Norma Whitetail

[novice]

Can anyone confirm what the difference is between the Whitetail line of ammunition introduced by Norma last year and their "standard" softpoint offering. I'm looking at the .243 100 grain specification.

The case and the bullet seem the same. Will they have changed the primer or the powder? I'm trying to establish how the Whitetail are selling for half the price of the original softpoint? If the Whitetail suit my rifle then I'm certainly not complaining, just trying to get my head around it.

Novice

 

[Muir]

Can anyone confirm what the difference is between the Whitetail line of ammunition introduced by Norma last year and their "standard" softpoint offering. I'm looking at the .243 100 grain specification.

The case and the bullet seem the same. Will they have changed the primer or the powder? I'm trying to establish how the Whitetail are selling for half the price of the original softpoint? If the Whitetail suit my rifle then I'm certainly not complaining, just trying to get my head around it.

Novice

The obvious answer: Email them and ask. ~Muir
(My guess: Flat based bullet. Thinner jacket.)

 

[Heym SR20]

I would suggest that given the name, Norma Whitetail is line of ammunition designed for the very price competitive American market for simple hunting ammunition to shoot whitetail deer.

I would suggest that the majority of American hunters are really not that concerned about rifles or ammunition. They simply get a tag or two a deer. Get the gun out of the cupboard, blow out of the cobwebs, go via the gunstore, buy a box of ammo and go hunting. They might fire a shot or two to check the gun still goes bang but that’s about it.

The shoot their deer, chop it up and put it in the freezer and that’s it for another year.

 

[8x57]

Yep, it sounds like an economy line aimed at the mass consumer market in the U.S.

 

[novice]

Thanks for the comments. I recognise the direction of the marketing, I'm just interested on exactly where they're economising. As Muir has suggested, I did initially think it was the actual bullet, but the Norma website makes specific reference to their trademarked "softpoint" bullet, which would infer it's the same as in their premium ammunition. While obviously in no way scientific, comparing loaded rounds from the whitetail and my regular norma ammo shows no discernible difference in the bullet. Appreciate pulling both rounds may give a better answer.

Just wondering if it's Norma almost producing a "loss leader" to get into the US volume market. At £26 per 20 for the Whitetail compared to £50+ for the standard Norma in a local outlet, it's a fair difference.

 

[8x57]

Norma has a reputation for excellent quality. It could simply be that they take fewer quality control checks with the cheaper ammunition, or use a cheaper propellant that is less temperature stable within design extremes.
At normal deer stalking ranges and within normal climatic variations found in the U.K. I doubt that you would be able to tell the difference between whitetail and their more expensive ammunition.

 

[novice]

Norma has a reputation for excellent quality. It could simply be that they take fewer quality control checks with the cheaper ammunition, or use a cheaper propellant that is less temperature stable within design extremes.
At normal deer stalking ranges and within normal climatic variations found in the U.K. I doubt that you would be able to tell the difference between whitetail and their more expensive ammunition.

Agreed, and I find it a pleasant change to see a manufacturer going against the flow and providing a more cost effective option, rather than blaming "increased cost of production" and continuing to tear the backside out of it.

Anyway, I've emailed Norma direct, so will see what they say.

 

[gjwardman]

Here is how they advertise it here:

That’s changed with the recent introduction of Norma Whitetail. It’s a traditional cup-and-core pointed softpoint with exposed lead tip. Its thin jacket promises great expansion at high and low velocities.
It has a flat base, which tends to be more forgiving in barrels thanks to its ability to center up in a bore more easily than a boattail. And as a representative from one major ammunition maker told me years ago, “A boattail doesn’t do squat for you until you’re out past 300 yards.”
Today we have a lot of high-tech bullets designed either for use at long distances or to provide a ton of penetration on tough game. Whitetail hunters don’t typically need any of that. Sure, some of our southern friends take longish pokes over beanfields, and farmland deer are sometimes shot across pastures or cut crop fields, but a lot—a lot—of whitetail shots come in the timber and under the 100-yard mark.

 

[novice]

Norma Whitetail Cartridge: New - RifleShooter

Norma's new Whitetail is the deer cartridge you want—at a price you can afford.

www.rifleshootermag.com

This article suggests they're keeping cost down by skipping some of the cleaning and polishing steps.

 

[ashray]

norma have farmed out a lot of their production to other companies. rws make the norma subsonic ammunition.etc. federal and winchester make some of the full bore ammo. i have heard that the white tail ammo was winchester bullets etc norma have a military contract so just keeping the civilian market open by other means

 

[gjwardman]

don't disagree, but I can also see how they are matching bullet construction to the game and making it more affordable. Sure, I love Woodleigh bullets, but they are simply overkill for whitetails in my neck of the woods...