308 Norma Mag Question

walkersteelhead · 09-10-2003, 09:25 AM

Does anyone have any experiance with 308 Norma Mag.I know the brass is near impossible to get but anything else. A friend is thinking of rechambering his 30-.06.

Flatfish · 09-10-2003, 03:39 PM

Unless your friend likes to spend lots of money( or the rifle is a single shot), stick with the '06. The feed rails, magazine box, boltface, and extractor would need work.

If he wants one, have him buy a used 7mm mag and rebarrel. Anout the same cost, and you will most likely get a great shooting rifle out of the deal.

As far as the chambering goes, it is a great cartridge. Any time you have .308 bullets that weigh 180 grains near 3000 FPS, you have a superb arm in your hands.

Unless he is a real rifle buff( no cure for that disease) there are easier ways to get there from here.

That said, why not a 300 winchester mag. They are everywhere. Cheap. Tons of cheap ammo. Huge selection of ammo to choose from. And available pretty much everywhere a hunter would ever travel. Oh yeah, and 180 grains at 3000FPS.

Mark and the dog.

Don Becker · 09-10-2003, 03:40 PM

See my reply to "Shooting/Rifle Question" above. I have no problem (well, a small one . . . I'm cheep . . .) finding .308 Norma brass . . . . I just bought 20 rounds last weekend, at the gunshow, for $18.50. That's new brass . . . I like it when I can find once-fired for a little less on e-bay. I've also bought it from Midway and from Liberty. I love my .308 Norma Mag! I nahe plenty of brass to last me a long time now. Don

salmurai · 09-10-2003, 09:07 PM

With brass near impossible to find, why even think about it. The .308 Norma is a fine cartridge but just never made it. Sounds like he is just thinking about messing up a good 30/06. Go with flatfish. All he said is true. I'd go one better and get a used .300 Winchester and be happy.....

09-10-2003, 10:45 PM

Listen to Flatfish
If you want a 300 mag just buy a rifle that is allredy chambered for it. Tinkering with rifles was a hobby of mine and I did the work on all of my rechambered and wildcat rifles, with the exception of barrel work. I had Cliff LaBounty from LaBounty Precision Reboring do most of the barrel work.

Brass can be made from 300H&H cases or, if I remember right, 300win mag cases. Nerta? Is my CRS acting up?

walkersteelhead · 09-11-2003, 07:26 AM

Okay here is another question then what does anyone think about the 30-.06 ackley improved. According to cartidges of the world not much improvement.

09-11-2003, 07:29 AM

No need for it. You'll still have to do rail work if you ream out the chamber.
There is nothing wrong with the 30-06.

Flatfish · 09-11-2003, 07:44 AM

Can he shoot well enough to justify it?

Look, I used to shoot a lot. Several thousand rounds a year in live ammo practice and a zillion dry firings. For about 4-5 years.

At my peak, I could shoot about as far as the useful trajectory of an '06. The useful trajectory is right up to the point where the bullets begin to drop like rocks. 500 yards from a field rest is a long ways away. Unless the rifleman is capable( and none of this takes into consideration the increased recoil that must be dealt with) of real precision trigger work, then an unbelted cartridge is the way to go.

A hadlooaded '06 will get real close to 2900FPS with 180grain bullets. I dare you to tell the difference on an animal in the field. I double dare you to identify which wound was made with an '06 and which one was a 300 mag.

The marketing guys have done a good job of selling their concepts here folks. Prove it with a rifle first.

I wish I could still shoot as well as I did. Today, a 7x57n or 6.5x55 with heavy bullets shoots as far as I can point a rifle.Today, 300 yards is getting pretty long. I know this, because I prove it with a rifle.

Mark and the dog.

walkersteelhead · 09-11-2003, 08:40 AM

Thanks everyone you have answered my question. I got the answers I though I would get.