Load Specifications
Load data in caliber .26 Nosler with .264 | 156gr | Norma VULKAN 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% | 57,232 psi | 88% | 2897 fps | 99.3% |
| ADI AR 2217 | <<locked>> | 86% | 58,653 psi | 90% | 2900 fps | 100% |
| ADI AR 2218 | <<locked>> | 88% | 56,086 psi | 86% | 2992 fps | 99.7% |
| ADI AR 2225 | <<locked>> | 86% | 56,463 psi | 87% | 2887 fps | 100% |
| Alliant Reloder-33 | <<locked>> | 84% | 55,579 psi | 86% | 2917 fps | 99.4% |
| Alliant Reloder-50 | <<locked>> | 88% | 57,986 psi | 89% | 2949 fps | 99.4% |
| Bofors RP30 | <<locked>> | 82% | 56,652 psi | 87% | 2877 fps | 100% |
| Hodgdon H1000 | <<locked>> | 82% | 56,159 psi | 86% | 2858 fps | 100% |
| Hodgdon TrailBossᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 38,928 psi | 60% | 1860 fps | 100% |
| Hodgdon US 869 | <<locked>> | 92% | 57,174 psi | 88% | 2890 fps | 96% |
| IMR 7977 Enduron | <<locked>> | 84% | 57,493 psi | 88% | 2815 fps | 97.6% |
| IMR 8133 Enduron | <<locked>> | 88% | 56,579 psi | 87% | 2894 fps | 100% |
| Lovex D100 | <<locked>> | 86% | 57,043 psi | 88% | 2838 fps | 96.5% |
| Norma 217 | <<locked>> | 88% | 58,697 psi | 90% | 2917 fps | 100% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 14ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 40,074 psi | 62% | 1903 fps | 100% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 80 | <<locked>> | 82% | 56,637 psi | 87% | 2913 fps | 100% |
| Shooters World 50 BMG | <<locked>> | 86% | 57,043 psi | 88% | 2838 fps | 96.5% |
| SNPE Vectan SP 13 | <<locked>> | 92% | 55,622 psi | 86% | 2851 fps | 98.8% |
| Vihtavuori 20N29 | <<locked>> | 96% | 57,087 psi | 88% | 2897 fps | 97.9% |
| Vihtavuori 24N41 | <<locked>> | 90% | 56,985 psi | 88% | 2890 fps | 95.9% |
| Vihtavuori N170 | <<locked>> | 82% | 55,956 psi | 86% | 2825 fps | 98.5% |
| Vihtavuori N568 | <<locked>> | 82% | 56,492 psi | 87% | 2910 fps | 99.9% |
| Vihtavuori N570 | <<locked>> | 84% | 58,131 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 | 72.8 gr | 82% | 39,610 psi | 61% | 2569 fps | 95.4% |
| ADI AR 2217 | <<locked>> | 80% | 48,950 psi | 75% | 2746 fps | 100% |
| ADI AR 2218 | 72.5 gr | 80% | 43,439 psi | 67% | 2743 fps | 97.4% |
| ADI AR 2225 | <<locked>> | 80% | 47,166 psi | 73% | 2740 fps | 100% |
| Alliant Reloder-33 | <<locked>> | 80% | 49,037 psi | 75% | 2802 fps | 98.4% |
| Alliant Reloder-50 | <<locked>> | 80% | 45,672 psi | 70% | 2726 fps | 97.3% |
| Bofors RP30 | <<locked>> | 80% | 53,505 psi | 82% | 2828 fps | 100% |
| Hodgdon H1000 | <<locked>> | 80% | 52,794 psi | 81% | 2808 fps | 100% |
| Hodgdon TrailBoss | <<locked>> | 80% | 29,385 psi | 45% | 1660 fps | 100% |
| Hodgdon US 869 | <<locked>> | 90% | 53,882 psi | 83% | 2835 fps | 95.2% |
| IMR 7977 Enduron | <<locked>> | 80% | 51,387 psi | 79% | 2713 fps | 96.3% |
| IMR 8133 Enduron | <<locked>> | 80% | 45,005 psi | 69% | 2690 fps | 99.7% |
| Lovex D100 | <<locked>> | 84% | 53,693 psi | 83% | 2782 fps | 95.8% |
| Norma 217 | <<locked>> | 80% | 46,644 psi | 72% | 2723 fps | 100% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 14 | <<locked>> | 80% | 30,458 psi | 47% | 1703 fps | 100% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 80 | <<locked>> | 80% | 53,287 psi | 82% | 2858 fps | 99.9% |
| Shooters World 50 BMG | <<locked>> | 84% | 53,693 psi | 83% | 2782 fps | 95.8% |
| SNPE Vectan SP 13 | <<locked>> | 80% | 39,624 psi | 61% | 2539 fps | 95% |
| Vihtavuori 20N29 | 78.2 gr | 88% | 45,179 psi | 70% | 2680 fps | 95% |
| Vihtavuori 24N41 | <<locked>> | 88% | 53,563 psi | 82% | 2831 fps | 95.1% |
| Vihtavuori N170 | <<locked>> | 80% | 52,895 psi | 81% | 2772 fps | 98% |
| Vihtavuori N568 | <<locked>> | 80% | 53,156 psi | 82% | 2854 fps | 99.8% |
| Vihtavuori N570 | <<locked>> | 80% | 51,547 psi | 79% | 2864 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 VULKAN. ADI AR 2218 delivers the highest muzzle velocity at 2,992 fps; across all powders the maximum-charge window runs from 1,860 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 VULKAN 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.