Load Specifications
Load data in caliber .26 Nosler with .264 | 156gr | Norma ORYX bullet and 23 powders. The key underlying parameters are shown in the table above. The recommended powders for this cartridge and bullet combination are ADI AR 2218, Accurate 8700 and Vihtavuori 20N29.
Important Notice: DO NOT go below Minimum Charge or above Maximum Charge. Since we have no control over the equipment and components used, any responsibility and liability for the results achieved is rejected.
Only powders/loads that match the current filter criteria are displayed: max pressure of a load ≤ 90% of max. standardized pressure, fill rate ≥ 80% and propellant combustion ≥ 95%. Use the sliders above the tables to adjust these thresholds.
Charge: Powder weight in grains. Start with the minimum load and work up carefully.
FR (Fill Rate): Case fill as a percentage. Values above 100% mean compressed loads.
MaxP / %: Maximum chamber pressure in bar and as a percentage of the standardized maximum for this caliber.
V(0): Muzzle velocity in feet per second (fps) at the standardized barrel length.
z (Powder Burn): Estimated propellant combustion percentage at bullet exit.
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Max Load - Barrel Length: 24"
| Powder | Charge | FR | MaxP | % | V(0) | z |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Accurate 8700 | <<locked>> | 94% | 57,145 psi | 88% | 2897 fps | 99.3% |
| ADI AR 2217 | <<locked>> | 86% | 58,566 psi | 90% | 2900 fps | 100% |
| ADI AR 2218 | <<locked>> | 88% | 56,028 psi | 86% | 2992 fps | 99.7% |
| ADI AR 2225 | <<locked>> | 86% | 56,376 psi | 87% | 2887 fps | 100% |
| Alliant Reloder-33 | <<locked>> | 84% | 55,521 psi | 85% | 2917 fps | 99.4% |
| Alliant Reloder-50 | <<locked>> | 88% | 57,885 psi | 89% | 2946 fps | 99.4% |
| Bofors RP30 | <<locked>> | 82% | 56,637 psi | 87% | 2877 fps | 100% |
| Hodgdon H1000 | <<locked>> | 82% | 56,057 psi | 86% | 2858 fps | 100% |
| Hodgdon TrailBossᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 38,812 psi | 60% | 1857 fps | 100% |
| Hodgdon US 869 | <<locked>> | 92% | 57,101 psi | 88% | 2890 fps | 96% |
| IMR 7977 Enduron | <<locked>> | 84% | 57,421 psi | 88% | 2815 fps | 97.5% |
| IMR 8133 Enduron | <<locked>> | 88% | 56,492 psi | 87% | 2894 fps | 100% |
| Lovex D100 | <<locked>> | 86% | 56,985 psi | 88% | 2838 fps | 96.5% |
| Norma 217 | <<locked>> | 88% | 58,610 psi | 90% | 2917 fps | 100% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 14ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 40,132 psi | 62% | 1903 fps | 100% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 80 | <<locked>> | 82% | 56,565 psi | 87% | 2913 fps | 100% |
| Shooters World 50 BMG | <<locked>> | 86% | 56,985 psi | 88% | 2838 fps | 96.5% |
| SNPE Vectan SP 13 | <<locked>> | 92% | 55,579 psi | 86% | 2851 fps | 98.8% |
| Vihtavuori 20N29 | <<locked>> | 96% | 57,072 psi | 88% | 2897 fps | 97.9% |
| Vihtavuori 24N41 | <<locked>> | 90% | 56,840 psi | 87% | 2887 fps | 95.9% |
| Vihtavuori N170 | <<locked>> | 82% | 55,883 psi | 86% | 2825 fps | 98.5% |
| Vihtavuori N568 | <<locked>> | 82% | 56,405 psi | 87% | 2907 fps | 99.9% |
| Vihtavuori N570 | <<locked>> | 84% | 58,044 psi | 89% | 2979 fps | 99.4% |
Recommended = one of the top powders for this cartridge and bullet combination.
Start Load - Barrel Length: 24"
| Powder | Charge | FR | MaxP | % | V(0) | z |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Accurate 8700 | 72.7 gr | 82% | 39,537 psi | 61% | 2566 fps | 95.4% |
| ADI AR 2217 | <<locked>> | 80% | 48,878 psi | 75% | 2746 fps | 100% |
| ADI AR 2218 | 72.5 gr | 80% | 43,526 psi | 67% | 2746 fps | 97.4% |
| ADI AR 2225 | <<locked>> | 80% | 47,065 psi | 72% | 2740 fps | 100% |
| Alliant Reloder-33 | <<locked>> | 80% | 48,965 psi | 75% | 2802 fps | 98.4% |
| Alliant Reloder-50 | <<locked>> | 80% | 45,600 psi | 70% | 2723 fps | 97.2% |
| Bofors RP30 | <<locked>> | 80% | 53,403 psi | 82% | 2828 fps | 100% |
| Hodgdon H1000 | <<locked>> | 80% | 52,692 psi | 81% | 2805 fps | 100% |
| Hodgdon TrailBoss | <<locked>> | 80% | 29,428 psi | 45% | 1660 fps | 100% |
| Hodgdon US 869 | <<locked>> | 90% | 53,766 psi | 83% | 2831 fps | 95.2% |
| IMR 7977 Enduron | <<locked>> | 80% | 51,329 psi | 79% | 2710 fps | 96.3% |
| IMR 8133 Enduron | <<locked>> | 80% | 44,976 psi | 69% | 2690 fps | 99.7% |
| Lovex D100 | <<locked>> | 84% | 53,476 psi | 82% | 2779 fps | 95.7% |
| Norma 217 | <<locked>> | 80% | 46,528 psi | 72% | 2720 fps | 100% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 14 | <<locked>> | 80% | 30,501 psi | 47% | 1703 fps | 100% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 80 | <<locked>> | 80% | 53,200 psi | 82% | 2858 fps | 99.9% |
| Shooters World 50 BMG | <<locked>> | 84% | 53,476 psi | 82% | 2779 fps | 95.7% |
| SNPE Vectan SP 13 | <<locked>> | 80% | 39,552 psi | 61% | 2539 fps | 95% |
| Vihtavuori 20N29 | 78.1 gr | 88% | 45,121 psi | 69% | 2680 fps | 95% |
| Vihtavuori 24N41 | <<locked>> | 88% | 53,432 psi | 82% | 2828 fps | 95% |
| Vihtavuori N170 | <<locked>> | 80% | 52,823 psi | 81% | 2772 fps | 98% |
| Vihtavuori N568 | <<locked>> | 80% | 53,069 psi | 82% | 2851 fps | 99.7% |
| Vihtavuori N570 | <<locked>> | 80% | 51,459 psi | 79% | 2861 fps | 98.6% |
Recommended = one of the top powders for this cartridge and bullet combination.
ᴾ possible press load - work up slowly to this load while watching for signs of excessive pressure.
This overview compares 23 powders for .26 Nosler loaded with the .264 | 156gr | Norma ORYX. ADI AR 2218 delivers the highest muzzle velocity at 2,992 fps; across all powders the maximum-charge window runs from 1,857 fps to 2,992 fps. Hodgdon TrailBoss gives the best case fill at 100 %, and 23 of the 23 powders fall inside the usable 80–100 % fill window.
Relative to the caliber's maximum pressure (448 MPa), the top charges use 60–90 %, leaving at least 10 % headroom. The 156.0 gr projectile in 0.264" calls for a 1:10.0 twist; slower twists will usually not stabilise this weight. Hodgdon TrailBoss, ReloadSwiss RS 14 reach 100 % fill or more at maximum charge, so these are compressed loads: they need a long drop tube to seat cleanly and react sensitively to the case capacity of your own brass lot. ADI AR 2218, Accurate 8700, Vihtavuori 20N29 rank at the top here: for .26 Nosler with the .264 | 156gr | Norma ORYX they combine a high case fill with complete burn and sit in the upper velocity band. Always begin at the start load and work up in small increments while checking case and primer for pressure signs.