Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Long Range Hunting Can you tell me about the 28 Nosler?

I'm looking at a Browning Hells Canyon Long Range Hunter in 28 Nosler and I know nothing about the cartridge. Likes, dislikes, case availability, factory ammo, kick? It seems to be on par with the 300 Weatherby. Thanks in advanced.

I do not have a 28 Nosler, but shoot a 7mm STW. To my understanding, they are similar for power and kick. The recoil is not bad at all, as mine does not have a break on it. The 28 Nosler would be an option if I was not invested in the 7mm STW.

As for factory ammo, Nosler is the only one making any mass produced stuff that I can see. For the STW, the Nosler is good stuff. As for brass, I believe Nosler is only stuff too without fire forming your own.

The biggest drawback that I see with the Browning Hells Canyon that you are looking at is the twist rate of the barrel. They claim its 1:9". For some of the heavy bullets, this is not enough to stabilize them. For the factory Nosler 175 gr Long Range, you will be at the limits. My factory Winchester STW is a 1:9.25" twist and the 175's are ok out of it.

I have a 7mm ultra mag, I shoot 150's out of it. It's a Sendero, recoil isn't bad at all.

...........................If you google,,,,,,american rifleman 28 nosler,,,,,you will find a few links to read including one article by JB........I just ordered a rifle from MRC chambered in the 28 Nosler as I prefer a CRF action.

Imo, the Nosler family of cartridges especially the 26 and 28 are becoming more popular and will be quite successful as more time goes by.

Trying to compare the 28 Nosler to a 30 cal. like a 300 weatherby is like Apples and oranges now a 30 nosler would be more like a comparison to the 300 weatherby. As stated above the 7mm STW and 28Nosler are very close. If you want to shoot the 195's out of a 7mm you need atleast a 1:8.5 tw. an 8.25 would probably be better.

Thanks guys!

...............Well yes and no depending on the bullet. If one chose to use heavier than 180 gr bullets for a particular hunting need then the 300 Wby has the clear advantage..................But in playing around with a ballistics calculator using two high BC bullet examples of nearly the same weight and given the same weather conditions, the 28 Nosler begins to overtake the 300 Wby at about the 500 yard mark in retained downrange velocity and energy. With a 300 yard zero, the Wby does shoot a hair flatter (within an inch) out to the 800 yard mark. Beyond that the 28 Nosler takes over.

28 Nosler 175 gr LRAB @ 3125 fps MV.........vs..........300 Wby 178 gr ELD-X @ 3280 fps MV

Those are the two bullets I used for comparison. Listed MV velocity for the 180 gr 300 Bee shows 3250, so I added on a another 30 fps for the 178.

No doubt, there are other various bullet comparisons along with different MV #s whereby the 28 Nosler may catch up in 400 yards or will do so in 500 to 600 yards. But at some point, it will catch up to the 300 Wby.

So when it comes to downrange ballistics, imo you can take both the apples and the oranges when comparing these two rounds and put them into the same blender.

Uh oh,,,,,,,,,,,From the Nosler site reloading data.........88 gr RL33; 175 gr ABLR; 26" barrel @ 3211 fps (28 Nosler).......Get 'n closer. Velocity and energy even with the 178 ELD-X 300 Bee at 200 yards and the 28 is flatter shooting at 400 yards and beyond with a 300 yard zero.

To the OP.......You were not too far off in thinking the 28 Nosler and 300 Wby as being on par with one another.

Sherm 61 is also correct in his opinion, that for comparisons sake, the 300 Wby would be a closer match to the 30 Nosler than to the 28.

Squeeze--thanks. I saw similar data, just didn't want to be rude. If I remember correctly, the 28 Nosler hits harder than the 300 RUM at some point. It's all moot, I'm going to buy a 7mm RM.

I have a X-Bolt in 28 Nosler and love it. It shoots the 180 bergers into little groups all the way out there. The down side is the cost of brass. I had good luck with Retumbo and Bergers. Found a sweet spot at 3132 fps.

Jump on off and buy you one!!

.........................U r welcome...............Between the 7mm Rem Mag and 28 Nosler, there really is no practical difference in the field with regards to downrange killing effectiveness.

Those who chose to own a 28 Nosler vs the 7mm Rem, and like me who will own a 28, the main appeal imo is to own a round that is far less common and generic and which in the long term too will be very successful in the marketplace as I believe strongly that it will be.

Aside from Nosler, Browning, Christensen Arms, MRC a few others offer the 28 Nosler. That is excellent evidence of success.

However and with all of that stated, the 7mm Rem Mag is an outstanding choice.

Have fun with it.

I've been a long time user of the STW, basically from the beginning. When the 26 Nosler came out the first thought I had is it would make a better STW than the STW was; as long as it was teamed with a long mag box. Course, Nosler screwed up that part of it.

Mine is housed in a Defiance action, and the HS Precision mags allow 195 EOL to be seated to the lands. Conventional bullets take care of themselves.

Not a fan, throat erosion issues, expensive to feed, and can be temperamental.

.......................From an American Rifleman article dated 1/25/16 by John Barsness (4th paragraph) which can be googled.......

Quote........."It also turns out that barrels on 26 Nosler rifles last longer than some skeptics predicted, most shooting accurately for at least 1,000 rounds. One customer who contacted Nosler even said his still shot well after 1,600. Necking the 26 to 7mm will increase barrel life somewhat, and provide the same high-performance zip with heavier bullets.".......Unquote

Multiple rifle owners who include either a 26 or 28 Nosler in their inventory, are not likely to fire on average more than maybe 100 rounds per year?? Interestingly, varmint hunters don't think too much about firing dozens of rounds per hunting session using their 22-250s, 204 Rugers and such.

If a 26 or 28 Nosler owner uses his rifle like varmint hunters use theirs for the most part, then throat erosion will occur much faster. I'll bet, that getting 1,000 to 1,600 rounds out of one rifle that is within a multiple rifle inventory, just might out last some owners themselves. So this business about throat erosion is really a moot point imo.

Expensive to feed? Yup! But when one takes into account all of the expenses of shooting and hunting ie; rifles, rifle scopes, spotting scopes, rangefinders, binocs, clothing, tags, transportation, reloading equipment and on and on and on, any difference between the expense of reloading say a 7mm Rem Mag and even the std non magnum rounds vs a 26 or 28 Nosler, is a small fraction of the expense totality.

Tempermental? Well that depends on the individual rifle. Many cartridges can be tempermental or finnicky to reload for.

Your above post would apply to a greater degree towards the 6.5/300 Weatherby. But then again, when one fires only 20, 40, or maybe 60 to 100 rounds per year from one rifle in their inventory????

You don’t have to hot rod it. It should last longer with a middle of the raid loading. I have a 7mm ultra mag, it has been fired less than 50 Times. I check it every year to make sure it’s still on. I’ve killed a few hogs and a couple of deer with it. It will outlast me.