I am having a 300 Norma mag built and I need help deciding what barrel length to go with. I will be using it for hunting, I have ordered a 29 "Keriger 1:10 twist barrel, I am looking at pushing 230gr Berger OTC Hybirds around 3100fps.
Range Report 300 Norma Barrel length help
- Thread starter Spearsy_77
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I don't mean to dissuade you from your project goals, but that is a pretty ambitious velocity goal with a standard 300 Norma. I am running a 40 degree improved 300 Norma with a 28" Bartlein barrel and my top end working load for the 230s runs about 3080 fps. Any faster and the primer pockets loosen up big time. To get to 3100 with a standard Norma you are going to have to push the brass very hard, regardless of barrel length. I would expect you will toss your brass after 2 or 3 shots max, and that brass is pricey stuff. My fireforming load for the standard brass is 85 grains of Retumbo on top of a 230, and it runs about 2950. I am getting some mild pressure signs (faint ejector swipe, noticeably looser pockets) with that load and wouldn't want to go much hotter.
All of this is meant to give you some real world data points about what is possible with this chambering. You can probably get to 3100 with a long barrel in a standard chambering, but brass life is going to be the tradeoff.
All of this is meant to give you some real world data points about what is possible with this chambering. You can probably get to 3100 with a long barrel in a standard chambering, but brass life is going to be the tradeoff.
I use a 24" 1:9 Benchmark in my 300 NM hunting rig. I run a 5" Thunderbeast can and push 230 Berger's at 2905 with 83 gr of H1000. Its fantastic on elk and with the carbon fiber manners stock it is tolerable to caryin the mountains.
I have a 30 inch tube and 2950fps is realistic for me, doesn't matter to much if Retumbo or H1000.
Quickload seems to estimate it pretty close within 25fps.
A 24" w/230hyb estimate is on par for 2800fps.
Mine is running 2940fps with 84.5gr of retumbo pushing the 230 grainers. I'm yet to complete my first ladder test with it though. Using a bartlein 9 twist.
I have a 30" barrel and my two most accurate loads are 1) Hornady 225gr w/ 86gr of Norma 217 @ 3,017fps and 2) Berger 230gr w/ 85gr of Norma 217 @ 2,983fps. My only concern is this too hot? Will it decrease my barrel life?
So far, I'm on my 3rd reload of my Hornady brass and no issue with primer pockets being loose yet.
So far, I'm on my 3rd reload of my Hornady brass and no issue with primer pockets being loose yet.
I improved this cartridge probably 4-5 times from 35 33 30 37 and 24-31" barrel..and with 230s youll definitely too high on pressure if you force it to hit 3100..call Berger and they will tell you that 215 is much better option vs. 230s hyb..ive shoot 215 3257fps with 28" barrel gain twist bartlein to a mile and it does the job
My 29" .300NM is getting about 2950 fps with 230 Berger's. If I try to run it much faster than that, I run into pressure.
3100 fps is pretty unrealistic.
3100 fps is pretty unrealistic.
Loaded up some 215’s to form some Peterson brass that’s way short for my chamber and just threw 84 grains of h1000 in and it’s 3075 and hammers at 1580. 28” 9 twist barrel. I usually shoot the 230 smk at 2950 but I might have a new favorite load! Zero’d the scope the other day to this new load and had first 3 rounds impact at 1580 in a real nice group with nearly no vertical! I don’t think 3200 is possible I had slight primer flow.
I get 2930 in a 26" Broughton 9.5 Twist. That's burning 90 grains of RL33 under a 230. Pressure shows up quickly after that.
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