Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles Nosler 48 Rifles

What is your experience with the mod. 48 rifles as far as quality/value/accuracy? I'm feeling the 26 Nosler itch:)

I have a trophy grade M48 and It's ok. The stock is not my favorite and probably my biggest gripe about the rifle.

Overall though, they are quality rifles. I don't like their use of magnum barrels on some cartridges (280 ai for example) and wish their twist rates were better on several, but for the price they are ok.

If I had it to do over again, I'd probably build something more to my liking.

I think Melvin Forbes designed that stock, when I spoke to him he said he designed the stock for a Nosler rifle. I've never held a NULA, ULA or a Forbes rifle before but I have held a Nosler 48 and the stock felt a little bulky, but I think that's the part of the design that absorbs some of the recoil. Clean or dirty, hot or cold, those Nosler rifles seem to keep the same poi. My friend has one in 26 Nosler and I've watched him put a couple deer and a moose down like they were hit with an anvil.

First, a caveat. I'm a gun slut and a rifle whore!. When it comes to rifles, I'm kinda like a drunk at closing time in a bar when it comes to females of the opposite sex. I can find something I like about most bolt action rifles. So take anything I say with a grain of salt.


I've owned three. The first was a Nosler Custom Sporter I purchased when they first came out. It was chambered in the 325 WSM. Later I purchased another Custom Sporter in 270 WSM.



Both are/were MOA rifles 200 yds., using my handloads. I've not fired factory ammo. . The actions smooth as owl-schitt with good triggers. I paid full freight less the NRA discount on the 325 WSM.

I snuck up on the 270 WSM and got it for +/- $1,600. A guy made me an offer I could not refuse and it followed him home.

I've killed a ton of hogs with the 325 WSM using the 180 gr. Nosler Ballistic Tip and 200 gr. Nosler Accubonds.





Some folks complain about the stock. I've a lot of different rifles, both wood and synthetic some with palm swells, others straight stocks. Some have beaver-tail fore-ends, some are slim with Schnabel fore-ends.





I'm 5'8" and 190 lbs. My hands are not especially large.

I've not found the wrist or fore-end to be uncomfortable. I do not do a lot of spot and stalk hunting. I mainly do stand hunting. Consequently I use a sling or an Eberlestock gunrunner pack to transport the rifle to and fro, but it carries fine and balances well.

I recently purchased a Nosler Patriot chambered in 7mm-08, from JG Raider here on the fire. I like it. Sub MOA at 100 yds with a suprisingly crisp trigger. Its a shooter.



Purchased pre-enjoyed at a value they are a good choice and will serve you well IMHO.

As to the 26 Nosler, I can't say. If you like fast, it should work fine. Most of the game I shoot is 200 yds. and under. I find that muzzle velocities above 3,000 fps at 100 yds. or so tends toward a lot of blood shot meat. Perhaps if your plan is to stretch out a ways that would not be a problem.

I won't try to get into the specifics about weight, pull length, twist etc as that is all available online.


Good luck what ever you choose.

Best,


GWB

My first impression of the Nosler 48 was 'whatta club', referring to the bulky wrist and forend. I handled several since then an my opinion hasn't changed. Nosler would do well to source their stock elsewhere, and consider slimming the wrist and forend in the process.

I've just purchased one in 300 WSM. Its the Heritage model with wooden stock, not sure how the design differs to the synthetic stock. I haven't received it yet but the reviews seem good .... time will tell!

I bought a Heritage model in 30-06 a couple of months ago and only been to the range with it a few times. Great trigger, nice wood on the stock, smooth action and accurate . So far, I like it and would recommend it.

Does the safety lock the bolt?

You're worse about that fetish than I am about ice in sipping whisky!

I just like PROPER working rifles and 700 actions fail to impress me in every way, except if you're a paper puncher.

The safety on mine does not lock the bolt.

Good God man! You haven't taken it out hunting anything more dangerous than a bunny rabbit have you?

I will duct tape the bolt to the stock.

Thanks for the replies. For those who've shot the 48, can you give me an idea of the accuracy achieved?

Do you reload or will you be shooting factory?

IIRC, here is a pix of the first range session with the M48 in 325 WSM. I do not do barrel break in other than 50 or so strokes with a bronze brush coated with JB Bore Paste/Kroil then patch till clean. I then mount a scope and go to the range. I sight in at 25 yds. to get on paper. That usually take 2 to 5 rounds.

Next I move to the 100 yd. range.




So this would be shots 8 through 12 checking for zero/velocity/accuracy of a proven load.

It's prolly been five years since I shot this group and my notes do not say whether I made an adjustment after shot nine. Once I get the rifle zero'd at 100, on a magunum such as the 325 WSM, one inch high at 100 gives a pretty good approximation of a 200 yd zero.

Quien Sabe.

The 7-08 I do not have a target handy to show. Suffice it to say that it shoots minute of hoglet to 200 yds.

I do not shoot long range, so past 200 yds, I cannot help with the Nosler rifle accuracy question.

My suggestion. Try to find one pre-enjoyed at a value. Buy it, shoot it. If it ain't what you like, blow it out. Put it on GunBroker or sell it here. You might make a profit, you might take a small loss. Education always has a cost. You take your wife to dinner and can drop a Benjamin easy. Either way you've made a memory!


JAPPFT,


GWB

PS: Maybe JG Raider will pop in and give testimony to the accuracy of the M48 Patriot, 7mm-08, as he was the previous owner.

There is a Nosler Forum with handy info and discussions that you may want to check out (link from the main Nosler webpage)

Yes, I do handload although I'll admit struggling over the years to matching both accuracy and velocity in my 300wby and 340wby the factory ammo provided (1/2moa). This will have to be a handloading proposition because NY has outlawed online ammo sales and exotic calibers are nearly impossible to find stocked.

I bought my rifle during the Nosler Father's Day promo that included ten boxes of factory ammo. For my 30-06, the ammo is the 165 Accubond. Groups with that ammo have been consistently under 1". I've also shot some W-W 180 Power Point factory into right at 1" and some 165 Hornady reloads for another '06 that were also right at 1". I've not started to load for this 30-06 yet.

RBO,

Melvin Forbes made the stocks for some of the earlier Nosler rifles, but that was just after his problems with Colt, so it was a long time ago. After a few years he got too busy to make them anymore.

I believe the synthetic stocks on at least some of the Nosler rifles since then have been Bell & Carlsons, but can't swear to it.

I've never owned or shot one but have fondled them several times at my LGS. First thing noticed was, heavy and chunky feeling stock. My bet would be Bell & Carlson makes the stocks. If they ever make a fly weight I'd be more interested.