Peterson Cartridge Co. of Pittsburgh, PA today announced the addition of .300 Norma Magnum to its growing family of rifle casing calibers.

When Peterson Cartridge set out to produce .300 Norma Magnum casings (which it recently introduced) it also added .338 Norma Magnum to the Tooling Development schedule. The .338s are now available, and initial test results are excellent.

According to Derek Peterson, president of Peterson Cartridge, “Our development goal for both of the Norma Magnum calibers was to produce casings that outperform the competitor’s product … and we did it. We make our Norma Magnums with a harder head. Our casings tolerate higher pressure. And you’ll get more reloads from Peterson casings.”

When Peterson produces a casing in a new caliber for the first time, it performs an extensive list of Quality Assurance tests and trials before making it available for sale. One of those trials involves the following:

• Load 5 cases at certain percent above Max pressure and fire each five times.
• Take 3 of those casings, increase the pressure, and fire each, five more times.
• Take one of those casings, increase the pressure again, and fire that casing 10 more times.

After running this protocol on the new .300 Norma Magnums Peterson’s ballistician reported the following:

• Standard Deviation on muzzle velocity was single digit.
• There was no detectable heavy-bolt-lift, sticking in the rifle, primer gas leaks, blown primers, cracked necks or bodies, or case-head-separation signs throughout testing.
• Primer pocket removal force showed only very minor reduction due to pockets opening up.

After firing the last case 20 times, at above recommended powder levels, the case appeared the same as it did after the third firing. The ballistician concluded, “These cases were found to be strong, durable, well-made cases that should satisfy the most discriminating shooter.”

Developed by George Gardner of G.A. Precision and based off the Ruger Compact Magnum case, the 6.5 PRC was created for use in the Precision Rifle Series matches. This new cartridge quickly gained favor as some dubbed it a magnum version of the 6.5 Creedmoor. Big game hunters also took notice of the 6.5 PRC’s ability to approach .264 Winchester Magnum and 6.5-300 Weatherby’s performance, while using less powder and generating less recoil.

Derek Peterson, President of Peterson Cartridge states, “The 6.5 PRC is well suited for PRS competition, allowing competitors to send heavy for caliber projectiles at velocities just under the 3,200 FPS speed limit for PRS.” Peterson continues, “Big game hunters have also discovered that the 6.5 PRC effectively bridges the gap between the 6.5 Creedmoor and the larger magnums such as the 6.5-300 Weatherby, 6.5 Remington Magnum and the .264 Winchester Magnum. We were not satisfied with the brass on the market for the 6.5 PRC, so we made our own with the same consistent internal volume and durability as the rest of our casings. We hope you like them.”