Hello, I picked uo some Norma 303 cal.-.311 diameter 130 grain soft point, semi pointed bullets. I also got a box of the same except 130 grain match grade soft point, pointed bullets. I was wondering if anyone has experience with these bullets. My guess is that they are over 40 years old. I looked online and they are no longer offered.
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You may find that you have to drive them quickly. Being short they may not feed from the magazine very well. As a hunting projectile they may work very well. Just remember your rifle is a battle rifle that used cordite so it may have to much wear for short projectiles. I use a 135gn HP with good success out of a No5 that had little to no use. Pigs fall over. 150 gn and heavier are better the 303 is not a varmit outfit.
Not specifically the Norma brand but I have tried various 125 / 130 g bullets and have been unsuccesful, 150g are a little better but I can only get consistent accuracy with the 'original' 174g.
The problem with our Milsurps that have had a life of cordite driven pills is the different erosion characteristics of cordite compared to our modern NC (Nitro Cellulose) powders.
'Regulations For Army Ordnance Services', Vol.3, Pam.11A (1949) comments:-
APPENDIX 15
USE OF .303-IN CORDITE AND N.C. AMMUNITION
1. The action of Cordite propellant in the barrel of a .303-in. weapon is quite different from that of N.C. propellant.
Cordite gives a rapid build-up of pressure with great heat, leading to pitting and erosion of the chamber end of the barrel.
N.C., however, gives a more gradual build-up of pressure with less heat, and this in turn gives uniformity of barrel wear from chamber to muzzle, the amount of pitting and erosion being greatly reduced.
2. With Cordite propellant, set-up of the bullet is most pronounced and even when the chamber end of the barrel is well worn, the muzzle end still has sufficient rifling left to impart the necessary spin. As the wear advances up the barrel, so the accuracy of the weapon is progressively reduced.
With an N.C. propellant, set-up of the bullet is slow and by no means so pronounced, due to the more gradual building up of pressure. The barrel retains its original accuracy until wear reaches a critical stage, when a sudden falling off in accuracy occurs.
3. It can be seen by comparison with the effects of barrel wear that to use N.C. ammunition in a barrel which has fired Cordite will give serious inaccuracy in flight, whereas the use of Cordite ammunition in a barrel which has fired N.C. gives good accuracy, but serious changed the wear pattern of the barrel.
In the first case, i.e. a weapon which has fired Cordite ammunition the barrel will be eroded and fissured in the first few inches up from the chamber, the part in which obturation should occur. The poor set-up of the bullet, in the N.C. cartridge is not sufficient to give good gas sealing in such a barrel and the bullet does not, therefore, receive the maximum impulse. The resultant loss in velocity and instability due to lack of spin lead to a high degree of inaccuracy.
In the second case, Cordite ammunition fired from a barrel which shows uniformity of wear from firing N.C. ammunition, has an adequate reserve of set-up that ensures full gas sealing, with satisfactory velocity and spin. Unless the barrel wear is in a advanced stage due to firing a large number of N.C. rounds, there will be no immediate appreciable loss in accuracy. Furthermore, the decline in accuracy for Cordite ammunition will follow the normal gradual fall-off experience in weapons firing Cordite alone, as the wear at C of R progresses.
4. Trials have proved that even if only a few rounds of Cordite ammunition are fired from an "N.C." barrel, the ensuing accuracy life when N.C. is subsequently fired is reduced considerably. The occasional and restricted use of N.C. in a "Cordite" barrel will however, have little effect on its ensuing accuracy life for Cordite, although naturally the fire of N.C. will not be very accurate.
5. The effect of wear of barrels can be determined by firing shots through a paper screen at 100 yards. If, on examination of the screen, all shot holes are not perfectly round, then the barrel is no longer fit for use.
The danger lies in the fact that bullets fired erratically from badly worn barrels may overcome their instability in flight and take up a steady flight in the direction in which they happen to be pointing, with short-ranging and disastrous results if used for overhead fire. Except under these conditions of long-range firing there is no risk involved, though in normal range firing inaccurate fire will result.
6. The following instructions regarding the use of .303-in ammunition have been issued to users and are governed by stocks and types of ammunition and weapons in current use:-
(a) .303 in. Vickers M.G.s in M.G. Bns.
(i)Mk.8z only will be used for overhead firing.
(ii) Mixed belts, i.e. Ball, Tracer, A.P., etc., will NOT be used.
(iii) Any barrel which has fired Cordite ammunition will NOT be used for N.C.; barrels will be stamped “7” on the trunnion block and returned to R.A.O.C. through normal channels.
(iv) Barrel life for N.C. will be assessed by unit armourers using the appropriate gauges.
(b) .303 in. Vickers M.G.s in A.F.V.s.
Here the overhead fire problem is not considered; the range is usually less than is the case with ground M.G.s. tracer ammunition is required as an aid to fire control, and prolonged fire programmes are not envisaged. Special mixed belts of Mk.8z and Tracer are provided in boxes clearly marked “For use in A.F.V.s only”. The reduced life of the barrels is accepted.
(c) Light M.G.s.
Cordite ammunition normally will be used. N.C. ammunition, however, gives a relatively small flash at night and if the Bren is being used for a special purpose, e.g., on a patrol, its use is permitted.
(d) Rifles.
N.C. ammunition will not be used in rifles except in such circumstances as quoted in para. “(c)”
above, if necessity should arise.
7. Belt packed S.A.A. for M.G.s is packed in boxes which are clearly marked with labels or stenciling indicating its proper use. It will never be de-belted and used for practice purposes in L.M.G.s or rifles.
8. It must be noted that the above restrictions apply only to ammunition fired from British weapons. All American ammunition is N.C. loaded and their weapons are designed to fire it satisfactorily.
Mine are not the best, but they are not too bad. I can think of lots of Enfields I'd rather have but instead of constantly striving for more, sometimes it's good to be satisfied with what one has...
I have tried "pulled" 7.62 x 39 bullets from several origins in .303. Being a much lighter bullet, you need to use a somewhat faster NC propellant than used for 174-180 gn bullets.
Then, once you have changed bullet weight (and "style") and propellant, the point of impact will generally be significantly changed.
Lee Enfields were BUILT AROUND the ammo; "One Round to Rule Them All"; so to speak.
Even the classic Oz "Heavy' SMLE barrel so beloved of vintage target shooters has a whole different set of behaviours compared with a FACTORY bedded standard barrel, Hence all of the weird "Bubba:" things done to the old girls to squeeze one more unicorn fart out of them. The standard rifle with original factory bedding, deliberately "loaded" the barrel to tune it for ONE cartridge; the ISSUED one. The bedding regime in the Heavy-barreled Oz SMLE sniper rigs is NOT the same as the standard rifle; NO inner band, for starters. And issued sniper rigs did NOT have the muzzle-hole in the nose-cap opened out with a rat-tail file to accommodate a piece of old garden hose as a "soft muzzle bearing", either.
The Norma 130gr bullet is one of the best hunting bullets I've tried in my .303 stalking rifle. The only bullet I like even nearly as much is the Hornady 174gr RNSP.
My stash of the 130's is, sadly long gone.
PM
