Family Tree
The family tree of Nosler’s proprietary cartridges includes the 22 Nosler, 26 Nosler, 27 Nosler, 28 Nosler, 30 Nosler, and 33 Nosler. Yet, there are plenty of experienced shooters and hunters who claim the 28 Nosler, launched in 2015, as their favorite of the bunch as it bridges the divide between small to medium-sized critters and much larger game, with manageable recoil and ample platforms.
The saying goes there’s nothing new under the sun, and in cartridges these days, that’s largely true – to a point. Most every round finds its lineage in a casing that came before. In Nosler’s case, most cartridges start with the .404 Jeffery and evolve through multiple subsequent casings.
In the end, the case body is blown out for greater powder capacity, a characteristic that defines many of the Nosler rounds. To create the 28 Nosler, the company essentially necked-up its earlier 26 Nosler.
Specifications
The 28 Nosler is a beltless and rimless design, with the performance of major magnums, but sans those two notable features found on most older mags. The 28 represents one of the most recent additions to the already rich 7mm / .284 genus.
Though the 28 Nosler is built for a standard-length action and measures only 3.340mm in overall length, it can easily be thought of as a shortened version of the 7mm Remington Ultra Magnum (RUM), at once kin to the 7mm Shooting Times Westerner (STW), and of course always compared to the 7mm Remington Magnum.
Barrels & Rifling
Though Nosler designed its 28 on 1:9-twist rate barrels, several manufacturers have morphed slightly to a 1:8.5 twist. The idea, regardless, is stabilizing heavy-for-class, high ballistic coefficient (BC) projectiles.
Many rifles on the market use longer barrel lengths than we may see on other older magnum rifles. The most common length on 28 Nosler-chambered bolt guns today is 26 inches.
Ammo Offerings
Naturally, Nosler leads the way in producing factory loads for its proprietary rounds. The company gives hunters ample choices in loads and projectile types, including AccuBond, Partition, Match Grade, ballistic tip, and even lead-free choices.
Luckily for lovers of the round, Nosler is not alone. In fact, many major brands have joined the fray, including Federal Premium, Hornady, and Browning.
A good part of what drives the 28 Nos’ success is not only its roots in the .284-diameter lineage, but the range of bullet weights and types that accompanies that background. A quick scan of load data and available projectiles shows grains including 150, 160, 168, 175, and 185 grains.
There are ballistic tips, expansion tips, lead, non-lead, long range, hollow points, etc. As more hunters and competitive shooters toss around the term ballistic coefficient, so grows the popularity of rounds like the 28 Nosler that offer projectiles and loads with impressive BCs.
Reloading the 28
When performance rounds come out, hardcore shooters like to work their craft on the loading bench to maximize its potential. With the background of a company like Nosler, the launch came with plenty of forethought to handloaders.
Dedicated 28 Nosler brass is readily available, though it can also be formed from several other casings, including the 7mm RUM. Dies, bullets, and components are readily available from multiple brands, while load data can be found in all the latest manuals, including Nosler’s 9.
Firearm Selections
Just like having a wide range of projectiles, shopping for a firearm chambered in 28 Nosler is no easy task. That’s due to the long list of gun builders chambering their rifles for the round. In guns we’ve personally fired, a few top choices include: Fierce Firearms Edge, Browning X-Bolts, Savage’s Impulse and 110 families, and the CVA Cascade.
Related: Hunt With An Edge – Fierce Firearms Carbon Bolt Action
Of course, we’d be remiss to omit heavy hitter brands like Bergara, Christensen Arms, Gunwerks, and Seekins Precision, all of whom offer multiple 28 Nosler-chambered rigs. No matter the choice of rifle, ammo, and load, we’re confident that you, too, will be impressed with the performance of Nosler’s do-all chambering.
