Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles Won a new Browning, what caliber?

Consider your peer group here. They probably hand load and are not too concerned with owning an orphan of a chambering. Remember the .225, WSSM's,, .256, .303 Savage, 6.5 mm RM, .32-40, .22 Jet, STW, .25, .30 & .32 Remington's? That list goes on, but years from now will anyone remember a .26 or .28 Nosler or that Creedmore? Honestly I've shot stuff with a lot of different cartridges and the stuff was always dead at the end of the trail and I couldn't tell much difference with any of them. In my own case I doubled my ammunition cost by going to a 7mm-08 from a .308 or my Fireball and now try to find factory loaded ammunition locally at any price. That 7mm RM has been on the most wanted list since 1962 and has stood the test of time, so even the local Walmart carries ammo for it. Shoot the reduced recoil stuff from it and you have a 7mm-08 equivalent. I know it is as common as a #2 pencil, but that is a strength, not a weakness. Come time to sell that Browning and people know what it is. No Antelope in Eastern Montana is going to show any difference being hit with a 140 grain from a 7mm RM or a .28 Nosler.

I'm partial to the 7RM myself. It's just so versatile. Of all the cartridge tinkering I've done over the years, I keep coming back to it for my favorite hunting cartridge. There's so many good bullets available for a broad range of shooting scenarios and recoil is mild. It's just a good do-all big game round.

The Noslers are good carts, but recoil is stout and muzzle blast is fierce.

The 28

Someone has to ask, how did you win the Browning?

I have to give a shout out to Gohunt.com for this. All Insider members are automatically entered in monthly drawings they hold for misc things like sleeping bags, scopes, boots, etc. I haven't really paid too much attention to the drawings because, honestly, does anyone ever win that stuff? I didn't think so, but I do now. I was completely stunned to receive an email from Brady Miller telling me I had won something, and a rifle to boot!

From what I understand the 26 nosler is one picky Sumbitch to load for. Because I can't stand picky rifles I'd go 6.5 Creedmoor! Did anyone notice I spelled Creedmoor correctly? 😁


Trystan

I noticed you picked a caliber he twice said wasn't being considered.

None of the things you mentioned are calibers.....

Congrats!

That'd be a great rig in 7mm Remington Magnum.

I’d say 7mm Rem Mag... over the years I’ve grown tired of chasing the latest greatest magnum cartridges out there. To add, finding brass for the Nosler’s will be expensive and fun to find in a few years I imagine (I could be wrong).

So I’ve moved back to the “standard” calibers just for the sake of finding loading components easier. Plus most new magnums don’t really do anything that a elder magnum hasn’t already done anyway.

My two cents, but enjoy either way

In all honesty, I was at one of the local big box stores over the weekend and I was looking for 6.5 Creedmoor ammo and I didn’t find any on the ammo shelves with the other cartridges. So, I asked someone why I couldn’t find any Creedmoor ammo and he laughed at me. He walked me to the end of the aisle and showed me an entire 6’ tall end cap display with NOTHING but 6.5 Creedmoor ammo in it.

There was way more Creedmoor ammo than anything.... including.30-06! .... except for .223/5.56 combined and .308/7.62 combined. He said they sell so much of it they decided to give it its own display.

I’ve never seen that for any other cartridge, ever. The Creedmoor will not only be remembered, it is already revered.

The OP was talking about getting a 6mm Creedmoor, not a 6.5. I haven't seen 6mm Creed ammo on the shelves here in PA yet. I was able to buy some 6.5 Creed ammo at Dick's the other day but it wasn't from a big endcap display. I think they had 3 varieties, 1 Federal and 2 Hornady. If I wanted some .308's I had my choice of about 20 kinds.

Maybe Walmart would have the endcap display you're talking about. Actually come to think of it last time I wanted to buy ammo in Walmart I had to page the guy from the fabric department to come unlock the cabinet behind the counter and escort me to the front with the ammo. One of the reasons I avoid Walmarts. The ones to the south have too many thugs and the ones to the north have too many tweekers. I don't think I've seen actual ammo on a non-locked shelf at a Walmart here since I was a teenager. If your big box stores on that side of the country have 6.5 creed endcap displays you're definitely more cartridge progressive on that side of the country. Half of us still shoot deer with 30-30's here, not that there's anything wrong with that. I digress.

Back to the 6mm 'more personally I don't think I'd buy one because its not going to do anything more for me than a .243 WIN will and I've got 2 of those. I'm not a competition shooter so I've got no interest in the long range shooting benefits. In a sporter rifle I'm not going to notice. I've got a few 6.5 Creed's too the only reason I went with that over a .260 is because by the time I got to the point where I was ready to buy one the 6.5 Creed was chambered in a rifle I wanted.

To the OP out of everything you listed I'd go with either the 7mm RM or the 28 Nosler. The first rifle I purchased was a 7mm RM when I was 16. It's all I'll ever need. Sure I have other rifles in other calibers but I think it's the last I'd ever sell due to both sentimental and practical reasons. You mentioned you're not interested in a 6.5 CM in this rifle because you're already getting a custom one made up which leads me to believe you've already got several rifles in your arsenal. If that's the case and you don't have any super magnum like a Weatherby I'd get the 28 Nosler.

Congrats on a great rifle! Im not into these boutique cartridges, i am old school so from the choices you are considering id go with the 7RM.....Good luck.....Hb

No kidding, going to go over there and sign up.

Crap never mind it’s $150 to sign up.

Personally a couple of friends and myself, have been very fortunate to find great shooting loads with minimal amount of work in our 26 Noslers. We all shoot pretty much one load with 140 Bergers in front of a generous amount of Retumbo. Velocity averages 3274 fps, while giving two of our rifles 1/2 moa, and the 3rd shoots a little better than that. All the 26's are in Browning X-bolt with one of them being a Hells Canyon model, and I can say I am pretty happy with the configuration. Only issue I don't care for is that if you are going to put a turreted scope on it, you need short knobs on the windage adjustment. It will pop brass right back in the chamber with it being so low profiled. As for ammo, wait for the Nosler Competition 140's to go on sale for 45.00 a box and grab a few. Its cheaper than buying the brass. Do your breaking in with that have some fun getting used to it and then move on to handloading for it. I don't think chasing 3400 with 140 gr bullets is very productive with a short lived barrel but slowing them down just a tad sure doesn't hurt.

Haha, yep it’s not cheap but it’s totally worth it if you are looking at hunting the western states. They usually have promo codes to get $50 worth of free gear when you sign up so it makes you feel a little better about it. There is actually a lot of value for $150, the prizes are just icing on the cake!

So go ahead and get the 6 Creed 'cause their 243 has a 10 twist. And it's a lighter, handier rifle than the magnums.
Plus you'll have a better chance of watching you're hits through the scope.

Edit: Oops, I was looking at the Hells Canyon Speed. I guess all the Hells Canyon Long Range have the heavy 26" barrel.
But that might even be more of an advantage for seeing hits with the 6 Creed.

if your not a handloader take a 300 win. mag ,if you are a handloader get the 26 or 28 nosler maybe ? but really the 300 win. mag. is still a hell of a cartridge and you can buy ammo much easier with a 300 win. mag.

A lot of sense there.