tankgijohn72
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Feb 11, 2014
- Messages
- 459
Looking for anyone with experience loading the 26 nosler. Up to 150 rounds on the rifle and it really seems to prefer the 120 E-tips to anything else. Have shot mostly the etips and 127 LRX. I have been getting some good groups and great velocity with Retumbo and CCI 250 primers. Around 3600 with the E-tips out of a 26" barrel. I only intend to hunt with it, and at this time I don't intend to switch bullets or powder
79 gr Retumbo 120 ETips-~-.8MOA 5 shot. Heavy bolt lift
78 gr Retumbo 120 Etips-~1.0MOA 5shot. Heavy bolt lift Avg velocity 3643 SD 12
77 gr Retumbo 120 Etips-~1.0MOA 5shot. Heavy bolt, but noticeably less than previous two. Avg velocity 3601 SD 20. No hangfires or anything suspicious with any of the E-tip loads.
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72-75 gr Retumbo 127 LRX ~1.5 MOA 5 shot. No heavy bolts on anything. But, 30-50% of them hangfire.
Both of the above loads had 10 shots of each fired. Both were loaded with the same lot of powder/primer/etc on the same day. Repeated the loads again today with same results. Although I know i could have missed something, I don't think my loading had anything to do with it. Nosler does recommend keeping within 5% of maximum loads due to the cartridges large overbore. I think i may be reaching some critical powder fill percentage in which it starts to hangfire with the reduced charges. I would drop the powder charge down to 75-76gr with the 120 E-tip, but think that i may be right at the point in which the round is just as likely to hangfire vs shoot properly.
So my questions:
1)Any recommended media that could fill up the free case volume, and minimize potential of hangfire with E-tip if i continue to reduce the charge?
2)Anyone have a preferred primer combo with Retumbo in the 26 nosler (I've been told fed 215 which i plan to try).
3)Considering that the bolt lift isn't that heavy with the 77gr charge, shoot again this summer and see how it does. If no issues at 70-80 degrees take it hunting?
79 gr Retumbo 120 ETips-~-.8MOA 5 shot. Heavy bolt lift
78 gr Retumbo 120 Etips-~1.0MOA 5shot. Heavy bolt lift Avg velocity 3643 SD 12
77 gr Retumbo 120 Etips-~1.0MOA 5shot. Heavy bolt, but noticeably less than previous two. Avg velocity 3601 SD 20. No hangfires or anything suspicious with any of the E-tip loads.
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72-75 gr Retumbo 127 LRX ~1.5 MOA 5 shot. No heavy bolts on anything. But, 30-50% of them hangfire.
Both of the above loads had 10 shots of each fired. Both were loaded with the same lot of powder/primer/etc on the same day. Repeated the loads again today with same results. Although I know i could have missed something, I don't think my loading had anything to do with it. Nosler does recommend keeping within 5% of maximum loads due to the cartridges large overbore. I think i may be reaching some critical powder fill percentage in which it starts to hangfire with the reduced charges. I would drop the powder charge down to 75-76gr with the 120 E-tip, but think that i may be right at the point in which the round is just as likely to hangfire vs shoot properly.
So my questions:
1)Any recommended media that could fill up the free case volume, and minimize potential of hangfire with E-tip if i continue to reduce the charge?
2)Anyone have a preferred primer combo with Retumbo in the 26 nosler (I've been told fed 215 which i plan to try).
3)Considering that the bolt lift isn't that heavy with the 77gr charge, shoot again this summer and see how it does. If no issues at 70-80 degrees take it hunting?
