Norma Rifle
Norma 217
A high-energy magnum powder for the largest cases - 338 Lapua and the Norma magnums, plus most of the Ultra Mag family.
The magnum end of the Norma range - .338 Lapua, .300 and .338 Norma Magnum, and most of the Ultra Mag family - and Norma states it needs a magnum primer for proper ignition, which is not optional advice with a powder this slow. Complicating matters, Norma's gunpowder index shows a 'Discontinued' badge next to the 217 and MRP listings without making clear which it applies to, so confirm before building around either. US supply is import-only regardless.
- 338 Lapua Magnum
- 300 Norma Magnum
- 338 Norma Magnum
- Ultra Mag cases
Who has Norma 217 today
Checked October 10Out of stock at every store we track
| Store | Size | Shelf | In hand /lb | Stock |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lohman ArmsHazmat charged, amount not published | 1 lb | $39.99 | $71.43 est. | Out |
“In hand” is the shelf price plus that store’s hazmat fee and shipping, spread over one container. Stock is checked once a day — confirm on the store’s page before ordering. Compare all powders →
Limited US availability. Catalogued by the maker but hard to obtain through normal US retail channels.
Specifications
| Manufacturer | Norma |
|---|---|
| Product family | Norma Rifle |
| Status | Limited US availability |
| Application | rifle |
| Grain form | extruded |
| Lee VMD (bulk density) | 0.0715 cc per grain · 0.91 g/cc |
| Burn-rate position | 185 of 198 (fastest = 1) — what this means |
| Typical cartridges | 338 Lapua Magnum, 300 Norma Magnum, 338 Norma Magnum |
Grain shape
Extruded, geometry unpublished. Very thick web, which is what makes it slow enough for a case this overbore and also why it wants a hot primer to get the whole column lit rather than just the top of it.
Why geometry decides burn rate more than chemistry does: Shape Is the Product.
Norma states that a magnum primer is required for proper ignition. Norma's gunpowder index carries a 'Discontinued 2026' badge adjacent to the 217 and MRP listings and it is not clear from the page markup which product it applies to - confirm current status with Norma or a dealer before relying on either. Norma canister powder is not stocked by the mainstream US reloading distributors and reaches US shelves only through occasional imports - treat availability as unreliable. Many web shops that appear to list Norma powder in the US are not legitimate retailers. Norma publishes data through its own reloading portal rather than a printed US manual.
Burn rate
Very slow; the magnum end of the Norma range.
Chart agreement: consistent across the three charts that list it Ranked by: Hodgdon, Vihtavuori, Wolfe/LoadData.
Powders charted near it — neighbours on the chart are not substitutes, and adjacency tells you nothing about what charge either one takes:
- Hodgdon H1000 (position 182)
- Ramshot Grand (position 183)
- Ramshot Magnum (position 184)
- Hodgdon Retumbo (position 186)
- Winchester StaBALL HD (position 187)
- IMR Enduron 8133 (position 188)
This powder is obscure enough in the US that its practical character is thinly documented. The note above is deliberately short rather than padded.
Sources
The specifications above come from Norma's own published documentation, linked below. The two “RCM's read” sections are ours, not theirs — our assessment of what this powder is like to load, drawn from its published characteristics and from what handloaders consistently report. No manufacturer endorses them and no source below backs them. If you think we have one wrong, tell us — we would rather fix it.