28 Nosler - Best accuracy/Velocity powder - 8133 or R33, or?

[Roughwater]

Hi,

I recently bought a Browning X-Bolt Hells Canyon Swift 28 Nosler rifle (9 twist). Trying to work up a accurate load using 143 gn Hammer bullets. I am trying to keep the loads so they are not showing any pressure signs. So far I have loaded a mid range load using Retumbo/Winchester 215 primer (per Nosler load data) and getting around 3500 FPS velocity per my chrony and excellent accuracy.

I wouldn't mind getting a little higher velocity yet so long as it won't cause me and obvious pressure signs. Some have pointed me toward Enduron 8133 and some toward Reloader 33. It looks like 8133 shows good properties from what I read. Anyone tried either one in a 28 Nosler and if so what were your results?

 

[Deviant]

I get great accuracy and velocity after the cold bore shot with RL 33. It is just too darn temp sensitive though so Im switching to Retumbo or N570 if I can find any.

 

[MudRunner2005]

IMR 7977 is another good option for cartridges of this capacity. Works great in my .300 Ackley (roughly same H20 capacity) with heavies.

 

[gillettehunter]

I'll ask the stupid question. You say, 3500 fps and excellent accuracy, why change anything? I'm not sure you'll gain enough to waste the barrel life looking for more. I'm just being nosey.... Carry on.
Bruce

 

[lancetkenyon]

I have loaded for 16 different 28 Noslers. All but two shooting the 195 Berger or 197 SMK. The others shooting the 184 Hybrid. All have used RL33 from the high .0s to .3s. From 3090 to 3165 w. 195/197s. Never seen huge temp sensitivity from -4 to 110°F myself.

 

[Roughwater]

I'll ask the stupid question. You say, 3500 fps and excellent accuracy, why change anything? I'm not sure you'll gain enough to waste the barrel life looking for more. I'm just being nosey.... Carry on.
Bruce

Ok, not sure how I keep getting my answer stuck in the quote box but Oh well.

When I posted this question I kinda wondered the same thing. Maybe I'm just trying to keep up with the Jones so to speak. A online friend is getting 3650 FPS without overworking his brass with a different brand 28N. So before I even bought the rifle I kinda had that expectation (to maybe get 3600+ FPS). Otherwise I would probably be happy as a happy lark. (are there sad larks)? I tried to bump my velocity up a little more with Retumbo but started seeing signs of mild pressure and didn't want that. But you are totally right Bruce, 3500 FPS is probably screaming "your wearing out your barrel" and 3600 is screaming " your wearing your barrel out even faster"! LOL.

 

[Roughwater]

Appreciate it Deviant, Lance, Mudrunner and Gillette for your time and thoughts. I don't really want to go buying and trying too many powders on my silly quest. I am realitively satisfied with Retumbo but I like to play with bullets and powder and see what might go boom a little faster. Accuracy is sill key but if I can try one powder, still get great accuracy and a little more velocity without pressure signs I won't mind that one little bit.

 

[LongBomber]

What brass are you running? It seems that nosler is fairly soft and you can push higher speeds in other brass with less signs of pressure.

 

[Roughwater]

The only 28N brass I have been able to find is Nosler brass. Hornedy has been advertised for sale but only on backorder. I have also seen Bertram brass for sale but it's crazy expensive like nearly 300 dollars for a hundred pieces.

 

[257Tony]

33 will get you an extra 100 fps over retumbo pretty easily in the 28. Nosler brass is soft, I got ejector marks on factory loads that were fairly anemic.

 

[Deviant]

33 will get you an extra 100 fps over retumbo pretty easily in the 28. Nosler brass is soft, I got ejector marks on factory loads that were fairly anemic.

Thats interesting I have 200 pieces of Nosler brass that I ran all the way to 3200 FPS with rl33 and 195 gr pills and got no pressure signs not even a slight ejector mark.

 

[Roughwater]

Sounds like RL 33 might be the ticket then. I'd be curious to try 3133 sometime though to see how it compares. I don't know what powder Nosler factory ammo uses but I saw ejector marks on the Nosler brass they used. Also I will reuse the brass from the one box of nosler ammo I bought but I wasn't impressed with how short they trimmed it from the factory. It wasn't trimmed all that consistently the same length either. But the Nosler Brass I bought has been OK lengthwise anyway.

 

[257Tony]

Thats interesting I have 200 pieces of Nosler brass that I ran all the way to 3200 FPS with rl33 and 195 gr pills and got no pressure signs not even a slight ejector mark.

Yeah it's weird, my handloads with 180's don't give ejector marks, but the Nosler factory with the 168 do almost every time.

 

[Roughwater]

Yeah it's weird, my handloads with 180's don't give ejector marks, but the Nosler factory with the 168 do almost every time.

I'm just guessing but I would have to assume the factory uses a faster burning powder than RL33, more like Retumbo or faster.