26 Nosler - powder guzzler

[nekshot]

just got my american hunter magazine and found out the 264 was the first short mag of the era and to think all these years I thought that title was to remingtons 6.5 and 350 mags, oh well at least now I know. Another interesting tidbit as cars get better fuel mileage, new cartridges go the other way. That 26 nosler is taking 80 some grains of slow powder to get over 3000 and in the 70's my 65-06 got real close to that with just a wee bit over half of that amount of powder. Very interesting and now I assume the 264 win mag will lose the title of "over bore" to the 26 nosler. Kinda makes my 6.5-06 look real good to me now as much as it was in the 70's!

[osteodoc08]

The Nosler 26 just doesn't really flip my switch either. If it does it for someone else, more power to them. But yeah, she's a powder hog for sure.

[runfiverun]

I was on an efficiency kick for a long time where I matched up gas volume and barrel volume.
I found out pretty quickly that ol peter/paul mauser were a couple of pretty smart fellows.
today's powders make his designs even better than they was back then.
adding a little more [5-7%] case capacity, and bringing their pressures in-line with modern rifles, really makes most of them shine with powders designed for those slightly larger newer American case designs.
a 140 pushed along to the 3-k is pretty simple with a slightly oversized 7 mauser case, it nips right with the short and long magnum cases and does it with 15 grs less powder.

[Ehaver]

that is a boat load of powder! That is less than 100 rounds per pound of powder.

[Cap'n Morgan]

I'll take a .308 and a rangefinder over any fancy Magnum Eargesplitzenlaudenboomer any day.

[Mk42gunner]

The .264 Winchester may have been the first big factory short mag, but there were a heck a lot of wildcats and proprietary ones before that. The .270 Weatherby was developed in 1943 IIRC, for but one example.

Technically, any of the belted magnums that were based on the shortened .300 H&H case is a short mag. Then in the 2000's they came out with the non belted rounds that actually have short in their name like the WSM's and the RSAUM's.

Robert

[Lloyd Smale]

deer standing at 300 yards a good old 06 or 308 will take care of no need for a 26 nosler or even your 6.5/06 custom made rifle. At 5-600 yards its a differnt ball game and ill take every fps i can get and sure arent worried that my powder for the day cost me 50 cents more. Ill never own a 26 nosler. Why? Because i cant afford the admission price. But when the range gets over 300 yards where im shooting youll see me with one of those overbore silly magnum rounds. Your 6.5/06 is a fine well balanced round but even it was considered overbore by many shooters and with the advent of powders like re25 7828 h1000 ect you arent going to even run with a 264 mag let alone a 26 nosler.

[nekshot]

I was on an efficiency kick for a long time where I matched up gas volume and barrel volume.
I found out pretty quickly that ol peter/paul mauser were a couple of pretty smart fellows.
today's powders make his designs even better than they was back then.
adding a little more [5-7%] case capacity, and bringing their pressures in-line with modern rifles, really makes most of them shine with powders designed for those slightly larger newer American case designs.
a 140 pushed along to the 3-k is pretty simple with a slightly oversized 7 mauser case, it nips right with the short and long magnum cases and does it with 15 grs less powder.

I hear you loud and clear! Over the last 5 years I have really come to respect the mauser cartridges. I bought a few 8mm brand new barrels last year simply because 300 yards and under they are fine for me. Kinda like the the new engines verses those from the muscle car days, give me the hesitation and then the kick from a big Holly or a couple Carters in a row any day over the new stuff- not better but a good feeling!

[Larry Gibson]

Since when was the 264 Win Mag a "short mag"?

I got the same velocities and performance from my 6.5-280 (basically the 6.5-06 improved capacity wise) with a lot better accuracy (.5 - .7" 5 shot groups (not the 3 shot groups in the article) with Honady 129 SPs, Nosler BTs and Sierra 120 SPs over H4831. It was on a Spanish M98 action with a Star 26" barrel.

To say I was/am under impressed by the new Nosler cartridge and especially that very poor article is an understatement.

Larry Gibson

[JeffinNZ]

If innovations like the 26 help keep the industry buoyant then it's a good thing. Doesn't ring my bell either but if the market is stimulated then it's good for us all.

[texassako]

Pretty good write up in the new Handloader. I don't need one, but it is kind of like reading about the latest sports cars I don't need either. They at least upped the group size to 4 shots. 91 gr of powder sticks in my mind for one of the loads, ~75 rounds per pound. I think that was with a discontinued bullet as well. They seem to be using a lot of discontinued bullets lately.