Is this in production yet? Anyone shoot one? Is there any advantage to this cartridge over, say, a 270 Win or a 264 Win Mag at under 600 yards?

Or put another way, what is this cartridge best for?

Selling new guns to rifle loonies.

The 26 Nosler is just another cartridge to get someone, anyone, to buy just another rifle. In particular those of us who already have an adequate rifle.

The 280 ai is another one thats been dredged up to sell another rifle.

The powerful word is 'new' and the sellers say they are 'new'!

What the heck, it's all just for fun anyway.

Here is a picture of the 26 Nosler. I have not seen this picture before and wow is it big. Its way larger than my 264.

Whats really the only thing new is the laser rangefinder and that's what has spawned this fad.

Moron^^

^^ whats the point ?

I was going to agree w/ PG but then Sav 99 chimed in and ooy... Tough to agree with him on ANYTHING...

I"lol just go with "I agree w/ PG" & leave it at that.

The 26 Nosler is a specialized high performance cartridge. It is impressive. Having said that, I don't need one for the type of hunting I usually do. I don't need a 500+ HP sports car either, but I do like 'em.

I don't see the point of a case that big with a 6.5mm bullet. The BCs on the 6.5s are not that good and work well in the existing chamberings (6.5-284, 6.5-06, 260, 6.5x47L) because it is a nice balance of accuracy, recoil and drift resistance.

A case that big is much better utilized with the wonderful 180 grain VLD type bullets with the attending much high BCs. A 7WSM shooting 180 Bergers has less wind drift that the 26 Nosler shooting 140 Bergers much faster.

The 6.5-284 and 6.5-06(AI) are about as much powder as I would ever put behind a 140 grain bullet. There is no substitute for a bigger bullet- none.

It looks great for burning cheap machine gun powder.

I learn something new here every day......

Best get lots of barrel shank for a setback or two with that short neck! ;-)

I was thnkin' it augtta be great for toasting throats as quickly as possible.

Always interesting that those most worried about "shooting a barrel out" have never done so with ANY chambering, let alone a big game cartridge.....

Pretty certain I have typed those same words more than once......

Been working on it with a 1949 win 94 in .30 WCF since 1982. No luck yet and I've shot the livin p*ss out of it. I did manage it with my first Savage .243 though and it didn't have half the rounds through it as my old 94.

The only person I know who has and shoots the round is impressed. I hear from someone who should know that it has the trajectory of a tight-stretched piano wire and is very accurate.

I don't need one and can't afford one right now, but I'd love try it out on antelope, then elk.

It's a goal of mine to burn one out; sounds like fun to me!

They's meant to be shot and new barrels are made everyday.

Concur...

Cars are meant to be driven and they make more gas every day too. I still don't want one that gets 2 mpg and needs a new engine every month, even if it will go 400 mph.

John,

Nosler sent me a Patriot Model 48 (their lowest-priced rifle) for a couple of magazine assignments. Because of the testing required for the two articles, so far I've put over 200 rounds through it and while a little erosion is visible in the bore-scope, it still shoots very well. Dunno how long that will last but my guess is years during normal hunting.

The Nosler brass is pricey but of excellent quality. What I like about the round is it does what the .264 Winchester was always supposed to, plus a little bit more, without having to lean on it very hard.

At the end of the testing I bought the rifle, and am using it for some hunting this fall. Haven't taken anything yet, but based on experience with other cartridges in the same class I guessing it will kill big game pretty damn well.

Well I would think that it qualifies as overbore, but with those low BC 6.5 pills.. It should make out to be rather formidable long range weapon.

PD shooters around here shoot out barrels every one or two years. 22-250 is the most I replace followed by the 223 Remington,and 243 Winchester. Several others at a lesser degree probably due to backup use. These are SS varmint contour barrels i'm talking about not sporters.

IF you could get a 180 VLD (.659) going 2,900 in a 7WSM, it still drifts more than a 140 VLD (6.12) going 3,200 in a 26 Nosler.

Then again, we're talking about +/- an inch and the Nosler is just an answer to a question that wasn't asked.

I wish the "developers" would put more emphasis on the lower end of the spectrum, instead of hot rods.....

High BC bullets in low recoiling rifles are a lot more fun.

Isn't that what all new cartridges are intended to do, or am I the only fall guy?

"But this one goes to 11........."

16bore,

You mean the "developers" should offer some new designs to fill the gaps between the 6.5 Grendel, 6.5 Creedmoor, .260 Remington, 6.5x55, 6.5x47 Lapua and 6.5-284?

Or the 6mm PPC, 6mm BR,6x47 Lapua, .243 Win., 6mm Remington and .243 WSSM?

Or the .22 Hornet, 221 Fireball, .222 Remington and .223/5.56? Or the .17 Hornet, .17 Fireball and .17 Remington?

Of course, there could be a few .20's added, since so far there's only the .204 Ruger. But Jim Calhoon makes a line-up of .19 wildcats that pretty well cover the milder rounds, and not only makes rifles but offers dies, brass and bullets.

Every time you invent a new cartridge, you create two new holes to fill.

Golly gee whiz, I guess there aren't any gaps to fill on the low end either.

Just stick a short case in a long action with a long throat. Bang away!

ok that was funny.

My take is if Barsness likes it, it must have merit and I am sure he will enjoy what it can do, even if I don't see myself ever buying one.

Can't blame Nosler for making and marketing it. Nosler rifle needing Nosler components sounds a bit 308 Marlin to me. Nothing wrong with that. I just have to wonder how many out there are really saying - "Ah, Finally!"

Comparing 140 Accubonds across the 26 Nos, 270 WSM, and 7RM its pretty much just another f'n rifle. I'm sure they'll be some pics of dead animals and a guy saying "I just couldn't have pulled it off, had it not been for my new 26 Noz"

Zzzzzz....

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.

The demand for 26 Noz depleted all the inventory of 6.5 bullets? That's a bold statement. Its not surprising that the Creed didnt, considering it was from Hornady. Plenty of Lapua around as well.

Even you agree that you have no idea what its good for and not "life changing". But hey, it goes to 11....

Oh, I do actually have some idea of what it will be good for, based on personal experience with a bunch of animals taken with the .264 Winchester Magnum, .270 Winchester, .270 WSM, .270 Weatherby Magnum, 7mm SAUM, 7mm Remington Magnum, 7mm Weatherby Magnum, and 7mm STW. (But no 7mm Mashburn, sadly.) Oh, and several smaller 6.5's, including the .260, 6.5 Creedmoor, 6.5x55 and 6.5-06. (Alas, no 6.5/.284.)

Based on those experiences, I would be willing to bet the 26 Nosler will kill a wide array of big game very effectively, at widely varying ranges, from pronghorn and springbok to wildebeest and elk. But as all Campfire hunters know, unless some specific cartridge is used to propel the bullet, then it doesn't count.

New look, same great taste.

Sure, it'll kill stuff dead just like everything else on the list. But, maybe some are more interested in what they gain over what they already have (or what's available). This assumes they have the rest of the shooting/hunting equation figured out, being that ALL are equal in ability and the hardware is equally capable. So in the end, once ALL those factors are equal, the gain is the same 6.5mm bullet, going faster.

And compared to the same weight bullet of a different diameter, the advantage at 500 yards is a few inches of drop, an inch of drift, maybe 100FPS and 100 FPE.

Those might be big differences for some, but odds are 90% of shooters will never notice it because of the other 99% of the factors involved.

But, Nosler needs to sell rifles, you need to write about them, and loonies need to buy them.

Get back to us after you've thoroughy wrung out the 7MM Mashburn so we'll know you really know what you're talking about.

Somehow I don't think I trend the with instant anti-cartridge reaction because I'm a universally never fired the new round - don't intend to because I somehow already know everything about it. Can't I just be uninterested? The only information I have is what I've read and I remain completely uninterested. Now had Nosler had the good judgment to introduce a 25-08, well, I'd do my best to become an expert.

has anyone stopped to actually compare the drop and retained energy out at lets say 700 yards and under, from the new 26 nosler and lets say the 270 wby 7mm rem,300 win 300wby, 340 wby , each using a decent similar sectional density bullet,of semi similar ballistic coefficient, just to see if its providing much if anything but a bit less recoil ?
new stuffs great, but at some point the old stuff still works and you step back and wonder why you need to jump on the latest choice if your old choice still has it covered so well?

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http://www.midsouthshooterssupply.c...ain_Spitzer_Boat_Tail_Gameking_100_Count

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Hit "reply" to see a bigger image.

John,

What did you find the recoil of the new 26 to be comparable to?


Bill

I have been handloading for a year and a half and have a question. I got in to it b/c I have a 6.5x55. A 30-06 will push a 150 grain bullet over 3,000 fps. My reloading manuals don't show 6.5-06 velocities with a 140 grain bullet moving as fast as a 150 grain 30-06 bullet. Why is that?

Smaller hole. 270 runs a 150 at about 2,900 if you stand on it.

You know, if I didn't already have a 260, 280 or a 7mmRM, that 26 Nosler would cover pretty much cover all three for the majority of shooting I do. Maybe someone out there looking at getting into the sport with a looney bent might think the same.

Cartridges are like chicks, they come in all different sizes because we all have different tastes. Long live choice.

I appreciate the different companies (Hornady, Marlin, Nosler, Ruger,et al) producing new rifles and cartridges. It keeps things interesting and gives each generation of new hunters more variety to choose from, which, in my mind, is a good thing. I loved it when Remington brought out the first Model 7's, Ruger introduced the American and Compact models, Hornady paired up with several to introduce new cartridges, etc. though many criticized them unduly. I remember Finn Aagaard saying he saw no use for something like the Model 7 with an 18 1/2" barrel and I have heard more negative than positive about the Ruger Compact (which my son has and we both love dearly).

I was one of the ones who drank the .338 RCM Kool-aid a few years ago. For me it seemed like the perfect elk rifle for where I used to hunt. While it ultimately wouldn't do anything my old '06 wouldn't do, it WAS shorter and lighter (making it a real joy to hunt with) which when combined with .338-06 performance I was in love. Sadly, probably more to do with me than anything, I never could get it to group consistently and case life was 3 loadings so it went on down the line and I am still hunting with my '06. Eventhough it didn't work out for me the process was fun and I would do it again. The rifle really was a dream to hunt with and would love to have another in any number of different chamberings.

To me the biggest negative to the "new" is that brass or factory ammo can become nearly impossible to find. If I could've reliably found brass for my RCM I would probably still have it but I was running out of cases to work with and didn't see that changing anytime soon.

For me, the super-hot chamberings have no appeal because my shooting ability doesn't extend beyond 400 yards...and only then in perfect conditions.

16bore,

You might run the numbers on the 129 ABLR at 3400, which is the load the 26 Nosler was designed for. It beats the wind-drift of .270 WSM load you show by about a foot at 800 yards.

Apples to apples, meaning ABLR's across the board and using Brian Litz's .277 BC of .543, the 270wsm would have 21" more drop, 6" more drift at 800. 7mm Mag would have 7" more drop and about an inch less drift with 150 ABLRs.

Assuming all the other BC's hold and Noslers own data (3,240 7RM and 3,150 270WSM) is attainable.

But lets not forget that the difference between 10mph and 15mph with those loads is an additional 20" for the 270 WSM and 18" for the 26 Noz. Meaning a 2" "advantage"

Cause everyone can read wind at 800 yards.

Big shrug on all counts, partly because a .300 Winchester with really heavy bullets beats all of 'em.

But mostly because Nosler went with 6.5 because it's all the rage among those who want to shoot longer ranges and not get beat up doing it. And bullets from the 26 will drift less in the wind than those from any other 6.5.

The recoil of the 26 (which somebody else asked about) feels a little less to me than any of my 7mm magnums except the SAUM. Computer numbers back that up.

As I noted earlier, I don't regard the 26 Nosler as the greatest cartridge ever invented, but also tend to have a more open mind than the average shooter, in either way. I don't regard any cartridge as magic, and I won't reject it without trying it.

One thing I do know is that I really like the .257 Weatherby Magnum with 115-120 grain bullets at 3300+ fps, so thought the 26 Nosler with higher-BC 140's would be worth a try.

Also as noted earlier, I can't comprehend the almost visceral reaction against some cartridges some people have, especially without ever trying them. But hey, one of the great things about the Campfire is that anybody can go on a rant, for whatever reason.

And the great thing about numbers is they don't lie or have a marketing department. Diminishing returns goes over a lot of people's heads.

"Rants" and "facts" look alike.......