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Twist Rate - 300 Norma

29.5" Krieger 9tw on my .300NM. Pushing Berger 220 LRHTs at 3200fps with 90.0gr N570. Shoots 1/2 moa at 100 and has been accurate out as far as I've pushed it so far (1660 yards).
 
29.5" Krieger 9tw on my .300NM. Pushing Berger 220 LRHTs at 3200fps with 90.0gr N570. Shoots 1/2 moa at 100 and has been accurate out as far as I've pushed it so far (1660 yards).
What velocity have you seen the Berger 220’s give up on you.
of you haven’t been able to pass that velocity yet?

thanks
 
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How accurate do you think the predictions are regarding reduced BC with marginal stability, for example when the Berger calculator says the effective BC is only 95% of the max?
Can't answer that specifically. I'll say yes but at what distances, conditions etc....will it show it's ugly face. Now throw in the gun/barrels condition and what effect that is possibly having on the bullet.

I'm waiting for more data but there is data now showing that the 5R style rifling is helping the flight of the bullet vs an even groove barrel. If what they (ballistic testing (ammo/bullet makers) are seeing is accurate....by helping the flight of the bullet it has to be helping the BC in some shape or form you would think. I just cannot put a accurate description on it. What they are seeing is when the bullet hits the different velocity changes where the BC is effected (like the transonic range) the even groove barrels the bullet does what I'll call a weird dance but then settles back down again. The bullets fired out of 5R rifled barrels didn't do the funky/weird dance on the doppler radar. Only way I can describe it.

What I think is happening is at the boat tail junction/bearing surface area of the bullet when fired thru a barrel with conventional rifling like in a standard 4 groove, 6 groove etc... leaves like a burr on the jacket. This burr even though really slight is what my guess would be causing the bullet to do the weird dance/or what has been described to us as a hop. So it becomes a little erratic at times during the course of it's flight.

Not sure if I explained that good enough for you to follow?
 
On that note I’d love to see a rifle barrel with zero twist but with lands and grooves.
that would truly confirm twist “effects” on pressure and velocity
 
What velocity have you seen the Berger 220’s give up on you.
of you haven’t been able to pass that velocity yet?

thanks
I'm not sure if auto-correct got the best of that but I went up to 92.5gr of N570 during load dev and hit pressure there (which was around 3200fps). Current load of 90.4 gr was at 3140 but sped up to 3200fps after 100 rds. This is at 2.820" BTO in Lapua brass with Fed 210M primers.
 
I'm not sure if auto-correct got the best of that but I went up to 92.5gr of N570 during load dev and hit pressure there (which was around 3200fps). Current load of 90.4 gr was at 3140 but sped up to 3200fps after 100 rds. This is at 2.820" BTO in Lapua brass with Fed 210M primers.
You ran the 220gr up to 92gr of n570 in a standard NM, not improved?
 
I'm not sure if auto-correct got the best of that but I went up to 92.5gr of N570 during load dev and hit pressure there (which was around 3200fps). Current load of 90.4 gr was at 3140 but sped up to 3200fps after 100 rds. This is at 2.820" BTO in Lapua brass with Fed 210M primers.
I run 90.7 of N570 with 200 gr Barnes all copper LRX in a 28 inch, eight twist barrel at 3,300 FPS. QuickLOAD tells me this is seriously over pressure but there are zero pressure indications on the brass in a Mausingfield action.

Since I don’t need that velocity, I backed down to 87.5.
 
On that note I’d love to see a rifle barrel with zero twist but with lands and grooves.
that would truly confirm twist “effects” on pressure and velocity
We've haven't done any pressure barrels per say.

We have done gain twist barrels that started out at 0 and ended at 13.5 for 6PPC shooters. I told the guy it wouldn't shoot. He said yes it will. I'm a harmonic's vibration engineer and it will dampen the harmonics and it will shoot better. I said no it won't. The rifling doesn't even make one revolution! He said I was wrong. He had it all figured out!

Guess what...it didn't shoot!
 
We've haven't done any pressure barrels per say.

We have done gain twist barrels that started out at 0 and ended at 13.5 for 6PPC shooters. I told the guy it wouldn't shoot. He said yes it will. I'm a harmonic's vibration engineer and it will dampen the harmonics and it will shoot better. I said no it won't. The rifling doesn't even make one revolution! He said I was wrong. He had it all figured out!

Guess what...it didn't shoot!

Hi,

LOLOLOL Poor soul. His degree was more than likely in..
1617390128436.png


And NOT harmonics, lolol

Sincerely,
Theis
 
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That would be great. I know for the 215 they list 88gr as max. I'm going to run 85-88 tomorrow and see if there's any sign of pressure.
This is what I got from Berger/Capstone over the phone. My COAL is 0.057" shorter than theirs but I'm also almost 8gr below their max.

.300 Norma Mag, Berger 220 LRHT, 3.680" COAL

N570

Starting load: 83.5gr approx MV (26" barrel) 2692fps
max load: 98.1gr Approx MV: 2986. 97% case fill
 
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This is what I got from Berger/Capstone over the phone. My COAL is 0.057" shorter than theirs but I'm also almost 8gr below their max.

.300 Norma Mag, Berger 220 LRHT, 3.680" COAL

N570

Starting load: 83.5gr approx MV (26" barrel) 2692fps
max load: 98.1gr Approx MV: 2986. 97% case fill

Around 98 gr is what QuickLOAD is saying should be the max for a 200 gr Bullet. You might ask if Berger has shot that load are are they just giving you the QuickLOAD data.

I started at 90, saw no signs of pressure, but 10% higher velocity than expected. When I adjust the burn rate of my lot of powder for actual velocity, QuickLOAD is now saying 90 gr is seriously over pressure. I’m seeing 3,000 + FPS with 87 gr.

Be careful out there.
 
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I found actual data for a few loads. I think 98gr is cooking. They're coal is super short, I'm at 3.620" with 215's
 

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I found actual data for a few loads. I think 98gr is cooking. They're coal is super short, I'm at 3.620" with 215's
This came up in the 300NM thread in the reloading section. Viht's COAL is 3.406" vs Berger using 3.680". A 1/4"is a huge difference and gives you way more case capacity (at lower pressure). I too think 98gr would be absolutely cooking. I hit very slight pressure signs at 92.5. My COAL with 220s is 3.623" (2.820" BTO) and 90.4gr gives me 3200fps with no pressure. I had it out to 1608 yards yesterday. I guess we'll see as temps warm up. How temp stable is N570?
 
Yup, 92.5 actually. I was going on the loading info Berger provided me. I'm pretty sure I posted it in the .300NM thread in the reloading section, I'll see if I can find it again.
The only load data I have been able to find for 300 NM is from Sierra. Are there any other sources you know of and/or can suggest?
 
The only load data I have been able to find for 300 NM is from Sierra. Are there any other sources you know of and/or can suggest?
There is a bunch of data in the 300NM thread in the reloading section. All I personally have is the data I got from Berger for 220s with N570 and H1000.
 
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I got 3177 fps out of 88gr n570 today with a 215gr at 3.625". No real pressure
 
Twist for the most part has nothing to do with and or effect pressure. I've got way to much data from ammunition pressure test barrels that proves that. 10 vs 8 twist vs 12 twist etc...

Also any real world difference your see in velocity is minimal and usually comes down to the individuality of each barrel. Bore and groove size dimensions from one barrel to the next is the main one assuming the same chamber reamer was being used.

I agree though like I posted no need to go to a 1-7.5 or even a 8 twist. I don't see it giving you anything extra.

Later, Frank
Bartlein Barrels
Interesting bit of information
Thank you for that.
 
I have 1:8 twist barrels, in my limited testing haven't seen an issue yet, but I also encounter pressure much earlier then other people do. I'm pushing 230 Bergers at 2950 fps out of a ~29" barrel. If I go much faster then that, I encounter pressure. I'm not sure if that's due to the faster twist, the small(ish) lugs of the Defiance action, and/or other factors that's making that happen. But perhaps my slow(ish) speeds are allowing me to avoid trouble with the faster twist.

Knowing what I know now with what others are experiencing, I would get future barrels in at least 1:9 twist. There's nothing to really gain from a 1:8 twist, and there's definitely potential issues with the fast twist and jacketed bullets. I have two barrels in 1:8 twist to burn out before then, but since moving to AZ I haven't found any good local spots near me to stretch out the .300NM, so it's mostly been neglected to this point.

In the future I may do what @lowlight is doing, using a shorter (~26") barrel with a 1:10 or 1:9 twist. May even do a .300NM Improved.
What freebore are you running?
 
Almost identical results here out of a 300 RUM. 28" Krieger 10 twist and 91 grains 8133 gives me 3140 fps with the 220 lrht, but with 3.95 COAL. 30" Bartlein 9 twist gives me the same velocity with 250 a-tips and N570 with just over 4.05 COAL.
 
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Just curious - seems weird to me that the MRAD and the AXSR off their 300NM barrels in 1:8 twist when it sounds like the consensus of the thread is that twist is too fast. Why do you think they decided to offer 1:8 in their factory configurations? Would I even be able to shoot factory Berger 215 300NM ammo out of that?
 
Just curious - seems weird to me that the MRAD and the AXSR off their 300NM barrels in 1:8 twist when it sounds like the consensus of the thread is that twist is too fast. Why do you think they decided to offer 1:8 in their factory configurations? Would I even be able to shoot factory Berger 215 300NM ammo out of that?
My MPA 300-NM is a 1:9 twist, and it shoots my 230-Bergers just fine. I get velocities just shy of 3,000 ft/sec and SD's aroun 6-ish. Great results at distance.
 
Just curious - seems weird to me that the MRAD and the AXSR off their 300NM barrels in 1:8 twist when it sounds like the consensus of the thread is that twist is too fast. Why do you think they decided to offer 1:8 in their factory configurations? Would I even be able to shoot factory Berger 215 300NM ammo out of that?
Twist rate can only be too fast if projectiles are exploding apart after leaving the barrel. Otherwise, more stability factor isn't going to hurt anything.
 
the 8 twist is why you stopped hearing them crow about the caliber

The 8 twist is not as good as advertised, not at all, I had more stealth inquires from the operator class asking why their results sucked with the Norma when everyone was crowing about it.

You can add in Spin but you can't include speed, Spin and speed work against the bullet in combination. why they went lighter instead vs the 230gr bullet. Same thing with the 260 when they had it, they wanted the 130 Berger hybrid, over twisted it, blew the Bergers up and switch to heavier jacket Lapua 139s, to try and recover the project.

9 is the most I would do with a 30 cal, especially if you want speed behind it.

They were over twisting because they were trying shorter barrels for urban shit, then they decided to do ELR and just made the barrel longer... can't do that, believe me you might get some decent results but not the results people talk about. My Norma does this at 100 yards, and hammers at 2500 yards, factory gun, factory ammo. 10 twist

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