Cartridge portrait: Norma Silencer hunting ammunition – Specially designed for rifles with silencer

If you are looking for the most compact overall length possible for a hunting rifle with a silencer, so that the gun combination is still easy to handle in the field, you should think above all about the loss of velocity and energy due to the shorter barrel. First and foremost, this costs range, but basically also accuracy. Standard ballistics tables and CIP ammo approvals base their measurements on a standard barrel length of 61 cm, while a shorter barrel noticeably affects the ballistic performance of the otherwise same favorite cartridge. The reason is simply explained: part of the powder usually burns only shortly before the muzzle, the usual bullet velocity and thus the desired effect on the target is no longer achieved in this way. This is precisely where Norma has come in with a special development. 

So far, ten loadings of the Norma Silencer are available (from left): 6.5x55 SE (bullet: 10.1 g), three .308 Winchester loads (Oryx with 10.7 g bullet, Tipstrike with 11 g bullet and Ecostrike with 9.7 g bullet), three .30-06 Springfield loads (Oryx 11.7 g, Tipstrike 11 g and Ecostrike 9.7 g), two 8x57 IS loads (Oryx 12.7 g and Ecostrike 10.4 g) and finally the 9.3x62 with Oryx 18.5 g bullet.

The unique design of Norma Oryx cartridges, in which the core and jacket remain connected – these features remain in the Silencer load. 

With the new “Silencer Series” cartridges, Swedish ammunition manufacturer Norma now supplies hunting ammunition specially adapted to the characteristics of shorter barrels in many common hunting calibers. Following the introduction of the Norma classic Oryx in Silencer version three years ago, the Norma Tipstrike and the lead-free Norma Ecostrike are now also available in various Silencer versions. Here, we would like to briefly explain the technical differences to the standard loads: all cartridges in the Norma Silencer series are identified by their dark gray cases, so that both types can be carried on the hunt, but Silencer series cartridges can be distinguished from normal cartridges depending on the intended use. 

Velocity values show that the Silencer cartridge in .308 Winchester here is only slightly below the standard barrel, despite the 50-cm barrel; at the very bottom is the standard cartridge from a short barrel. 

Norma has made a special powder selection especially for barrel lengths around 500 mm, in order to achieve equivalent shooting performance even from short barrels. In addition, this minimizes muzzle flash and reduces muzzle gas pressure, which also has a positive influence on the damping effect of the silencer.

This can be compared very well in the graph showing the different development of bullet velocities between "normal" hunting loads and the Norma Silencer cartridges optimized for short barrels, which are usually used in hunting rifles with silencers.

These are the advantages of the Norma Silencer series especially for short hunting rifles with silencers

The Silencer loads from Norma (here 8x57 IS) have dark gray cases. 

• Reduced muzzle flash – resulting in less corrosive residues and also less heat in the silencer

• Lower muzzle pressure – this ensures extended service life of the silencer

• Higher bullet velocity – the loss of velocity in shorter barrels is compensated by a special load design

• Optimized load even allows the use of standard bullet weights – because these cartridges are loaded for maximum energy

Here you will find all available calibers and bullets of the Norma Silencer series with the main ballistic data (barrel length: 50 cm)

Click here for the Norma website with lots more info on ammunition, ballistics and hunting applications.