Within a research project, experimental investigations of large-sized worm gears (pairing steel worm with bronze worm wheel) with centre distance a = 315 mm are carried out. The primary aim is to gain verified knowledge regarding load-carrying capacity and efficiency for this worm gear size. The paper describes the conducted tests in detail and shows basic examples of experimental test results. In the course of these investigations, an overall worm gearbox efficiency of up to = 96% is measured.