Nosler M48

[Pinecricker]

Quick intro and seasons greetings to all. I am a new member, located in the Panhandle region of North Idaho. I grew up here, hunting elk my whole life, but spent several years back east after college. I've been getting back into big game hunting the last few years. I also enjoy bird hunting.

I am curious if any one here has experience with the Nosler M48 Patriot? It seems to be a very well built rifle. It is the only rifle I have been able to find that still has a fully adjustable trigger (take up, over-travel and pull weight can all be adjusted).

I hunt elk with a customized Model 700 in .300 Win. Mag., but am looking for a good rifle for deer and antelope (and hopefully goat or sheep some day). I've had trouble finding a "production" rifle that will hold the kind of group I'm looking for, and I hate not being able to do my own trigger work

Any feedback is appreciated,

Pinecricker

P.S. Just want to say I enjoy OYOA and Fresh Tracks, and can't wait to see more episodes.

 

[JohnCushman]

Welcome aboard

 

[deer_shooter]

Just curious but what kind of grouping are you looking for? It's tough nowadays to find a production rifle that doesn't shoot MOA or better, at least that's been my experience.

 

[.280 Remington]

Tikka is your friend

 

[mtmuley]

You have one custom 700, do it again and build what you want. mtmuley

 

[TheShootist.41]

Welcome to the forum!

 

[Pinecricker]

Rifle

Just curious but what kind of grouping are you looking for? It's tough nowadays to find a production rifle that doesn't shoot MOA or better, at least that's been my experience.

First, thanks to all for the replies.

I can consistently shoot a half minute group with my elk rifle, which is a trued up model 700 BDL with a Krieger barrel on a a McMillan stock. It is my baby. I put two bullets in the same hole on a 6x6 I shot with it this year.
http://www.pinecrick.net/tmp/elk.jpg

I bought a Winchester Model 70 featherweight .30-06, and had some VERY nice trigger work done on it (and free floating) by Elite Rifleworks down Meridian, ID. But, to shoot a tight group with it, I have to let it cool down between shots. It takes a dialed in load and a lot of practice to shoot an inch at 100 yds.

Then, I picked up an M77 Hawkeye, stainless, all weather in .270 Win. It shoots OK'ish, but it has a lot of creep in the trigger, and the only way to take it out is with welding and grinding. It kind of bothers me that a company would do that to their rifles.

Just looking for something off the rack that shoots like my Model 700. I want to be very sure before dropping the money on the M48.

Pinecricker

 

[Pinecricker]

Thanks

You have one custom 700, do it again and build what you want. mtmuley

Building another Model 700 was my first thought. I'm just doing research since for what I'd put into building another 700, I could get the finished M48.

 

[Gerald Martin]

Sounds to me like you have the ideal gun already. Why buy another rifle that isn't going to be as accurate as your elk gun, nor shoot as flat?

I know, I know, it doesn't need to be practical. It's a new gun. I always thought if I found a gun I was really partial to, I'd like to get identical guns in different calibers. That way no matter which gun I was shooting it would handle the same as the other(s). Have fun!

 

[VAspeedgoat]

Are you looking for a lightweight mountain rifle or sporter? Synthetic, laminate, walnut? Some rifles that have been mentioned before are kimber and sako. Also I have friends that brag on cz but I am not a fan. I don't think you can ignore howa either. But I can sympathise, this is what I went through a couple of months ago and ended up settling on a custom build so that I could do exactly what I want with length, stock, caliber etc. Good luck!

 

[1_pointer]

FWIW, Nosler rifle comes with a MOA guarantee shooting Nosler Ammo. Not too many folks out there can out shoot a MOA rifle from field positions. I could really dig one of those in 260 Rem.

That said, if you can find a Reminton donor for a good price you can build one for about the same price or less.

 

[cowboy]

Quite a few factory rifles have the potential of being able to shoot to a MOA.

If the trigger is that important to you - and it is to me also - in making a decision I would suggest considering some of the after market precision triggers. I have a number of custom triggers and IMO a trigger is right next to a quality barrel in achieving maximum accuracy potential.

I nor any gunsmith that I have used has ever been able to adjust a factory trigger to anywhere close to a custom trigger.