Nosler to introduce new cartridge

[Love Life]

They are calling it the Nosler 26. It claims a 129 gr 6.5 mm bullet at 3400 FPS. That is pretty legit. I think when this 1st comes out I'm going to snap up all the brass I can.

http://dailycaller.com/2013/11/26/nosler-unveils-worlds-most-powerful-6-5mm-commercial-cartridge/?goback=%2Egde_1801279_member_5812653264096735236# %21

[carbine86]

Looks interesting ill fight you for brass haha

[Love Life]

I'm trying to figure out if it's a long or short action cartridge. Magnum bolt face or 308 bolt face.

[carbine86]

I am thinking that it might be a long action similar to a 6.5-06

[horsesoldier]

i want one......

[Love Life]

The SAAMI drawings aren't out yet. Bummer.

Hey, Goodsteel, you watching this? I want one of these...for now.

[carbine86]

The 26 Nosler® case is non-belted, thus headspaced off of the shoulder to further enhance accuracy. The “26” also utilizes a standard (30-06) length action meaning shorter bolt-throw and lighter weight than magnum length actions.

Straight from the nosler sight

[Love Life]

I'll be danged. If it were a snake, it would have bit me!!

[carbine86]

I am thinking i might hold on to some 30-06 brass as it should be able to be formed to the nosler 26???

[Love Life]

Mebbe. Should be quite fun, but then again I am moving to a place that is overcrowded with trees so I really don't need another long range shooter.

[Sweetpea]

I am thinking i might hold on to some 30-06 brass as it should be able to be formed to the nosler 26???

According to the article, the case is unique...

Guess that remains to be seen.

[Nobade]

I don't know about the "most powerful commercial 6.5mm cartridge" bit - a 264 Win Mag will do that easily with the right powders. But you have to handload for it, so I guess that counts. I wondered what the next wonder round was going to be.

-Nobade

[Love Life]

I doubt the case is THAT unique. It will have a standard bolt face which means some cartridge, somewhere, can be formed to this thing.

[Sweetpea]

I doubt the case is THAT unique. It will have a standard bolt face which means some cartridge, somewhere, can be formed to this thing.

Dick, I agree with you... BUT...

Ever see a 224 WBY Rocket?

Enter the waiting game...

[Love Life]

Booo. I guess I'll stick to pushing the 6mm.

I'll keep an eye on it though. I wonder how this cartridge would do with a case full of H1000 pushing 140 gr bullets. I bet it would be very interesting indeed.

[Artful]

I'm thinking 375 Ruger necked down 'cuz 6.5 '06 AI won't do that velocity - ergo you need more powder room
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/94/SAAMI375Ruger002.png/500px-SAAMI375Ruger002.png

[fryboy]

yup it was staring you right in the face , i posted about it elsewhere a few days back ( i guess i could now honestly say last month lolz ) i did a bunch of web searching and only found alot of speculation ( kinda like here :P ) it's supposed to have around 93 grains of water capacity ... leaving many to think ( including me ) that it's going to be based on the 375 ruger case ( necked down to 6.5 maybe shorten the shoulder a wee bit , the ruger has around a 99 grain capacity so this seems plausible ) btw ? you think i'm waiting and watching as well ? lolz oh and they say formally introduced at the 2014 shot show so ....

[Artful]

wow, Fryboy and I are posting together!

[Blammer]

this should go over as well as a turd in a punch bowl.

[Houndog]

Ho Hum!
There's already 4 rounds capable of that speed with that bullet, and two are standard bolt face! The 6.5/06, the 6.5/284, the 264 Win Mag and the 6.5/300 Weatherby can ALL be pushed to that speed. The "secret" is changing the twist rate to 1/10 or an even slower 1/12 WITH A BIGGER BORE! One of our local Gunsmiths, the late Herb Riley, was a 6.5 bore nut and used to do just that by using a special barrel made by Pac-Nor. He was also one of the people, along with Jim Carmichel, that finalized the specs for the 260 Remington, which incedently started out as the 6.5/308 wildcat. When you get right down to it, there's not very much that can be designed thet some wildcatter hasn't done sometime in the past.

[Love Life]

This cartridge smacks of familiarity: http://forum.snipershide.com/snipers-hide-bolt-action-rifles/185807-new-gap-extreme-hunter-6-5-saum.html

Mr. Gardner even put forth the idea of using a RCM case as being better than the SAUM case, but the SAUM case was more numerous and easier to get ahold of. Interesting.

[jackmanuk]

i want 1 but this comment made me think

Zeroed at 350 yards, the 26 Nosler® has a Point Blank Range of 0-415 yards.

so shouldnt that mean you can zero from 0-415 and it will be the same

[felix]

Yes, if the zero (bull size circle) is large enough and you aim for the very center of it at every range. ... felix

[bhn22]

Gee whiz.... another 6.5 that everybody will want, but nobody will buy.

[Bullshop Junior]

Im thinking its going to be a shorter full diamiter case....like the size of the short mags but longer

[Lloyd Smale]

big thing is whether other manufactures will chamber rifles in it. If you have to buy one of those nosler rifles prepare to take a second morgage out on your home.

[jonp]

I applaud them for sending out another cartridge although I question the need for this. What advantage does this have over a 6.5x284?

[Bullshop Junior]

I applaud them for sending out another cartridge although I question the need for this. What advantage does this have over a 6.5x284?

Lack of factory ammo.

[Love Life]

big thing is whether other manufactures will chamber rifles in it. If you have to buy one of those nosler rifles prepare to take a second morgage out on your home.

THIS!!!! I swear, if they bring out a sweet cartridge, but it dies because of lack of rifles cambered in it, I am going to literally cry crocodile tears. Kind of like what happened to the 338 federal...

[Doc Highwall]

I will stick with my 6.5mm Br and 260 Remington enough for me.

[bruce drake]

260 Rem, 6.5 Arisaka, 6.5 Grendel. I think I have all the ranges covered.

Bruce

[Artful]

I applaud them for sending out another cartridge although I question the need for this. What advantage does this have over a 6.5x284?

More powder means MORE SPEED! In a non-belted case in a standard action, so ability to use in more available rifles that already exist. The 6.5 diameter delivers bullets of good BC (around .600+) and SD so better long range performance.

[Artful]

Kind of like what happened to the 338 federal...

The 338 Federal suffers the same problem as 358 Winchester & 375 BigBore - lack of interest by buyers, and part of that is people buying factory ammo and not liking the recoil.

[Love Life]

I can see an 85 lb woman complaining about recoil in the 338 federal, but not a man....

[Sweetpea]

I can see an 85 lb woman complaining about recoil in the 338 federal, but not a man....

Whole lotta "men" out there these days that act sissier than many women...

[Love Life]

^^That's the truth right there.

[btroj]

Might be a great cartridge but 6.5 is almost as poor a seller as a 35 in this country.

Some long range shooters will buy it but everyone who is someone knows it must be a 30 mag to kill deer reliably........

Time will tell. The Nosler name won't help it get into other companies guns.

[Love Life]

I think the name is actually pretty lame-o blame-o. The Nosler 26?

Everybody knows you have to have a 30 caliber at a minimum, and the bullet must be traveling at 3,000 FPS minimum, to kill white tail deer. Some time halfway through the 1900's deer started growing thicker and thicker hides. It is to the point now that a 300 WM barely does the trick.

Wait...what do you mean I have to shoot em' in the heart and lungs? The gun magazine and gunstore clerk assured me that no matter where I hit em' with my WinMag that the deer is going to be DRT.

Wait...I know the 30-30 killed a bunch of deer, but now you're just arguing semantics.

[btroj]

The 30-30 killed deer in the 30s, deer today are covered in Kevlar hair over an AR500 skin. Shooting a 6.5 is like trying to down a helicopter with spitballs.

I wonder if this is being marketed as a hunting round or more of a target cartridge. Target shooters are the one group who understands how good a 6.5 can be.

[Love Life]

I think it'll be an outstanding cartridge and with slower powders wont be the barrel burner everybody thinks it will be. It won't touch the 308 for barrel life, but I see it having quite adequate barrel life.

If this beast can sling a 140 gr high BC bullet at 2900-3100 FPS with a slow powder, then it will be a ridiculously awesome long range target and hunting rd. I think a 24 inch barreled rifle would be the king out here.

[jonp]

I think the name is actually pretty lame-o blame-o. The Nosler 26?

Everybody knows you have to have a 30 caliber at a minimum, and the bullet must be traveling at 3,000 FPS minimum, to kill white tail deer. Some time halfway through the 1900's deer started growing thicker and thicker hides. It is to the point now that a 300 WM barely does the trick.

Wait...what do you mean I have to shoot em' in the heart and lungs? The gun magazine and gunstore clerk assured me that no matter where I hit em' with my WinMag that the deer is going to be DRT.

Wait...I know the 30-30 killed a bunch of deer, but now you're just arguing semantics.
Deer became harder to kill because natural selection caused those that remain to have bones like buffalo and hides like a battleship. Everyone knows this like everyone knows you can't kill a deer without a magnum and no handgun no matter what will do the job

[jonp]

More powder means MORE SPEED! In a non-belted case in a standard action, so ability to use in more available rifles that already exist. The 6.5 diameter delivers bullets of good BC (around .600+) and SD so better long range performance.
Ok and what exactly will it do that a 6.5x284 won't?

[Sweetpea]

Ok and what exactly will it do that a 6.5x284 won't?

Hopefully be easier to find brass...

[Love Life]

Less pressure.

[DeanWinchester]

*yawn*

Hasn't the market proved, fancy new whizz bang ćrap won't stand the test of time. There's nothing new under the sun and any improvement to firearms cartridges is minimal at best.
This might be better than sliced bread but I see it headed the same direction the short magnums and super short nonsense all went.

Meanwhile, old, tried & true like 30/06, 308 etc will keep rolling on, unphased.

[Sweetpea]

Yeah, I've even lost interest in most of the "magnums", 99.9% of the time there is no need...

I had a friend telling me a while back he was worried about his 270 becoming obsolete...:coffee:

[Love Life]

I wonder what Gecko45 would think about this cartridge.

I'm excited about it, but in all reality it probably will go into the grave sooner rather than later. However the 300 WSM is here to stay.

[BruceB]

I can see an 85 lb woman complaining about recoil in the 338 federal, but not a man....

Actually, the LIGHTER the shooter is the less he/she should be discomfited by recoil.

This is due to the fact that a lighter shooter's body yields to the recoil impulse easier than does the body of of a heavier shooter. The light person starts to move with the recoil sooner, while a heavy shooter has to stand there and "take it".

It's a basic physics situation called "inertia". For the same reason, a heavier shooter usually RECOVERS from recoil a bit quicker than the lighter person.... the recoil doesn't move his body as much as it does that of the 'feather merchant".

[btroj]

I wonder what Gecko45 would think about this cartridge.

I'm excited about it, but in all reality it probably will go into the grave sooner rather than later. However the 300 WSM is here to stay.

Naaaahhhhh, Gecko45 needs a 300 mag. Shopping bags and such quickly stop a lighter bullet.

[clownbear69]

Gee whiz.... another 6.5 that everybody will want, but nobody will buy.

I was going to post exactly this with the addition: What this market needs another barrel burner to ultimately fail

[Love Life]

If you feed it slow powders, and are able to lower the pressures, barrel life should be more than adequate. I mean seriously, how many people here have actually burned out a barrel? No BS.

[btroj]

Burned out? No. Reduced to not acceptable for the purpose of the rifle, yes. My one AR upper won't hold the groups at 600 I needed for good scoring in High Power matches. Takes over 3 K rounds with a 223 but it does show on target. I pushed the throat forward in one barrel by 50 thou or more. Oddly, it still shot reasonably well with the bullets seated to the original OAL.

Burned out is very subjective.

[TXGunNut]

Sounds like just the thing for long-range coyotes or antelope. I'm thinking the name "Nosler 26" is a good move, anything with "6.5" would be guaranteed DOA. But no, don't put my name on the list. I like my boolits on the fat side of .30 and the slow side of 2700 fps, new girl's way too skinny and fast for me. ;-)

[Love Life]

^^Exactly. For the benchrest shooter or highpower shooter, burned out is when the gun no longer prints in the group.

For the "I ring steel" shooter, burned out is when you cant hit an echo target at whatever range you have deemed it important.

For the big game hunter, burned out is when you can no longer reliably print in the vitals of whatever big game animal you hunt.

For the varmint shooter, burned out is when you no longer can consistently hit a 3 inch target at whatever range you deem important.


So, using the term barrel scorcher is a bit deceiving and I would be so bold as to say that the majority of people who buy this as a hunting rifle/round won't even come close to ever burning the barrel out.

If you are a target shooter, then you already understand that barrels are consumables.

[btroj]

I doubt the average shooter will ever see the end of a barrels life. Those guys won't spend the dollars for enough factory ammo to make it there.

A target shooter, varmint hunter, etc does make it there but will but a new barrel because they are dedicated to the sport.

LL is right, a barrel is an expendable. Just a very expensive one.

[Love Life]

a barrel is an expendable. Just a very expensive one.

The gospel.

How's your new cast boolit wildcat coming along?

[clownbear69]

If you feed it slow powders, and are able to lower the pressures, barrel life should be more than adequate. I mean seriously, how many people here have actually burned out a barrel? No BS.

Then whats the point buying the nosler 26 if your just gonna use slower powder. That's like taking the .30-06 and making it a bolt action 30-30

[Love Life]

With that case capacity, and a heavier bullet, you can push them fast enough to do wonderful things at long ranges while lowering pressure and extending barrel life. Oh, and use a high BC bullet.

[clownbear69]

^Fail.

any time you short "d*ck" a round to make it less than it can be that's a fail

[Love Life]

No not at all. You are not short reproductive organing a round.

[Sweetpea]

any time you short "d*ck" a round to make it less than it can be that's a fail

Many times when you make a round "less than it can be", you make it more than most will ever use...:veryconfu

[Bullshop Junior]

I burned out te throat in a Remington 788 in 223. It was so bad you could drop a 90grn bullet into the chamber and close a sized case behind it, and it wouldnt touch. Open the bolt and both would fall out.

[clownbear69]

When you potentially short it and make it what its not you could potential have made something that's already on the market. Knowing this is Nosler it will be excessively expensive just because of the name. Then whats the point of buying it? Pertaining to my example making the Nosler 26 to a 260 Rem (I am not saying lower pressures would equal to it but merely an example to costs)

[Love Life]

Will a 260 push a 140 gr VLD to 3,000 FPS+ using a slow powder like h1000? I believe this cartridge will.

That is not shorting the cartridge, nor is it making it what it's not. I believe it will be right at home in this cartridge.

[Artful]

Ok and what exactly will it do that a 6.5x284 won't?
Nosler 26 = 129 grain, AccuBond® Long Range™ bullet at a blazing 3400
6.5x284 = 123 SIE HPBT at a maximum 3,275 with 63,500 pressure
so I'm thinking performance wise similar to 6.5x300 Weatherby

[clownbear69]

then why go with the 26 Nosler if you can make it a 260 Rem?

[Love Life]

You won't be making a 260 Remington. You'll be operating in the window of the Nosler 26.

[Sweetpea]

then why go with the 26 Nosler if you can make it a 260 Rem?

Pay attention... There will be a test...

It seems it will OUTPERFORM the other 6.5s, all the while using SLOWER powders, which should lead to better ACCURACY and longer BARREL LIFE...

[clownbear69]

exactly then why get into the 26 nosler then? I can almost guarantee that 26 nosler will be at least $2/piece of brass.

[Love Life]

^Ding.

[clownbear69]

Pay attention... There will be a test...

It seems it will OUTPERFORM the other 6.5s, all the while using SLOWER powders, which should lead to better ACCURACY and longer BARREL LIFE...

It should out perform and I have no doubt. My main point (which should've stated clearly before) is cost alone. It will end up being another 6.5x284 awesome performance with a very small following unless cost of the brass/ammo is low and made more than Nosler

[Love Life]

exactly then why get into the 26 nosler then? I can almost guarantee that 26 nosler will be at least $2/piece of brass.

Different guns for different things. When I get a hair up my backside for a cartridge like this, saving money is not the objective. Performance is.

[clownbear69]

Different guns for different things. When I get a hair up my backside for a cartridge like this, saving money is not the objective. Performance is.

Fair enough then give me your estimate on barrel life. and yes being serious personally for me just based on its current stats I don't think long barrel life

[Love Life]

I'd rather not put forth an estimate. It depends on what the pressures are running 140 gr bullets at 3000+ with slow powders.

Compared to another cartridge in it's class, I would SWAG over 2000 rds for target, hunting, and steel shooting, but not sure on 1 hole group shooting. I'll put my money where my mouth is when it hits the streets.

[MTtimberline]

:popcorn:

[Lloyd Smale]

kind of like love life i dont feel a need to have to justify a new gun. If its cool and i want it i usually find a way to get it. thing is with me i tend to stay with more normal chamberings. Now i have a 264 mag and at least in mine i cant get the velocitys noslers claiming. Knock a 100-150 fps off those numbers in my gun. It would make a great long range deer and antelope gun and a good midrange elk rifle. But then so does the 264 mag and 7mag. Bottom line though is if it took off and rem, ruger and winchester made guns for it and also made brass for it id be all over one. I could care less if it died a slow death 5 years from now. If you could buy reasonably priced brass all a guy has to do is buy a set of dies and 500 rounds of brass and your about set for life anyway. Thats about what i do now with rounds like the 6mm, 257roberts, 250 sav, 8mag, 264 mag ect that brass can be tough to find.-Barrel life isnt a consern to me. I maybe shoot 2-300 rounds doing load developement on a gun then it might see 20 rounds a year after that. Ive got enough guns that this surely wouldnt be my only one or one id use in the varmit field. Ive got so called barrel burners like the 264 mag and 257wby and have had them for years and the barrels arent even showing the first signs of wear. Shoot slow and dont over heat your barrel and they will last your lifetime. Shoot fast and ignore that advice and you can burn out the barrel on a 308 in one sitting. Again like love life its the performance that matters to me. I shoot alot of long range deer and would gladly take another 200 fps over what im using and dont give a ### if it takes 30 grains more powder, kicks a little more, or burns a barrel out in 20 years instead of 30. Yes you can say a 3030 will get the job done, but so will a 22lr. Me personaly when shooting at deer at 300 plus yards want any advantage i can get. Granted this isnt a round for someone who stalks deer in the swamp. Nobody ever claimed it or any mag rifle round was. But for how its designed to be used ill be it will be a great round.

[jonp]

I've got no problem with buying a gun "just because" but I still have not read anything that would make me buy one.

[376Steyr]

Local gunshop has a beat up Browning FN in .264 Winchester for $600. It's been there for months. That is all.

[P.J.Plinkerton]

According to the article, the case is unique...


If that's true, I have dibs on the .375 and .416 wildcats. Oh, and a shortened version that fits a 308 action. I'll let someone else neck it down to .17.:kidding:

P.J.

[TheDoctor]

Lazzeroni Scramjet: 6.53mm, 120 gr., 3550 fps. Will still be king of the hill...

[Artful]

is that saami'd?

[GaryN]

I don't know. I kinda like the idea of a 6.5mm 129 grain bullet going 3400fps. It would be a great long range deer cartridge. I would buy one.

[pmer]

I've had a few DRT deer with a 6.5-284. When the throat goes; minute of deer isn't too fun compared to the one hole groups though.

[Adam10mm]

is that saami'd?
Nosler is a member of SAAMI and can submit cartridges for official adoption. Lazzeroni is not a SAAMI member so they will only be proprietary cartridges.

[bbailey7821]

Amen, Lloyd!

[FergusonTO35]

The new century sure has already seen alot of new cartridges birthed and buried, huh? Let's see here. The Remington Short Action Ultra Mags, the Winchester Short Mags other than the .300, the .338 Federal, the .30 T/C; I'm sure there are others I'm forgetting. Then there are those which ceased making brain waves a long time ago but the manufacturer just won't pull the plug, circling the drain as my ICU nurse sister would say. These include the .204 Ruger, the Ruger Compact Magnums, and the .327 Magnum.

I'm sure the .26 Nosler will make some folks very happy, print tiny groups, and make game animals very dead. But, so did all the other previously mentioned cartridges. If it doesn't create the kind of revenue Nosler wants then we should start signing up pallbearers.

[Lance Boyle]

A lot of shooters/hunters just won't accept the blast on some of these souped up cartridges. I remember when the ultra mags came out, lots went out the door of the gun shops only to be traded in in a year or two.

There are recoil junkies but I would say most are not if they're honest with themselves.

Frankly if I was to add to my 6.5mm battery (I have a pair of .260's) I'd get a 6.5 x55. It does all I need at a tame speed. yeah I know, I must be some kind of lame butted wimp going with a classic. The deer don't seem to notice the difference.

[FLHTC]

The new century sure has already seen alot of new cartridges birthed and buried, huh? Let's see here. The Remington Short Action Ultra Mags, the Winchester Short Mags other than the .300, the .338 Federal, the .30 T/C; I'm sure there are others I'm forgetting. Then there are those which ceased making brain waves a long time ago but the manufacturer just won't pull the plug, circling the drain as my ICU nurse sister would say. These include the .204 Ruger, the Ruger Compact Magnums, and the .327 Magnum.

I'm sure the .26 Nosler will make some folks very happy, print tiny groups, and make game animals very dead. But, so did all the other previously mentioned cartridges. If it doesn't create the kind of revenue Nosler wants then we should start signing up pallbearers.
Exactly how long did it take for some of the more popular cartridges to take hold? Some of the rounds can't even be found in stores or shops but they seem to be chugging along. Ruger just released the Single Seven in 327 Federal and although it's not a hot item on the ammo shelves now, doesn't mean it's going to stay that way. The 204 Ruger is another one that in certain locations, is alive and doing well. All of the Savage rounds have become unpopular in the main stream but are still being produced. Because you don't want the cartridge and have no use for it, doesn't mean that the other 350 million people in the country feel the same.
The handloader will keep cartridges alive in todays world, much more so than 50 plus years ago. Cartridges aren't getting buried simply because you don't find them for sale at WalMart either. Just think how boring life in the shooting community would be if all we had was a 30-06'.

[captaint]

I know I sound like an old guy here, and I am an old guy - but - who really needs a 6.5 travelling at 3400fps ?? Really...
We have the truly fine 6.5/284. I don't own one, but have heard for years it's a very good cartridge. Like Ferguson said - so many new cartridges (and un necessary ones) have come and gone lately. I'll just keep my .308 and .280 and be happy. My animals have been fairly dead upon tangling with those 2 rounds. Go buy some new guns, dammit !!! Mike

[FergusonTO35]

Reloaders and wildcatters will keep all the cartridges mentioned in this thread alive, albeit on a small non-commercial scale, for decades to come. What I am talking about is the viable commercial lifespan of a cartridge, or lack thereof. Meaning that factory ammo and rifles are in production and selling, even if not in huge quantities. I really do not think that firms such as Winchester, Remington, Federal, Ruger, and Nosler introduced any of these cartridges as a gift to handloaders, custom rifle builders, and weirdos who like obscure cartridges (I meet two of these criteria). They were all introduced with the hopes that they would become the next big thing in shooting, which translates to revenue and clout for the maker. The .300 WSM was the big thing for a few years and remains in production today. None of the others caught on and were dropped by their makers or will be soon.

I think the Single Seven will sell decently because of all the pent up demand for a .32 caliber single action revolver that has been building since Ruger dropped the .32 Magnum Single Six. I bet most people who buy it do so to get their .32 Magnum fix and will never fire .327 ammo through it. I might just get one myself!

[FLHTC]

Reloaders and wildcatters will keep all the cartridges mentioned in this thread alive, albeit on a small non-commercial scale, for decades to come. What I am talking about is the viable commercial lifespan of a cartridge, or lack thereof. Meaning that factory ammo and rifles are in production and selling, even if not in huge quantities. I really do not think that firms such as Winchester, Remington, Federal, Ruger, and Nosler introduced any of these cartridges as a gift to handloaders, custom rifle builders, and weirdos who like obscure cartridges (I meet two of these criteria). They were all introduced with the hopes that they would become the next big thing in shooting, which translates to revenue and clout for the maker. The .300 WSM was the big thing for a few years and remains in production today. None of the others caught on and were dropped by their makers or will be soon.

I think the Single Seven will sell decently because of all the pent up demand for a .32 caliber single action revolver that has been building since Ruger dropped the .32 Magnum Single Six. I bet most people who buy it do so to get their .32 Magnum fix and will never fire .327 ammo through it. I might just get one myself!

You seem to be back pedaling from your previous post but there are a few things you mention that don't make sense. How can a commercial brass manufacturer operate on a non-commercial scale? We all know that the brass case makes the cartridge so if companies continue to provide brass for the "Buried" cartridges, how are these kept alive on a non-commercial scale? I wonder if Starline or Jamison know that they're a non-commercial enterprise?

[lefty o]

lol, i always have to laugh when people start writing off cartridges. used to be not long ago all you ever heard was the 40S&W is just a fad, wont last, etc. 25yrs later its still here and selling better than ever. people trash the WSM's, but yet the 300WSM and 270WSM are still selling well, and have been for almost 15 years. i find it funny that most people who list all the reasons they think these cartridges are fads, will fail, etc arent driving a model T, their computer doesnt run on vacuum tubes etc. will the 26nosler make it, maybe not. 6.5's have never been big sellers here, but have been getting more notice in the last 20yrs. as to why? why not? no one needs a car that will exceed the speed limit, but everyone has one!

[FergusonTO35]

I'm not trying to back pedal or argue with anybody. My point is that so far very few of the new cartridges of the past 15 years or so have gone mainstream to the point that there is a wide variety of readily available factory ammo and guns. The difference between the unsuccessful recent introductions and the less popular older cartridges that are still in production is that the older ones were at one time very popular. Rounds such as .250 and .300 Savage, .257 Roberts, .32 Winchester Special, and many old military rounds still see alot of use because there are still so many guns that shoot them. Cartridges such as the .270 and 7mm WSM, any of the RSAUM's, and the Ruger Compact Magnums never were very popular to begin with and so there are very few rifles floating around so chambered. Whiz bang cartridges of a couple decades ago such as the 6.5 and .350 Remington Mag and the .284 Winchester have similarly flopped because they never went truly mainstream, even in spite of occasional efforts to revive them.

Starline, Jamison, Bertram etc. are small companies catering to a market that is very small compared to giants such as Winchester, Remington, and Federal. It makes sense for them to offer less popular and obscure brass because that is what drives most of their business. The latter companies operate by selling huge quantities of a comparatively small list of cartridges. I suppose what I mean is commercial on a large scale versus a small scale. I don't see why the large ammo companies would introduce a new cartridge knowing that it would never sell in the huge quantities to work with their business model.

I'm really not trying to argue with anybody and I'm certainly not against new cartridges. What I mean is, that the .26 Nosler is much more likely to become the exclusive province of handloaders and companies that support them, rather than join the small list of popular cartridges that are available everywhere from everybody. Perhaps Nosler is ok with that, given how bullets are their main offering not cartridges or rifles.

[FLHTC]

The 22-250 took quite long to go mainstream. It was the 22 Varminter in the beginning. The 280 Remington took as long. It was named the 7mm Remington Express at one point before it became widely accepted. I know my gunshops have anything I want in all available bullet weights. Now I see what drives your opinions. You live in Salvisa Kentucky, population 420 with an area of 1.85 square miles. There are bigger towns out there my man that have plenty of the WSM rounds for sale. You just have to get out more.

[FergusonTO35]

I love living in Salvisa, its a great little town. However I do frequent quite a few gun shops and the only recent short magnum cartridge I ever see as either ammo or rifles is the .300 WSM. That's just my experience, take it or leave it. Next time I go to Mike's in Frankfort I'll talk to the owner. He sells more shooting related stuff than anybody else between Lexington and Louisville and has been at it since 1980 so he should know just how many fans a cartridge has in our little corner of the Bluegrass.

[TXGunNut]

Go buy some new guns, dammit !!! Mike (captaint)

Some days I feel like an old guy but it's been awhile since I could get excited about a newly-introduced gun. Having too much fun with guns that have seen five or six generations of gee-whiz new cartridges...and they still get the job done and look good doing it. Even my new guns look like old guns but it works for me.

[FLHTC]

I love living in Salvisa, its a great little town. However I do frequent quite a few gun shops and the only recent short magnum cartridge I ever see as either ammo or rifles is the .300 WSM. That's just my experience, take it or leave it. Next time I go to Mike's in Frankfort I'll talk to the owner. He sells more shooting related stuff than anybody else between Lexington and Louisville and has been at it since 1980 so he should know just how many fans a cartridge has in our little corner of the Bluegrass.

I'm not trying to bash you but Kentucky isn't a big hunting state so it's not a very strong indicator for ammunition sales. You can email gunshops in Texas and Pennsylvania for accurate information. They each have 1,000,000 licensed hunters

[FergusonTO35]

Sir, Kentucky has an awful lot of hunters in its population. A large percentage of us hunt on our own land which does not require any sort of license or tag other than migratory birds. I would never say that my state is indicative of every other but it is certainly relevant. Every time a new gun or cartridge is introduced the shops get it in and many people buy it, just as happens everywhere else. For example, sales of the short magnums and .327 guns and cartridges were pretty healthy for awhile, then nosedived as they did everywhere else.

[FergusonTO35]

Talked to Mike the longtime dealer today after work. He stated unequivocally that the .300 WSM is the only short magnum cartridge of the last two decades he sold many of. All the rest flopped miserably and were discontinued quickly. He said not a single customer has ever mentioned the .26 Nosler, even in casual conversation.

[RugerFan]

I don't know. I kinda like the idea of a 6.5mm 129 grain bullet going 3400fps. It would be a great long range deer cartridge. I would buy one.

I was thinking the same, but for Dall sheep. My Ruger .300 Win mag has the distance I need, but its a bit heavy and not the most fun to hike around the mountains all day. The 26 Nosler would have to come in a lightweight package (think Tikka T3 Lite) for my needs.

Also the velocities given are courtesy of a 26" barrel with magnum contour (not conducive to a lightweight setup). What would those velocities look like with a 24" or 22" barrel?

It's interesting though and on my radar for the time being.

[Nobade]

Not a huge difference between a 6.5-06 (or 270 win) and a 26 Nosler in a 22 inch barrel. But a T3 isn't going to feed or work right with the Nosler case, so while you could do it you would not gain much compared to the outlay of money and time.

So far I've built two 26 Nosler rifles for customers but haven't heard any reports back. I have a feeling they're not going to be all that accurate though, the chamber design has a pretty long throat and the factory ammo has the bullets seated very deep so there is no parallel sticking out. I guess they loaded them like that to accommodate short magazines because in a Remington they could be loaded a whole lot longer to gain more powder room and engage the throat better.

We also have seen 26 inch 264 Win Mag rifles produce factory 26 Nosler ballistics by using WC872 surplus 20MM powder, with exceptional accuracy. This leads me to believe handloaders aren't going to be able to match the factory ballistics with any commercially available powder. We shall see....

-Nobade

[dragon813gt]

I have no interest in this new cartridge. But I'm also in the thick woods of the east coast so I don't need to long reaching round. I do find the discussion of cartridges interesting. They have come and gone over the years. It's not a 21st century thing. At this point there is a huge overlap w/ all of them. They seem to fill a niche role since the standards are so established. A lot of the cartridges listed as dead are alive and well here.

I don't consider a local gun shop to be a good indicator because they are small potatoes. I look at what Cabelas offers, it's local to me. They still stock a lot of the "dead" cartridges. If I had to judge off my local WalMart I would say 308 is dead. They never stock it and there aren't even any tags on the shelf for it. W/ the plethora of cartridges it's hard to gain traction. After buying a Single 7 I see the 327 Federal's merits. It's the perfect magnum for someone w/ small hands. I'm hoping it sticks around but if not I can always load for it.

What about cartridges w/ millions of rifles chambered for it, people still wanting it, but you can't get it? I'm talking about 35 Remington. It's one of the most popular cartridges for PA hunters. But it's made of unobtanium due to seasonal runs. I'm sure there are other cartridges like this. I apologize for the thread drift.

[FergusonTO35]

No apology needed, you make very good points.

[captaint]

Heck, fellas, it's only about new gun sales.. Sometimes (often) when something new comes out, we can convince ourselves that we do NEED that new rifle. I've don it. I'd guess we've all done it. Need an excuse to go buy a new gun ?? OK, here ya go !!!
Mike

[dragon813gt]

I find that I have to buy old rifles. New ones just don't speak to me. But I understand your point. If technology wasn't pushed forward we wouldn't have the cartridges that have become the standards.

[FergusonTO35]

Yes, very true. I can just hear the old geezers in 1895 saying that newfangled .30 WCF with its little bitty bullet and unmanly smokeless powder wouldn't be around to see the new century.

[Baron von Trollwhack]

Yes, very true. I can just hear the old geezers in 1895 saying that newfangled .30 WCF with its little bitty bullet and unmanly smokeless powder wouldn't be around to see the new century.

Not So. The deer killers of the day jumped on the 30-30 with better trajectory and range capability with irons than the old big lever repeaters or the lever pistol cartridges. Ever seen the pre-WWI deer camp pictures with the Winchesters and Remington pumps proud? It was these fellows and their sons that that established the lever guns we like today.......Well maybe not for elk at 250.

BvT