Hi what are people’s thoughts/experience with Nosler rifles, specifically the model 21? I’m considering one in a 6.5prc for stalking and they look good for the price. Match barrel, rem 700 clone action, carbon stock and trigger tech trigger.
Only a couple of hundred quid more than a t3x. Worth it or not?
I bought one in .300 WM a dozen years ago and on sold it to one of my hunt mates sons. He uses it most of the time and has put a fair few sambar and fallow down using it.
They are a pretty good deal especially for what you get and for the price of some of the opposition.
Just my opinion but Nosler make ammunition not rifles
Ha my rough 'sale' photo.
As Nosler admits, their M48 was designed to incorporate as many of the best features of existing bolt actions as possible. It is not a ground breaking design, but it is an excellent push feed action.
It uses two large, front locking lugs of the Mauser pattern, which means a 90-degree bolt rotation. Nosler uses a guide rail slot in the right hand locking lug, which, along with tight tolerances, minimizes bolt wobble. A substantial extractor of the AR15 type at the front of the bolt gives a good bite on the case rim to yank fired brass from the chamber and a plunger ejector in the fully recessed bolt face reliably kicks it clear of the action.
The one-piece, cast steel bolt is CNC machined and incorporates shallow longitudinal grooves (fluting) to reduce friction during operation. The bell-shaped bolt knob is checkered. Should gas escape from a fired cartridge, it is vented into the magazine well and away from the shooter's face. The steel bolt shroud is small, tidy and prevents escaping gas from flowing around the one-piece firing pin into the shooter's face.
The sturdy receiver is machined from a steel billet with an integral recoil lug. The open top loading/ejection port makes cartridge handling easy. The tops of the receiver rings are contoured to accept any two-piece scope bases designed for a Remington Model 700, the most popular of all bolt action rifles. This makes it very easy to find scope bases.
The adjustable, single stage trigger is free of creep or excessive over-travel. The two-position, short throw safety lever at the right rear of the receiver is low, easy to operate and quiet if released carefully. It does not lock the bolt to prevent inadvertent opening, but allows removing a chambered cartridge with the safety on.
The bolt release, inletted into the left rear of the receiver, is a small, streamlined push button that is both unobtrusive and easy to use. It is one of the best of its kind.
The internal box magazine holds four standard (.30-06) size cartridges in a staggered stack. Cartridge loading and feeding is very smooth and easy. The one-piece trigger guard / bottom metal incorporates a hinged magazine floorplate. The floorplate release is mounted externally in the front base of the trigger guard. The trigger guard itself is sculptured to be wide (for maximum protection) on the bottom and narrower at the front and back, an excellent design.
The Nosler M48 is a first class, high quality action, smooth and reliable in operation. It is about as good as a push feed action with dual front locking lugs can be. It serves as the basis for the hand built Nosler rifles and has achieved an excellent reputation in use.
I don’t love the saftey design but its not a deal breaker
