26 Nosler nonsense

[roysha]

Let me go on record as saying this cartridge (and it's brother 28 Nosler) is the answer to the question never asked. Other then burning perhaps 10-15 grains more powder it does very little more than what the 264 WM can do which is, for all practical purposes, no more than the 270 WIN. Before someone gets their pantys all in a twist, compare equal barrel lengths, pressure, and practical hunting/shooting ranges. I don't doubt that it probably generates "snot slappin" recoil and enough muzzle blast to launch a fair size rocket. To top it off, I got an email flyer from Midsouth proudly announcing they had the ammo in stock. YeeHaw! Only $63.39 for a box of 20 plus shipping. Pure, unadulterated nonsense!!!

I would speculate that no more than, perhaps, 15% of the shooters/hunters can consistently make a killing shot in a FIELD situation past 300-350 yards, not because of the trajectory of the bullet but just simple inability to shoot well at those ranges. Therefore, the added recoil and muzzle blast negate any supposed advantage of 3-4 inches flatter bullet path. That just leads to shots being taken because they have the "latest and greatest" which will take care of any short comings in the shooters ability. RIIIGHT!

Honestly, I cannot see a single reason for the existence of these 2 cartridges given all the other similar performing cartridges available.

[lefty o]

you could say the same of at least 90% of cartridges that are in current manufacture. if it bothers you really badly, dont buy one!

[rintinglen]

One of my pet peeves is how the "New" ammo is always available while the good old standbys, for which there already tens or hundreds of thousands already sold, languish for lack of ammo. I like the 250 savage, there are probably 80-100 thousand M-9 alone kicking around. I can buy 7 mm WSM at my local shop, and 375 Ruger. How many of those are out in the hands of shooters?

[white eagle]

Honestly, I cannot see a single reason for the existence of these 2 cartridges given all the other similar performing cartridges available.


you could possibly say that about a bunch of cartridges new and old and I bet it has
just Nosler marketing its all about sales IMHO
nothing new

[dkf]

I would much rather have a non belted cartridge like the 26 Nosler than the belted 264 win mag. This is another case of "If you don't like it, don't buy it"

[tdoyka]

if someone goes out and buys a 26 or 28 nosler, more power to them. this same group of guys/girls who bought into the winchester and remington short mag craze will probably buy into these too. its foolish, but what gun buyer ain't. :wink::grin:

i own a 20 vartarg and a 6.5 creedmoor, both are tc encores with MGM Barrels on them. do they shoot well? why yes they do. i've got brass out the wazoo for both of them. when its time for me to go on, someone else can use and enjoy it.

i own a few guns like the 308 and 7mm-08. my old man's 7-08 seemed like a complete and total disaster when i loaded up some 139gr hornady flat noses for him. he complained about the flat noses and how they wouldn't work on deer and....then he shot a buck. and another and another and...now the 7-08 is his pride and joy.

it might be the answer to no question. will i get a 26 nosler? no, i got a 6.5 creedmoor. will i get a 28 nosler? nope, i got a 7-08.

[waksupi]

My God, do you realize what this means? They almost invented the 6.5 Swede!

[MostlyLeverGuns]

Now be careful, without marketing people might think a .300 Savage lever action would drop an elk or moose. Without marketing, there may not even be a .300 Savage.

[frkelly74]

My God, do you realize what this means? They almost invented the 6.5 Swede!
Almost but not as fuel efficient.

[Uncle R.]

The Colonel had 'em figured out many years ago.
The manufacturers need something "New and Improved" to sell more guns.
A young man could buy a good bolt-action .30-06 at the start of his hunting career and he wouldn't need another big-game rifle for the rest of his life - unless he went to Africa.
What would that do to sales and profits?
<
I'm not fooled by their marketing hype, but I have no problem with them either. I like having a healthy arms manufacturing sector, and if owning the latest souperloudengoboomer caliber makes you happy, go for it. As for me, I've long since become a curmudgeon and I pretty much agree with the Colonel - if you can't do it with a .30-06 it can't be done.
<
Uncle R.

[dh2]

I have been battering around the idea of building a 26Nosler for a while now , if I found a short chambered barrel for a Rem. 700 I would start work on it tomorrow, but having to thread and ream the chamber from a blank has kept me from it. I did it for a 9.3x62mm Mauser love the rifle but was a lot of work and hard to get time on a lathe. Doing all of this work for what I see as a very small gain over a 25-06 AI that is a first rate open country deer rifle. Now that it Browning is going to offer it as a factory rifle this year I want one to play with. I do no see the gain as worth the price of Nosler's rifle. Nosler is out to build some thing that they have the market cornered on.

[MBTcustom]

I think it's an intriguing cartridge. It really needs to be built and throated to push the heavy 140+ grain bullets, but if that is done, it could be just the little red wagon for the job.
I like the concept. Just not with the light weight bullets.
Yeah it's a barrel burner. So what? You have to pay the band!
I'm keeping my ear to the ground on this one. I might even build one.

[hornady308]

I don't have a problem with new cartridges. I just wish I could get brass for successful cartridges that have been around for a hundred years, such as the 35 Remington.

[Three44s]

For more than a dozen years I thought the 300 RUM was ridiculous .......... 'til I bought one.

What shifted my thinking was when I realized how flexible it was. .......... and some bargains came my way ......... !

Then a bunch of Ultra brass ........

......... and it all fell into place.

I like choices ..... and the last time I checked, there are no enforcers standing inside the doors where gun are sold insisting on what you buy.

You shoot what you want and I'll do the same!

Three 44s

[EMC45]

I'm getting ready to buy a Remington Etronx boltgun. I hear they have a super fast lock time and are super popular. Gonna make all the fudds drool with envy........

[EDG]

Herr Mauser developed the 7.65 Mauser about 1888 and then the US gooberment designed the 7.62X51 about 1954.......oh yawn

Got to feed those egos.

[waksupi]

I'm getting ready to buy a Remington Etronx boltgun. I hear they have a super fast lock time and are super popular. Gonna make all the fudds drool with envy........

I suggest you look into primer prices and availability. One of the guys I set up with at the gun show has one, and I was shocked what he was giving for a hundred primers.

[tdoyka]

I don't have a problem with new cartridges. I just wish I could get brass for successful cartridges that have been around for a hundred years, such as the 35 Remington.

the 444 marlin and 30-40 krag could use some brass too!!!

[Cmm_3940]

All of my bolt hunting rifles are .30-06. I've never seen a need for anything else.

It seems like every time I add a new cartridge to my collection, it ends up costing me about $1000 before all is said and done.

[Lloyd Smale]

a pet peave of mine is guys whos say a round because it only makes a 100 fps more then the one they like isn't any advantage. If that were the case a 300 ulta would be no advantage over a 300wby, the wby on advantage over a 300 win, the 300 win no advantage over the o6 the 06 no advange over the 308. If I follow this thinking isn't then the 300 ultra no advantage over the 308?? Yup it might not fit what you do for hunting but because it doesn't fit your style doesn't make it stupid. Ive kill MANY deer over the years and many with both the 264 and 270 and if your a handloader (which I believe all of us here are) and load both to there real potential the 264 absolutely trounces thee 270 in the game field. If you doubt this go and shoot 50 deer with each of them at 300-400 yards and come back to me and give me your EDUCTATED opinion. Ive never even shot a 6.5 nos but id bet a dime to a thousand bucks that if I shot 50 deer with each at 500 yards id sing the praises of the 6.5 over the 264.

you can waste your breath with the old argument that the 264 is overbore that was created back the 50s and 60s when the slowest powder you could buy was 4831 and the wize people at Winchester decided the 264 should have a 24 inch barrel. Now load it with re25 or 7828 or something similar and put it in a 26 inch barrel and watch it leave the 270 in its dust.

Then you can put yardage restrictions on me and others based solely on your own ability's. Kind of like telling jimmy Johnson he should drive his stock car over 55 because you don't feel safe doing it. There are thousands of good rifle shooters that have put in the time to become proficient enough to kill deer at 500 yards If you can so be it but don't tell me I shouldn't. I would guess that more deer are wounded by the typical guy that claims nobody should shoot a deer at over 300 yards then someone that does it. Most guys shoot a box of shells a year at best out of there deer rifle and probably shouldn't be shooting deer at 200 yards. tell me that reliably hitting a deer at 500 yards is impossible and ill show you a guy that hasn't spent enough time at the range to get good enough to do it.

Nope theres absolutely nothing wrong with the 6.5 nosler unless your of the opinion that you can kill something to dead. Only downside I can see and the reason ill never own one is I don't have 3k to spend on a rifle. If you don't have a need for it don't buy it. Simple as that. I know many hunters up there that will laugh at you for thinking you need an 06 or a 270 to kill deer they've been killing for 50 years with there 3030 or 3220.

[EMC45]

I suggest you look into primer prices and availability. One of the guys I set up with at the gun show has one, and I was shocked what he was giving for a hundred primers.


This was purely in jest Sir. The Etronx went down like a brick thrown into water.

[roysha]

I sure wish folks would read what I wrote and not what they think I wrote.

[lefty o]

we did read what you wrote. you seemed hurt that nosler would introduce a cartridge that you personally have no use for. i dont have use for one either , but somewhere someone does, and they will be who buys it. no use complaining about it.

[Hamish]

My God, do you realize what this means? They almost invented the 6.5 Swede!

:2_high5: Thanks for the laugh,,,,,,,

[376Steyr]

I'm looking forward to Nosler's advertising for the 8mm Nosler and the 9.3mm Nosler. Bigger! Better! Fastest in their class! :kidding:

[DR Owl Creek]

If I had the money to buy another rifle TODAY, it would be a Savage Long Range Hunter (long action) in 6.5-.284 Norma. With the long action, you can seat the bullets out farther in the 6.5-.284 case than you can in typical short action rifle, and this would result in a useable case capacity similar to a 270 WSM.

I don't care if anyone else want one or not!

Dave

[fourarmed]

That extra 100 fps put out by the new 6.5 mm margarine is not for convincing deer to die, it is for convincing your wife to let you buy.

[MikeBitzenburger]

The Colonel had 'em figured out many years ago.
The manufacturers need something "New and Improved" to sell more guns.
A young man could buy a good bolt-action .30-06 at the start of his hunting career and he wouldn't need another big-game rifle for the rest of his life - unless he went to Africa.
What would that do to sales and profits?
<
I'm not fooled by their marketing hype, but I have no problem with them either. I like having a healthy arms manufacturing sector, and if owning the latest souperloudengoboomer caliber makes you happy, go for it. As for me, I've long since become a curmudgeon and I pretty much agree with the Colonel - if you can't do it with a .30-06 it can't be done.
<
Uncle R.


What he said ^^^^^^^^^ :grin:




Larry Gibson and Goodsteel along with N0-1's greed has caused me to leave this place. This place is likely self supporting due to the banner ads I.M.O , why do you guys keep paying him to post here?

[white eagle]

I used to have a thing for the 7 mm Shooting Times Westerner
probably close to the 28 Nosler

[Nobade]

I think it's an intriguing cartridge. It really needs to be built and throated to push the heavy 140+ grain bullets, but if that is done, it could be just the little red wagon for the job.
I like the concept. Just not with the light weight bullets.
Yeah it's a barrel burner. So what? You have to pay the band!
I'm keeping my ear to the ground on this one. I might even build one.

Ah Tim, don't stop there! 6.5 Remington Ultra Mag, now we're talking!

However, in all seriousness, check out difference in the factory ballistics of the 26 and the 28 Nosler. That half millimeter of bore diameter makes a huge difference in how much energy it delivers. The 28 is a good 200 fps faster with the same weight bullet than the 26 is. I believe we're running into what I predicted when the cartridge was introduced - you can't buy gun powder slow enough to make it really work. We have seen how it's possible to easily exceed factory 26 Nosler ballistics with the 264 Win Mag using WC872 powder. Since the Nosler is even bigger, it is going to really need something slower and to my knowledge no such powder exists, or at least that we can buy.

Somebody mentioned a 9.3mm Nosler - now that is starting to make sense! That or a 375 would really make that case start to be efficient other than the fact of people couldn't shoot it because of the recoil. Heck, the 375 Rem Ultra Mag was just beautiful, but didn't sell because it hurt too much to use. Aah but I digress...

-Nobade

[dk17hmr]

Ah Tim, don't stop there! 6.5 Remington Ultra Mag, now we're talking!

However, in all seriousness, check out difference in the factory ballistics of the 26 and the 28 Nosler. That half millimeter of bore diameter makes a huge difference in how much energy it delivers. The 28 is a good 200 fps faster with the same weight bullet than the 26 is. I believe we're running into what I predicted when the cartridge was introduced - you can't buy gun powder slow enough to make it really work. We have seen how it's possible to easily exceed factory 26 Nosler ballistics with the 264 Win Mag using WC872 powder. Since the Nosler is even bigger, it is going to really need something slower and to my knowledge no such powder exists, or at least that we can buy.

Somebody mentioned a 9.3mm Nosler - now that is starting to make sense! That or a 375 would really make that case start to be efficient other than the fact of people couldn't shoot it because of the recoil. Heck, the 375 Rem Ultra Mag was just beautiful, but didn't sell because it hurt too much to use. Aah but I digress...

-Nobade
I'm probably wrong as I haven't really looked into the Nosler case but I believe it is based on the Dakota line which was the idea for the 375 Ruger.

The 26 Nosler looks like a heck of a hunting round for around here in the open country, but so does my 257 Weatherby, the 26 has a much better bullet selection though.

[Nobade]

Same as the Ultramag and the Dakota - they're all based on the 404 Jeffrey case.

-Nobade

[Skipper]

I remember about 35 years ago when I was in my local gunshop and a guy walked in with a .264 Winchester. The 'smith asked him what the barrel length was and he replied "22 inches".
The 'smith replied "cool, another .270 with short barrel life!"

[tygar]

Man, just make a 6.5-06! Cheap, easy to make (neck up 25-06), accurate at long range etc. plenty of power.

It's crazy how they jack up the prices on the proprietary cases.

[Lloyd Smale]

still love mine. It surely puts the hurt on deer way out there!!
I used to have a thing for the 7 mm Shooting Times Westerner
probably close to the 28 Nosler

[gtgeorge]

"viva la diferencia" and the choices available.

I always appreciate having a choice in life whether it be a cartridge or what I eat at any particular time. I also accept that while I see no point in things offered I respect that there are folks out there with different tastes, needs and financial means than I. If it doesn't sell it will fade away as many have or have a small cult following.

With that said I will likely not own them but I have too many other choices out there waiting in line anyhow. If I lived long enough and had more money I might just add them as well as other choices out there.....well just because. :bigsmyl2:

[Prodigal Son]

Anything based on an '06 case will do anything I need done!

[Love Life]

I was interested in the cartridge when it first hit the streets, but I think the 6.5 SAUM would be the better option.

[Ragnarok]

I just got my first .270 Winchester....I'm only eighty years behind!

[Moonie]

I just got my first .270 Winchester....I'm only eighty years behind!

Me too, not long after my first 30-06 lol, granted the .270 is a pistol...

[Huffmanite]

Sorry, large powder capacity cartridges are of no interest to me. Have not hunted in a darn long time, but do shoot a lot of paper at range I'm a member. So, a 30-06 is about max for me to shoot and while I own about 5 of them, really don't shoot them very often. I'm often amused by someone showing up at range to shoot some magnum type cartridge rifle. If they do not already have a muzzle brake on the barrel, one will be installed after a couple of times shooting the rifle.

[tdoyka]

i do hunt, even tho i have a stroke. i use a 444 marlin around 1800-2000fps and a 45-70 that goes trapdoor. theres a 30-40 krag that luvs cast boolits. i'm thinking about an 30-06(haven't owned one in quite awhile) that can also shoot cast bullets. but the 26 and 28 nosler, no i don't think so.

the 26 and 28 nosler may get some people to shoot it. i think, i may be wrong, it goes -4 inches at 400 yards. i don't know what it does at 100 yards, it really doesn't matter. some people like them, some don't.

when i was young and dumb, i almost got a 264 win mag. i ended up getting a rem mountian rifle in '06. even tho i never killed anything over 100 yards,(one time it was 365 yards with a 270) most under 30 yards. i never bought or looked at a magnum. even the ones without a belt.

[Blammer]

If you think the ammo is expensive now, just wait until they stop making it. :)

may be worth investing in a few boxes of factory fodder to sell at double the price later. :)

[tdoyka]

If you think the ammo is expensive now, just wait until they stop making it. :)

may be worth investing in a few boxes of factory fodder to sell at double the price later. :)

in the 30-40 krag they come up once a year and they are $40-$45 for factory loads. i'm trying to find more brass for the 30-40(i have 90 odd pieces) but it looks like the end of november. i have 200-250 pieces of 444 marlin brass, its def. hard to find.

[flounderman]

For practical purposes, necking the 06 case and if you want, improving it will do about anything that needs to be done, with available, cheaper brass and dies. I had the 22-06, have 243-06 and improved 243-06, 25-06, improved and standard, 6.5-06, maybe both standard and improved, 270, 280, and 30-06. The only thing I have used the last several years is a short barreled 260 Remington and consistently killed deer in the next zip code with it. I have a 6.5 on the 308 Norma case that will probably equal the Nosler. The powder that is slow and was cheap is wc 860. I have a 6mm on the 308 Norma mag. Somebody necked a 7mm mag to 6 mm and with the 860 got some pretty fair results with 100 gr bullets. 860 is too slow for a 300 win mag with 160 gr bullets. compressed load won't be any better than a 308. It would work in the 6.5 Nosler, but I shoot 85 grains in the 6.5 on the norma case with 129 gr bullet. I haven't seen much that made sense in the way of new calibers that were bigger, except to sell to someone that believes the hype. Standardizing the 22-250 and 25-06, made sense, the 260 and 7-08 for short actions but there isn't much use for the new calibers.

[MT Gianni]

If anyone doubts that the 256 Newton was way ahead of it's time all ones needs to do is look around.

[Lloyd Smale]

funny how the majority of guys who claim some rifle is no good, to powerful, not efficient, not needed ect ect ect are guys who have never even shot one let alone killed something with one;-). Remember there was a good many people who said similar things when the 270 or 7 rem mag were made commercial and I can even remember storys of when the 357 mag made its debut and even claimed it was to powerful to be practical and all handgun development was now over and they said the same when the 44 mag hit the market. Seems theres thankfully a lot of hunters and shooters out there in the world that don't agree with some of you or my safe would be about empty

[kweidner]

Lol I think I want to take the 20mm vulcan and neck it down to 6.5.........Seriously though I have two over bores. Three if you consider the 6.5x.284. I bought the .223 wssm when it first came out. Love it but you know how hard brass is to get. The 300 RUM for my mile quest years ago. They have their specific purposes. In order to stay supersonic past 1500 yds the RUM was necessary for my quest. I shoot most of my deer with a handgun or .308 these days. I could feasibly take one at 1k with the right set up with the rum. Around here I'd have to look for a place to do that in a hunting scenario. Twist the can on the .308 and I am good to 500 yds if I need to. My ears don't ring and it's just as lethal.

[Hickok]

I would think that after seeing the price of the Nosler rifle that fires the cartridge, that would be enough to doom this venture.

[dk17hmr]

I would think that after seeing the price of the Nosler rifle that fires the cartridge, that would be enough to doom this venture.

They sure aren't your common mans hunting rifle. Browning has/will introduce the chambering into their X-Bolt. They would be easy to build on just about any magnum action with a chamber reamer and barrel. I don't know if a guy could get into one for less than $1500 right now unless he built it himself.

[leadman]

I have shot over 15 elk with the following cartridges: 44 mag 310gr in Ruger SBH, 6.5X55 Swede, 58 cal. H&R muzzle loader, 7.65 X 54 Arg. Mauser, 30-06 Savage 150gr, 180gr.,7mm Rem Mag in Rem 700 & Encore Pro Hunter. There is a difference in field shooting with the different cartridges. Generally the smaller the cartridge the fewer kills that they dropped in their tracks unless hit in the spine.

I had my Dad's early (stainless blued barrel) 700 7mm rem mag and shot a couple of elk with it. An elk never went more than 30 yards, the one shot at 472 yards dropped right there. Passed this on to my oldest son and bought an Encore Pro Hunter in 7mm Rem mag. with a longer barrel at 28". This rifle showed a difference even from my Dad's rifle.
I shoot a 150gr ballistic Tip at just under 3,300 fps in cooler hunting temperatures. About the same as the 28 Nosler with a 10 grain lighter bullet. The only elk that moved from their tracks were a couple I shot while they were trotting but none went more than 20 yards.
This is where the extra velocity helps as lead is reduced enough that I do not think too much about it. Up to 400 yards I never shoot off the fur for elevation. Exit holes are usually about 4" with extreme blood loss so tracking is not an issue. I shot one elk on a trail on the side of a mountain and there was about a 15' spray of blood on the mountain on the exit side. Meat loss is minimal if the bullet is placed behind the shoulder. I did hit one in the shoulder knuckle and one shoulder was a mess so good shot placement is necessary.

The new Nosler cartridges do solve the problem of the belted mags with the belts being at or below Saami spec and the case body too short, and barrels being cut too deep. I have to fireform the brass for my Encore 7mm RM or case life is very short. The good thing about a break open single shot is the headspace can be gauged with an automotive feeler gauge when resizing the fireformed cases. I usually size my cases for .0015" headspace.

[lefty o]

i cant ever quite figure out why people gotta whine about having more choices. just remember, "you can have any color model t you want as long as its black"!

[Lloyd Smale]

guess you have to realize that theres people out there with more money then you and I have to plays with.
I would think that after seeing the price of the Nosler rifle that fires the cartridge, that would be enough to doom this venture.

[Lloyd Smale]

yup!! I shoot many deer every year and it would be pretty boring to shoot them all with a 3006. Not that I don't like the 06, its one of my favorites but I like some variety in the field
i cant ever quite figure out why people gotta whine about having more choices. just remember, "you can have any color model t you want as long as its black"!

[EDG]

26 Nosler
A typical cartridge for a guy that wants to brag while shooting 4 or 5 rounds a year.
Why not a 300/378 Weatherby? or a 340/378 Weatherby? if they are only choices and the cost does not matter?
That is the same appeal of the 50 BMG and the 338 Lapua and the 408 CheyTac. None of these are going to appeal to cast bullet shooters who seek economy while shooting larger numbers of rounds.

The marketing of products often turns into an appeal to the ego driven types trying to get a performance edge - even if it is only in his head.
That applies to cars, motorcycles, pistolas, rifles, cameras, optics, big screen TVs, hard drives, etc etc.
Remember the 265 in the 55 Chevy or the 283 in the 57? Now it is 600 plus horsepower. The speed limit is still 70 MPH most places.

Shooting deer with anything got boring after using about a dozen different rounds and seeing my brothers use that many more.
Hunting became more like sniping deer or execution of deer. Boring. I would rather spend a day shooting 200 rounds than a season shooting 10 shots at 10 deer. Some of my last deer were killed using a 141 Remington in .35 Rem caliber with iron sights. That was much more interesting.

[Good Cheer]

It's more fun to design your own cartridge, have the dies and reamer made, get it put together rather than buying somebody else's ideas.

[Lloyd Smale]

Id bet the average 6.5 nosler buyer shoots a heck of a lot more then 5 rounds a year. Why would you think just because a guy buys a high powered rifle he wont shoot it. I own a number of magnum rifles and id bet there shot as much as your 35 141 is.

Also my new Silverado puts out 355hp. I don't see anyone protesting at the chev dealer wanting to go back to the 180hp we had in the 70s. Modern small block will go 300k compared to the 70s when you were lucky if you hit a 100k. Why? well its a combination of modern technology, tighter tolarances and the fact that you don't have your foot on the floorboard 90 percent of the time like you used to.

Same goes for the 6.5. What do you think would last longer a 6.5 idling with a reduced load or a 264 cranked up to the point its flattening primers. thing is and it goes for high horsepower cars and trucks and high horsepower rifles. Just because you don't need them or cant handle the power they produce doesn't mean that someone else cant take advantage of it.

Not everyone hunts the same and as long as it legal someone elses idea of hunting is just as legitimate as yours. I hunt for meat. I could care less about trophys. Why would I go out with a 35 rem with iron sights if I likely could be presented a 300 yard shot. Why would I even consider the chance of wounding and loosing an animal just to prove I can do it with a smaller gun then you?

Lots of comments about the egos of guys shooting mag rifles. To me I see more ego in someone that feels they have to prove something by using an underpowered gun. Its like there so talented they can do it with anything. Nope. Make my 300 yard deer rifle a flat shooting hard hitting rifle and make my truck with 350hp, no wait, how about 400!!! Not even once in my life have I owned a car or truck with to much horse power. :Fire:

26 Nosler
A typical cartridge for a guy that wants to brag while shooting 4 or 5 rounds a year.
Why not a 300/378 Weatherby? or a 340/378 Weatherby? if they are only choices and the cost does not matter?
That is the same appeal of the 50 BMG and the 338 Lapua and the 408 CheyTac. None of these are going to appeal to cast bullet shooters who seek economy while shooting larger numbers of rounds.

The marketing of products often turns into an appeal to the ego driven types trying to get a performance edge - even if it is only in his head.
That applies to cars, motorcycles, pistolas, rifles, cameras, optics, big screen TVs, hard drives, etc etc.
Remember the 265 in the 55 Chevy or the 283 in the 57? Now it is 600 plus horsepower. The speed limit is still 70 MPH most places.

Shooting deer with anything got boring after using about a dozen different rounds and seeing my brothers use that many more.
Hunting became more like sniping deer or execution of deer. Boring. I would rather spend a day shooting 200 rounds than a season shooting 10 shots at 10 deer. Some of my last deer were killed using a 141 Remington in .35 Rem caliber with iron sights. That was much more interesting.

[Tackleberry41]

The Colonel had 'em figured out many years ago.
The manufacturers need something "New and Improved" to sell more guns.
A young man could buy a good bolt-action .30-06 at the start of his hunting career and he wouldn't need another big-game rifle for the rest of his life - unless he went to Africa.
What would that do to sales and profits?
<
I'm not fooled by their marketing hype, but I have no problem with them either. I like having a healthy arms manufacturing sector, and if owning the latest souperloudengoboomer caliber makes you happy, go for it. As for me, I've long since become a curmudgeon and I pretty much agree with the Colonel - if you can't do it with a .30-06 it can't be done.
<
Uncle R.

This is pretty much the reason behind alot of calibers. Guns aren't like cars or washing machines where they can pretty much count on you needing a replacement in 5 -10 yrs. A rifle made in 1906, kills deer just as good today as it did then. So they need to reinvent the wheel all the time. And plenty of those new improved calibers are gone, lack of sales so they stop selling ammo, next thing its a club, well for most people. But we end up resorting to drastic measures to get a rifle shooting. I have passed up on many a gun because of getting ammo for them. I have enough guns I make brass for or have to hunt it down. I know people who went for the 300 (insert a string of letters) fads. Oh it was so much better than my 300 win mag, really launches heavier bullets, no. More accurate, no. Okay wheres the improved part come in besides more gun sales.

[dragon813gt]

guess you have to realize that theres people out there with more money then you and I have to plays with.

Was going to say the same thing. The Nosler rifle is cheap. Look at the price of Blasers and other high end rifles. People routinely drop $20k on a shotgun. This Nosler rifle is downright cheap.

[dkf]

There are guys out there that think a $1500 rifle is cheapie and have no problem dropping $5k or $10k or more on a rifle. If that is what they want then fine with me. If the new Nosler line does not get the sales it will fade away, just like we have seen with other cartridges over the years.

[white eagle]

so whats the problem with a new cartridge?
like there is a problem with having more than one gun
some of you talk like you only need on golf club to play the game
variety is the spice of life

[jmort]

+1
It is an impressive new cartridge. Not for me, but if you want to reach out and touch something, that will do it.

[rbertalotto]

I was just a Cabelas in Allen TX and had a Nosler rifle in my hands........You have got to be kidding! I was shocked at the workmanship and the finish for the kind of money they were asking.......What did Barnum Bailey say....

As small steps, most cartridges have zero reason for existence.....Thompson TAC30 ??? 222 Magnum??? but in larger steps....Example...308 to 300WM there is a huge benefit depending on range and size of threat.

[FergusonTO35]

I have no need or desirefor a cartridge with this kind of recoil or muzzle blast. If others do thats fine, I'll just stick with .30 WCF, .257 Roberts, and mild .45-70. They've always made nice groups and dead deer for me!