Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles Nosler 26 vs. 6.5-06 ?

Sounds like the same round with a slightly advanced shoulder

.. But the 26 is no longer a wildcat ?

I can't image that either one OR even the 270 don't burn barrels

Yes, all three will burn barrels, but the 26 Nosler definitely isn't just a 6.5-06 with a different shoulder. Check out the amount of powder it uses in the Nosler data on their website. There's also the little matter of another 300 fps with 140-grain bullets.

Have you used a 26Nosler on game yet John? If so were the results what you expected?

No, I packed it around some this fall, but it never was the rifle in hand when the right animal showed up.

My hunting bud and I have killed a couple of WT doe with our 26's. mine with a 140 NAB, his with a 140 NPT. Good exits, both bullets, lots of messed up stuff in between. Both deer ran a few yards, even with wounds like a blown to pieces heart, messed up lungs.

Chest shot deer will sometimes run, even when hit with a good bullet at 3,300 fps.

Seems to me hi vel rounds, like the 26, will show their stuff at LR. From what I've seen so far, with shots at 100 yds. or so, they don't seem to kill any quicker than a .270 or 6.5-284.

My next test bullet is the 120 E-Tip at 3,450 fps. I had a chance at a big ole doe Saturday evening. She walked into a shooting lane and was eating the green stuff. It was the rut and I was waiting to see what may be following her. After a few minutes, she made me. I was in a box stand/15' tower, plexiglass window closed between me and her, she was around 60 yds. upwind from me. I was very still, but got busted nonetheless. She stretched her neck, stared at the box stand, started prancing around and after a bit, trotted off into the CRP. To me, those old mature does are more wary than big bucks, especially during the rut.

DF

I've used the .264 with 140's at 3200+ on several deer and couldn't tell any difference in "killing power" between it and a .270 Winchester, so doubt the 26 is going to kill any differently than any other cartridge in the same general class.

What the 26 does is provide a little less wind-drift than most other cartridges, due to the highest velocity of any commercial 6.5mm round, and the high BC's of 6.5mm bullets in general.

Update on the 26 Nosler 120 E-Tip at 3,450 fps. I shot a 180# sow at 187 yds. this past weekend. Hit one shoulder, heart/lungs and out, just behind the other shoulder. DRT.

Here's a photo of that hog's heart. For a non-fragmenting bullet, it sure did a job on this heart. We've seen that repeatedly on deer and hogs with the 26 Nosler, using 140 NAB, 140 NPT and 120 E-Tip. All three bullets seem to have very similar wound channels and killing performance.

I'm impressed and my hunting bud recently told me the 26 was growing on him.

DF

DF,

shot critters at 100 yds. using a 338 RUM and 180 gr. Nosler Ballistic Tips @ +/- 3,400 fps MV Result, jelly for about 12" around the entrance.

Shot critters @ 100 yds. with 257 Weatherby Mag, 100 gr. Partition @ 3,650 fps MV. Result, jelly for about 12" around the entrance.

22-250 and 40 grainers on varmints, red mist.

Typically, 200 yds. or less, 3,100 fps and above, mucho meat damage.

The 26 Nosler should give the same results. Maybe less with monometals, more-so with frangible bullets such as Hornady SST.

No problem with the 26 Nosler or velocities above 2,800 fps, MV, 'cept when I intend on "makin' meat"

JAPPF,

GWB

Velocity.

Even with tough bullets that's what you get.

Haven't shot the Nosler 26, but shooting a 6.5-06 using 56 grains of powder to get 2,940 fps with a 140 berger vld seems to work well on big game out to 525 yards so far. Recoil is mild, anywhere 270 winchester brass is found solves the brass problem, and bullets seem to behave very consistently in that velocity window. Rounds feed like butter in a standard and unaltered Rem 700.

Or you can load over 80 grains of powder and get 3300 fps. Actually sounds kind of fun in some ways, but I do like the performance of the 6.5-06 enough that I am not going higher.

Feel the same way about the Nosler 28 vs my 7mm Remington. I must be getting older...

Kurt,
When one is consistently catching mice, it's best to leave the traps alone. *grins*

Berger 140 Hunting VLD's perform very will in my 6.5-284 at around 3K fps.

I was working on 26 Nosler loads with that same bullet. Evidently, Berger doesn't want their 140 Hunting VLD moving faster than 3,200 fps, their 26 Nosler load maxing out at 3,150 fps. After informing a Berger tech that I could easily push that bullet over 3,300 fps, he suggested using the VLD target version with its slightly thicker jacket.

I abandoned the idea of VLD's in the 26. I'm sticking to tougher bullets, like NAB's, NPT's and E-Tips, all three proven performers in this round. I have Matrix and Scenar 6.5's in several weights, but I'm having so much fun with these 120 E-Tips, I find it hard to move on to something else.

At higher velocities, monometals can be reassuring. I've never been a monometal fan, but do like E-Tips in this gun.

DF

Awesome pictures DF. I've never shot anything lighter than the 130 AB from my 264 Win, but if I catch some 2nds of the 120 ET, I'd give them a shot.. Great stuff.

I dig the high velocity/tough bullets.. Awesome combo.

I think you'll like the 120 E-Tip, maxed out in your .264 WM. You may be surprised how well it'll zap stuff. Seems to open really well.

What's a max vel for 120's in your gun? Nosler suggests starting slower and working up with the E-Tip. Evidently it has more resistance than 120 gr. C&C bullets. So, E-Tips may not safely shoot quite as fast as some other 120's.

But, at "Fire pressure" vs. SAAMI, who knows...

DF

Hows the recoil on the 26 Nosler?

Don't feel the need for anymore 26 speed..

About like a 7RM with med to light bullets.

DF

With my 6.5-284, a Pre-64 with 26" Krieger, Z5 3.5-18x44 BT, weighing around 10#'s all up, I can watch bullets hit the target at 400 yds with the Z5 at 18X. Pretty cool.

Can't do that with the 26, which weighs a bit over 9#'s all up. It kicks enough to lose the view of the target thru the scope. And, it makes more noise, a lot more noise...!

I guess it's the different between burning 48 gr. powder (RL-17) vs. 90 gr. (869).

DF