait for an elusive component, IMHO.

 

[rduckwor]

Well, I found 210 standard primers locally this AM, No RP primers as another friend suggested I try. The 210s do not seat either, so reaming is the only solution.

I would like to know how Norma seats their damn primers!

 

[Splat]

Good luck finding 210M primers. About the only way to get them in hand is if you're willing to get reamed yourself.

I'm not sure how, but my LGS has been loading the shelves with powder and primers for the last 6 months. It just seems weird that they are getting components when no one else is getting them. I picked up the last 2k Fed 210M they had on the shelf two weeks ago and less than a week later they had another 5-10 cases on the shelf..They are expensive though. About $45 per case. They also had 215M.

 

[rduckwor]

I was shocked to see Varget and H335 on the local shelves yesterday. Maybe things are getting a bit better.

 

[SWRichmond]

My experience has been that Norma brass primer pockets are tight, so tight that I also had to ream them. Just a bit, not very aggressively. Otherwise, too tight to seat 210M primers without excessive force. Other than that, the brass is great stuff, very uniform weights. I have not even neck-turned them; I get a few where I can feel extra force when seating bullets but not many.

I'm not sure how, but my LGS has been loading the shelves with powder and primers for the last 6 months. It just seems weird that they are getting components when no one else is getting them. I picked up the last 2k Fed 210M they had on the shelf two weeks ago and less than a week later they had another 5-10 cases on the shelf..They are expensive though. About $45 per case. They also had 215M.

I am looking for 5,000 210M....

 

[PinesAndProjectiles]

$45 is expensive for 210M primers? I paid $50 for CCI LR primers a few weeks back.

Sent from my NSA tapped mobile device using Tap-a-Talk

 

[rduckwor]

The Norma PP are 0.208", Lapua (standard not Palma) are 0.209. The Federal Standard LRP are 0.210". Now you can stuff a 0.210" primer into a 0.208" pocket but its hard going and something is likely to break. It also involves a plethora of profanity.

A generous friend is forwarding some Remmie LRP to try and the reamer is due in today.

More news as it becomes available.

 

[rduckwor]

FYI: Remington LR primers fit fine.

They measure 0.209" O.D.