Three Decades of Norma Oryx

Norma is synonymous with quality and reliability. Its global reputation is strengthened by its role in the development of several important technical patents that have raised the quality and accuracy standards across the ammunition market. For example, the bonding technology and the boat-tail design of bullets for precision shooting. Although Norma has a rich portfolio of sporting ammunition, products for hunters are by far the most popular. Today, I’d like to remind the Norma Oryx bullet. It’s not a new product but already has almost 30 years of experience. Let’s summarize key features and benefits of this remarkable bullet.

Bonded Core and Jacket

Bonding, we’re talking about a technology that many manufacturers attempt to adopt, but mastering it is a technical challenge. The bullets are shaped from cups and gradually formed to the desired diameter and shape. A lead core is placed into the cup along with a flux agent. Through induction heating, the core melts, the flux evaporates, and the conditions are set for the chemical bonding of the core to the jacket. The semi-finished product is then pressed into its final shape. While it sounds easy, in reality, adjusting the jacket, lead, flux, heating process, and performing all the preparatory steps correctly is a masterful job. The biggest risks are uneven lead melting and air bubbles, which could shift the bullet’s center of gravity and negatively affect its flight trajectory. After 30 years of production, Norma has this process under complete control. Customers encounter this fascinating technology in the Norma Oryx and Norma Bondstrike bullet lines.

Oryx: The Queen of Universal Bullets

The Norma Oryx bullet was developed to provide hunters with a reliable and versatile projectile that performs well in varying natural conditions and targeting different types of game. The aim was to ensure effectiveness in various hunting scenarios, especially with different sizes of game. The bullet was introduced in the 1996 and has gained global popularity due to its perfect balance between controlled expansion and deep penetration.

The Oryx’s bonded core design eliminates the risk of the jacket separating from the core upon impact, ensuring the bullet retains its weight and energy as it passes through the game. This is essential for achieving deep penetration and a quick, ethical kill, as well as leaving sufficient blood trails for tracking if the shot placement isn’t perfect. A key feature of the bullet is its controlled expansion. Upon impact, the soft lead core expands quickly, creating a deep wound channel, but the reinforced jacket rear wall slows down the expansion, preventing total fragmentation, allowing continued penetration. In simpler terms, the bullet mushrooms, rapidly its diameter but remains intact even at close range impacts or hitting the bone.

An often-overlooked benefit of the bonded Oryx (and Bondstrike) bullet is its high retained weight. Oryx retains over 90% of its original weight. Compared to standard SP bullets or fast-expanding shock-tip designs, which retain roughly 60% of weight, the contamination of game meat with lead is significantly lower. This is something I appreciate, as I and my family consume the game I hunt, and venison is our primary meat source.

Performance in Practice

I use Oryx bullets in three calibers: .223 Remington for foxes and roe deer, .308 Winchester as an all-around caliber, and 8.5 x 55 Blaser for big game or driven hunts. Let’s take a closer look at each.
The Oryx .223 Remington is excellent for hunting foxes and roe deer. The bullet strikes a great balance between energy transfer and penetration. Using non-bonded or varmint bullets in small calibers can cause issues, either by bullet passing through the game without sufficient energy transfer or by breaking apart too quickly, especially when hitting the shoulder bone, without transferring energy into the vital organs. I’ve unfortunately had to learn the importance of deep penetration the hard way when using varmint bullets for a roe deer hunt. A roe deer hit high in the chest walked off and kept alive even after 30 minutes because the bullet expanded only in the top of the lung lobe on the impact side without causing further injury to stop its breathing or induce heavy bleeding. Although I’d had good experiences with varmint bullets before this incident, I now only use them in .223 Rem. for foxes, nutria, and raccoons, and I no longer push the varmint bullet to its limits.

The Oryx .308 Winchester is my go-to recommendation when people ask for ammunition advice. With the “three-o-eight,” you can hunt everything from roe deer to moose. Its main advantage is the ability to handle the varying density of different game animals’ bodies and achieve optimal penetration without sacrificing energy transfer. Although the Oryx doesn’t have the shape of a competitive target bullet, I’ve successfully hunted with it in 308 Win. at distances over 250 meters. And when shooting at a 500-meter steel target, I achieved above-average results. Not just with 308 Win., but also with the heavy 230 grains “anvil” in 8.5 x 55 Blaser.

I mainly use the Oryx in 8.5 x 55 Blaser for driven hunts or in dense vegetation. In these powerful calibers, the ability to control expansion even at high muzzle velocities is critical. Even though the Oryx is a bonded bullet, its expansion is impressive. At close range, there’s no excessive bullet breakup or disintegration. Since Oryx prevents over-expansion, the lead can be softer yet still perform effectively on roe deer or wild boar. I initially used soft-point bullets with the 8.5 x 55 Blaser, but they were too hard, and the game, esp. fallow deers, would often run 60-80 meters. Switching to Oryx I recognized the situation is solved.
Norma offers Oryx in calibers from .223 Remington to .375 Holland & Holland. Different diameters and weights, but the same unique features that I consider exceptional: a mix of fast, controlled expansion and deep penetration for optimal energy transfer and wound channel depth, as well as health benefits from limited lead residue in game meat.

Conclusion

Even after nearly 30 years, Norma Oryx hasn’t lost its reputation. Its innovative bonded construction ensures exceptional reliability and proven effectiveness, as confirmed by countless hunters worldwide. For me, it’s a staple in my ammunition supply, essential for many hunting situations across different calibers, and as a versatile bullet, I always recommend when asked for an advise.

Martin Brožek, Norma Ambassador Czech Republic