300 Norma Build

[DangerRanger]

500$ on action cost is pretty small when you consider the life of a 300 norma rifle. You’re spending way more than that on ammo alone burning out the FIRST barrel.

 

[DangerRanger]

I'm on my third Norma mag improved now. Have zero regrets going the Improved route. My buddy has one built by Ryan Pierce and it shoots lights out. My first one was built by Mike at hells canyon, & My last two were built by Ty Shaw at flatlight precision and he's been great to work with. Ty also fire formed 200 pieces of brass for me for $200. That was an easy decision hahaha.

This is my original one, but I had Ty rebarrel it to his reamer. It's on a lone peak fuzion TI. Don't recommend a TI action. Won't do that again.
View attachment 547753

This is the newer one that Ty should have finished up any day. My absolute no corners cut build.
BAT Vesper
Adjustable KS1
Benchmark Med Palma 9.5 twist finished at 26"
Hawkins Hunter bottom metal and mags.
View attachment 547755

I’m jealous you got a ks1 stock alone. When I called him he wouldn’t sell me one unless I did a full build

 

[Longranger2]

with a high volume of warm loads yes. most people probably won't shoot enough for it to happen. But after I would fix the ignitions on kelblys they were only a few hundred cheaper than a borden. But still not the quality of the borden. I figure a few hundred bucks more is nothing once you factor in the cost for the rest of the build and optics. Let alone the hunts youll be taking it on etc. So Im no longer building on Kelblys for anything. Pierce Engineering, Defiance, Borden, Bat, and then Impact whenever they actually show up is what Ill build rifles on currently.

Wish we kind of knew that before we purchased a barreled action and stock is just completed for inletting.

 

[goldylox]

Wish we kind of knew that before we purchased a barreled action and stock is just completed for inletting.

I will bet you will be fine. I feel like a lot of these rifles are just simply built over kill. 95% of people will simply not shoot enough to experience issues with high round counts.

 

[Flyjunky]

I will bet you will be fine. I feel like a lot of these rifles are just simply built over kill. 95% of people will simply not shoot enough to experience issues with high round counts.

I guess I don’t understand that reply. Why would someone build a custom gun in that cartridge range and not shoot it a lot? In my mind you don’t have a custom built and not have everything possible done to it to maximize its accuracy. Why not just buy factory?

 

[762 ULTRAMAGA]

Chosing an action is like building a house, cheap out on the concrete foundation and the entire builds gonna have issues

 

[goldylox]

Chosing an action is like building a house, cheap out on the concrete foundation and the entire builds gonna have issues

I totally agree with this. But there are a lot of good actions out there. And some seem slightly overkill. You wouldn’t pour a 12” stem wall for a foundation either.

 

[Flyjunky]

I totally agree with this. But there are a lot of good actions out there. And some seem slightly overkill. You wouldn’t pour a 12” stem wall for a foundation either.

What do you mean by overkill?

 

[goldylox]

What do you mean by overkill?

Large, heavy, unnecessary.

 

[Flyjunky]

Large, heavy, unnecessary.

Maybe for some cartridges but other actions such as your big 30’s, 338’s, etc they need to be able to handle the pressure and are built as such.

There’s all kinds of options out there and that’s a great thing for us.

 

[ID_Matt]

I'm on my third Norma mag improved now. Have zero regrets going the Improved route. My buddy has one built by Ryan Pierce and it shoots lights out. My first one was built by Mike at hells canyon, & My last two were built by Ty Shaw at flatlight precision and he's been great to work with. Ty also fire formed 200 pieces of brass for me for $200. That was an easy decision hahaha.

This is my original one, but I had Ty rebarrel it to his reamer. It's on a lone peak fuzion TI. Don't recommend a TI action. Won't do that again.
View attachment 547753

This is the newer one that Ty should have finished up any day. My absolute no corners cut build.
BAT Vesper
Adjustable KS1
Benchmark Med Palma 9.5 twist finished at 26"
Hawkins Hunter bottom metal and mags.
View attachment 547755

Curious what you didn't like about the lone peak titanium. I have 2 of them on much smaller rounds (7saum/6.5 creed). Have not seen any issues yet through 2,000 rounds or so but maybe it is more linked to the larger powder burners.

 

[Team4LongGun]

I had one built on a Kelbly and it’s stupid accurate. Very pleased

 

[J&A Outdoors]

We've built a few 300 norma's off the kelbly - as well as several 338 lapua ai. One is nearing its end of life, we will have to pull the barrel to check for lug setback - all in all, very pleased with kelbly in the lapua bolt face!

 

[762 ULTRAMAGA]

I totally agree with this. But there are a lot of good actions out there. And some seem slightly overkill. You wouldn’t pour a 12” stem wall for a foundation either.

For sure just match your action specs to your cartridge is my point, just like you're supposed to use 8" stem walls for a 2 story house but cheap asses try to get by with 6".
In the end if you don't do it right initially it'll end up costing you more to fix, I've learned this firsthand.

 

[huntnful]

Curious what you didn't like about the lone peak titanium. I have 2 of them on much smaller rounds (7saum/6.5 creed). Have not seen any issues yet through 2,000 rounds or so but maybe it is more linked to the larger powder burners.

It’s just not near as smooth as a steel action. And I think it shows pressure signs early honestly. I just have it DLC coated after the last season, and it feels much smoother now.

But with a Bat Vesper and Kelbly Nanook coming in at 26oz, there’s no reason to go titanium for me anymore.

I also had a DLC coated short action Fuzion TI and it was very smooth. My action on my Norma was rough as hell though, especially in the freezing winter hunts

 

[Mike D Texas]

If you aren't using Unknown Munitions DBM bottom metal for your NMI you're wrong

What am I wrong about?


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[Mike D Texas]

I built my NMI on a Borden Bigfoot action. It’s nice but nowhere near as smooth as my Kelbly action on another rifle.


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[Piercision Rifles]

I built my NMI on a Borden Bigfoot action. It’s nice but nowhere near as smooth as my Kelbly action on another rifle.


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Might not be quite as smooth as a kelbly but its a much straighter and better built action. Theyre a dead straight action when measured with the barrel in the lathe. Itll smooth out a bit though after you get some rounds/cycling down it. The ignition on them is perfect and clean as well. .250+ firing pin travel, strong enough firing pin spring and generally zero to just a few thou cock on close. Itll hold some serious pressure as well. No comparison in the quality over a kelbly.

 

[762 ULTRAMAGA]

What am I wrong about?


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Unknown munitions designed their centerfeed M5 DBM around lapua and NM Ackley improved cartridges.
You'll never have a feeding issue with that setup regardless of the shoulder angle

 

[762 ULTRAMAGA]

I'd take Ryan's advice, if there were ever a builder who truly knows what he's doing its him.