Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters Nosler M48 barrel - look like a problem or not?

I have a friend that recently purchased a Nolser M48 rifle in 28 Nosler. Two boxes of factory 160 grain Accubonds down the tube and nothing but unacceptable groups. Cleanings produced the bluest copper fouling I have ever seen. Tried some handloads and no better (talking 6 inch groups at 200 yards being the best...both factory and handloaded fodder). Took it to another friend after cleaning it down to bare metal and had it borescoped....which is what you are seeing. The chatter marks follow the twist.

An email to Nosler with this picture followed by a phone conversation landed him being told that this was normal and that any Nosler barrel would look the same...just needs some more rounds down the barrel to smooth out the imperfections.

What do you as gun writing experts have to say about it?

That looks more like spiral reamer marks than chatter. Did Savage make that barrel for Nosler?

Gunsmith not a gun writer - BUT, If it’s got 6” groups they had better take it back..

Here’s what to say —-

the reality - from this picture the rifle wasn’t hand lapped as their own site says every Model 48 is, so this one is defective or got shipped before it was done.

See the Nosler page

https://www.nosler.com/m48-custom-rifle

Text at bottom of page

Every Model 48 Custom Rifle Includes:

Proven Nosler Model 48 custom action

Upgraded Match-grade, stainless steel, hand-lapped barrel

Barrel break-in completed by Nosler

Crisp, custom 3-pound trigger pull

Glass and stainless steel pillar bedding

CERAKOTE™ and Micro Slick™ metal finish

Accuracy test with prescribed Nosler Ammunition. Guaranteed 3/4” or better 3-shot groups at 100 yards, or 1" for belted magnums and cartridges 35 caliber and up.

*Scope, rings and bases sold separately

Hi Mathman;

I am not sure who would have made the barrel for them. Any way to tell short of finding out from Nosler themselves?

Spotshooter;

Thank you for the detailed reply...and you are correct...they should be taking it back.

People say watch yourself, every phone has a camera in it these days. It seems like barrel manufacturers would similarly be aware of the proliferation of good, economical borescopes.

If savage would have made it, it would be shooting dime sized groups

No gunwriter here obviously. Deep hole drilling/ finish reaming tool marks will not be in the bottom of the grooves, only on the tops of the lands...which is immaterial. If the tool marks extend to the bottom of the lands, the button made them. Lapping as a commonly understood process was never intended to remove tool marks.
That said, although the barrel is clearly faulty, and they should make it right, I'm having a little trouble believing what we see is causing 6" groups. I have several antique rifles with much worse barrels than that, that are able to maintain 2 moa with iron sights. Yes, accumulated jacket material causes horrible results, particularly if it extends to the muzzle crown...but 6"?
I would double check a few basics before I got too vocal. Nothing more embarrassing than having someone point out that your ducks are misaligned.

Not always. A friend of mine had a Savage in 308 whose barrel was so rough that to hit a deer with a 150 grain bullet he'd have to shoot a round loaded with a 180.

Not necessarily true.

I won a Nosler M48 caliber .28 Nosler. Shot terrible, split cases and looked like a million bucks! After two years they took it back. Nosler had it for over six months before I got it back. Now it shoots acceptable! Nosler makes great bullets, but are still not up to par on making great rifles! My humble opinion and experience.

Not sure what your experience might be, but I worked in Chick Donnelly's shop, with him mentoring...with the eventual idea of me buying the name, shop and equipment., which never happened because of money. I know how to make a barrel. If you would care to elaborate on your last sentence...by God, I'm willing to learn.

300Winnie,

That doesn't look hand-lapped to me, and I have quite a few rifles with lapped barrels from companies like Hart, Lilja, Custom Barrel & Gunworks, Krieger, etc. That said, have had quite a few rifles that shot very well with bores like yours, though some of them required Dyna Bore-Coat before they really quit fouling, not just some "breaking in."

Did you pay 2600 bucks for it. A rifle that costs that much shouldn’t need a gimmick product like DBC to shoot.

So you support Nosler's position? Really?

I've seen it discussed elsewhere about the button being unable to completely iron out bad reamer marks, even in the grooves. I suppose I misunderstood part of it.

Please school me: How does a button with its smooth surface make what appear to be such sharply defined marks, and how does it do it at the angle we can see in the image?

Did I say that?

I've read my post 3-4 times now, and can't figure out where I did..

I'd like to hear about that as well.

Probably when you typed “have had quite few rifles that shot very well”... I’m Sure you weren’t supporting nosler just stating a fact that rough barrels can and will shoot. Sometimes they don’t, as someone else said rifle for $2600 you shouldn’t have use witches brew to get it to shoot.

Yeah all BS aside that barrel should have never made it outside the shop. Nosler used to use Pac-nor barrels. This is not one of them