Try to sell me on the M48...

For sure, the mountains are lovely. I'm pretty well enthralled with the prairies as well, however.

Oh I've seen those mountains, some anyway....parked my truck at the rest area just west of Saltese, MT a few years back and took off down into the mountains of Idaho for 4 days...that was something I had planned to do, had my pack and gear with me...made it to the summit of Snow Peak and back out...did a similar trip from just south of Silverton, CO a few years later also....that one was 5 days.

Born and raised in the Appalachians....flat ground just doesn't suit me.

SJB358":19x53sr4 said:

RR665, find a good cow hunt in a state you can get too. I know some folks judge the hunt on the kill and I do as well to a certain extent, but most elk country is about as breathtaking as it gets. Chances are your first time out, you may come up a empty handed, it's the nature of the beast, same thing could happen on a guided elk hunt, but learning will occur and you'll be a smarter hunter the next time around. A good cow or spike hunt isn't too hard to draw and chances are the hunts are there because there are plenty of them around that need hunting.

Don't get me wrong, I like to take my animal, but the hunt to find them and close with them is where it's at. It can be alot of fun and at worst you'll get a close up look of the Rocky's and chances are, you'll enjoy it.

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I know what you mean...and coming home empty handed isn't exactly a failure, truer words were never spoken...I just want to give myself every advantage I can though because I don't know how many times I can afford to do it....the cow/spike hunts are something I had not even considered, THANK YOU for that suggestion, I will look into that.

On another note...I am going to be able to take my full 17 days off for deer season after all (Nov. 20 - Dec. 7)...which is good, because I'll be there when the rifle gets there, might even be able to hunt with it a few days!

Ridgerunner665":1iqjgoxb said:

On another note...I am going to be able to take my full 17 days off for deer season after all (Nov. 20 - Dec. 7)...which is good, because I'll be there when the rifle gets there, might even be able to hunt with it a few days!

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Cool!
Instead of waiting for your report I went ahead and ordered one.
After handling Mike's Model 48 I decided to take the plunge.

Vince

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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 damn right I am!!!

A big Thank You to the members (enablers) here on the forum for encouraging me to do this


And a special Thanks to Shawn Finley and all the Nosler team for all their help (putting up with my phone calls and emails)....and for building me the rifle I've been looking for for nearly 40 years.

Holy smokes. Looks like your about done with load work on those 150's! Heck, you could do some major hunting with those 160 PTs as well. Those 160's at 2950 wouldn't leave you wanting for anything. Great job. Can't wait to see more.

Always a great sense of relief when a major purchase works out. Great report on a fine firearm.

SJB358":2keq0jvy said:

Holy smokes. Looks like your about done with load work on those 150's! Heck, you could do some major hunting with those 160 PTs as well. Those 160's at 2950 wouldn't leave you wanting for anything. Great job. Can't wait to see more.

Click to expand...

I'm gonna do a full OCW workup on those 150's and MRP...I'm curious to see what it shows...that group above was just me being curious what a MAX load produced for accuracy.

Edit: In truth...the 62 grains of MRP was to prove a point on another forum, with someone who is also a member here...the debate was...."Can 3,100 fps with a 150 grain bullet be safely and accurately done with a 280 Ackley?"

Initial indications are that indeed it can...I've made every effort to AVOID excess pressures to achieve my goal, brass is too expensive...I've used the tools available to me to do this (chrono, QuickLoad, cross referenced a lot of 7mm RSUAM load data, an IQ slightly above my shoe size, and nearly 35 years of trigger pulling)...I did load up to around 70k psi, and I did it knowingly (and carefully)...but I wanted (needed) to know where the Ackley started showing pressure....I make no promises as to the accuracy of the data I have provided here, but I'm comfortable with it.

I wish I had loaded more than 3 of them...because I fudged round 3 in that group...I'm pretty sure the flyer was all me...that load is on the node but when I fired that group I was showing my age (shoulder a little sore from all the rounds I had fired prior to it...2 days worth, appx. 65 rounds...yes, I'm getting soft)

Almost 18 months to the day.... From the start of this thread to the day my Nosler rifle goes hunting for the first time (10 days from now)....

Very much looking forward to it!

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And we're all pulling for you to connect with some fine game!

Good luck. That 160 AB won't leave you wanting if you steer it well.