Spike Camp
Weatherby Nation => Around the Campfire (General Discussion) => Topic started by: truck driver + 2 on January 20, 2015, 07:27:29 AM
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Is the new 28 Nosler everything that Roy wanted his 7mm Bee to be.
Yes I'm opening up a can of worms. But someone had to do it. ::)
Weatherby seems to be missing the boat and Nosler is giving the Hunting public what they want. What is next from Nosler , maybe a 30 Nosler ?
I think I here some toes being stepped on. ;D
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I can't speak much on the 28 nosler, but the 26 nosler, Roy has been doing since the mid 40's with the 270 bee.
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The 26 looks to have not lived up to expectations it does what they claim with light bullets but that's not what shooters wanted, the 28 will be the same way. If you care to search you will find quite a few 26's for sale already . Moslem put out too much hype and promise on this one. Just marketing as a a new 264 would have been enough. Imo
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With 160gr ballistics beyond that of the 7mmRUM, this round is a screamer. The unfortunate cost to that is barrel life may well be 500rds before acurracy falls below MOA. Throat erosion will be severe from just a basic load workup. If a specific rifle is finicky, it's conceivable the barrel could be half to two thirds gone by the end of load work. Practice much at all and you could be changing barrels every 18-24mo.
These Nosler rounds are impressive in claimed velocity, but reality is, much like the RUMs, I suspect they won't be popular nor commercially viable outside of Nosler for very long.
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26 Nosler, 28 Nosler, and whatever is next from Nosler are only duplication. With a rifle that is not affordable for most hunters, these unbelted magnums are simply the biggest case with the heavy for caliber bullets that have a high BC. Barrel life won't be good. Factory ammo will likely be in short supply. There is nothing about these rifles that appear to me to be "new and improved." For what its worth, I bet 7mm RUM sales aren't close to the popular 7mm Remington Mag.
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Boy I said I was going to open up a can of worms but really fellows the over priced statement is not quite right. Nosler M48 starts at $1499 and tops out for a full custom at $4999 and the Weatherby MK5 Fiber Mark starts at $1500 and the MK5 tops out at over $5000. Not a whole of difference here if anything the Noslers have more models under $2000 than Weatherby from what I can see from both web site stores. ;D
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just another fad like the 7 RUM, 7 WSM, 325WSM, any of the SAUM's and some others. In 4-5 years you will find them at guns shows cheap, and no one wanting to buy them except for donor actions.
Rob
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I think we are missing the point.  Barrel life is not the issue there are a whole bunch of overbore cartridges out there including some  Weaherby  calibers where barrel life is not the greatest.   That's not why guy's buy these ultra velocity calibers and most understand that if it lasts 600 to 1200 rounds they can live with it.  Fortunately these guy's know what they are talking about and what they are getting into,  the unfortunate part is the nimrods that don't know , and get pissed because they wore out a barrel  and start bad mouthing something they are less than educated or experienced in.  It's surely not for everyone, but for those who actually have a need it's a good thing.  Maybe a person ought to learn about something before they make an expensive decision.  I'm actually glad gun companies are pushing the envelope it makes them develop better materials and processes. ÂÂ
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Catskinner that was not directed at you I was typing that before you posted. You do have a valid point I think, guy's let their ego, macho and keep up with the Jone's get ahead of their brains. I have friends that are pushing 4400 fps using a 100 grain 25 cal bullet out of necked down ultra mags their logic is hey we will rebarrel it when it shoots out. The point being they have a need for this speed and less drop. They have friends that will just make a new barrel for them so it's not a big deal. The average person probably doesn't have this luxury and pays for it . Not every caliber makes it that's just plain true and calibers you would think are today borderline and a hundred years later are still going strong.
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I'll add some additional thoughts based on comments after mine. First, the difference between the Nosler and Weatherby rifle offerings MSRPs are that you will pay the Nosler MSRP, as they set pricing and are selling direct. For a Weatherby, I can buy a new Accumark in any chambering I choose (from the available list, obviously) for about $1600-1800, depending on whether or not I want a 378-based chambering or not. In some instances, I can source a brand new Accumark for $1500, if I am willing to be patient and shop hard. A Fibermark is going to run somewhere between $995 and $1150, brand new, from a stocking dealer.
Now, considering the Fibermark most closely compares in terms of features and style to the Patriot, the Nosler rifle is going to run a premium of 50% over the cost of a new Weatherby. I could buy the Fibermark, slap on a Meopta MeoPro, Zeiss Conquest, or Swaro Z3, and not be far over the cost of the Nosler Patriot rifle in bare form. Consider then, too, the cost of brass for handloading, and the proposition tilts even more in favor of the Weatherby offering. Certainly if someone wants to buy the Patriot, I'm not going to stop them, but the old adage about a fool and his money comes to mind in terms of real performance for the dollar.
I tend to agree with your comments, Ron, about pushing the envelope, though in this case, even the long range crowd isn't buying into these rounds lock, stock, and barrel. I've talked to several guys I know who shoot long range, teach long range shooting, and compete at it, and none of them have much interest in these Nosler rounds, nor the RUMs off which they are based, save the 338cal versions (including factory and wildcat). The issue is ROI. The overbore case gives less and less advantage when you shift to smaller bores, and the reality is, the 7mmSTW is not popular because it doesn't offer significant enough advantage over the 7mm-300WinMag to be worth the loss of 1/3 of the barrel life. And this if for guys who attach their barrels with zippers because of how often they change them.
Again, if someone wants one of these, please go buy one. But understand going in what you're getting is, first off, not the most powerful or the fastest factory 7mm, as that honor goes to the RUM off which these are based (because the laws of physics apply and case capacity is higher by a marked amount in the RUM versus the shortened Nosler derivative), and you're getting a rifle that is limited use and more a novelty than a utility rifle like one of the Weatherby magnums or a 264WinMag or such. If you want to spend your money that way, as Ron said, educated prior to the sale, go for it. I don't see much use in it, and won't be buying one.
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no worries Ron, it's all cool, I also like that some of these company's are trying to bring out new stuff, and I agree on what you posted, hell that's why I had a 7 RUM, and a 30-378 and 338-378 now. :)
Rob
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Another thing Nosler gives you is a guarantee of accuracy. They guarantee MOA at 100 yards. I love Weatherby rifles but you spend 2K dollars on a rifle and it won't shoot and they tell you that 1.5 inch group meets their specs. I respect Weatherby as a company and I want a Mark V but if I spend 2K on a rifle a 1.5 group is not acceptable. You get a guarantee with a Vanguard but not a Mark V, I don't get it. I just hope when I get to buy a Mark V with beautiful wood it will not be a 1.5 group rifle.
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Show me an Accumark that doesn't shoot sub MOA and I'll show you a shooter who needs a good coaching session or an eye exam. Nothing magic about that Nosler Rifle.
Nice to see they make it in Bend Oregon though.
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I'm getting ready to order or buy a Nosler Patriot in 280 Ackely that will be my Weatherby 264. Sorry I'm slipping over to the dark side.
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I'm not sure all of it is made in Bend. It may be, but I've also heard unsubstantiated rumor the action comes from none other than the Howa plant in Japan.
As for no guarantee with a Mark V, Chip is spot-on. I've worked with several, and have yet to find one which won't give MOA at 100 and beyond. Most will come a lot closer to half a minute at 100, and 3/4 out beyond 200-300yds. That's well above the abilities of many shooters. If a guarantee matters that much, just buy the RC version of the Mark V. Still in line with the Nosler stuff, pricewise, and has the same paper guarantee.
seriously, buy whatever you want. Just do it educated, like Ron said earlier. And know there is no magic in any of them.
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Really Duby? A Howa action huh? Hey don't get me wrong I think everybody should buy what they like. When they are obsolete like a few of mine are becoming you all can feel my pain lol. But it is cool having an odd ball at the range and in the field right up to the point you can't get or make brass for it anymore.
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I'm not sure what nosler is thinking here. We already have seen the 7STW and 7 RUM come and go. As duby mentioned, capacity on the RUM is greater than the nosler. I guess i don't see the sense in noslers move here, especially when i cam find a 7mm RUM for the 3rd the cost of the nosler rifle. The 26 made sense to me, this 28 does not. I guess it's a way to sell rifles and Accubond LR bullets. I'm all for guys buying whatever they want, i just want to know what the execs at nosler were thinking here.
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Bear in mind I'm not positive about the Howa action part. It is, as yet, an unsubstantiated statement I heard from a sensible source who may be wrong or may be right.
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I will keep my Mark V Stainless 7MM Weatherby Mag. Thanks but no thanks. IMO the Nosler will drop by the wayside and pretty quickly. Look at the 7 STW and 7 RUM.
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just cleaning up junk on post board
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Sounds like the rough equivalent to the 7MM STW
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Nosler is predicting 3300fps with 160s, but with this case being a shortened 7mmRUM, and the best load data I can find on the 7mmRUM showing 160s in the 3200 range, I'm not sure how many yards of barrel Nosler is using to get their 3300 figure. It will all come out in the literature, as it did with the 26. I suspect the 3300fps figure is either with a 28" or longer barrel, or it's with some serious imagination. And if you can get 3300 out of 160s with this round, the barrel will only last about 500rds, based on what kind of powder burn you'd have to initiate to get that 3300.
Certainly there are people for whom this round holds interest. I am not one of them, however. The law of diminishing returns is up into the exponential part of the curve here, and for me, the cost is far higher than the benefit, in many ways.
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I agree...the laws of physics have not changed. I know based on case capacity that it cannot outperform a 7mm RUM. I have three 7mms...I have a .280 Ackley, 7mm Rem, and 7mm Weatherby. I do not have a 7mm STW or 7mm RUM due to those simply being WAY too overbore. I have friends that have those chamberings, but they actually don't use them much. It is just too much of a good thing. I think the 28 Nosler will suffer the same fate as the 7mm WSM and 7mm RSUM - not enough different to attract many people. I could see the attraction with the 26 Nosler, but I don't see it with the 28 Nosler.
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I suspect your friends with 7mmRUMs are seeing throat erosion at 250-350rds, and accuracy degredation by 500-600rds, as well. The 28 Nosler won't be more than 100-150rds behind that. Get one finicky about loads like a 7mmRemMag with which I once worked, and fully one third of the barrel life could be gone in finding and tuning a load. That RemMag took seven different bullets, six powders, and twelve different seating depths tested before finding an acceptable load tuned for .9MOA accuracy. If you want to shoot longer ranges, that sort of precision is required as is substantial practice. Figure 200rds annually downrange for maintaining ability at 700-1000yds, and within two to three years its time to start all over again, with another $600 investment in rebarreling. It just doesn't make sense.
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Guys who make barrels for a living gotta eat too right? Dang duby you must have got the sister rifle to the 270 WSM I once had. Got so sick of messing with it I traded it off on another one in the same caliber and that was a joy to shoot and easy to load for. Guess you never know.
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Re barreling comes cheap compared to new rifles and I have gone through guns like some people go through a bag of chips, it is what it is.
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Sure it will sucker some in as the WSM did.Then die as they have.
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Well I guess I'll be the odd man out, but that fine because it isn't the first time and certainly won't be the last time. I'm interested in learning more about this round and might buy one. When it comes to what I buy there's no need for any of it however I buy because of the simple fact that I want it for what ever reason, and that's good enough in my book. Let's face it there's a lot of guns out there that cost a lot more than a Weatherby and people buy them, maybe not in the same numbers as Weatherbys but they buy them none the less. Are they getting a better gun because they spent more, maybe and then again maybe not. There are some cheaper guns out there that will shoot just as good as a Weatherby however they don't carry the Weatherby name. That being said, some names carry a higher degree of mystique. Let's face it if you ran into a guy who was hunting with a Caesar Guerini shotgun and another guy had an H&R single shot, which gets you thinking about how it shoots and how much enjoyment it brings the guy.
Looking at this from a practical stand point the best 7mm to buy is the 7mm Remington Magnum because you can get ammo just about any where and pretty cheap. When it comes to 7STW there's a group of people who love it and stand by it regardless of what anyone says and the same is true for the .264 Winchester Magnum, 8mm Remington Magnum, and so on. I think the Nolser 28 is going to become one of them. Some guys are going to buy it just for the fact that it says Nosler. Are they wrong for doing that, I don't think so and certainly wouldn't wast my time or breath trying to tell them differently because it's a fool's argument. It's a lot simpler to look at it and say that's nice, good luck with it, but it's not for me.
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The manufacture of the Nosler M48 action is a trade secret just like the manufacture of their brass. There maybe some similarities like the safety but if you look at the left side of the action it looks like an FN Browning or a Sako, Pac Nor makes their barrels.
The new Nosler cartridges are designed around the use of a standard long action and can be chambered in Rugers, Winchesters, Savages and don't require a large magnum action like the Rums and Weatherby cartridges. It was this flexibility that Nosler designed into the new cartridge case.
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Sounds like you will be buying one td2.Let us know how yours shoots and what velocity you get?
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Actually I have something else on the back burner that I think Nosler will be bring out next and Pac Nor is already chambering barrels for it and PGT has reamers available also.
30 Nosler has really got my attention. It's also likely you will see a 33 Nosler or a 35 Nosler in the future also JMO . No flames please. ;D
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All these A.Improved and Noslers are just Weatherby wannabe`s
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All these A.Improved and Noslers are just Weatherby wannabe`s
The Ackleys are actually quite unique to the Weatherby's and not even in the same boat they are just improved cartridges in numerous ways over the parent cartridges. I actually prefer them over any cartridge ever created.
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Browning has just released, for 2015, a new X-Bolt variant - the X-Bolt Western Hunter.
One of it's calibers is the 26 Nosler and it has a msrp of $989, so it will hit some of the shops with a pricetag below 900 bucks.
If the trend continues, and it sells, you can bet that in a year or two the 28 Nosler will be added to the model and the calibers will be available to a wider audience.
I sell rifles/shotguns (at work) and if the pricetag can be kept under the 1K mark, they will come and someone will try it - if for no other reason than because it's different and they want the next better/stronger/faster thing on the market.
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All these A.Improved and Noslers are just Weatherby wannabe`s
I disagree and at least Nosler is coming out with new things rather than riding their history and putting new paint jobs on the same old thing.
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Actually I have something else on the back burner that I think Nosler will be bring out next and Pac Nor is already chambering barrels for it and PGT has reamers available also.
30 Nosler has really got my attention. It's also likely you will see a 33 Nosler or a 35 Nosler in the future also JMO . No flames please. ;D
I agree with you and can see that coming. I'd actually be surprised if they didn't come out with the 30 and 33 Noslers.
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I think Nosler should stick to making bullets. I agree with many of you that the 7mm Market is and has been flooded for some time. I also think the bar has been set and for all reasonable purposes is etched in stone.This dead horse concept has been tried and failed so many times of build A line up of a family of ultra volicity cartridges. That im suprized that anybody has the gall to try and sucker the hunter shooters of America into buying another family of rifles and cartridges that will be dead and gone in 10 years. And will never be easy to find ammo for unless you order it from them by mail. But as long as people are willing to buy them they will be more than happy to take your money.
The Weatherby Family Of Magnums is Excluded in my coments of course. ;D
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gun makers and ammo companies keep coming up with new cartridges every so often because everyday there are up and coming new generations of new shooters and hunters that are uninformed buyers that will listen to whoever is standing behind the counter of a gun shop or who really believe what they read in magazine articles and whats on the internet,if you want something,buy it,you still have the right to do so in this country,for the moment anyway,the ultra mags seem to push the lighter bullets faster then the existing magnums but the cant do anything better with heavier bullets,i have gotten 3220 from weatherby factory 160 grain partitions out of my 7mm bee accumark,havnt even tried to reload,no need to,from what im reading here the 28 nosler is advertising 3300 for the same bullet weight,80 fps more and how much more powder do you have to burn to get it ? there is only so much velocity you can get out of a certain bore diameter before all your doing is wasting powder,roy weatherby set the bar 70 years ago and people have been trying to beat it ever since,god bless him !
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Well said, southtexas. A company is not being irresponsible or inattentive because it doesn't stop everything and spend bushels of money retooling for a cartridge that has a small niche anyway. We've had an abundance of wildcatting lately with short mags and super shot mags and ultra mags. I have a co-worker who buys up every new thing that hits the market. All I can say is more power to him (and good luck finding brass for today's wonder cartridges in a few years)
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I don't think the 30 will be any more popular or long lived than the 28, but a 33 might garner some attention. A 35 would grab a lot of attention, and would be a good fit for the mid-bore marketplace. I could see that one actually being the most successful of this family of rounds, even.
I'll be curious to see how Browning does with the 26. I suspect it will move in a quick spurt of sales, and then die, much like the WSM/RUM families did. I could be wrong, but it just seems a lot like the 338Fed in that it answers a question almost nobody is asking.
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Amen South Texas.
Perhaps what should be asked is who makes the strongest action. The answer is easy. Weatherby!
As for Nosler, new stuff always attracts attention and R&D is always good because, if nothing else, it tends to lead to more and new knowledge. So, good or bad, hopefully Nosler is gaining knowledge.
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I agree on the idea of new developing new ideas. I guess they said the Weatherby calibers would be barrel burners, too. Time will tell! :)
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And least we forget the Lazzeroni Family of magnums. 6 More Cartridges and Expensive Rifles. Where are they now. 5 years ago they had full page adds in every hunting magazine around. Yes this is America and you can buy what you want. That's what makes for horse racing. (Some old term ) My point is simply this. These companies know what there selling wont last. They just want your money now while they can get it.
I simply choose to put mine in Rifles and Cartridges that will out last me. So when I hand down my guns they can actually be used.
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The 7.21 mm Lazzeroni Firebird as an example
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How will the new Noslers be any different than the Dakota line of cartridges? Other than the $3500-$15,000 rifle costs? They should have stuck with the 26 and making partitions.
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I'm not sure all of it is made in Bend. It may be, but I've also heard unsubstantiated rumor the action comes from none other than the Howa plant in Japan.
Just got an answer back to your question on who makes the action for the M48 and Nosler says and I quote it is made in House by us.
They do get their barrels from Pac Nor which are very good.
With Browning picking up on the New Nosler rounds I expect to see more companies doing the same thing since they can use their standard full length action with out modifying which is also a reason it will appeal to the custom rifle builder because they won't need a magnum length action to build on. There are a lot of pluses here if you can look past the negative comments. You can have one on any rifle manufacture platform you want with a standard long action. Even a Savage switch barrel if that's your desire and get a few tools and change the barrel your self. ;D
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We need to stop speculating so much and let it play out and see where it goes. Not that long ago gun powders were one of the limiting factors on how fast or efficient a cartridge can be. Bullets , primers, brass and the gun it's self to a lesser extent. I will be curious to what powder or powder blend will be used ? If you had the money you can have powders blended to your need given a set of specifics. Like I said it can be done but at a cost. Now whether Nosler will be doing this is anyone's guess. Maybe they already have a canister grade powder that will fill the bill., I don't know. The big gun companies usually have deep enough pockets and at times when they develop new cartridges they will spec out to the powder companies what they need and what they are looking for. Take Hornady for instance they are a ammo company looking for a .solution to a problem and had the powder companies in conjunction with themselves come up with a process and solution, and they are not even a rifle manufacture. It can be done, you may fail a few times , it just depends on a little brain power and a willingness to make it happen. Really there ain't a whole lot that hasn't been done in ammo wild catting the biggest issue it a lot of them have been ahead of their times. Some wild catting you never hear about or published, but it was still done you just don't hear about it. I know of stuff done in the bullet side you will never hear about because it's way too dam expensive to make any money at, but the darn stuff works for what it was intended. There is always that money thing that seems to crop up.
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I find all the negativity interesting considering we're fans of Weatherby rifles. Now let's remember a bit if history here, when Roy started out developing his calibers his line of thinking was the complete opposite of the main stream. The main stream wanted heavy bullets going at modest speeds while Roy wanted to push lighter bullets real fast and felt it would result in faster kills and flatter ballistics. When John Nosler was developing his Partition bullets he was also going against the main stream which was happy with a cup and core design. Both of these Gentlemen stood their ground against the main stream and continued on with their designs and as a result changed a lot of people's ways of thinking. Sure it's easy to say Nosler is wasting their time making these new calibers but I'm sure they spent a lot of time not only designing them but thinking the idea through long before they ever started the design process. I think these calibers will continue to grab a lot of attention and as other manufacturers make them keep their sales up.
When it comes to the idea of a Nosler 30 I think it would be very interesting and hang on for quite a long time considering the popularity of .30 caliber bullets. I'm sure it was told to Roy that his creations are nothing more than a fad and won't be around long and look at where they are today, this is Weatherby's 70 year anniversary. Sure the WSMs, and RSAUMs fell to the wayside but think about how much marketing was put into them beyond their infancy, not much. There are lots of great calibers out there that we don't see or even hear much about but that doesn't change the fact that they're good calibers. In the end we can argue this point until we're blue in the face but in the end time will tell what will be. My personal guess is Nosler is onto something here, their calibers will be around for a long time, and they will come out with a Nosler 30 and a Nosler 33 or something close to it.
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I hear you Chris and your rite. Problem is its already been done. Every one after Roy is simply re designing the wheel. Maybe Nosler thinks they can build A better mouse trap.
They certainly have the rite to try. I for one have seen to many attemps at the same thing. there are to many 7mm mags and 300 mags as it is.
instead of building one faster. How about becoming A better hunter & shooter.Pluss what happens when your holding this death ray and the animal is only 50 yards away ???
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I am a believer that the Nosler action is indeed a Howa build Ofcourse Nosler is saying its an in house deal so not to spoil their sales, face it no high end gun gurru is going to want a Howa action so what they don't know won't hurt them. It's all marketing that's how it works.
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I'm not sure all of it is made in Bend. It may be, but I've also heard unsubstantiated rumor the action comes from none other than the Howa plant in Japan.
Just got an answer back to your question on who makes the action for the M48 and Nosler says and I quote it is made in House by us.
They do get their barrels from Pac Nor which are very good.
With Browning picking up on the New Nosler rounds I expect to see more companies doing the same thing since they can use their standard full length action with out modifying which is also a reason it will appeal to the custom rifle builder because they won't need a magnum length action to build on. There are a lot of pluses here if you can look past the negative comments. You can have one on any rifle manufacture platform you want with a standard long action. Even a Savage switch barrel if that's your desire and get a few tools and change the barrel your self. ;D
Im not trying to be argumentative on this. And I hope Nosler is being 100% forthright on this, but I can tell you they told me the same exact thing regarding their brass, which I know from conversations otherwise what they do in house is the final size and their sort/prep activities, while sourcing formed brass from Norma, Winchester, and possibly others. The first two I know for a fact. So in-house doesn't mean they forge and heat treat the action in Bend (or machine from billet and heat treat), but may instead take a basic action and finish it in house.
Now, with that said, regardless of how it is done, the Nosler rifles are production-custom guns of very high quality in fit and finish. They are one of the most economical production-custom rifle makers, as well. But that market exceeds most people's means, limiting the appeal of their chamberings. I am impressed to see the Browning chambered in 26 for one of their SHOT Show specials, and it will be interesting how it sells. I suspect a reasonable number of those will end up on used racks with heavy copper fouling and perceived barrel wear because of it, and perhaps a deal or two will be found. Interesting, for sure. I still don't think the 26 makes a ton of sense, and the 28 even less. I had forgotten about the Dakota lineup. These Nosler rounds are almost dead copies of that case. That doesn't bode well for popularity, though.
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ok,Im not at all trying to be negative or put anyone down for what they believe in here,but I just read noslers press release on the 28 nosler and more specifically the ballistics chart,they claim is it is the most powerful commercially available 7mm on the market,3300 fps for the 160 grain accubond and 3125 for the 175 grain long range accubond,i don't see this as a earth shattering break through,thats 100 fps over the 7mm wby for the 160 grain and 55 fps over the 175 grain,the difference in trajectory and energy in the field will be almost non existetnet,as for the future of introducing a 30 and or a 33 nosler,they will never catch the 30-378 or 338-378 weatherbys,as mentioned earlier,there trying to reinvent the wheel in a market that is already saturated with 7mm,30,and 33 caliber magnums,each time a new one is introduced they grab some of the first time buyers market share and then slowly fade away,I agree with Chris,im sure people thought roy was crazy when he started out but time has proved them wrong and roys cartridges of the time were offering substantial velocity increase over cartridges of the day.I cant fault anyone for trying to improve on anything,if nobody tried to improve things we would still be riding horses.time will tell what will happen to noslers new creations and I sure hope they keep making there awesome bullets,but I don't see anything here that is going to catch on to quick not to mention the physical appearance of there rifles don't hold a candle to a weatherby mark v in any configuration,jmo
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If Browning and other makers chamber this round at a lower price point, I`m interested. Most of us here preach velocity rules. I believe accuracy rules! BTW, I have 4 so called "obsolete " rifles right now. 338 RUM (by accident), 300 WSM, 7mm WSM and 270 WSM! Not a one is NOT sub moa! My 2cents worth, again..... ;D
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I see the Browning xbolt western hunter is offered in 26nosler for $989.99 on there website. At 6lb 13 ounces it seems rather light with a 26" barrel. I ordered a catalog, hopefully it lists the 28nosler.
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All the Brownings are pretty light weight. Same basic weight for .375 H&H mag! ;D
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I agree with Badsection, speed is nice but if there's no accuracy what good is it worth? Absolutely nothing. I think it says something for the Nosler 26 when Browning starts chambering their rifles for it. Browning makes some very high quality guns for their price. Beyond that Browning has come up with some pretty innovate things in the last few years such as the T-Bolt and X-Bolt action while not spiking their prices. Someone mentioned here that the 7 STW has faded away and maybe that's true for the most part however I'm sure you'll find a bunch of people who swear by it as is the case with just about any caliber regardless of it's extremely popular or not. Who ever thought the .350 Remington Magnum would still be around today. Sure not many companies are making them but there are guys out there that would tell you if they had to keep just one rifle it would be their .350 Remington Magnum.
When it comes to the Nosler 26 and 28 I like the fact that they kept it in the long action caliber class. I think that will help them out a lot to garner shooter's loyalty. As for if their rifles have a Howa action or not I don't know. What I do know though is there are countless numbers of custom rifles that have been built off of the Remington Model 700 and Winchester Model 70 actions. That being said Howa makes a good action and regardless of if it's one of their rifles or the Weatherby Vanguards they shoot good groups. Now I realize there's a lot more to obtaining accuracy then just the action but it's an important component that can't be over looked. I wouldn't have my feelings hurt if they were built with a Howa action after all most bolt actions can trace their history back to the Mauser action.
Sure the Nosler 26 and 28 aren't for everyone but then again neither is the .300 or .338-378 Weatherby Magnums.
Badsection, before I forget thanks for reminding me about the .338 RUM, that was one that is on my wish list that I forgot about. There's just something about a .338 caliber that I like. Boy doesn't that remind you of Elmer Keith? LOL
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333 reminds me of Elmer. That and 2400.