.300 Norma or .300 RUM (can’t decide!!!) What

I have seen lots of good comments about him and his work. Also, seems to be a bit lower in his prices compared to other gun builders out there. The Norma Improved is a good way to go in my opinion.
+1 For Ryan's builds and his new 300 Norma Improved. I have 3 of his rifles in 3 different calibers and all 3 are tack drivers!

There was one on available on the Guns for Sale post not too long ago.
 
Ok so I'm getting the proof carbon wrap 28" in 1:9 twist sendero profile. Had a good run with the proofs so I'm sticking with em. Action I'm going with a Defiance Deviant Hunter and a Mcmillan Game Scout or Warden. Just need to decide on the caliber lol! Leaning towards a standard Norma ‍♂️
 
Ok so I'm getting the proof carbon wrap 28" in 1:9 twist sendero profile. Had a good run with the proofs so I'm sticking with em. Action I'm going with a Defiance Deviant Hunter and a Mcmillan Game Scout or Warden. Just need to decide on the caliber lol! Leaning towards a standard Norma ‍♂️
While I would do the Lapua AI if I wanted the absolute most performance, the standard Norma is fantastic, I have the 338 flavor. Super easy to load for and not picky at all, I loaded 4 different powders and they all grouped well under an inch, I just can't make the thing shoot bad. Now it shoots bugholes, in the .2's with 5 shot groups. With trying 4 different powders, it still took less than 50 rounds total to find this load. Plus it just looks cool!!
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While I would do the Lapua AI if I wanted the absolute most performance, the standard Norma is fantastic, I have the 338 flavor. Super easy to load for and not picky at all, I loaded 4 different powders and they all grouped well under an inch, I just can't make the thing shoot bad. Now it shoots bugholes, in the .2's with 5 shot groups. With trying 4 different powders, it still took less than 50 rounds total to find this load. Plus it just looks cool!! View attachment 134206
You've got some nice toys Cody.
 
My thoughts mirror Alex's. The one Lapua makes brass for. I really like the norma improved. Heres a couple reasons why. Fireforming loads w factory ammo shoot under .5 moa no problem. I have countless groups in the .1s and .2s w factory ammo while test firing customers rifles before they ship out. Its way shorter coal than the rum. VERY easy to tune. I have several loads that shoot under an inch at 400 yds, off the bipod. I can find a new 1/4 moa or better load with a new combo in 25 rounds or less. I have loads with the 215 berger that are 3200 fps w n570 and shoot 1/4 moa or better. H1000 and 215 berger at 3100 averages 3/4" at 400. My 230 berger load is a very mild 2930 fps. However the first load I tried after the ladder test was .764" @ 400 yards off the bipod and the SD is very good. The 230 berger and n570 had a 3 grain node at 400 yds that had 1.00" vertical. 1.5 gr spread had .3" vertical. VERY wide nodes. The lapua brass is dang near indestructible. My reloading scale drifted 3 gr over a warm load. I had to hit the bolt with my hand to get it to open. The primer pocket was still tight. As soon as I saw the chrono number I knew something was wrong. I took another piece of brass and tested it with a 230 @ 3100 fps with Retumbo, 91 gr. That's definitely a warm load. I had 14 firings on that piece of brass with that load and the primer pocket was still tight, barely felt different than brand new. I got tired of wasting the time seeing how long it will last and simply came to the conclusion that if a guy has normal loads the brass will last forever. The first batch of dies I received from "Company A" wouldn't size the body dimensions and you would get a click after a few reloads due to essentially just neck sizing. They said my brass was undersized which is why their dies wouldn't size my brass. Well I had JGS and Warner Tool and Die measure my brass and according to their optical comparators it was only .0001/ one tenth of a thou from reamer print. Essentially perfect. I then measured the inside of the dies w pin gauges and they were indeed off spec and dang near the size of my reamer. After confronting them with this evidence they are offering a full refund to me and my customers. I then contacted Hornady to make me some custom dies. I got a sample die in a while back and it sized it perfectly and made really straight ammo. Im getting a big run of dies made by Hornady and should have them soon. Im also having Warner Tool and die make me some dies as well. Right now turnaround times are August delivery on rifles since parts are instock.
 
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Out of the big 30s if there could only be one, Id take the 30 Nosler. No fireforming, no custom die problems, fits in a magazine, ADG brass, pushes a 215 3100, and no lapua action needed. It fits the bill in every area. Now if you want to get a lapua bolt faced action, fire form brass, buy custom dies, then you can play with the Norma improved. Its a great round and I am building them (for me too), but for PRACTICAL purposes the 30 Nosler is tops in my book. If your starting fresh, the Norma improved is a sweet case and will definitely out run the Nosler. I look at the 30 Nosler as the easy button and the 300 Norma as the hot rod.

I did not know ADG was making rum brass, (not a 300 rum guy) that brass is at the lapua level, but a rum is a single shot case, too long for a repeater.
 
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Throated where I like, to keep the pressure ring of the bullet in the resized portion of the neck, a rum with a 215 is about 3.950" and an edge with a 300 is over 4". Any shorter and you push the pressure ring of the bullet all the way through the sized part of the neck and loose control of your neck tension. And a rum is really better sized for the 230 in my opinion. Personally I would rather have the rifle throated correctly than have 2 in the mag. I dont say single shot as a negative, it produces a better rifle in my opinion. I like about .050 room in a box, so 3.775 in the wyatts is about max for me, right about where the 28 and 30 noslers end up when throated right. The extra long 3.999 box is pushing it with regaurds to bolt stroke and they tend to want to bind with so much bolt out of the raceway, so I dont use them.
 
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