Sorry for the ignorance. What is the difference between a Palma bullet and a match bullet? I'm reloading match bullets, and the Palma is available. I just don't know what it is. Many thanks.
.308 Palma ?
- Thread starter scorpion168
- Start date
The palma bullet is a match bullet. It is limited by the palma rules that it has to meet the 7.62 nato spec that says the bullet can not be heavier than 155. The Sierra 155 palma bullet came out in 1992 for the international palma match held in Raton, NM.
Rifles built for palma matches normally have longer barrels (30 in) for higher velocity and smaller bore (.298 / .3075) to make the bullet perform better. The bullet has a very short bearing surface and therefore a tighter bore helps.
A palma barrel typically has a twist rate of 1:13. If you dont have a barrel set up for palma bullets you will be better off with regular match bullets.
Rifles built for palma matches normally have longer barrels (30 in) for higher velocity and smaller bore (.298 / .3075) to make the bullet perform better. The bullet has a very short bearing surface and therefore a tighter bore helps.
A palma barrel typically has a twist rate of 1:13. If you dont have a barrel set up for palma bullets you will be better off with regular match bullets.
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Excellent answer. That's why I "hawk" this site and try to chip in when I can. Thanks for educating me.
A quick addition here; most of the Palma reamers run a significantly shorter throat than more conventional 308 Win or 308 Match reamers do, since there's very little wiggle room to seat the Palma bullets out further. As 308BG pointed out, this game has some very strict rules about the ammunition and the gun needs to be built with some unusual limitations in mind. Also, up to the '92 Palma match, and all earlier matches, the host country provided the ammo to all competitors, which is why the standardization was so necessary. In the years before this, the host country also provided the rifles as well, and you drew the rifles randomly before going to the line, sort of like the IROC concept. In some places, if a competitor had a rifle that shot particularly well during the matches (or just got a sentimental attachment to it) the rifle could be privately purchased. My old mentor, Martin (Jim) Hull had the 308 SMLE Match rifle he shot in Bisley, England in one of the Palma matches back in the late 70's-early 80's.
While I've seen many of the various Palma bullets shoot quite well out of the longer, more conventional 308 Win throats, they'll almost always do better from the shorter throats of the true Palma chambers.
While I've seen many of the various Palma bullets shoot quite well out of the longer, more conventional 308 Win throats, they'll almost always do better from the shorter throats of the true Palma chambers.
