Opinions on Noslers cartridge family

which nosler cartridge has the best chance of commercial viability?


  • Total voters
    72
Yup. Nosler is overly proud of their brass, based on the retail prices I see.

Agreed the price is above other brands, $.09 each more than Lapua at my local shooting supplier, but they never have much Lapua. It is in the top three in quality. Just finished loading 50 new pcs of 6.5 CM with no rejects from weight or physical flaws. Flash hole burrs nonexistent and length all the same. Can't say that of many others. I guess you get what you pay for.
 
The quality of the Nosler brass is worth the money, Norma is starting to make some which will be cheaper but not prepped or sorted.
 
For the price of nosler brass, I will use lapua every time if they produce the caliber I want. When I wanted brass for my 300 win mag, I got the nosler blemished brass. Polished up perfect. But after weighing, lapua is more consistent. At least in my experience.
 
Yup. Nosler is overly proud of their brass, based on the retail prices I see.

Perhaps my comment/opinion was based on outdated information. In years gone by I recall criticism of the quality of the Nosler brass by some well known, experienced, and respected members. Is the Nosler brass quality now considered quite good - across the board on all cartridge offerings? I'd like to know if that is the currently prevailing and common opinion.

Or is it hit or miss, depending on the specific cartridge being purchased?
 
The Nosler brass I have used has all been excellent. Lots of firings, extremely consistent in all measurements. I've used 7mag, 300wm, 338wm, 30 Nosler and 338 RUM.

For the Nosler cartridges I am really liking the performance from the 30 Nosler. Lots of people are saying it's the same as the 300wm and that's just not my experience. My custom 30 Nos is very easily outperforming what my custom 300wm ever could do. Same accuracy. Lots more velocity.

I love anything 338 so nothing against the 33 Nos, but if I were to build a 338 as a repeater I would go with the RUM throated for the 250 Berger and shoot them out north of 3000 fps. I don't think the 33 Nosler could touch that. But the RUM is tough to handle without a brake... maybe the 33 Nos would not need one?
 
Of the Nosler cartridges, I agree that the .28 Nosler and .30 Nosler will prevail. Maybe the .33 Nosler amongst those who like .338 calibers??? But if I was to own another .338, it would be a .338 Edge +P, but I don't have a need for one.

But the 7mm STW will never die. It may become obscure, and considered "old school" and "outdated", but just like the 6.5x55 (1894) and the .30-06 Springfield (1906), it will always remain a strong staple cartridge, especially in the long range community, no matter how much time passes.
 
In order for a cartridge to die it has to be alive first, the STW was still born, it never will be old school or out if date because it never was in, the 6.5x55 and 06, still relevant and time proven and factory gun still being chambered in them to date, STW has none of this, being a turd does not make it classic or old school, I shoot a LOT of old school stuff, 45-70, 40-65, 45-90, Lancaster pattern flint lock, rolling block, Sharps, so old school, classic cartridges have time proven appeal and performance and are relevant because of that, the STW has zero of that so no need to stalk every Nosler thread and bring up the donkey turd STW!!
 
I was not a fan until the 28 came out. Now I would say my favorite is the 30, but thats because I like the 215 Berger so much. What you get into with opinions is nostalgia, and the, If I have it its the best mentality. These are all tools in my mind and I will drop one in a heartbeat if something better comes along. The reason I like the 28 and 30 Nosler so much is they are the best in their class for what they do. The brass is great, the design of the case is great. Saami chambers give .004" neck clearance. The shoulder and base hardly grow on a new piece of brass, same with the headspace. By far the best fit from new brass to a saami chamber I have ever seen. New brass shoots as good as formed brass. Velocities are great, 28 will max out around 3200 with a 195 and the 30 will max about 3150 with a 215. No belts or the issues that come with them. Short enough to throat out for long bullets and still fit in a magazine. Accuracy that has surprised me and easy to tune. The cases also have the least neck thickness runout I have measured. As good as Lapua 6br cases. I dont care if there was cheaper brass I wouldnt switch. For now they are the best in that size of a case. I dont fall in love with this stuff. Something better comes out and I will be on it. That does not mean a 300 wm is not a good case and it wont do the trick. Its been around a long time. Mostly because it didnt have competition, now it does.
 
I was not a fan until the 28 came out. Now I would say my favorite is the 30, but thats because I like the 215 Berger so much.
All that.

I was a fan before the 26 was officially announced at Shot Show. I and others tried to figure out the design before you could buy anything. When I finally received my 26 brass, I was very pleased.

While I think the 26 is like a 7mm RUM and some uber wildcats, too much of a good thing, all the others, the 27 (there is a SAMMI spec), 28, 30, 33 and maybe even 35, 36, 37, 41 and 45, all "right sized", everything you need without any magazine length issues.

I love the options, speed demons of the 26 and 27, the long range of the 28 and 30, the elk, moose or brown bear thumping a 33 should give or even the dangerous game possibilities of 35 and up. With 4,000fps from a 27 and a light bullet or 6,000 #lb of energy at the muzzle for the 45 (458) with a 500 grain bullet, I see no short comings to the design.
 
I dont fall in love with this stuff. Something better comes out and I will be on it. That does not mean a 300 wm is not a good case and it wont do the trick. Its been around a long time. Mostly because it didnt have competition, now it does.
That is my opinion about the 30-Nosler as well. The 28 does the same thing for the 7mm STW. The 8mm Remington is not popular but a 32-Nosler would have all the good and none of the bad.

I have for the first time a non-Weatherby 30 cal belted magnum. Yup a 300 WM. It came with my DTA SRS-A1. I bought a bit of ammo for it. I've reloaded a bit for it. A couple hundred rounds so far. My opinion of the 300 WM remains the same, it's a good cartridge with a long history that "we" know how to get the best from. Depending on the action/magazine the belt can be a PIA either loading or feeding. There is no issue with the belt from a reloading standpoint.

Switching to a 30-Nosler or in my case a 30/28-Nosler removes every short coming I can find with the 300WM. Good brass, loads and feeds easy and reliable during live fire or hunting, easy to tune loads.

Regarding brass availability, I am perplexed as to lack of other manufacturers not bringing it out. Temper that with the knowledge that RUM brass demand is/was backlogged and a desire for "better" brass than R-P without a huge price penalty. I know I followed the preceding model because as soon as ADG announced public brass sales for the 338 Edge I was all over it. I asked ADG about xx-Nosler brass. The reply was as soon as they catch up with RUM/Edge demand. Variety should improved soon.
 
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