@bob-cohee yes you are correct on burning up the magnums pretty hard. I am leaving for a Brown Bear hunt on the Peninsula in 2 weeks and have a finicky 375 Ackley that I built 30 years ago that needed some tweaking. Finally have settled in on a final load yesterday that I have been working on for 2 months continuously with lots of issues/variables thrown in the mix(thank god I retired in November). I have personal ranges on my farm out to 400 yards and I am on the range most days. I am also simultaneously working on 2 different 6.5-300 Weatherby’s and a 6.5 RPM for 2 upcoming sheep/goat hunts. As far as a standard 215 or 215M or even a 210M Federal Primer being better than another I couldn’t actually tell you. I just use 210M’s for ‘06 type case heads and 215M’s for magnum case heads…..they have always worked well for me and as far as I’ve learned the M’s are held to tighter tolerances than the standard 210’s or 215’s so it can’t hurt to use them. The variables are bullets (although for trophy/paid hunts I prefer Nosler Accubonds for accuracy and penetration) and powder. I thought I had the Holy Grail of powders with RL 16 and a 300 grain Accubond for the 375 and accuracy but eventually ended up with a serious Carbon build up issue that I couldn’t justify on a hunt situation. Ended up going back to RL 22 with low carbon and ES around 10 and SD’s in the low single digits. I’ve been working on the 6.5mm cartridges for next year as a fill in while waiting for the 375 to cool down.
I just realized I never addressed your reference to Federal vs Winchester primers. As you have stated I never noticed a huge difference when switching primers of any kind but here in PA where I generally buy I never see Winchester primers for sale. It’s usually Federal or CCI or occasionally Remington. Most of my loads over the last 30 years have been with Federal so that is what I have stuck with even if I order on line; no need to add another variable. When I started reloading almost 50 years ago Remington was the only name in the game. I still have Remington 9 1/2 and 9 1/2 M’s in my inventory but they are antiques.
@bob-cohee not that it matters since it is not 1940 but I attached the page that adjusts for yearly inflation and list $205
I think you may have mis-read his post (again, not that it really matters) but his original post said 40 years ago (which would have been 1982) versus 1940.
just fyi..
296 powder available and on sale now. 4 lbs @ $120.99. https://www.natchezss.com/winchester-296-powder-4-lbs.html
A 5 dollar flat rate shipping code is FR042122. While it lasts.
I’m just getting set up to reload. Lots of good info here.
I also just came across a few boxes of the original Norma and CDM factory loads. Does anyone know what the specs of these loads were? I can’t seem to find that info. Thanks
I’m just getting set up to reload. Lots of good info here.
I also just came across a few boxes of the original Norma and CDM factory loads. Does anyone know what the specs of these loads were? I can’t seem to find that info. Thanks
The Norma ammo is good stuff and has been selling at collector prices for a long time. The powders and bullets they used are probably not available to handloaders.
The old CDM stuff is garbage and does not work reliably in most Auto Mags. Stay away from it. Good luck.
I’m just getting set up to reload. Lots of good info here.
I also just came across a few boxes of the original Norma and CDM factory loads. Does anyone know what the specs of these loads were? I can’t seem to find that info. Thanks
I have no firsthand experience with either. Norma ammo is reputed to be too hot, and a steady diet supposedly would lead to premature wear and/or damage. That is supposedly true of many other calibers they load for as well.
The CDM ammo was reportedly really dirty, cheap, junk ammo back in the day, and 40 years likely hasn’t done it any favors.
I think you will be fine shooting either one but I certainly wouldn’t recommend you buy either if you had the choice to buy SBR, or better yet, to reload yourself.
@bob-cohee thanks
Do you know what the ballistics are on the old factory ammo?
I have no idea what the ballistics of the CDM ammo is, I tried it once in my El Monte years ago and it would not cycle the pistol. 50 years after it was produced there is still lots of it around as it is not worth shooting.
As Mike said, the Norma is fairly hot as I remember, probably about what the SBR is I have shot. The SBR I have was purchased about four years ago and a pull down showed it to be 23.5 grains of H110/296 with a 240 grain XTP bullet. I feel, and Tim Bell at Auto Mag agreed, that this is maybe a little too hot for the original guns. I have some Corbon 44 AMP ammo and I feel the same about it. I have heard that SBR has lowered the load some but I do not know if that is true or not.
My suggestion is to keep the Norma ammo as is and load your own. 21.0 to 22.5 grains under a 240 grain bullet is fun to shoot. I tried 180 grain bullets but the 30 to 32 grains load is just too much blast for me but puts out a good light show. Bullets much above 240 grains aren't made for the Auto Mags as far as I am concerned, stay away from the 300 grains. JMO
Thanks for the info Bob and Mike
Found these in my local FLGS (friendly local gun store). How did I do? $25 out the door...
Clearly they weren’t paying attention to the insanity of the past few months. You did well!
Found these in my local FLGS (friendly local gun store). How did I do? $25 out the door...
Do they have any primers for sale at the old prices as well? 🙂
@bob-cohee I remember those days as well, wish we could turn back the clock and this time do a better job …
