Yesterday we gave you the heads-up on Weatherby’s new Mark V CarbonMark Rifle. In case you forgot, that bad boy sports a 26” #4 contour carbon-fiber barrel with a cut-rifled, hand-lapped 416R grade stainless steel core. Made by Proof Research. As is the 26″ barrel of the new Nosler Model 48 Long Range Carbon rifle. Why? Because carbon fiber barrels are . . .
“not only lighter; they are stiffer and dissipate heat more quickly than traditional stainless steel barrels for enhanced accuracy, shot after shot.” (Rest of the presser below, website link above.)
True story? We’ll report, you’ll decide. If your answer depends on price, that remains a mystery at the moment . . .
Bend, Ore – -(Ammoland.com)- Nosler, Inc. is proud to announce the introduction of its M48 Long Range Carbon rifle. The new rifle model builds on the features that made the M48 Long Range a success with the addition of a PROOF Research, carbon fiber-wrapped, match-grade barrel.
By combining precision machining and space-age materials, the PROOF barrel reduces the overall weight of the rifle while providing the utmost accuracy and durability.
PROOF Research carbon fiber wrapped barrels are not only lighter; they are stiffer and dissipate heat more quickly than traditional stainless steel barrels for enhanced accuracy, shot after shot. Precisely mated to a trued and faced M48 receiver and bedded in a Manners MCS-T carbon fiber stock, the PROOF barrel brings cutting-edge technology to Nosler’s latest hunting rifle.
The Model 48 Long Range Carbon is an excellent choice for mountain hunting, backcountry excursions and long range competition. Born in the wide-open expanses of the west, this rifle is ideal for any situation where ranges may be long and weight is a concern.
Initially, this rifle will be offered in the cartridges listed below:
- 6.5 Creedmoor
- 26 Nosler
- 28 Nosler
- 300 Winchester Magnum
- 30 Nosler
- 33 Nosler
About Nosler
Founded in 1948, Nosler®, Incorporated is a family owned company located in Bend, Ore. Nosler® is most known for revolutionizing the hunting bullet industry with bullets such as the Partition®, Ballistic Tip®, AccuBond®, E-Tip® and most recently the AccuBond® LR and RDF. With the company motto of “Quality First,” Nosler® manufactures premium component bullets, reloading brass, ammunition and semi-custom rifles for domestic and international customers making Nosler® a comprehensive shooting products company. Nosler® products are used worldwide by discriminating hunters, shooters, military and law enforcement professionals and sportsmen.
now if only we could figure out how to get rid of the stainless insert…
Eh. The beauty of laminate structures is you can use the best material for the job where it needs to be doing the job, and something else somewhere else.
Carbon fiber, in this case, starts degrading at about 300 deg C in air, so I wouldn’t want to expose it right to the propellant gasses. Nor, come to think of it, common bore cleaners, aka “carbon removers.” I don’t know how that would work out, but it could be an expensive test.
Shoot it 4 Million times.
jk
I wasn’t aware Nosler built/badged rifles?
Sadly TTAG is a great source to hear about it, but it creates the appearance of a little me-too-ism. Part of that is the pre-packaged language RE: PROOF. Any idea who’s making better hay w/ their PR carbon barrels (Nosler / Weatherby / ?).
It’s good to see new rifles being made, hope there’s more pics and a range report (Comparison range report?) in the TTAG near-future.
I’ll take one in 30 Nosler please.
If this is a “long range” rifle, why not offer it in .270 Winchester? I have run the ballistics on .270 Winchester and it really shines at longer ranges, especially if you shoot Hornady Superformance cartridges. In fact you need to jump up to a Magnum rifle caliber if you want higher velocities at 600+ yards. (The Hornady Superformance .270 Winchester 140 grain cartridge is still whistling along at 2,180 fps at 500 yards!)
When you think about it, .270 Winchester velocities/ballistics at 600+ yards should not be a surprise: you get .30-06 Springfield powder capacity behind a smaller diameter bullet which translates to surprisingly high velocities at long ranges.
All the nosler cartridges are that concept on steroids. Like the .404 Jeffery parent case kind of steroid.
For years and years, while the bullet companies were coming out with better and better bullets for the .30’s, the 7’s, 6.5’s and 6mm calibers, the .270 was left unnoticed and unloved. All the bullet outfits recked “Eh, it’s only a .270, and everyone knows that you use a 130 Partition for deer and antelope, and a 150 Partition for elk, sheep, etc.”
And that was pretty much the totality of the .270 for decades. Jack O’Connor popularized the 130 grain Partition over ‘n’ grains of 4831 powder, which pushed it downrange at about 3,000fps+. That was a lot of .270 shooters’ load for decades. I’ve used this load, and it works fine. But looking at the 7mm and .30 cal bullet families, you just know there’s much better projectiles out there…
Finally, in the last five years, the bullet companies are showing the .270 some love – and the results are impressive. I’ve used Barnes TSX pills in many older Winchester 70’s (with original barrels) and watched the group size shrink dramatically. The owners have been pleased as punch – and they’re not paying me money for a new barrel or a new rifle. Their original .270 Model 70 has a new lease on life, as it were – without the need for expensive (or value-destroying) intervention.