Mag., look at a .338 Federal, .358 Win., or even 7mm-08 Win. Calibers lighter and heavier than the 7mms through .338s can be considered excellent for elk. Those are better trajectory numbers than many .338 Win. Hornady Outfitter is pretty accurate and its less than its other Nosler cousins. Nosler has built quite a cartridge family, and it continues to grow. The 28 Nosler adds considerable powder, thus energy, to push the same 175-grain bullet as the 280 AI. The .280 Ackley Improved is hot these days, flying about 100 fps behind the 7mm Rem. The immediate success of the 7mm Rem. When it first came out in 1962, it sent the then four-year-old .264 Winchester Magnum into a tailspin. If you need to balance reach and punch with minimal weight, Id look to the 7mm magnums pushing 150- to 175-grain bullets. As is a high energy bullet that blows up upon impact at close range. Recoil isn't bad and it will lay out the ft/lbs of energy as ways. 7mm Remington Magnu n. 28 . And, I know they are going to be pretty similar, but, still, I have to choose one. There is a persistent myth flying about that the 7mm Rem Mag shoots too fast. Many claim its bullets dont have time to open. Will you be able to handload once-fired cases? Traditional .270s are limited by 1:10 rifling twist to 150-grain bullets. Heres how to avoid the poseurs and choose the right one. You would get about 3,250 fps with the 26 Nosler with 140 grain bullets. Hell, Ive had at least one for 40 years. For 2020, Nosler has chosen to take the venerable 270 caliber to a new level with the introduction of the all-new 27 Nosler. The "new" .270s (27 Nosler and 6.8 Western), with faster twists and bullets up to 175 grains change the game. And then what will barrel life be like? bullets with B.C. Conceived as a 21st century upgrade, the 27 Nosler delivers previously unobtainable downrange ballistics by pairing the ultimate combination of case capacity with modern long-for-caliber bullets. Not faster, not always more accurate, but designed around modern bulletswhich really do offer a long-range advantage. For example: Fire a Nosler 168-gr. Finally, the puny 6.8 SPC from Remington appeared about 2004. No discussion of a cartridges ability to take large game would be complete without discussing foot pounds of energy. Im not not the kind of shooter that whips out a 50BMG or .338 Lapua for a casual day on the range. And realize that after a hunt or choice you might want to choose differently. Still a great cartridge, as is the .300 Weatherby. Copyright 2000-2023 24hourcampfire.com, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Wonderful elk cartridge, so is the .325 WSM, but theyre not common. But replacing the 300 WSM doesn't make sense to me. The right bullet in the right place. cannot measure up to the .338 Win. The difference is .07 of an inch, the animal in the receiving end will never know that difference. Magnum, 26 Nosler, and my choice for all-round balance in a short action rifle, the 6.5 PRC. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. The general consensus is that this old, belted magnum is the best caliber for elk hunting. This meant the .338 Win. Fully prepped, Nosler premium cartridge brass in 27 Nosler will be available in 25ct boxes. Once you start reaching out there, the 28 Nosler really shines. Mag.,) the 27 Nosler should be able to nudge a 165-grain along at 3,100 fps, perhaps 3,150 fps. The .30-06 is the most powerful cartridge ever adopted by a major military. A year later, I couldnt be happier with my purchase. This review can help with that. Backfire LLC owns and operates this website. Think it all through carefully before choosing. If needed, 27 Nosler brass can be formed from 30 Nosler brass. He wasnt quite prepared for the recoil when the rifle was mounted on his shoulder over a puffy coat. ), Read Next: The Best New Guns, Ammo, and Hunting Gear from SHOT Show 2020, Nosler representatives couldnt tell me the B.C. Mag. Lots more powder. For most big game animals, energy does not kill them. The size of elk also varies. A traditional stock or adjustable? After years of the 6.5mm craze, we may be about to witness the .270 rising. Reno Nevada. This list of the best cartridges for elk hunting starts with the welterweights and moves up to the heavy hitters. Although perhaps not an ideal extreme range cartridge, the .338 shoots surprisingly flat. At 800 yards the 28 Nosler carries just over 2000 ft lbs of energy. Short in the Elvis era meant standard or 30/06 length: 3.340-inches overall cartridge length, down from the 3.6-inches of the parent cartridge. I think .277 caliber is going to be the next big thing imo..it will be the next craze similar to the 6.5s..if you get a 27 nosler you will just be getting in ahead of the game. Subscribe to OL+ for our best feature stories and photography. AccuBond Long Range or a comparable bullet with its high B.C. Manufactured by Nosler as part of their Trophy Grade Ammunition lineup and loaded with the legendary Nosler Partition bullet, this is hands down the best 28 Nosler ammo for elk, moose, or bear hunting at shorter ranges. 1. Kevin Steele of Petersen's HUNTING is at the Streamlight booth at SHOT Show 2023 to go over the Bear Trap light from Streamlight. Contributor Brad Fenson takes to the grill, to cook up some delicious venison burgers. For me, I havent developed any flinching issues and Id prefer to have a gun that I know will shoot incredibly flat with little wind drift at long distances for those cross-canyon elk shots. In my situation, I think the tradeoffs of recoil are far outweighed by the positive aspects of the cartridge. bullet will carry about 250 ft-lb more energy. How much more, exactly? Ditto the .416s, 44s, and 45s. Look at ammo cost to either buy or reload, whichever you do. Noslers .27 will be chambered in that companys M48 bolt-action rifles. .662) already on dealer shelves. The 22, 26, 27, 28, 30, and 32 Noslers. I wanted it to be my hunt the world gun that I could use for hunting everything from wild hog and deer up to elk, wildebeest, waterbuck, and other large-bodied game. Mag. The .30/30, .300 Savage, .30/06, .300 Win. Quite a few elk have fallen from the 117hh in a wsm at . Is 28 Nosler too much for deer? The pieces of the .277 Sig Sauer cartridge are assembled via an internal pressure ring of some kind near the base. I wouldnt say Im especially recoil sensitive, but I dont have an iron shoulder either. The Browning X-Bolt Pro I purchased in .28 Nosler weighs a mere 6 pounds, 10 ounces un-scoped. Measured in foot pounds of energy, the .28 Nosler is a powerhouse. Nosler has introduced the 27 Nosler, a 27-caliber cartridge based on the fat .404 Jeffery case, same as the .30, .28, and .26 Noslers. Thats 1,000 psi less than the little .22/250 Remington. The 26 Nosler has a higher muzzle velocity than the 28 Nosler, making it ideal for long-range shooting. Mag., 6.5 Weatherby RPM, 6.5-300 Wby. Nosler, the world's finest bullets, ammunition, rifles, & brass. JavaScript seems to be disabled in your browser. If I were planning a rifle elk hunt, these are cartridges and calibers I would consider, across the gamut of elk hunting conditions. Again, bullet weight. Not so long ago, I shot a nice Montana bull from the top of a ridge, down onto a little bench at 350 yards, 180-grain .30-06. Skis are easily the most efficient way to cover snowy ground on foot in winter. I am pretty certain that your ballistic table is incorrect, the energy and velocity column are identical for 200-1,000 yards and the two columns are flipped for 1,200 and 1,500 yards. Foot-pounds aside, I think elk-sized animals are better taken with heavier bullets than are essential for your typical deer round. The .28 Nosler is a cartridge developed by the Nosler Corporation. Bottles & 12-oz. Yes, this is a short-action, small capacity case which demands we ask the obvious question: how can the little .277 SIG Fury shoot as fast from a 16-inch barrel as the larger .270 Winchester shoots from a 24-inch barrel? You, your kids, and 90 percent of the shooters might love the SIG Cross rifle, in which case the .277 SIG Fury might be your baby. The heaviest HH for your twist is the 148gr, but you'd have to watch oal as it is 1.48 inches long. If you plan to order your ammunition online, the best elk hunting cartridge Ive seen is probably the Nosler 160-grain Trophy Grade ammunition with a good old Partition bullet. Given that 1,500 ft-lb is considered elk power, both projectiles are golden. But I still dont consider them a top pick for elk just because, well, larger calibers provide a slight edge. In fact, thats one of the very best elk bullets out there. Despite the age and reputation of the 6.555 Swede cartridge across Europe, the 26-calibers have never been a go to for elk in North America. So my final hunting setup only weighs 8 pounds, 8 ounces. quote: 7mm/284 and 6.5 have a huge selection of bullets already available. Weighing in at 7.8 pounds before optics and with an MSRP of $1985, the Premier Highlander is an excellent elk hunting rifle. One of the most effective elk calibers available. The 27 Nosler has 32% more case capacity than the .270 Winchester, 22% more than the .270 Winchester Short Magnum and 14% more than the .270 Weatherby. The 225-grain load in an eight-pound rifle should generate about 40.8 ft-lb of recoil energy. It will work but a little much. With a .28 Nosler and a TTSX, you can pretty much guarantee a full passthrough on almost any angle. Thats not a typo. Loaded with a 150gr bullet, the 27 Nosler has an additional 800ft/lbs. . Hit an elk with a 175-gr. They dont start as fast but with better aerodynamics, theyll pass lighter slugs at mid-range, and hit way out there with more authority. .284-inch bullet or a 180-gr. Ive just shown that its no faster than the .300 Win. Whats best for you depends on the distance you intend to shoot, based on where you hunt. How about outstanding accuracy, flat trajectories, long legs and a 165gr wallop at the end of that ballistic journey? But 3,190 FPS with a 170 pill. Absolutely! To prevent the risk of a 28 Nosler cartridge being chambered in a 27 Nosler chamber, the shoulder of the 27 Nosler has been moved slightly rearward, lengthening the neck slightly. It delivers greater velocity than even the gargantuan .270 Weatherby. Work the numbers, compare for yourself; at moderate ranges differences arent that dramatic. I handled a sample Cross and it felt precise, tight, remarkably adjustable for fit, and impressively light at just 6.5 pounds, only about 1.5 pounds heavier than the ultralight mountain rifles Ive hunted with the past 30 years. What does this mean for the hunter in the field? Mag., and you understand why its not just the most popular .300 magnum of all time, but one of the best all-round elk calibers of all time. But where it deviates from its barrel-diameter brethren is in case capacity. Not sure of performance gains or losses between the two. Another good choice for an elk bullet would be the standard 140 grain AccuBond. Why so fast? And while most heavy .300 Win. Retains > 1,700 foot/pounds of energy at 500 yards. The two old wildebeest bulls weighed about 315 pounds each, and a mature bull elk weighs approximately 650 pounds. If zeroed three inches high at 100 yards, that slug should drop just 1.7 inches at 300 yards and deflect just 5.7 inches in a 10 mph right angle wind. That said, dozens, nay hundreds of elk are layed low each fall by careful application of the 6.5 Creedmoor, a near ballistictwin of the Swede. Two of the newest entrants into this category, the .28 Nosler and the .300 PRC. 28 Nosler is a one and done for everything on NA. When Winchester came out with this modification of the .30-06 these was no other 27-caliber cartridge in the world. Do you prefer a standard-length action or short? The .28 Nosler shoots flat and powerfully, but it is expensive to shoot, burns barrels quickly, and has significant recoil. Roughly equivalent to a . There have been other .270s, like the .270 Weatherby Magnum, and Winchesters own .270 WSM, but they have maintained the same 1:10-inch twist rate of the .270 Winchester, and use the same projectile weights. Id go the 27 Nosler, the 270 WSM is awesome. The .277 Fury works with much higher chamber pressures to get high velocity. That increased capacity, coupled with modern powders, allows the 27 Nosler to drive bullets faster and flatter than ever before. Hunting elk is hard work. Mag. Nosler Trophy Grade Ammunition 27 Nosler 165 Grain AccuBond Long Range Box of 20. So, Nosler, a company rooted in tradition but also with an eye to cutting-edge performance, has now turned its attention to the .277 caliber and brought the loading possibilities into the modern era with the introduction of the 27 Nosler. The elk took 3 steps and collapsed. Any rifles already chambering for any of the fatter magnums like the RUMs, Dakotas, or .338 Lapua should be fit to fit the 27 Nosler. But the .338 Win. Both have way better bullet selection in better grain weights compared to the 270. Recoil is stout, but manageable. Mag., and .300 RUM are all 30 calibers, but significantly different 30-caliber cartridges. from a .338 Federal should deliver 1,711 f-p energy at 300 yards and drop just nine inches. high B.C. Again, I believe frontal area matters. Kevin Steele, Publisher of Petersen's HUNTING talks with JJ Reich of HEVI-Shot about the new offerings for 2023. This little brother to the .338 Win. The .28 Nosler is an ideal elk hunting cartridge for todays longer-range, flat-trajectory shooting style. Well, the 27 Nosler shoots flatter than the 6.5 PRC, and delivers more energy on target than the 300 Win. This is, perhaps, one of the worst ways to measure a cartridges suitability for hunting because it doesnt take into account shot placement or bullet design; however, it at least provides some barometer of the cartridges power. Its a 3.34-inch magnum cartridge that fits the same standard-length action rifles as the .338 Win. The 7mm Rem Mag is certainly adequate for any elk, especially with heavier bullets. Weatherby came out with his .270 magnum fairly soon (about 20 years) after the .270 Winchester took off, but the next .277 shooter didnt pop until 2001 as the .270 Winchester Short Magnum. This will be for shooting mono-metal bullets mostly for elk hunting. 28 Nosler barrel life is around 700-900 rounds for 175-grain bullets. With the Jeffery-based case, youll want to look to powder choices on the slow end of the spectrum. This point, however, brings up a problem with the .28 Nosler if you plan to shoot factory loads rather than reloading yourself. I have tremendous respect for elk. Sure, I had to consider the drop and adjust for the downhill, still not a difficult shot, and the bull went nowhere. 6.5 Creedmoor. The rimless case uses a 35-degree shoulder for headspacing, and maintains a 2.590-inch case length and 3.340-inch cartridge overall length. Fear of recoil ruins the best laid plans of mice and men, and thats why choosing the best elk cartridge requires thorough research and honest assessment. But that has nothing to do with the actual performance of the .277 SIG Fury cartridge or rifle. Mag. At extreme range, hits or misses may not be apparent, and in the late afternoon it will be dark long before you get there to look. Unless you work with a custom gun builder and handload, study factory options before choosing. Petersen's HUNTING Publisher, Kevin Steele is in the CZ booth with Dylan Rice at SHOT Show to talk about CZ 600 Series Trail rifle. Im not sure if theyve won the contract or if the testing is still underway, but the civilian bolt-action rifle and ammo should become available in 2020. Mag. The venerable .270 Winchester has been a mainstay on gun store racks, ammo displays and in reloaders cabinets for decades. Bulls are bigger than cows; and mature, fully grown bulls are huge. If you anticipate hunting big, open country or canyonlands where shots could go long, the .300 and .338 magnums should be on your list. We had set up in what I considered to be a less-than-advantageous position, a bit too skylined for my liking, and with very little cover. And there havent been a heck of a lot since. For the best experience on our site, be sure to turn on Javascript in your browser. Energy and velocity are more indicators of bullet performance ability, along with penetration at range. In addition to the caliber, Nosler also introduced new 165gr . With the right bullets, it can actually hit harder than the 375 H&H Magnum at longer ranges. Mag. Then, the barrel life will be around 1500 rounds! Certainly the .270s and 6.5mms can and do take elk annually, but one would be hard pressed to recommend them as optimum. launched 2,600 fps will still be churning some 1,800 ft-lb energy. More power. Cartridge means the case that holds the powder that drives the bullet. The 27 Nosler has a neck length of 0.328, so neck tension isnt an issue at all; generally speaking, the cartridges neck should be at least one caliber in length, and most are, with the glaring exception of the .300 Winchester Magnum. No caliber is more uniquely American than the 270. Okay, but minimal. 28 Nosler is essentially a shortened version of the 7mm Remington Ultra Magnum (7mm RUM). Nosler has built quite a cartridge family, and it continues to grow. Home on the Range: The flat-shooting 27 Nosler is an ideal open-country hunting cartridge. After all, this was the round Bell used to collect 800 elephants and untold numbers of Cape buffalo. Some of us hunt still-hunt elk in black timber and on brushy lower slopes. No rough-and-tough manly man in the 1960s was going to admit he couldnt handle that. Sales bloomed immediately when it released. Modern 6.5s, whether slow like the Creedmoor or fast like the PRC, are limited to 140-grain bullets, also light for elk-sized animals. I know small-framed hunters who happily pay the gravitational price for packing Granddads M1886 Winchester lever-action in .45/70. Commissions are earned for links to Brownell's, Amazon, MidwayUSA, GoHunt, OpticsPlanet, Sportsman's Warehouse, and other retailers. Sticking with the 8-pound rifle, the 26 Nosler pushing a 142-grain bullet 3,200 fps will recoil 16 fps with nearly 32 f-p energy. Can Coolers | An Official Journal Of The NRA, Find More Great NRA Publications Perfect For Every Interest, Discover Everything That The NRA Has To Offer. The 27 Nosler, like its counterparts across the family of Nosler cartridges, has raised the performance bar when it comes to the .277. Maybe they are still there . Thats a very nice lightweight setup, without going to the extremes. Its just too convenient and effective to go away. Mag., flying half a foot flatter and impacting with an additional 200fps of energy at 500 yards. Again, bullet weight. Lots of familiar rifles are chambered for it, ammo is abundant, variable and inexpensive. According to my notes, I've killed 27 elk with a 270. This nudges MV (muzzle velocity) to 3,200 fps and increases recoil velocity to almost 18 fps and energy to nearly . The Hornady designed the .300 Precision Rifle Cartridge (the .300 PRC) as a precision long-range rifle . bullet like the Swift Scirocco will retain 2,350 ft-lb at 400 yards, 1,500 ft-lb clear out at 600 yards. throwing similar weight projectiles means youre packing elk medicine. May 28, 2019 By Layne Simpson. I had a long and happy love affair with the 8mm Rem Mag. of .414 or so, the 210-gr. When choosing among these three .270s one must consider more than just ballistics. Winchester borrowed the same basic belted magnum case, blew out the walls, pushed the 25-degree shoulder forward, shortened overall length to .30/06 standard, and created a powder reservoir holding about 90 grains of water. Whats not to like? All good choices, except: Any rifle used for elk must wear a scope, because of low-light situations, and the need to find a hole through foliage. Both new rounds exceed the ballistics of the old one, but do it in different ways. The .28 Nosler shoots flat and powerfully, but it is expensive to shoot, burns barrels quickly, and has significant recoil. Will your favorite rifle brand and style be chambered in it? It will work but a little much. But that doesnt seem to matter. The new .270s (27 Nosler and 6.8 Western), with faster twists and bullets up to 175 grains change the game. The 300 WM typically fires bullets between 150 and 220 grains while the 28 Nosler fires bullet weights between 160 and 185 grains. Elk are a big deal because theyre a big deer, and thus require big elk calibers. A high B.C. The SIG Furys is 80,000 psi. During most of its 93 years of existence, the .270 Winchester has been quite popular among hunters, and for as long as I can remember, it has made the Top Five big-game cartridge list at RCBS, according to reloading die sales . Mag. But that doesnt mean we cant come up with other cartridges shooting .277-inch bullets. Well whichever you choose it sounds like you will only be one off. I would go with the 28. Historians of guns and ammo credit OConnors writings for popularizing the little .270, which was and still is a bit of an oddball caliber. Well, bullet weight, perhaps? I took two black wildebeest with my rifle chambered in .28 Nosler. That 160 grain Nosler Partition bullet is perfect for hunting really big game where it's really important to use a heavy, well constructed projectile. The included photo of the model/mock up of this case is close but not exact. At 2,500 fps and a B.C. No experience with this specific bullet, but with my .270 I have taken 5 elk (2 bulls, 3 cows) with the 150gr Federal Fusion in factory load. Mag., .270 WSM, and 27 Nosler step it up a few notches, and the 6.8 Western with its fast twist barrels nudges bullet weights to the upper end of the 7mm line up. The SIG and Nosler both require fast twist rifling to stabilize those long, high B.C. With 170 gr Berger Elite hunters, RP once fired brass, win large rifle primers, 57.5 grains RL 26 COAL 3.484 I get 2,930 FPS at roughly 70 degrees. Heres a look at 10 of the most flexible long-range hunting cartridges. But times change. Introducing the Veracity PH from Burris, the perfect combination of reliability, quality, and technology delivering a simple aiming solutiona tool for the hunter that just works. These rifle weight/size considerations will influence cartridge size, especially length. I have just always gravitated to the 7mm's over the 270 cartridges. This takes us back to the launch. Joined Feb 19, 2010 Messages 3,240 Location GODS COUNTRY IDAHO. So, the most likely candidate today is a modern .45-70 lever-action, either a Marlin or Henry in the popular guide gun configuration, short barrel with easy scope mounting. The .28 Nosler cartridge is one of the best cartridges for hunting elk as long as controlled-expansion bullets are used. The .270s are similarly adequate for elkwith caution. Ever since Nosler announced that they were coming out with the Nosler 27, I have been thinking I would prefer a Nosler 28. With 7mm bullets now up to 195 grains, I would barrel it with 1:8 twist, vice the old 1:9 7mm twist. The old .270 Winchester has been hotly debated since 1925, yet it has been a favorite among thousands of elk pros. After those stalwarts comes a blizzard of .30-calibers that claw their way up the power scale. So, bullet performance and caliber are the measures of killing power at expected shooting ranges. Let me confess that I, too, consider these best caliber articles overdone and quite subjective, but by hashing them over and over, we gain insights. re: new 27 nosler vs 28 nosler Posted on 12/17/20 at 8:43 pm to kengel2. I put a Vortex Viper PST Gen II 5-25x scope on my rifle, so the finished setup weighed 31.2 ounces. Believe it or not, with the right bullet, it can hang right with the .300 Win Mag without the recoil. Use enough gun, enough caliber, and enough cartridge and bullet to invite them to dinner. Nevertheless, the 180-grain has long been the standard with elk hunters. Not long ago, the .270 Winchester reigned supreme. Feb 27, 2006 5,121 173. The Nosler version should be even better. That means less tracking of wounded game, which is all math thats sure to please any hunter. Adequate, but be careful and watch the distance. 28 Nosler is essentially a shortened version of the 7mm Remington Ultra Magnum (7mm RUM). Years of development and pushing the limits of what is possible in a rifle optic have led up to this moment. The old .30-06 remains an awesome elk cartridge. will handle the .338 Win. Mag., and elk hardly know the difference. The . Ammo is easier to find in a greater variety of bullet weights and styles, too. There are some great 7mm bullets! A few more calibers throwing those famous .308 bullets include the .300 Ruger Compact Magnum, .300 SAUM, .300 WSM, .30/308 Norma Mag., .300 H&H, 30 Nosler, .300 Wby. I've got an MRC X3 I am going to rebarrel. Or even ten. Your email address will not be published. The smaller the bullet, the higher its quality and the more precise its deposit must be. And he could get it in affordable rifles from several manufacturers. They shoot flatter, kick less, and with the great modern bullets we have, they do the job! If recoil doesnt bother you, Id look hard at the .300 WSM, .325 WSM, even the new 6.8 Western, agonize over a 24-inch barrel, and probably compromise with a 23-inch barrel. One of the main differences between the 26 Nosler vs 28 Nosler is velocity. I did not determine the rifling twist rate of the Cross Rifle, but Im guessing it will be faster than the traditional 1-10 inches of the .270 Winchester. The 28 Nosler, on the other hand, was introduced in 2015 and is known for its excellent accuracy and energy retention. buried one Winchester magnum and created another. Our editors have hand-picked these essential pieces of gear to make you a more successful hunter when you hit the game trails this season.