Thread: Norma 8x57 ammo

Back when i bought my mighty 8x57 I had some ammo come with it.
Shot a bit of it off but have some left.
I might add I haven't shot any of this.
I have about a half packet of it. Steel jacket with a big lead tip.
Not worth sighting in for so...
1-is it typical norma quality-ie it go's ok?
2- if it goes OK, anybody got any more?
Otherwise I try a shot down range and if it's close enough at a hundy use it appropriately.

This stuff is going to be a short range hammer.

I’d go for option 3.
Fire one shot at 50. Assume the group will be 3” across at that range.
So if its within 2” of the aim point then its good to go for big deer out to 25.
R**R

Hammer of Thor

They will hammer the deer, they are similar to the dual core only they are lead tipped not plastic tipped.
Norma used to make a few calibres with the mild steel jackets many years back. I used to get the 270 130 gr lead tip tri clad back then and they were pretty mean killers opening up with plenty of sharp cutting edges. Test a couple then try on a deer or two.

Yeah I'll have to get out to try them out a deer. Been even slacker than usual lately sad to say

So anyone got any ammo or maybe some projectiles?

Remember the plastic pointed 196 grain ammo? It had a yellow ball shaped plug and hit like a crate of chainsaws.

The days before I even knew there were bc's...

Just remembered that I have a 8x57 Mauser b type sporter in the safe, that I’ve never fired.


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In days gone by (like nearly 40 years ago) I shot quite a bit of this ammo, along with RWS H mantle 196s from a sporterised VZ-33 (so 19" barrel). It killed stuff pretty good, but was "dangerous at both ends" and probably responsible for a flinch that took years to get rid of . . . .

Originally Posted by Tentman

In days gone by (like nearly 40 years ago) I shot quite a bit of this ammo, along with RWS H mantle 196s from a sporterised VZ-33 (so 19" barrel). It killed stuff pretty good, but was "dangerous at both ends" and probably responsible for a flinch that took years to get rid of . . . .

I hear you. Mine was a bit snappy with the geco 185s. They are up there if they do what the box says.
A cheek riser and recoil pad sorted it out well.

So silly question, which one of the new norma projectiles would they be close to, alaska or vulcan?
Oryx is bonded so doubt it would be like them

Originally Posted by MSL

Just remembered that I have a 8x57 Mauser b type sporter in the safe, that I’ve never fired.

How do you forget something like that - huge inventory?

Yeah I have a box or two of those.. also thier better looking 198gr hollow point cousins..

Jackets are too hard and thick for any nz game IMO.. couple this with a very slow MV especially from a carbine length barrel and I'd be willing to bet you'd get a lot of penciling pass throughs.
Do yourself a favour and shoot them off and load some modern lighter 150gr projectiles into the good brass.

Originally Posted by Basenjiboy

How do you forget something like that - huge inventory?

No. Just have a number of wood/blue open sighted rifles in gun socks.


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Originally Posted by Wingman

Yeah I have a box or two of those.. also thier better looking 198gr hollow point cousins..

Jackets are too hard and thick for any nz game IMO.. couple this with a very slow MV especially from a carbine length barrel and I'd be willing to bet you'd get a lot of penciling pass throughs.
Do yourself a favour and shoot them off and load some modern lighter 150gr projectiles into the good brass.

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Cheers for that. The lightest I'm considering are the 170sst.
It's either that or nudging 200.
Interesting the conflicting experiences.
I've heard the old 165gr vulkans were nasty pieces of kit that did heaps of damage and if the packet is right up just past 2800.
My barrel is 21 3/4 I think from memory.
It's seemed to be a standard size when I looked it up