An ongoing review of a Nosler M48 Custom rifle...

[Ridgerunner665]

This will be a slow developing (I work...a lot), but ongoing, thread with load development, accuracy, and just general info on this rifle...there's not a lot out there on these rifles that isn't in a gun rag.

This is gonna be a user review...I'm no pro photographer, by the way...limited to cell phone pics for the most part.

The rifle specs:
Nosler M48 Custom (not the NCR)
280 Ackley Improved
Kevlar/carbon fiber stock (Onyx grey)
24" magnum profile barrel (9" twist)
Hinged floor plate (steel)
All metal Cerakoted in slate grey

Optics:
Zeiss HD5 3-15x42mm with locking turrets (plex reticle)
Talley LW rings/mounts

These initial pics were taken by my wife because I haven't been home yet to see the rifle myself...





Barrel thickness...compared to an M70 Featherweight (270)...measures .650", as advertised.



Mods and admins...I really wasn't sure where to put this, seemed to be a couple possibilities, I chose here because it is primarily a deer rifle....move it if you feel it needs to be moved.

 

[Ridgerunner665]

Bare rifle weight: 7.3 lbs
Scope weight: 1 lb. 6.5 oz
Sling weight: 3.5 oz
Ammo: 3.5 oz (4 rounds)
Talley LW's: 2.5 oz (low mounts)

All set up, loaded and ready to hunt: 9.3 lbs

 

[Ridgerunner665]

I've been shooting for the past 2 days...I waited to do this write up until I was back to work so I'd have time to try to do it right.

My thoughts on the rifle after 2 days of shooting it...I LIKE IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I've looked it over with a microscope (not really) trying to find an imperfection in fit or finish...can't find any.

I love the stock (Kevlar/Carbon fiber)...the way it fits me is different than I'm used to (Rem 700 stocks)...but its different in a good way. It shoulders easily and comfortably, it feels good in the hand, its grippy, and most of all....recoil even from some pretty hot loads is painless. Its a very well designed stock...weighs 1.5 lbs.

The action...all I know to say is "wow"...the bolt moves so freely, yet there's no "slop" in it...the rounds load into the magazine so easily, effortlessly...and the smoothness with which it feeds those rounds from the magazine has to be felt to be understood...its that smooth. I would have never believed it from a push feed if I had not seen it with my own 2 eyes...

The bolt itself...all indications are that the lugs are making full and even contact...disassembly is a snap (literally), just twist and its apart.

The barrel...I followed the prescribed break in (comes with the rifle)...it coppered a very little for the first 5 rounds and then it was done...no more copper. Pushing a patch through it, you can tell its a hand lapped bore...smooooooth.

Shooting (accuracy)...its still early in the game (very early), but its looking promising so far.

Nosler Trophy Grade ammo (160 Partitions)...the very first "group" I fired.


My reloads...150 ABLR and 62 grains of MRP in Nosler brass (3,120 fps).





Am I happy with my purchase? You're **** right I am!!!

 

[Ridgerunner665]

The following is 2 days worth of barrel break in and chrono work...finding max loads with my chosen bullets (150 ABLR and 160 Accubond)...copied and pasted here (original thread is on Nosler forum).

 

[Ridgerunner665]

3 rounds fired...Nosler factory ammo (160 PT).....2,943 fps avg (2,950 fps advertised)

Case capacity...73.9 grains.

Nice soft recoil, I really like that stock...its a good fit.

 

[Ridgerunner665]

Reloads...

150 ABLR, Norma MRP

60.5 = 3,043 fps
61 = 3,070
61.5 = 3,093 fps
62 = 3,120 fps

 

[Ridgerunner665]

MRP burn rate correction to make it match is .4

QuickLoad tweaking...this will likely change as more data is gathered.

The data below exactly matches my shooting today (based on visual indicators and chrono data), ...the case capacity has been measured and edited and the powder burn rate has been edited.

Cartridge          : .280 Ack Imp
Bullet             : .284, 150, Nosler Accubond LR 58734 G7
Useable Case Capaci: 65.493 grain H2O = 4.252 cm³
Cartridge O.A.L. L6: 3.340 inch = 84.84 mm
Barrel Length      : 24.0 inch = 609.6 mm
Powder             : Norma MRP ?

Predicted data by increasing and decreasing the given charge,
incremented in steps of 0.806% of nominal charge.
CAUTION: Figures exceed maximum and minimum recommended loads !

Step    Fill. Charge   Vel.  Energy   Pmax   Pmuz  Prop.Burnt B_Time
 %       %    Grains   fps   ft.lbs    psi    psi      %        ms

-08.1   90    57.00   2876    2756   48633  11743     99.6    1.278
-07.3   91    57.50   2901    2804   49996  11809     99.7    1.262
-06.5   92    58.00   2926    2852   51395  11872     99.8    1.246
-05.6   93    58.50   2951    2900   52833  11929     99.9    1.231
-04.8   94    59.00   2975    2948   54311  11983    100.0    1.215
-04.0   94    59.50   3000    2997   55830  12032    100.0    1.200  ! Near Maximum !
-03.2   95    60.00   3024    3046   57392  12077    100.0    1.185  ! Near Maximum !
-02.4   96    60.50   3048    3095   58997  12120    100.0    1.171  ! Near Maximum !
-01.6   97    61.00   3072    3144   60648  12161    100.0    1.156  ! Near Maximum !
-00.8   98    61.50   3097    3194   62345  12202    100.0    1.142  ! Near Maximum !
+00.0   98    62.00   3121    3243   64091  12243    100.0    1.128  ! Near Maximum !
+00.8   99    62.50   3144    3293   65886  12283    100.0    1.114  !DANGEROUS LOAD-DO NOT USE!
+01.6  100    63.00   3168    3343   67733  12322    100.0    1.101  !DANGEROUS LOAD-DO NOT USE!
+02.4  101    63.50   3192    3393   69633  12360    100.0    1.087  !DANGEROUS LOAD-DO NOT USE!
+03.2  102    64.00   3216    3444   71589  12398    100.0    1.074  !DANGEROUS LOAD-DO NOT USE!
+04.0  102    64.50   3239    3494   73602  12436    100.0    1.061  !DANGEROUS LOAD-DO NOT USE!

Cartridge          : .280 Ack Imp
Bullet             : .284, 160, Nosler AccuBond 54932
Useable Case Capaci: 64.516 grain H2O = 4.189 cm³
Cartridge O.A.L. L6: 3.340 inch = 84.84 mm
Barrel Length      : 24.0 inch = 609.6 mm
Powder             : Norma MRP ?

Predicted data by increasing and decreasing the given charge,
incremented in steps of 0.833% of nominal charge.
CAUTION: Figures exceed maximum and minimum recommended loads !

Step    Fill. Charge   Vel.  Energy   Pmax   Pmuz  Prop.Burnt B_Time
 %       %    Grains   fps   ft.lbs    psi    psi      %        ms

-08.3   89    55.00   2766    2718   47504  11474     99.7    1.329
-07.5   89    55.50   2790    2765   48848  11539     99.8    1.312
-06.7   90    56.00   2814    2814   50230  11601     99.9    1.296
-05.8   91    56.50   2838    2862   51650  11658    100.0    1.279
-05.0   92    57.00   2862    2910   53109  11710    100.0    1.263
-04.2   93    57.50   2886    2959   54609  11759    100.0    1.247
-03.3   93    58.00   2910    3008   56150  11805    100.0    1.231  ! Near Maximum !
-02.5   94    58.50   2934    3057   57735  11851    100.0    1.216  ! Near Maximum !
-01.7   95    59.00   2957    3107   59364  11896    100.0    1.201  ! Near Maximum !
-00.8   96    59.50   2981    3156   61039  11941    100.0    1.186  ! Near Maximum !
+00.0   97    60.00   3004    3206   62761  11985    100.0    1.171  ! Near Maximum !
+00.8   97    60.50   3027    3256   64533  12029    100.0    1.157  !DANGEROUS LOAD-DO NOT USE!
+01.7   98    61.00   3050    3306   66355  12071    100.0    1.143  !DANGEROUS LOAD-DO NOT USE!
+02.5   99    61.50   3073    3356   68229  12113    100.0    1.128  !DANGEROUS LOAD-DO NOT USE!
+03.3  100    62.00   3097    3407   70158  12155    100.0    1.115  !DANGEROUS LOAD-DO NOT USE!
+04.2  101    62.50   3120    3457   72143  12196    100.0    1.101  !DANGEROUS LOAD-DO NOT USE!

 

[Ridgerunner665]

62.5 = 3,137 fps (too hot, do not use)
63 = 3,167 fps (too hot, do not use)
63.5 = 3,192 fps (ejector mark)

I'm gonna roll with 62 grains as MAX load of MRP for the OCW test.

Temperature...66 degrees

 

[Ridgerunner665]

160 Accubond, Norma MRP

58.5 = 2,956 fps
59 = 2,972 fps
59.5 = 2,989 fps
60 = 3,003 fps, no signs of pressure but a dialed in QuickLoad says 60.5 is maxed out at 3,027 fps, so I'm not chasing this one any further.

 

[Ridgerunner665]

QuickLoad burn rate correction is coming in at .4 (Ba #) for this batch of MRP...

Based on what I've seen today...the 280 Ackley doesn't show pressure until above 67,000 psi...that has always been said of Ackley rounds, and my shooting today tells me it is true.

 

[dieseldoc]

3 rounds fired...Nosler factory ammo (160 PT).....2,943 fps avg (2,950 fps advertised)

Case capacity...73.9 grains.

Nice soft recoil, I really like that stock...its a good fit.

Have a question on who chronograph are you using to record MV?
Thanks

Charlie

 

[Ridgerunner665]

You may wonder how I came to the conclusion that the 280 Ackley doesn't show pressure until after 67,000 psi...

I loaded and fired rounds today loaded with 63.5 grains of MRP under a 150 grain Accubond LR...nearly 3,200 fps and a barely noticeable ejector mark, bolt lift was fine, primer looked fine, shot felt and sounded fine...but 3,200 fps told me all I needed to know.

62 grains will be the MAX I work off of for my OCW load development.

 

[Ridgerunner665]

Have a question on who chronograph are you using to record MV?
Thanks

Charlie

CE Pro Chrono Digital...

But I'm wanting a MagnetoSpeed...I trust the Pro Chrono as long as I can get it in the shade, but I'd like to have a MagnetoSpeed.

 

[dieseldoc]

CE Pro Chrono Digital...

But I'm wanting a MagnetoSpeed...I trust the Pro Chrono as long as I can get it in the shade, but I'd like to have a MagnetoSpeed.

From my load development I have found only the 35P Oehler can give me Mv-FPS that were reliable . Interesting I have e proof the Magneto V-2 with my 35P O2hler and came up with reliable numbers. However with a Pro Chrono I don't thing
you can get good reliable numbers as this was true with one that I used.

So yes it a good Ideal to get a Magneto I hear the new V3 are testing out great.

Just my 2 cents worth.