Is 26 Nosler abandoned?

[Jerry M]

Lefty7mmSTM, on average what is the round count are you getting? What brand(s) barrels are you using?

 

[VinceMule]

140g pro hunters are better for 7/08's and slower 280 Rem, they can detonate on shoulders at 3250, saw it first hand.

 

[Mike D Texas]

I think most people are realizing they don't need a bullet traveling 3000fps+ to do what they need. With rangefinders and dialing scopes, efficient cartridges burning less powder, lower recoil, and longer barrel life are the trend. Not to mention significantly cheaper factory ammo.

You can dial for drop, hold for wind but you can't overcome velocity loss and loss of bullet performance at long distance.

 

[Lefty7mmstw]

Lefty7mmSTM, on average what is the round count are you getting? What brand(s) barrels are you using?

I pretty much killed my first 7rum (factory) in under 1,000 rounds (probably closer to 800)... I bought my 2nd 7rum used and she went another 5-600 rounds before the throat went, and it went quick. One time out she was shooting (but looked tired), the next couple times she couldn't hold moa anymore. I looked down the pipe and she was nearly burned flat the first couple inches. My current 7rum barrel is an 8" twist brux that I was given chambered in 28 Nos. It only had around 60 shots in 28 and she already required an inch setback to get to full rifling so the reamer would center. It was left short throat and she eats about like a 7stw- no factory ammo for her.
On the 7stw front, my Sendero was tired by about 1400 rounds. I traded for a lh m700 and I had to pull that barrel as it was gun plumbed. I shot the barrel hundreds of rounds trying to figure it out but finally got with a 'smith to get her figured out. The barrel currently rests in the rack of the buck I took with her. It's tired enough I will not hang it on another action unless I'm desperate.
The action was cut .010" over on the threads and faced at one time (previous owner of course) and some dolt tried to shove a standard shank 7stw barrel in her later. I don't know how I popped a buck at 480 with her, but I did. She went in for surgery because of long headspace and a win style safety that had to go. She came out with a 27" long 8" twist Shilen at 5 thou headspace. The only things factory in this rifle are the bolt body and receiver body itself. I've got her wearing a Boyd's Prairie hunter stock with pillars, a Timney elite hunter trigger, a ptg rear end on the bolt, and a ptg heavy recoil lug... The rifle is pillar bedded with a felt layer bedding the barrel into the stock.

 

[buzby]

You can dial for drop, hold for wind but you can't overcome velocity loss and loss of bullet performance at long distance.

Sure you can, with the right bullet construction. There are bullets that reliably expand at lower velocities. ELD-X and LRX down to 1600. The (relatively) tiny 6.5cm will get you to 600yds at those velocities, the 6.5 PRC 800yds. 26nos all the way out to 1200yds.

Most people aren't looking for a 1000yd hunting rifle, even on this forum. There's always been the guy who want 2x what is adequate, hence why Nosler, and Weatherby exist. But I believe their popularity is trending downward.

 

[Hydra6]

Always interesting to see how a thread drifts. I was pointing out that Nosler introduces cartridges and then abandons them - in this case specifically the 26 Nosler. As others pointed out, one should buy enough brass for the life of a barrel and you cannot depend on the cartridge developer to sustain the supply chain.

Maybe someone has ties to Nosler. I have sent multiple emails to Nosler with my concerns reference 26 Nosler with zero feedback.

 

[RiverShooter]

I bought a 26 Nosler Browning X Bolt a few years ago when Cabelas had it on clearance. Bought a few boxes of Nosler brand 26 Nosler ammo off their blem site. Shot the "blem" ammo (shot great) to zero scope and get brass to load. Loaded Barnes 127 LRX and harvested a mule deer in Wyoming.

However, Nosler seems to have abandoned the 26 Nosler - never ammo or brass in stock. Seems like Nosler puts a cartridge on market then supports dries up in a few years. I have reached out to Nosler but no responses to my email inquiries.

6.5 300 Roy pretty much put it in the closet.

 

[VinceMule]

Hydra6, you have learned a very hard lesson, and I hope you do not have to learn this lesson more than once. Buy up enough components to last the life of the barrel, it is a bitch, I know.
For guys that live on a budget, having young families it is tough. 300 new cases should get you though a barrel with some to spare.

I fear that the economy is going to get worse. For this reason, in the future make the most of basic cases that are plentiful.

It is amazing how many centerfire rifles from yesteryear have had no ammo produced for them in a very long time.

 

[Mike Matteson]

If you struggle to get brass, buy the more popular size and neck it up or down to get what you want.
The 264WM lost favour here in Australia about 20 years ago, no rifles, no ammo and brass has to be ordered and takes months to arrive… easiest fix was to buy 7RM brass and neck it down, use a mandrel and turn to clean it up and carry on as if it was made for the rifle.
Have done this without issue for a very long time.

Cheers.

Got that right. Changing 30/06 brass into 25/06, 300 WM into 308 NM, 7mmRem into 264WM, Now changing 280AI into 6 mm/280AI brass, and will be changing the 280AI into 257/280AI.
Change 300WM brass into .338WM brass.

 

[john k]

Always interesting to see how a thread drifts. I was pointing out that Nosler introduces cartridges and then abandons them - in this case specifically the 26 Nosler. As others pointed out, one should buy enough brass for the life of a barrel and you cannot depend on the cartridge developer to sustain the supply chain.

Maybe someone has ties to Nosler. I have sent multiple emails to Nosler with my concerns reference 26 Nosler with zero feedback.

Don't feel like the Lone Ranger. Like a Biden press conference

 

[RiverShooter]

I don't really think the 26 ever took off, not like the 28 did at least. With Peterson brass it's still a great cartridge for long range hunting, not something that is used for target shooting.

I concur. And if used in that capacity, the bore will last a long time. Don't heat it up.

 

[Calvin45]

6.5 300 Roy pretty much put it in the closet.

Both are equally impractical and about the same ballistically but I'll give you this: the 6.5-300 can be had in a weatherby vanguard. Don't think there's anything close to that price point in .26 Nosler. That alone will do it.

 

[JiggyIi]

Both are equally impractical and about the same ballistically but I'll give you this: the 6.5-300 can be had in a weatherby vanguard. Don't think there's anything close to that price point in .26 Nosler. That alone will do it.

For me it sucks cuz Vanguards aren't made in LH

 

[WYO300RUM]

I bought a 26 Nosler Browning X Bolt a few years ago when Cabelas had it on clearance. Bought a few boxes of Nosler brand 26 Nosler ammo off their blem site. Shot the "blem" ammo (shot great) to zero scope and get brass to load. Loaded Barnes 127 LRX and harvested a mule deer in Wyoming.

However, Nosler seems to have abandoned the 26 Nosler - never ammo or brass in stock. Seems like Nosler puts a cartridge on market then supports dries up in a few years. I have reached out to Nosler but no responses to my email inquiries.

Did you look around in stores when you were I Wyoming? I've seen 26 Nosler in a couple stores here and 100 miles away in Billings Scheels . Don't remember Cabela's .