X-bolt Stalker Long Range 28 Nosler.......

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LoonWulf

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So I've been curious about the 28Nos for a while, and last week my FFL buddy ambushed me with a deal on an X-bolt SLR, one of the new FDE ones. Got the gun on order, scope, and rings on order, and have been sourcing components. I also ordered a new copy of quickloads as it seemed an opportune time.

I've been doing a bit of research since ordering the gun, as while I've been interested, I've never really LOOKED into the new NOS rounds.
What I'm seeing is that they basically duplicate the case capacity of the full-length H&H case blown straight. Thus the 28s basically like another go-round with the 7mm STW I'm a fan of, except this one will comfortably handle bullets that my 1-9.25 twisted STW would not have (had they been available). I'm seeing lower barrel life than I would have expected with some folks barely getting 400rnds out of their 28s. Not that I'm horribly concerned, ya don't cram that much powder down that small a hole without doing damage with every shot.
Otherwise, velocities pretty close to the STW



Oh, our parts list (this is a joint project with my FFL buddy).

X-bolt SLR 28Nosler.
SIghtron S-tac 3-16x42 or Bushnell Forge 4.7-27x50SFP.
Talley rings in medium, which should work with either scope.
I'm going to change the muzzle brake I think. I've been fairly unimpressed with the factory brakes I've seen.....If I'm gonna get blasted, it better make a real difference lol.

Reloading components on order.

Hornady Dies/A-tip stem
I THINK were using Nosler brass
190 Hornady A-tips
185 Nosler RDFs
CCI LRM and Standard primers
I've got IMR 7977 and 8133, as well as Hodgdon's Retumbo, and Alliant RL-33 for powders.



So out of curiosity has anyone had any experience with the 28 Nosler? I'm the only one in my group of friends that has any experience with these types of rounds and have not had any time spent behind a Nosler variant.
Also any suggestions for parts, or reloading stuffs?

Ill get pictures up when I have the gun in hand, there isn't a ton of info or reviews on the SLRs much less the newer ones with the adjustable riser (which i THINK is the only difference besides color from the older ones), so probably do something of a review.
 
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Yup. This is gonna be one of the guns that if someone wants to shoot they get handed one round......

I figgure we'll be gentle to it and if it gets to 6-800, then rebarreling with the new bartlein barrel steel might be worth the cost. I honestly don't think this gun will get shoot THAT much. I only ever fired 5-10 shots from my STW on an outing, and only maybe 20-30 total in the field.
 
No gun......
But I got DIS!
PXL_20201205_042428189.MP.jpg





And a comparison with my 375 ruger.
PXL_20201205_043301906.MP.jpg

Without the gun in hand i cant really do much with load work since i dont have an actual coal to.start with. Both the A-tip and RDFs are really bloody long and pointy, im expecting to seat them out a ways.
 
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Sheesh! That 190 grn is a cruise missile!
yeah, playing with one is why i took that picture lol....My first reaction was...WOW!
They are damn near as expensive as one too....or at least it feels that way to me lol.
So while Ill probably do some load workups in my .280 and 7mag with the 185, just to see what velocity is obtainable and how close QLs predictions are with them (for future reference, do to twist rates), I don't think ill try that with the 190s.
 
yeah, playing with one is why i took that picture lol....My first reaction was...WOW!
They are damn near as expensive as one too....or at least it feels that way to me lol.
So while Ill probably do some load workups in my .280 and 7mag with the 185, just to see what velocity is obtainable and how close QLs predictions are with them (for future reference, do to twist rates), I don't think ill try that with the 190s.
If they'll stabilize, that's a lot of bullet on target. I didn't realize a 190 was available, my top end for my 280 is going to be 175's
 
If they'll stabilize, that's a lot of bullet on target. I didn't realize a 190 was available, my top end for my 280 is going to be 175's
The 28s got a 1-8 Twist, which should handle the 190s fine. My .280s a 1-9 and my 7mags a 1-9.5, so I doubt they will even deal with the 185s all that well.
When we cook the tube on the 28, im seriously considering going back to a 7mm Rem with a long thoat, 1-8 twist, and a 28" barrel. That SHOULD come awfully close to the performance of the 26" 28 Nosler (and if I delete the muzzle brake from the 28" barrel it will be the same length).

I’ve bought a couple of Bushnell Forge 2.5-15x50s and I’ve been quite pleased with them for the price. Picked them up for under $400 each and I can’t think of anything that will touch them for that price.
Im really happy with the Forge Ive got, which is why its most likely to go on the 28. My FFL buddy was grumbling at me about taking it off the 6.5CM since he likes shooting that gun and its already set up and ready to go...so ill see what the S-Tac looks like, if it gets here in time (yay parcel post!), before pulling the Forge.
Ive got a few other Scopes I COULD use, but those two are the front runners.
 
Ha! Brings back memories of the day in 1982 when I first layed eyes on the old , gigantic .258 Super Condor built on a modifited 1917 Remington action with a big 28" Timken Steel barrel laying in the back of my new friend's OLD Salinas Calif gunstore . It turned out to be the creation of Dr. Ramon Samovia who lived not far away in Hollister and I lusted after the big Unertl 20x Programmer that was atop it's 28 pound rifle ! I got it and dies , bullets of 160-200 grain weight and 200 cases with some loaded rounds and inside the Unertl lens cap were come up settings for the Unertl with 160 and 200 grain .257 !!!!!! bullets ! I fooled with that monster with it's full length blown out H&H Magnum case for about 20 years on a 6000 acre ranch in Salinas I had access to. I think I shot about 200 times in that period, with 40 or so of the loaded ammo , which indeed the rifle was sighted in for. The bullets were custom made in Prescott Az. best I could buy were 117 grain Sierra Boattails :) . Making shots on various predators at 600+ yards was a hoot , best saved before the ritual drinking started :) Think that gun had a 1/6.5# twist BTW. Nothing new under the sun.

I sold it not long after I posted this here in 2004 !!!

I have a .258 super condor( .300H&H IMProved and necked to .25) which has a 1-6.5" twist. It came with some custom 200 grain bullets and some 160 grain bullets . Note these bullets were custom made by Sisk bullet company in early/mid 50's!!! I have to use 120grain new bullets in it as they are the heaviest available. The 'quick twist' craze reached its apogee in mid late 50's, and disappeared until some guys started fooling with heavy .22's in last 5 or so years.

Gordon, Oct 29, 2004
 
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Those A-Tips always fascinated me. They are plain huge! And yeah, very pricey.

Do y'all in Hawaii just set a floating target out in the waves at 1000 yards?! Lol I cant imagine many places there you could stretch the legs of the 28Nos. Or does the local long range shooting range have the bench on one island and the target on another!? :rofl:
 
Those A-Tips always fascinated me. They are plain huge! And yeah, very pricey.

Do y'all in Hawaii just set a floating target out in the waves at 1000 yards?! Lol I cant imagine many places there you could stretch the legs of the 28Nos. Or does the local long range shooting range have the bench on one island and the target on another!? :rofl:
Quite the opposite, there's plenty of long shots. Just look at any hunting pictures loonwulf posts.I do like the shooting island to island idea tho haha.
 
Quite the opposite, there's plenty of long shots. Just look at any hunting pictures loonwulf posts.I do like the shooting island to island idea tho haha.

I don't venture into the hunting section too much. I suppose the sides of those shield volcanoes are pretty large, relatively smooth plains from what I can remember seeing pics of.

Being from kansas, Hawaii might as well be mars! I cant even tell you what large game are on the Islands. There's spots here we could set a target at 10 miles. Heck, from the top of the lil nearby hill, I can see the power plant in Wamego, 45 miles away... I wonder what the holdover on that would be... Talk about shootin the moon lol
 
Id have to dig, but i know ive got some pictures of maunakea that LOOK like Mars.....you can find spots to shoot out a few miles if you wanted. Where i normally go 500ish is about as far as i feal like walking targets out. Ill sometimes plink well out past my rangefinders ability to give me distance tho.

One of the guys i used to go fishing with would sometimes try shoot stuff floating in the water....i didnt think it was a great idea, and in 6' swells it takes a pretty good shot to hit anything, but he enjoyed it and never once sunk my drag float.
 
No gun......
But I got DIS!
View attachment 960567





And a comparison with my 375 ruger.
View attachment 960568

Without the gun in hand i cant really do much with load work since i dont have an actual coal to.start with. Both the A-tip and RDFs are really bloody long and pointy, im expecting to seat them out a ways.

I am not surprised about the short throat life. The case volume to exit crossectional area is way high.
 
I just wanna see how much under 1 MOA it’s gonna shoot. Since it’s a Browning and you’ve got that high of quality bullets, I’m thinkin’ it’s gonna do well
Ive not yet shot an Xbolt that wouldnt do moa or better, tho they have to be out there. Hopefully i havent found one this time lol.

That's pretty decent. I assumed the longest place to shoot you'd find there would be like 50 yards lol.
Most of my hunting could probably be accomplished with shots inside of 50yds, but theres places where a shot inside of 300 is rare enough these days. Theres been plenty of times ive passed on stuff jus because i didnt want to go get it.
 
tsk tsk tsk, a bigger 7mm, guess the STW wasn't enough?
Hope it works out well for you.
LOL, never enough! I can always find new ways to turn money into noise :D

Interestingly enough, the water capacity for these Nosler cases is running right around 98gr. If im remembering my STW cases, which were made from .300WBY so a little short, were right around 100.

So technically im going backwards....a little........
 
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