Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters Norma Powders

While hunting around for some medium to slowish burn rate stuff that pretty much everyone needs right now, I stumbled across some Norma powders that no one ever discusses at Midway. I've heard plenty about MRP, and it's usually included on burn rate charts, but Norma 201, 202, 203B, 204 and URP seem to have very little coverage in the manuals.

Hodgdon's current burn rate chart lists 200, 202 and 204.

Anyway, I bought the 202, 203B and URP on a whim but have no load data whatsoever for it.

Anyone got any opinions or find any load data for the stuff and what do you use these for? I've got a wide enough range of big game chamberings that I'm hoping to be able to put these to good use. Especially in the 6.5x55 while staying with the Swedish theme (bought a Husqvarna action for it the other day).

Dammit, now I found the load data:

http://www.norma.cc/en/Ammunition-Academy/Loading-Data/

I sometimes include Norma powders in my handloading articles. Just did one on the 6.5x55 for my column in GUNS, which will be out in a couple of months, which includes several Norma powders, as well as some Vihtavuori powders.

Ever tried N140 in the 300 Savage?

Thank you I'll keep an eye out for it. Reasonablish assumptions as to burn rates:

Norma 202 approximates IMR 4064 (on Hodgdon chart)

Norma 203B is somewhere in the N150 range?

Norma URP is near 204, which is RL19ish range?

Norma claims URP is a little less temp sensitive. Any truth there?

I've shot a lot of N201 in my 30x47's with 135's.

Compares quite close to VV-135.

The Norma powders are made by Bofors, the same Swedish plant that produces Alliant Reloder powders (except 17 and 33, which are made in Switzerland). The Normas seem to share some of the same characteristics as Reloder 19, 22 and 25: fine accuracy, top velocities, and some loss of velocity in cold temperatures. But Reloder 15 was reformulated a while back to be more temp-resistant, due to demands from the military, and is pretty good, so there's no reason they can't produce more temp-resistant powders.

The only Norma powder I've formally tested in cold weather was 204 and it lost over 100 fps from 70 to zero in a 165-grain .30-06 loads. Results with the others during range sessions at various temps from the 30's to 80's indicate they aren't in the same league as the Hodgdon Extremes as far as temp-resistance.

While Norma's max loads indicate URP is in the same burn-rate range as 204, according to Norma's data higher velocities can be attained with URP. I got almost 2900 from the 21" barrel of my 6.5x55 with 45.0 URP and the 130 AccuBond.

Another outstanding loads in my rifle is 45.0 204 and the 120 Ballistic Tip, for just under 3000 from the short barrel and very good accuracy. I came up with the load by breaking down a Norma factory round with the 120 BT that shot very well, and compared the charge to their data. The handload duplicated the factory ammo in accuracy and velocity.

45.0 Norma 203-B worked very well with the 85-grain Sierra, but not quite as well as 45.0 Varget in either velocity or accuracy. In fact the Varget 85-grain load was the most accurate tested, proving once again that well-balanced light bullets will shoot well in fast twists. My rifle has a 1-8 Lilja.

Yes I have. The results were very comparable to H-4895 using the same charge weights.

In my two rifles the H-4895 was slightly more accurate, but the results with N-140 were very good also.