308 Norma Mag project

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

IIRC, back in the early 1960s near the height of inexpensive military surplus, Norma brought out the .308 Norma as just brass, with no factory produced rifle to go along with it. Again, IIRC, it was specifically developed using rechambered 1903 and '03A3 Springfields. At that time the only .300 magnums readily available were the Winchester 70 in .300 H&H and Weatherby's .300. Norma ads pointed out how easy it was to rechamber your '06. A lot of eastern Oregon mule deer hunters opened up their A3s, and put a 4 power Weaver on top. They loved the flatter trajectory tho recoil was a bit more than they were used to. Some of the 300 H&H users liked the fact the Norma didn't stretch case necks. It was well liked in 1,000 yard target shooting.
The .300 Winchester magnum was basically scared out of the bushes by the .308 Norma. To outperform the Norma, Winchester moved the shoulder of their round quite a ways forward, leaving an (at the time) radically short neck which let bullets slip under recoil when case necks were ran back out, over a too large expander button (which was the main problem w/ the .300 Holland neck stretching. The old manuals used to say that loads for the.308 Norma could be used exactly as listed in the .30-338 wildcat long range round.
Dave

@DB404
In Australia a lot of M17's were reamed to 308 Norma. THESE can be picked up at ridiculous prices now. The last one I saw went for $250. Pity I didn't need one at the time.
Bob.

 

[nztimb]

I used it for a

@Von Gruff
Garry what did you think of the Sharpe and Hart? You don't hear anything about it. How bout you do a write up about it. It is one of three cartridges I've always wanted.
Bob

I had and used the 7x61 S&H for a lot of years and have nothing but good things to say about it. It would still be my hunting rifle if I hadn,t wanted to get intio a lighter rifle for the style of hunting I do now so the 7x57 replaced it and that started a whole slew of rifle building years that has finally slowed to a halt.
A 160gn bullet at 2900 is a very respectable performer but I was hunting in closer to game here so it was overly destructive on the smaller fallow eating animals. Basically anything you can say about the 7mm Rem mag can just as well be said about the 7x61 S&H bar a few fps of velocity but the 7x61 is a more efficient user of the powder.