From an accuracy standpoint, all of the Norma loads performed well. All total, I fired 35, five-shot groups and the average for all groups fired was 1.009 inches, which is really rather extraordinary. Granted, the loads were fired from top-quality rifles, but I was not picking and choosing loads. I simply tested the ammunition I was provided.

Hunters will likely find more interest in the terminal performance testing. To test the four Norma bullets 20 percent ordnance gelatin was selected as opposed to 10 percent. This was done for two reasons. One, in conjunction with Perma-Gel, 20 percent ordnance gelatin is what Norma uses in its ballistics lab. And, two, with regard to penetration testing, you only need about half as much 20 percent gelatin as you do 10 percent. Penetration depths in 20 percent ordnance gelatin are about 40 percent to 50 percent less than what you can expect in 10 percent gelatin.

The Oryx is likely the best known in the States. Oryx bullets are bonded projectiles with a gilding metal jacket and lead core. Like most bonded bullets, they reach their terminal shape very soon after impact, and they open wide—on average about double diameter. This, combined with a high percentage of weight retention, makes them one of the deepest penetrating bullets Norma manufacturers.

In Europe, the Vulkan is another popular Norma bullet. It is a soft point with the front part of the jacket folded into the nose to protect the tip from deformation. Vulkans will not retain as much weight or penetrate as deep as Oryx bullets, but they do create a wider wound cavity and damage more tissue. Vulkans in calibers smaller than 8 mm have a cannelure that impresses the jacket into the core forming what Norma calls a “lead lock” to prevent core and jacket separation.

According to Heath, hunters in France and Spain are particularly fond of the Norma Plastic Point because it puts animals down fast. The down side is sufficient but limited penetration. The Plastic Point bullet is difficult to get in America. Why? This bullet is violent on impact. The small plastic point or “ball” at the nose of the bullet drives back into the pure lead core and intensifies expansion. Terminal performance is similar to Nosler’s Ballistic Tip, but may be even more violent due to the ultimately larger expanded diameter.

Norma’s newest bullet is the Kalahari, which is a solid gilding metal, lead-free, bullet designed for maximum penetration and 100 percent weight retention. Similar in concept to the Barnes Triple-Shock X-Bullet, Nosler E-Tip and Hornady GMX, the terminal performance of the Kalahari is similar as well. The major difference is in the amount of velocity needed to initiate expansion. Don Heath stated, “The Kalahari only needs to impact at 1,650 fps or faster for expansion to begin.” This is several hundred fps less than the required minimal velocity listed for the American bullets mentioned above.

Low expansion velocity is not just a hallmark of the Norma Kalahari bullet. The Plastic Point bullet will show some expansion when impacting as slow as 500 fps and will deliver violent expansion at just 1,000 fps. The Oryx needs to impact at about 1,500 fps to show meaningful expansion and, at 1,800 fps, the Vulkan needs the highest impact velocity of all Norma bullets. Again, and especially in the case of the Plastic Point, this is below the velocities needed for most American-made big game bullets to start expanding.

To me, the most striking observation from the terminal performance testing was the uniform diameter to which all of the bullets expanded; expansion of all four of the bullets varied by only 0.03 inches. I find it fascinating that four bullets of such varied construction could all expand to what is, for all practical purposes, the same, double-caliber diameter. That, in conjunction with a 38 percent variation in total penetration depth and weight retention is even more surprising.

Norma ammunition and reloading components are available from various on-line retailers and whether you like it or even know it, you’re probably shooting brass that has been manufactured by Norma; it just has someone else’s name on it. After 100 years, Norma has made a mark in the shooting and hunting world. And, should you choose Norma ammunition or bullets, you’ll likely leave a group of tightly clustered marks on your target or a permanent mark on the game animals you are after.