24” 30cal help me decide

Plowboy85

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Alright fellas I need some help deciding on a 30cal to build for elk on down (could be moose someday) and want it to hit like the hammer of Thor. I recently sold my 300 NM and need to give Defiance specs for the action. Please don't scalp me but I am thinking a NM again but at 24". My intention for this gun is to be able to carry substantial amount of energy for 1k and in with likely the 230s and do it in a very packable gun. It will be in a lighter weight gun and Bartlein carbon wrapped barrel. I am fairly set on a 24" barrel and any suggestion on the best suited round? The gun will be a hunting rig and not shot routinely so throat wear or cartridge cost doesn't carry much weight for the decision, I can live with recoil and unburned powder as most magnums will result in at 24". Also I prefer not to fireform for improved style rounds. Kind of thinking out loud here and typing on a tablet so let's throw some sh@$ on the walls and see what sticks lol.
 
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If it were me - I'd skip the Norma and go 300 rum! I don't see any advantage that a Norma has over the RUM.
I've shot/developed loads for both cartridges in several rifles - the RUM just flat out gets it done! Velocities are so close beteeen the two I gravitate back to the RUM for the bolt face size, easy to find components.

Shove a heavy berger down in er' and let it eat!
 
Alright fellas I need some help deciding on a 30cal to build for elk on down (could be moose someday) and want it to hit like the hammer of Thor. I recently sold my 300 NM and need to give Defiance specs for the action. Please don't scalp me but I am thinking a NM again but at 24". My intention for this gun is to be able to carry substantial amount of energy for 1k and in with likely the 230s and do it in a very packable gun. It will be in a lighter weight gun and Bartlein carbon wrapped barrel. I am fairly set on a 24" barrel and any suggestion on the best suited round? The gun will be a hunting rig and not shot routinely so throat wear or cartridge cost doesn't carry much weight for the decision, I can live with recoil and unburned powder as most magnums will result in at 24". Also I prefer not to fireform for improved style rounds. Kind of thinking out loud here and typing on a tablet so let's throw some sh@$ on the walls and see what sticks lol.
Maybe 30 nosler?
Not sure how fast you want to go but from what I've seen with a few 300 prcs it should equal the 300 norma mag
 
With your mentioned set of requirements/preferences....

If you want a no fuss repeater and don't mind going with the larger action for the Norma, that is what I would get, I am shooting a 2" long bullet in my .338 Norma, and it easily fits in a 3.850" mag seated just off the lands.

On the other hand, If you don't mind single feeding, or spending some time finding a large bullet jump that shoots accurately, and/or having the bullet stuffed way down in the case, and want to stick with a standard action, the rum would be my go to.

Finding components for either is the same. Peterson and lapua make excellent brass for the Norma, and ADG makes excellent brass for the rum. Powder primers and bullets are the same for both.

There are other options that would mag feed better than a rum like the 300 prc or 30 nosler, but at that point your giving up some performance, and performance is what you seem to want. But of those two, I would choose the 30 nosler.

On the more radical side, if you don't mind single feeding and want a hammer, you could look at the 30xc, the Allen Magnum cartridges, maybe a simple neck down to 30-338 lapua, seated proper would get about 100fps+ over the Norma.

I have a 24" .338 Norma mag on a rem 700 action, fluted bolt, #5 Lilja spiral fluted, MBM 5 port TI beast brake, Manners EH-1 with 1" pad and two flushcups, bdl aluminum bottom metal, area 419 10" arca rail, a DNZ 1 piece scope mount and March 2.5-25x52, and it is right at 9.5 lbs ready to hunt. Everything else being the same, a Bartlien carbon barrel would make it a little heavier, maybe a few 10ths. My stock is 34oz bedded, scope is 25 oz, ring/base is 4 oz, rail is 4 oz. Hopefully that will give you a good idea as to where you will be and what you will need to do to make your weight goal!
 
With your mentioned set of requirements/preferences....

If you want a no fuss repeater and don't mind going with the larger action for the Norma, that is what I would get, I am shooting a 2" long bullet in my .338 Norma, and it easily fits in a 3.850" mag seated just off the lands.

On the other hand, If you don't mind single feeding, or spending some time finding a large bullet jump that shoots accurately, and/or having the bullet stuffed way down in the case, and want to stick with a standard action, the rum would be my go to.

Finding components for either is the same. Peterson and lapua make excellent brass for the Norma, and ADG makes excellent brass for the rum. Powder primers and bullets are the same for both.

There are other options that would mag feed better than a rum like the 300 prc or 30 nosler, but at that point your giving up some performance, and performance is what you seem to want. But of those two, I would choose the 30 nosler.

On the more radical side, if you don't mind single feeding and want a hammer, you could look at the 30xc, the Allen Magnum cartridges, maybe a simple neck down to 30-338 lapua, seated proper would get about 100fps+ over the Norma.

I have a 24" .338 Norma mag on a rem 700 action, fluted bolt, #5 Lilja spiral fluted, MBM 5 port TI beast brake, Manners EH-1 with 1" pad and two flushcups, bdl aluminum bottom metal, area 419 10" arca rail, a DNZ 1 piece scope mount and March 2.5-25x52, and it is right at 9.5 lbs ready to hunt. Everything else being the same, a Bartlien carbon barrel would make it a little heavier, maybe a few 10ths. My stock is 34oz bedded, scope is 25 oz, ring/base is 4 oz, rail is 4 oz. Hopefully that will give you a good idea as to where you will be and what you will need to do to make your weight goal!
Cody thanks for the detailed response. I do want it to feed from a BDL style floor plate. Did you notice any significant velocity loss to longer barrels in your 24" 338?
 
Cody thanks for the detailed response. I do want it to feed from a BDL style floor plate. Did you notice any significant velocity loss to longer barrels in your 24" 338?
Here is a comparison of two rifles I load for, both shooting 300 grain Bergers, one 28", the other my 24", shooting loads with identicle components, brass, powder, primers, everything. I went up higher in charge with the 28", but you can see the comparison of the ones with the same charge. H1000 powder. The 28" is a carbon six 6 groove 9 twist, mine is a 4 groove 9 twist.
20210103_222151.jpg
20210103_222117.jpg


Generally speaking, larger bores are a little more efficient. You may see more or less of a difference in a 30 cal varient.
 
Thanks again Cody, the 88gr load demonstrated the standard 25' per inch rule. I have loaded Hammers in a few guns and pleased with there accuracy as well as terminal performance. This build may run them and if so it may be limited to the 199s due to a 9 twist unless I spec out a tighter one. With that said a Norma may be l little over powered but it could be a laser at that speed.
 
Thanks again Cody, the 88gr load demonstrated the standard 25' per inch rule. I have loaded Hammers in a few guns and pleased with there accuracy as well as terminal performance. This build may run them and if so it may be limited to the 199s due to a 9 twist unless I spec out a tighter one. With that said a Norma may be l little over powered but it could be a laser at that speed.
The Rum will never let you down
 
For full disclosure, I really like 30 cals.
If you want to thump elk and the like, you should move up to a 33 cal.
Given your situation, what about a 338 NM? Would definitely hit with more ***.
 
I actually have thought about the 338NM, I reckon it's still on the table and not wrote off yet
My 24" 338 norma, has nearly 2700 ft lbs of energy......

At 1000 yards.

Check out this performance compared to the big 30's your looking at, this is around 9,000 ft elevation, where I hunt elk. If you want to put a big hurt on elk at a long ways, a .338 won't let you down!!
Screenshot_20210104-081356_Applied Ballistics.jpg
 
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