Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles Is a 26 Nosler an all around big game cartridge?

I'm an old fart who has " played" with a lot of whiz bang stuff from back in the day. I have owned and used for a season most of the magnums bracketed from .257 Wby through the .300s H&H, Win, and Wby. Most everything in between was toyed with. I have owned bigger, but never hunted them.

Having set the frame of reference, I no longer own a magnum of any dimension. Although not all, I have four .30-30s, three .30-06s, two .270s, one each .243, .25-06, and .308.

The older I get ( bumping 78) the more impressed I am with the .308. Mine is a Browning Safari pencil barrel from the sixties built on a small ring Mauser action, padded an inch too short, and free floated rather crudely as with a camp ax. I bought it for a song, intending to build a .280 on it (yes, the action is long enough). Curiosity got me and I decided to shoot it. Cheapest Federal 150 grain bullets. First group was about 1/2". Let it cool. Next group was maybe 5/8". One more later was under 1/2". I went back to the LGS and bought about a dozen more boxes of the same lot-all they had. It wears a 4x Zeiss that is bumping 25 years old. The short stock works for me with heavy winter garb and works for my lovely daughters as well.

The longest two game shots I have ever made was with that .308. I'm ashamed to tell the distance, but both required a hold way off hair. Funny thing, but the third longest deer shot was with a .243.

For most hunting deer sized game, the .30-30 is enough gun. For those in doubt, the ..270 to .30-06 class rifles are proven world wide. The delightful ..308 is my grab and go bolt gun choice.

Now back on topic. If you must have a 26 Nosler and you can afford it, that is the wife and kids do not go hungry, DO IT ! I bet it is fun. I know my .264 Win was fun to play with and it killed them dead. Do not be surprised that as you age, recoil and muzzle blast may become obnoxious to you, but that will come later. I never lost money on but one gun. I overpaid for a German .300 Wby once upon a time and lost about $50 when I unloaded it. I suppose it was worth the cost as I learned a lot about the great cartridge. It was just more of a good thing than I needed.

Enjoy your journey,

Jack

When?

Where?

I give up, the old turd will never notice.

Never give up....


But this borders on elder abuse...

Oh, and I almost forgot...

Pooper? Is that even a word?

I mean, a word that anyone under 80 would use?

Finally and it was...... Oh well

Yeah, disappointing response from el poobah.

I would say he's losing it, but I think that happened long ago......