16bore,
They're all "just another f'n rifle," since all they do is burn powder and push bullets. And they all kill stuff when we point them right.
However, I am always amazed at the instant reactions when ANY new cartridge is introduced, 90% of which come down to: "What the hell do we need that for? XYZ already does that." This happens no matter what the cartridge, whether it's the .17 HMR, .300 WSM or even the 6.5 Creedmoor. I mention the Creedmoor because a BUNCH of people questioned the need for it too. Most were .260 Remington fanatics, but not all.
The one trend I've seen with these instant anti-cartridge reactions is they're almost universally from people who have never fired the new round, and don't intend to, because they somehow already know everything about it.
I dunno what the 26 Nosler is good for, but bought my test rifle because I wanted to find out more than 200 rounds of test-shooting could provide. That's my job.
Because I've used enough big game rifles on various animals to know that all they do is burn powder and push bullets, I didn't expect the rifle or cartridge to change my life--unlike many Campfire members who seem to expect a new and magic existence because they switch from a Remington 700 action to a 700 clone costing several times as much, or from a standard .280 to a .280 Ackley Improved.
But I do know that Nosler is having a hard time keeping 6.5mm bullets in stock, all because of the demand for the 26 Nosler. I know this because I called their writer-contact guy the other day, to see if they had any 6.5 140 Partitions to spare, because I couldn't find them anywhere and needed some for various articles. Even he guy didn't have any in his stash, or any other 6.5 bullets for that matter, due to the 26 Nosler.
That never happened when various "developers" brought out the 6.5 Creedmoor or 6.5/.284, or any of the several other mild 6.5 cartridges you think there aren't enough of. So SOMEBODY doesn't think the 26 Nosler wasn't a total waste of time.
One thing's for sure, nobody ever passed a Federal, state or local law compelling anybody (even Campfire members) to buy rifles chambered for new cartridges, especially when they already know all about them, even if they've never even seen one.
