Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters 26 NOSLER

JB is about the least guy here on the Fire, able to "fly under the radar".

Gets called out on the most minute detail...

DF

I would not say called out, just reminded of details he puts in print!!!!!!!!!

Funny part is,most of those on here are up there in years.....

Yeah, that sounds mo better...

At least we paying attention...

DF

I can recall WAY more things JB has put in print then anything I ever heard in school.... He should be honored!!!!!!

And I am only 46 years old Elkhunterm

I have not read up on the 26, but if folks like it and shoot it great.. If I had only and 06 to hunt with, I would quit..

You can't have too many deer rifles. I take the one that cries the loudest when I open the safes.

When I shoot out my 264 win mag, I'll screw on another tube in 26 nosler.

Or whatever wonder catridge in 6.5 is out at that time...

Back when I inquired, Berger maxed out their hunting 140 VLD around 3,100 fps.

I've posted this before, will again. I called a Berger tech and let him know I could push the 140 VLD a lot faster than 3,100 fps. He as much admitted they didn't recommend their hunting VLD's at over 3,100 fps, suggested I use the heavier jacketed target VLD.

That's when I abandoned VLD's for the 26 Nos. went with 120 TTSX/E-Tips and 140 NPT/NAB's. I like the 120 mono's, my hunting bud, the 140 Noslers.

All four bullets have very similar terminal performance on game, the 120's at 3,450, the 140's at 3,250, US 869 and WC 872 powder exclusively. Tried other slow burning powders, they can't keep up with these two, IME.

DF

It's telling that the .26 and 6.5-300 have generated such interest, while the .264 Win. was so quickly dismissed as a throat-burner. It's a more efficient round, if efficiency can be reduced to the ratio of bore diameter/case capacity.
But in those days, there was no magic in 6.5mm cartridges. And though its bullets were just .020 bigger, the 7mm Rem. buried the .264 at market. My handloads with IMR 7828, in a 26-inch M70 barrel, safely drive 140-grain bullets 3,250. Changing views of "what's hot" can have more to do with the sales of a cartridge than its ballistic merits. Someday perhaps the sun will shine on a .312 magnum, and my old .303 British will bask in its reflection .... WvZ

Some really like the .264 WM and it's a good round. RL-33 seems to be popular with 140's.

My experience with that round, I found it to be quirky and not as easy to load for as the 26 Nosler. If one starts with US 869 and works up loads, the 26 Nosler is about there. Pretty easy to work up loads, straight forward with the right powder.

Both rounds can be rough on barrels, but for hunting guns, so what. Just don't get them too hot and they'll do OK.

The 6.5-300 Wby is a 3.6" round vs. the 3.4" 26 Nosler round. I like a full 3.6" with the Nosler for more COAL freedom. The Wby will beat the Nos by 100 fps, burns a good bit more powder.

DF

QL shows the 26 and the 6.5-300 to have virtually the same case capacity. If this is true, I can't see there being much more than 25 - 50fps difference all other things being equal.

Well, 100 fps is about what their data shows. Maybe they're pushing the Wby harder, maybe it's freebore at work.

I like the 26, never fooled with the Wby, just know what I've read.

DF

I was looking at the Weatherby's. It looked their rifles in 6.5x 300 had a 1 in 10 twist barrel. Even my old Westerners have 1in9 barrels.

The Nos is 8 twist and I think that's the way to go.

I would never swap an 8 twist 26 for a 10 twist 6.5-300 Wby.

Just me.

DF

I don't see how a 1 in 10 barrel will work with heavier bullets. I looked at a half a dozen add on GunBroker. Only one said 1 in 8.

I haven't checked the specs. You're sure it's 10 twist?

Not questioning you, just agreeing that 10 twist doesn't seem to make a lot of sense in a big 6.5 where high B.C., heavier bullets would seem to be the way to go.

Velocity helps, but IME is a weak substitute for twist.

DF

Here's a piece on the Wby 6.5-300 Wby. They mention 8 twist. Haven't checked the Wby site.

http://www.outdoorlife.com/blogs/gun-shots/first-look-new-65-300-weatherby-magnum-cartridge

DF

I saw that referenced elsewhere in the thread too. I just thought I'd look into it as I have a rifle I could very easily see screwing a 26 (or 6.5-300) barrel onto...

Here's a Wby factory ammo link, so you see it's around 100 fps over the Nosler.

http://www.weatherby.com/6-5-300-wby-mag.html

DF