Anyone have anything good to say about the .308 Norma Mag?

[Anonymous]

Have a chance to (maybe) get my hands on a Sako 30-06 deluxe barrel that was expanded to the .308 Norma Mag. I see ammo is pretty scarce, but a company named Conley has some pretty zippy stuff ie- in 125-130 gr. running 3300 fps. Comments on either? I know the Norma is most popularly known as a necked down .338 Win Mag. Just curious if this would be a viable shooter. I suppose you could get creative with hand loads?
Thanks,
S-A

 

[stonecreek]

The dimensions of the .308 Norma vary only slightly from a .30/.338 Winchester. Schematics show the shoulder of the Norma to be 1/2 degree sharper and the case to be a tiny fraction longer. In the end, there is probably as much difference between two given .308 Norma reamers as between the Norma and one for a 30/338. In case capacity, it falls just about in between the .300 H&H and the .300 Winchester. And in my experience with both of those calibers, their velocities run within 50-75 fps of one another at the same pressures. The .308 Norma (or .30/338, whichever you prefer to call it) is a cinch to reload using either necked down .338 cases or necked-up 7mm Rem cases.

I don't have much use for very light bullets in a .30 Magnum, but you can do close to 3300 fps with a 150 and 3050 fps or so with a 180 with the Norma case, depending on how "fast" your barrel is.

 

[Anonymous]

Stonecreek,
Thanks for the information. I like to experiment with bullet weights/types. I shoot 150's and up in my .30-06. 140's and up in my 7mm RM, 250 Scenar in my .338 LM (sometimes 300 if not going wayyyy out there). 110 V-max in my 6.8 SPC's. I know the Norma was the rage for a short time. I suspect just before the .300 and .338 Win Mag came on the commercial scene. With the seeming lack of commercial ammo, I'm just wondering if I want to build this action up. But, I would still have my original .30-06 barrel. Basically, I can take it that it hangs in there with those contemporaries, but just fell from popularity? Well, I'll see if I make the cut on getting the barrel.
Thanks again,
S-A

 

[stonecreek]

I'm not clear about your reference to your original '06 barrel, but remember, the .308 Norma requires the .530" "magnum" bolt face. If you enlarge a bolt face to accomodate it, you can't go back to the .473" .30-06 size.

The .308 Norma was extremely popular for rechambering (and bolt altering) in Springfield rifles when so many of them were available as surplus in the 1950's. At the time, it was the only commercial " short" magnum, meaning a magnum head with a case length and overall length essentially the same as a .30-06 so that it would fit in 3.35" magazines. That's why its popularity for rechambering Springfields.

BTW, all of the owners of those "sporterized" Springfields now wish they had been left alone since a Springfield in original military configuration is worth a lot more than the chopped up ones nowadays.

 

[Anonymous]

Stonecreek,
Thanks again. I've been online doing a lot of "looking" at this particular cartridge. The mod to the bolt face blew right by me I guess in order to have this it should really be in a full action and I should leave my '06 alone. I guess that's why over the years it appears that the .308 Norma was a flash in the pan. Bolt face altering is somewhere I don't want to go.
Thanks for the additional thought. I think I'll keep looking for a Finnbear Deluxe 375 H&H barreled action and be done with it.
Appreciate it,
S-A