300 Norma initial testing

Alright, here's the report from the first range day with the 300 Norma conversion in my desert tech srs a-1.
Shot a ladder test at 622 yards. Mostly was trying to determine where pressure would be, and get a ballpark tune, looking for flat vertical and velocity nodes. I don't get really serious about load development until the barrels got around 100 rounds or so and is settling in.
ES tactical 300nm 32" barrel
Lapua brass (virgin)
HBN coated Berger hybrid 215's
Fed 215 primers
VihtaVuori N565 and N570 powders.
LabRadar chrono.
I ran the N565 powder up to 3207fps at 86.0 grains with a couple of promising flat spots around 84.0-85.0 grains average of 3158fps. Never experienced any stiff bolt and had very very faint ejection on the brass.
I ran the N570 up to 3363fps! Again NO stiff bolt and faint ejection marks on brass. 87.5-89.0 had 2.5" of vertical dispersion and 89.5-91.0 had 1.25".
I'll analyze things further and decide where to go from here. Here's some pics...

I want to see the target! Good starting info to know. I am starting on one pushing the 230s here in a couple weeks.

lancetkenyon said:

I want to see the target! Good starting info to know. I am starting on one pushing the 230s here in a couple weeks.

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I use the bullseye cam, so the target may look confusing. A time or two i had to make changes to the scope to keep rounds from going high and off target and to keep up with changing winds. Here's a sample. For reference the orange dot is 2".
Tomorrow I'm gonna shoot some more and validate my findings from today.

I am on my 3rd Norma but have yet to try that powder. Running retumbo and h1000. Tuning in to watch!!

What twist barrel ?
Did you measure the brass before and after you fired it ?
I'd be interested to see how much less powder it takes after that brass has formed to your chamber.
Nice rig !

It's a 9 twist. Head space virgin brass 2.065", after firing 2.074
Brass length virgin 2.485, after 2.494

Remmy700 said:

I am on my 3rd Norma but have yet to try that powder. Running retumbo and h1000. Tuning in to watch!!

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3rd Norma!
How was barrel life?
I'm only getting 3100 fps with the 215's (HBN coated) in a 26" barrel with Lapua brass and 92 grains N570.
I'm getting 3060 with H1000 and will probably stick with it if it'll make the barrel last longer

blackaj said:

3rd Norma!
How was barrel life?
I'm only getting 3100 fps with the 215's (HBN coated) in a 26" barrel with Lapua brass and 92 grains N570.
I'm getting 3060 with H1000 and will probably stick with it if it'll make the barrel last longer

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N570 seems to be slower burning/cooler temp than H1000 to me, even slower than Retumbo but with more velocity. Like Reloder 33 without the temp sensitivity and carbon fowling, 33 was very dirty for me in RUM's and Edges but fast.

blackaj said:

3rd Norma!
How was barrel life?
I'm only getting 3100 fps with the 215's (HBN coated) in a 26" barrel with Lapua brass and 92 grains N570.
I'm getting 3060 with H1000 and will probably stick with it if it'll make the barrel last longer

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Can't really comment on barrel life as the most I have put through first two was just couple hundred rounds and then I move them as I never keep nothing long. I always seem to stay in the low 3100s with 215s and low 3000s with 225s running H1000. I am doing load work now on my newest one and going to run 215s in it as well.

Who did your barrel? Also in a SRS-A1 and looking to get into either or both a Norma 300 Mag and Norma 338 Mag when I get back from an expatriate role in the Czech Republic.

I had about same rig as you last 300 Norma I had. DTA SRS A1 with SAC barrel

I've had 4 300NM built (on my 5th now). N570 is a match made in heaven for the Norma! I just found a ton of RL26 so I'm looking forward to seeing what it will do too. RL33 gives great speed and accuracy but the temp issues are annoying to deal with and as others have stated it's pretty dirty.

Wedgy said:

N570 seems to be slower burning/cooler temp than H1000 to me, even slower than Retumbo but with more velocity. Like Reloder 33 without the temp sensitivity and carbon fowling, 33 was very dirty for me in RUM's and Edges but fast.

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VVN570 is a pretty cruel on throats powder and isn't as clean as one thinks, its actually really dirty compared to h1000 from what ive seen. the most recent powder chart puts the vvn570 into the roughly the same burn rate or one point slower than retumbo

Elk Hunter 338 said:

VVN570 is a pretty cruel on throats powder and isn't as clean as one thinks, its actually really dirty compared to h1000 from what ive seen. the most recent powder chart puts the vvn570 into the roughly the same burn rate or one point slower than retumbo

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So by what you are saying there is no real benefit unless N570 is in hand to swap from H1000 or Retumbo??