Norma ammunition news 2023: new hunting and sporting ammunition – We have all the details (with product videos)

The renowned premium ammunition brand Norma has also been part of Beretta Holding since mid-2022. In recent years, the Swedes have not only introduced many new loads of their long-proven hunting and sporting classics, but also many new developments such as the Norma Bondstrike or the Norma GTX match bullet, each with very good ballistic properties. Norma will be presenting no less exciting ammunition innovations for 2023 at IWA:

1. There are caliber extensions for the lead-free all-round Norma Ecostrike bullet Four new loads in the fast 6.5 and .270 calibers suitable for long ranges will be added in 2023.

2. Norma is also transforming its classic Alaska partially jacketed bullet into the new Whitetail ammunition range, which will be available in all markets worldwide from 2023.

Norma Ecostrike: lead-free, mass-stable hunting ammo in the new 6.5 and .270 calibers for long ranges

Since 2015, the lead-free all-round Norma Ecostrike hunting cartridge has been available in 12 calibers so far. The bullet, made of copper and nickel, has established itself as an alternative to Norma's lead-containing and also mass-stable Oryx, with which it shares hunting effectiveness, ballistics and behavior in game body. With an almost 100 percent weight retention, the bullet ensures deep penetration and good stalking signs.

The green polymer tip of the Norma Ecostrike, together with its boattail, helps the bullet achieve a particularly flat trajectory. When it comes to high ballistic coefficients, the Swedes are the absolute specialists anyway, as we know from developments such as the Norma Bondstrike and the Norma Xtreme LR-22 long-range rimfire ammunition. But more on that in a moment.

Norma is now adding four calibers to the already extensive caliber range of its Ecostrike lead-free hunting cartridge, which are also known from the popular long-range sector: the fast 6.5x55 SE, 6.5 Creedmoor, .270 Win. and 270 WSM. These calibers in particular have been experiencing an increasing upswing in recent years, and not only among sport shooters. The 6.5X55 SE is already popular as a hunting caliber in the Nordic countries, and in 6.5 Creedmoor the lead-free bullet has now been released in Norway and Finland for hunting big game. The fast, powerful .270 Win. and 270 WSM calibers are traditionally popular in the U.S., but should find new friends on other continents as well. By the way, the Norma Ecostrike bullets are also available for reloaders.

New calibers and bullet weights for Norma Ecostrike in 2023:

Alaska becomes Norma Whitetail: effective soft point bullets with high accuracy and attractive price-performance ratio

In the small Swedish town of Åmotfors, top-class ammunition has been developed and produced for 117 years now. Norma can look back on an extremely long experience when it comes to premium ammunition – both in Europe and in the USA. For example, the hunting ammunition series called Norma Alaska has been a classic not only among Swedish hunters since the 1940s. Now it is being integrated into the existing Norma Whitetail series of the same type: un-bonded partially jacketed bullets with soft point for rapid expansion and thin jacket for controlled expansion – a strong knock-down effect and high penetrating power are guaranteed regardless of bullet velocity.

The revised bullet has a flat base for this purpose, which ensures consistent accuracy. Of course, the Whitetail also uses the Norma brass cases world-famous for their quality. The expanded Whitetail range now extends from small game to big game hunting, making the series an effective and affordable all-round family for all types of hunting that require accurate soft point bullets with fast expanding front cores.

Starting in early 2023, the Norma Whitetail will be available in the following 15 calibers: 5.6x52R, .243 Win., .257 Weatherby Mag, 6.5x55 SE, 6.5 PRC, 6.5 Creedmoor, 270 Win., 7 mm-08 Rem., 7mm Rem. Mag., .308 Win., .30-06 Spring., .300 Win. Mag., 8x57JS, 8x57JRS, 9.3x62. 

Norma Whitetail hunting ammunition – Calibers, bullet weights and availability

New rimfire cartridge for long-range: Norma Xtreme LR-22 in .22 LR with stable bullet ballistics

Finally, a rimfire caliber: the trend towards long ranges has recently also taken hold of the rimfire range. Norma has therefore developed a completely new cartridge, the design of which is based on its "big brothers" in the field of longe-range ammunition. A good 120 years of know-how flow into all new Norma cartridges, including the small representatives. The Norma Xtreme LR-22 is driven by a specially tuned powder for high velocities. An elongated bullet tip, together with a streamlined tail section, ensures optimum aerodynamics. Negative pressure at the base of the bullet is reduced, which should maintain the high velocity of the projectile for longer.

Finally, a higher bullet weight provides improved stability and minimal wind drift. As a result, the Norma Xtreme LR-22 achieves bullet ballistics that set a new accuracy benchmark in the rimfire range even beyond 200 meters. This also makes the Xtreme LR-22 interesting as a training cartridge for "big" long range shooters who want to experience these shooting characteristics at 300 meters as well. We are already excited and look forward to trying out the Norma Xtreme LR-22 rimfire cartridge, which is available now. 

Norma Xtreme LR-22 in .22 LR specs:

We will introduce you to the individual labs and bullets from Norma in more detail in the course of the year and integrate them into our tests wherever possible.

For more details on Norma's new ammunition please visit norma-ammunition.com.