I once owned one. I consioder the cartridge superior to the .300 Win. mag. It is shorter when loaded, it has a longer neck, and it will provide exactly the same performance as the .300 Win. with about 2 grains less powder. Excellent cartridge!! Go for it!

TBEAR99,

This is my candidate for the best all round hunting rifle calibre. See my post at http://www.accuratereloading.com/ubbthreads/showflat.php?Cat=&Number=804926&page=&view=&sb=5&o=&fpart=all&vc=1

I have a 308 Norma Mag in a classic custom FN M98, see pic below:


See my post at http://www.outbacktrack.com/viewthread.php?tid=340 and the link there to pics of this rifle.

My pet load is 75grs AR2231SC (available in the US as Hod 4831) using std primers and driving Hornady 180 gr SPBT (stock # 3072) projectiles @ a chronographed 3,100 fps. This is a great flat shooting, hard hitting hunting load. With a 300 yds zero it is +3" @ 100 yds, +4" @ 200 yds, +2.5" @ 250 yrs, 0 @ 300 yds, -4" @ 350 yds, -9" @ 400 yds, -24" @ 500 yds. The 308NM can (and does) produce these ballistics in a 24" barrel too whereas the 30cal hotshots of today really need a 26" or longer barrel to show a significant increase (incl incidently the 300 Wby) over the balistics of the 308NM.

I have had this rifle for 25 + years and have done quite a bit of hunting with it. Sure it's a bit overgunned for most game here in Australia but it drops game in a very satisfying way. The calibre is inherently accurate too (at one time, I believe quite popular in 1,000 yard shooting). Though there are still dedicated target/tactical shooters who are building these rifles, see http://www.users.bigpond.com/pdunnprs/default.html



Though now it is more popular in Europe (from whence it hailed) than in the US and Oz. But it is nevertheless a very fine calibre and now quite a classic (which for me adds to the attraction). Sure the 300 Win Mag is more popular and if I were to be buying one today the 300WM has a lot going for it. But the 308NM is a classic. I handload so ammo and cases (price) is not an issue.

If you're looking for a classic calibre that is a semi-wildcat (everyone's not going to have one) but for which factory headstamped cases are available (at a price) and something you can have built into a classic custom rife, then look no further. The 308 Norma Magnum (and its presecessor, the 30/338WM) is my candidate for the greatest big game of all time.

Magnum

If you're looking to "buy the ammo", then I'd skip the excellent .308 Norma and build a rifle chambered for .300 Winchester, for which factory ammunition is readily available in many places.

The .308 Norma provides virtually the same ballistics as the .300 Win, and has the advantage of fitting in "shorter" magazines a little better, but I think you'll find sources of .308 N ammunition few and far between, and it will be pricey compared to the more common .300 Winchester.

The chamber specs for .308 N vary very slightly from the .30-338 wildcat, but they vary by less than the manufacturing tolerances or the individual specs a die maker may use for either (.5 degree difference in shoulder angle and .04 difference in case length overall -- both are well within manufacturing variances so you can consider them the same cartridge.) The .308 Norma was exceedingly popular for rechambering and reworking Springfields back when you could pick up a good Springfield though DCM for twenty bucks. It, along with the .30-338, was a popular long-range benchrest cartridge. But neither of them has any real advantage over the slightly later and much more common .300 Winchester.

If you want to handload, however, the .308 is easily made from necked-up 7mm Rem brass, or preferably, neck-down .338 brass, as well as being formable by trimming .300 Winchester brass.