Just about to start loading some up for the first time and want to make sure I have it right. Start with 300 win mag brass, bump the shoulder back in the norma dies untilll they chamber in my rifle. Trim to length and load ( prime, charge etc..) Am I missing any thing? Same for starting with 338 mag except I heard they will be short? Thanks for the help
Posts: 100 | Location: anchorage,alaska,USA | Registered: 15 April 2002
I don't think you're missing anything. I had a .308 Norma once, and made some brass for it from .375 H&H cases the same way you describe. If you set the shoulders back gradually until you can just close the bolt, you will be using the shoulder rather than the belt for headspacing, and your brass should last a long time. As far as using .338 brass is concerned, I know that the .30/.338 wildcat made by necking the .38 to .30, is almost identical to the .308 Norma as far as capacity and loading data is concerned, but I don't recall if it comes out a little shorter in overall case length, which is what I understand your question to be. It should be long enough, however!
Everyone expected the .300 Winchester Magnum to be just a .338 necked to .30, but when it arrived, lo and behold, it was longer! I guess Winchester didn't want to bring out just another version of the .308 Norma! Too bad! The .300 Winchester has pretty much made the .308 Norma obsolete, when in fact the Norma round is just as good as, if not better than, the Winchester cartridge!! I like the slightly longer neck of the Norma case, for example.
I agree, and take it further to say that Winchester made a mistake in not buying both the 308 norma and 358 norma from Norma and making them production, they are a great pair of catridges. I have a very pretty 03 in 308 norma sitting in the safe with a Leupold fixed 7x scope on it, been in there for 3 years and shot 5 times!! I have 200 rounds of unfired brass for it, just haven't gotten around to loading for it.
When I got mine it was because my stepfather already has one on an 03 and his brother has one on a mauser mark x. Now I hear the brother is going to sell his. Might try to get my friend to buy it as his first "hunting" rifle.
Red
Posts: 4740 | Location: Fresno, CA | Registered: 21 March 2003
I agree, and take it further to say that Winchester made a mistake in not buying both the 308 norma and 358 norma from Norma and making them production, they are a great pair of catridges. I have a very pretty 03 in 308 norma sitting in the safe with a Leupold fixed 7x scope on it, been in there for 3 years and shot 5 times!! I have 200 rounds of unfired brass for it, just haven't gotten around to loading for it.
When I got mine it was because my stepfather already has one on an 03 and his brother has one on a mauser mark x. Now I hear the brother is going to sell his. Might try to get my friend to buy it as his first "hunting" rifle. Red
Yes, Winchester made a mistake! In that time frame, they were into making mistakes bigtime, vis the "post '64" M 70, etc.!!!
They will be short using 338 Win Mag cases. The specs for both leaves the 308 Norma with the shoulder to chamber gap .040" short which leaves a loooong stretch to fireform. You can do it but brass life will be quite short.
Posts: 1261 | Location: Placerville, CA, US of A | Registered: 07 January 2001
Quote: They will be short using 338 Win Mag cases. The specs for both leaves the 308 Norma with the shoulder to chamber gap .040" short which leaves a loooong stretch to fireform. You can do it but brass life will be quite short.
Yes. Betterf to make .308 Norma from .300 Win. brass. I have even made it from .375 H&H brass, and it turned out OK, but trimming that much off is a pain!
I have made literally hundreds of 308 Norma Cases from 300 Win Mag brass, in just the way described. Bump the shoulder back till it's enough, and trim to length. If you are doing a large number of cases, you will wish you had a power trimmer, though!! LOL. Regards, Eagleye.
