300 norma with N568 and berger 245's

[climbingbubba]

Got my rifle all built up and want to do a little barrel break in and load development. Anyone have a good starting point for the powder/bullet combo? Just need something safe to shoot. I feel very comfortable doing ladder tests and identifying pressure signs.

It will be a 30" barrel, lapua brass, 215m primers, N568, Berger 245 LRHT's

I would guess with how bulky the N568 is i'd have a hard time hitting pressure in general. I am guessing that 80 grains would likely be safe but would much rather have some input instead of making an educated guess.

This rifle is built for the NF ELR match. Loved it last year and wanted a more dedicated rifle.

 

[Superchunk72]

This is from CONatureboy on LR Hunting:

"QuickLoad says a 300 Norma Mag, SAAMI COAL, 26" barrel, shooting a Berger 230 OTM in front of a max safe charge of 91.6 grains of N568 achieves a muzzle velocity of 2,956 fps. QuickLoad also says a 338 Lapua Mag, SAAMI COAL, 26" barrel, shoots a Berger 250 OTM with 90.3 grains (uncompressed, 100.0% fill ratio, pmax 47,344 psi) at 2,727 fps, or 96.7 grains (compressed, 107.1% fill ratio, if that's even doable, which I doubt) at 2,944 fps. If you allow a COAL of 0.2" over SAAMI, that same 96.7 grains has a fill ratio of 101.4%, and you get 2,862 fps. Maybe that's doable. Switch to the 300-grain Berger OTM, and back to the SAAMI COAL, you have to get to 103.6% fill ratio to hit max safe peak pressure at 2,693 fps. Add 0.2" to the COAL, a 100% fill becomes 90.8 grains, which is well under safe pmax, but only yields 2,658 fps. I don't have (or load for) a Lapua, but I do have a 300 RUM. Maybe the heavy-for-caliber RUM N568 loads are as close to optimal as this powder can achieve, speed wise. As I recall it has a very uniform kernel shape; maybe the powder's virtue is that the kernel shape lends itself to very small extreme spread in the muzzle velocity, hence to extreme accuracy for target shooting. Otherwise, I must say this powder doesn't seem to have much to recommend it. I bought three kilos when I couldn't get anything else for my RUM. Glad to have a backup powder, but also glad I have a few pounds of other powders that promise state-of-the-art muzzle velocity. Speed does thrill."

I'd venture you're safe with 80, and just run a ladder of 80+ in .5 grain increments, backing off 1/2gn at your first pressure signs. Forget velocity and focus on pressure, run easy and let the barrel speed up for 100 rounds. Keep a safe 20/thou jump and start a new accuracy ladder on a modest load once that barrel settles out.
Cal at PRB has some great articles on the NF LR matches, and how most of the top guys running 300 norma were chasing accuracy not velocity.
Please share your results with the 568!

 

[DIBBS]

Contact Berger Tech Support and they can give you some data. I have done this in the past.

Berger
General Questions and Technical Support
M-F 8am-4:30pm EST
Phone: 660-460-2802
Fax: 660-460-2801
Email: [email protected]

 

[climbingbubba]

This is from CONatureboy on LR Hunting:

"QuickLoad says a 300 Norma Mag, SAAMI COAL, 26" barrel, shooting a Berger 230 OTM in front of a max safe charge of 91.6 grains of N568 achieves a muzzle velocity of 2,956 fps. QuickLoad also says a 338 Lapua Mag, SAAMI COAL, 26" barrel, shoots a Berger 250 OTM with 90.3 grains (uncompressed, 100.0% fill ratio, pmax 47,344 psi) at 2,727 fps, or 96.7 grains (compressed, 107.1% fill ratio, if that's even doable, which I doubt) at 2,944 fps. If you allow a COAL of 0.2" over SAAMI, that same 96.7 grains has a fill ratio of 101.4%, and you get 2,862 fps. Maybe that's doable. Switch to the 300-grain Berger OTM, and back to the SAAMI COAL, you have to get to 103.6% fill ratio to hit max safe peak pressure at 2,693 fps. Add 0.2" to the COAL, a 100% fill becomes 90.8 grains, which is well under safe pmax, but only yields 2,658 fps. I don't have (or load for) a Lapua, but I do have a 300 RUM. Maybe the heavy-for-caliber RUM N568 loads are as close to optimal as this powder can achieve, speed wise. As I recall it has a very uniform kernel shape; maybe the powder's virtue is that the kernel shape lends itself to very small extreme spread in the muzzle velocity, hence to extreme accuracy for target shooting. Otherwise, I must say this powder doesn't seem to have much to recommend it. I bought three kilos when I couldn't get anything else for my RUM. Glad to have a backup powder, but also glad I have a few pounds of other powders that promise state-of-the-art muzzle velocity. Speed does thrill."

I'd venture you're safe with 80, and just run a ladder of 80+ in .5 grain increments, backing off 1/2gn at your first pressure signs. Forget velocity and focus on pressure, run easy and let the barrel speed up for 100 rounds. Keep a safe 20/thou jump and start a new accuracy ladder on a modest load once that barrel settles out.
Cal at PRB has some great articles on the NF LR matches, and how most of the top guys running 300 norma were chasing accuracy not velocity.
Please share your results with the 568!

Thanks a ton for all the info! I'm planning on getting the barrel all sped up before any major testing.

While velocity isn't everything I am a bit worried it will be too bulky to even get a moderate velocity for it. I had that happen with my 7SS. I may try to track down 570 if I have to.

 

[Superchunk72]

Thanks a ton for all the info! I'm planning on getting the barrel all sped up before any major testing.

While velocity isn't everything I am a bit worried it will be too bulky to even get a moderate velocity for it. I had that happen with my 7SS. I may try to track down 570 if I have to.

H1000, N570 is what I stock for 338LM, 300PRC, 300 Norma. 50BMG is too slow imho.
Check this article:

Nightforce ELR Steel Challenge

A few weeks ago, I attended one of my all-time favorite matches: the Nightforce ELR Steel Challenge...

precisionrifleblog.com

 

[GIXXER2000]

I am running N568 in my 300nm I have a 30 in 1-8 twist barrel. It has proved to be very accurate with both the 230hy's and the 230 A-Tips. It takes the same load for both bullets. Here is my load data.
Brass Norma
Primer 215M
Powder N568 86.2
AVG FPS 2945

 

[Longrangers 2!]

I am running N568 in my 300nm I have a 30 in 1-8 twist barrel. It has proved to be very accurate with both the 230hy's and the 230 A-Tips. It takes the same load for both bullets. Here is my load data.
Brass Norma
Primer 215M
Powder N568 86.2
AVG FPS 2945

How does the Atips shoot compared to the Berger?

 

[GIXXER2000]

Well the strange part is the both use the same load and zero... That never happens!! I have shot both out to 1970 yards and both shot well. The A-Tip with it's higher BC take less mil's in the come up. Other than that not much difference. I was able to buy 400 A-Tips here on the hide for $310 shipped so I thought what the hell.
I did shoot a 1000 yard match last month with the A-Tips and took 1st out of 14 shooters with a 97 3x score so they do shoot. My friend tried some A-Tips in a 300PRC but he has a 1-9twist and they never shot good groups.

 

[Longrangers 2!]

Well the strange part is the both use the same load and zero... That never happens!! I have shot both out to 1970 yards and both shot well. The A-Tip with it's higher BC take less mil's in the come up. Other than that not much difference. I was able to buy 400 A-Tips here on the hide for $310 shipped so I thought what the hell.
I did shoot a 1000 yard match last month with the A-Tips and took 1st out of 14 shooters with a 97 3x score so they do shoot. My friend tried some A-Tips in a 300PRC but he has a 1-9twist and they never shot good groups.

Are you jumping them?

 

[GIXXER2000]

20 off for the Bergers and 10 off for the A-Tips

 

[yeff]

Got my rifle all built up and want to do a little barrel break in and load development. Anyone have a good starting point for the powder/bullet combo? Just need something safe to shoot. I feel very comfortable doing ladder tests and identifying pressure signs.

It will be a 30" barrel, lapua brass, 215m primers, N568, Berger 245 LRHT's

I would guess with how bulky the N568 is i'd have a hard time hitting pressure in general. I am guessing that 80 grains would likely be safe but would much rather have some input instead of making an educated guess.

This rifle is built for the NF ELR match. Loved it last year and wanted a more dedicated rifle.

Where did you end for testing the combo? I was going to give this powder a try and N570 was a barrel burner for me.

 

[Sigma]

Where did you end for testing the combo? I was going to give this powder a try and N570 was a barrel burner for me.

looks like OP was banned