New Member - North of the Border

[CanuckBen]

Good evening all.

Thought I would take the time to post up a new thread to introduce myself to the forum. As you'll have taken from my forum-handle, my name's Ben and I'm writing to you from north of the border in Canada.

I've been researching for a new rifle for a while now and have been coming back to Nosler's Model 48 TGR 8)

Looking for another .30-06 chambering as it's what I've used for year and as proven over and over again that it is a great deer, moose and hopefully in the somewhat near future, wild sheep caliber :mrgreen:

That being said, I could entertain the idea of going with a 7mm-08 or 300winmag. I should also add that I am not reloading at the moment, so having the added versitality of your own loading isn't to be considered in my choice as the primary variable.

I've send over a few questions to Nosler's customer support and while I'm at it, will post one of them here to see if perhaps any fellow Canadians would be able to shime in. What I wanted to know was if the NRA Membership discount would also be application for Canadian customers. I do not see why it wouldn't, but no harm in asking right!

Hope to chat with you all some more in the future.

Cheers
Ben

 

[DrMike]

Ben,

Welcome aboard. There are quite a few Canadians here, representing British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec, Newfoundland, New Brunswick, the Northwest Territories and the Yukon, so far as I can remember off the top of my head. We always welcome another Canuck. The 7mm-08 is a great cartridge that will work quite well on game up to moose within a reasonable range. The 300 WM is the quintessential moose/elk cartridge. Pretty much in between will work for what you purpose. Since the NRA solicits membership from Canadians, I would think that the discount would apply. The primary problem is going to be importing. You'll need to work through someone who has listed Nosler with the Federal Government in order to get your rifle into the country without the hassle of dealing with US Homeland Security. Consequently, the price just went up significantly. Check into the matter, but I would imagine that you will need to work through an intermediary. Where are you looking at hunting sheep? Big Horn, Thin Horn or Dalls?

 

[6mm Remington]

Welcome to the forum Ben. Just so you know, we don't really consider you Canadians as foreigners but our friends and neighbors! :lol:

I sure think your choice of a 30-06 for the game you will be hunting will work wonderfully for you. You can "never go wrong with a 30-06". I forget now who said that line. Don't let these guys talk you out of it now!

Welcome again.
David

PS - These jokers are more then helpful at helping you spend your money too so be careful.

 

[SJB358]

Ben, welcome aboard!

Sounds like a 300WM would be a sweet all arounder for you. I'm not sure you can make a bad choice with their line up. Scotty

 

[FOTIS]

Ben, welcome aboard!

 

[JD338]

Ben,

Welcome to the forum, glad you are here.

The Nosler 48 TGR is quite the rifle. The 7mm-08 is an excellent round for deer and the 300 Win Mag is excellent for almost anything you would ever want to hiunt.
Let us know what Nosler responds back with.

JD338

 

[Oldtrader3]

Welcome aboard, Ben. I live on the Canadian border and have lived in Ontario and Quebec, despite being American.

 

[CanuckBen]

Thanks for the welcoming notes guys :grin:

I'm waiting to hear back from one of the authorised Nosler vendor here in Canada regarding the details regarding the NRA membership discount. I don't see it being an issue.

We’ve had the pleasure of traveling to a few places in the US, more recently this past June in Nashville for the CMA Festival, and have always been treated so well everywhere we've been. Unfortunately those visits were not for hunting, but it'll happen sooner rather then later.

We are very fortunate where we live that most big games are available to us close by, with the exception of Elk, where we need to travel much further up North in the province of Québec (where I’m from).

I should also mention that my hunting partners and I are also crossbow (Excalibur) hunters. In the region we hunt the crossbow hunting opens at the peak of the rut (late in the last week of September), allowing us access at the prime time of the year. We will head back out later in October for the rifle season. It’s part of the reason why my requirement for a large(r) calibre as the 300WM isn’t quite there as typically we will harvest an animal during that first two week hunt. I do appreciate however the fact that the 300WM could possibly be more versatile. Gonna have to think it through a few times over, as I usually do, but my current inclination with the .30-06.

I don’t want to say that it’ll come down to if I want one right now or if I don’t mind waiting a few months for it, but you know as them new-gun-itch goes :mrgreen: On the other hand, it’s always good to look forward to something new coming in right.

Cheers
Ben

 

[DrMike]

Ben,

Where are you hunting? I carry an Excalibur on occasion. However, I'm far more likely to be toting one of the firearms that lurk in the recesses of my safe. A 30-06 will accomplish almost everything you want, and do so with aplomb. Since you don't handload, the '06 will have the advantage of allowing you to pick up ammunition almost anywhere in Canada. I certainly wouldn't diss the '06; it is far too good a cartridge.

 

[SJB358]

Ben,

Where are you hunting? I carry an Excalibur on occasion. However, I'm far more likely to be toting one of the firearms that lurk in the recesses of my safe. A 30-06 will accomplish almost everything you want, and do so with aplomb. Since you don't handload, the '06 will have the advantage of allowing you to pick up ammunition almost anywhere in Canada. I certainly wouldn't diss the '06; it is far too good a cartridge.

Yeah, Mike is right. No reason to not get a 30-06, I am pretty well certain I could handle anything I would ever hunt with one. Not that I would want to, but I could and probably never worry about a thing. Scotty

 

[CanuckBen]

Ben,

Where are you hunting? I carry an Excalibur on occasion. However, I'm far more likely to be toting one of the firearms that lurk in the recesses of my safe. A 30-06 will accomplish almost everything you want, and do so with aplomb. Since you don't handload, the '06 will have the advantage of allowing you to pick up ammunition almost anywhere in Canada. I certainly wouldn't diss the '06; it is far too good a cartridge.

Hi Mike

I hunt in the very southern part of the province of Québec, in the Outaouais region. To better place it, it's in our national capital region. Out hunting ground, where a good friend of mine and hunting partner has his cottage is in the Laurentian region, about an hr and half from town.

Unfortunately in this very specific zone, there is no center fire rifle moose hunt Only archery and muzzleloaders are allowed. Drive 15 miles west and that portion of the "zone" and you are allowed too. That's one of the two main reasons why we are xbow hunters as well. We get access to a good moose population at the peak of the call & rut. Archery, be it vertical or xbow, is still not very popular in the province of Quebec. It is a lot more in Ontario and in other provinces. But that works in our favour as it means a lot less ppl out at the same time.

For the .30-06 - it is the calibre I learned to shoot and hunt with some 15-17 years ago so it is quite familiar to me, even though we’ve been concentrating more on the archery & muzleloading hunts. It is now time to retire the ‘ol friend and threat myself to a trophy rifle, pun intended :mrgreen:

Question to all - who here has installed a LimbSaver recoil pad on their new Nosler? I ask this as I will not have the opportunity of trying one at the shooting range prior to the purchase, so I do not know what to expect as far as felt recoil goes. I don't expect it to be a mule-kicking 300wsm or 338l, but it does have some kick to it. As I plan to shoot it often enough, I'm looking forward to reading what your personal experiences with the Noslet stock (being synthetic) & stock recoil pad combination feels like in different calibers.

 

[CanuckBen]

Ben,

Where are you hunting? I carry an Excalibur on occasion. However, I'm far more likely to be toting one of the firearms that lurk in the recesses of my safe. A 30-06 will accomplish almost everything you want, and do so with aplomb. Since you don't handload, the '06 will have the advantage of allowing you to pick up ammunition almost anywhere in Canada. I certainly wouldn't diss the '06; it is far too good a cartridge.

Yeah, Mike is right. No reason to not get a 30-06, I am pretty well certain I could handle anything I would ever hunt with one. Not that I would want to, but I could and probably never worry about a thing. Scotty

Definately Scotty - thank you for your imput as well.

Handloading is definately something I would consider on I can break down the up starting costs & learning how-too.

Cheers
Ben

 

[DrMike]

Ben,

I doubt that you'll need to install a LimbSaver on the Nosler. I've installed either a LimbSaver or a Pachmayr Decelerator on every rifle I've purchased for a number of years. Today, many of the rifles come with one or the other of these fine pads from the factory. Consequently, the need to install an aftermarket pad is less of a necessity today. I would encourage you to speak with Shawn; you'll likely discover that the TGR48 comes with a Decelerator pad installed.

I have noted several fellows from La Belle Province posting here. You'll be in good company; they appear to be some great guys. Crossbow hunting does add additional challenges to the hunt. I need to spend more time with my bow.

 

[CanuckBen]

Ben,

I doubt that you'll need to install a LimbSaver on the Nosler. I've installed either a LimbSaver or a Pachmayr Decelerator on every rifle I've purchased for a number of years. Today, many of the rifles come with one or the other of these fine pads from the factory. Consequently, the need to install an aftermarket pad is less of a necessity today. I would encourage you to speak with Shawn; you'll likely discover that the TGR48 comes with a Decelerator pad installed.

I have noted several fellows from La Belle Province posting here. You'll be in good company; they appear to be some great guys. Crossbow hunting does add additional challenges to the hunt. I need to spend more time with my bow.

The TGR does indeed come with a Pachmayr Decelerator Pad. I've never shot a rifle with one on it, only LimbSaver, if it's good enough to come stock on a rifle as of the quality of Nosler then I would think that I’d be happy with it :grin:

Have to say that as much as I love this province for all that it has to offer, I sure do mind the fact that we do not have the wild mountain sheep that you guys have in the West. It is very high on my hunts-to-do list.

As for xbow hunting goes - it is quite different yes. Taking a 950lbs bull @ 20 yards is an experience that can only be describe but in person. Same goes for taking an elk or caribou at 300 – 400 yards.

I truly enjoy both type of hunts as both require different skills set and tactics.

Cheers
Ben

 

[DrMike]

The Pachmayr Decelerator is a quality pad. I have it installed on probably one-third of the rifles in my safe; I am quite pleased with the pad. It was the aftermarket pad of choice until the LimbSaver came out.

 

[CanuckBen]

Well guys I've got a dissapointing update to provide :evil:

Due to a number of cross-border fees, both import and export, shipping restrictions imposed here in Canada to only name a few, Nosler and their Canadian retailers are unable to sell to us the TGR @ the NRA Membership discount.

Unfortunately the extra $500 represents about 2/3 of the new scope budget, thus cancelling any possibility of this purchase going through - really too bad as I had the $1495 ready to go!

Though I will still be picking a high quality rifle (which it had been my choice for a long time until I came upong the aforementioned NRA discount) I was quite looking forward to a TGR.

Shawn @ Nosler was very helpfull in our exchange of email and I must say thank you to him for taking the time replying to my emails quickly - great service for sure!

Very sadly,
Ben

 

[SJB358]

Well guys I've got a dissapointing update to provide :evil:

Due to a number of cross-border fees, both import and export, shipping restrictions imposed here in Canada to only name a few, Nosler and their Canadian retailers are unable to sell to us the TGR @ the NRA Membership discount.

Unfortunately the extra $500 represents about 2/3 of the new scope budget, thus cancelling any possibility of this purchase going through - really too bad as I had the $1495 ready to go!

Though I will still be picking a high quality rifle (which it had been my choice for a long time until I came upong the aforementioned NRA discount) I was quite looking forward to a TGR.

Shawn @ Nosler was very helpfull in our exchange of email and I must say thank you to him for taking the time replying to my emails quickly - great service for sure!

Very sadly,
Ben

Man, that stinks! Ah well, plenty of great rifles to choose from though! What are you thinking of getting in its place? Scotty

 

[CanuckBen]

Man, that stinks! Ah well, plenty of great rifles to choose from though! What are you thinking of getting in its place? Scotty

Yeah tell me about it!

Was really pumped about the TGR

My next choices - both equally and in no particuliar order - are the Sako 85 Finnlight and the Weatherby Mark V Accumark.

The stock on the Weatherby is quite different, but I like it when I shouldered it.

Like the grip in both as well. So yeah, either of them and I'd be a very happy man.

Cheers
Ben

 

[gerry]

Ben before you give up on the Nosler rifle talk to Clay at Prophet River Firearms, he seems to be able to get harder to get items, maybe he can help.



http://store.prophetriver.com/

 

[SJB358]

Or you could check out the Win M70 Extreme Weather! Another sweet rifle and has about the same stock as the Weatherby. Scotty