The NoslerCustom cont.
However, American Rifleman’s testing procedure calls for five-shot groups, and that opened things up a bit. Still, the largest group was just a hair under 3/4". NoslerCustom Trophy Grade Ammunition is, of course, the other half of this evaluation. In essence it’s like having handloaded ammo for your gun. The loading procedures at the factory call for a few more steps to ensure the utmost consistency and accuracy. Brass is trimmed and deburred, and each round is hand-inspected. AccuBond bullets are used exclusively to give the best combination of accuracy and terminal performance.
In choosing the .280 Rem. Ackley Improved, Nosler may have raised some eyebrows. The cartridge is still considered a wildcat, so unless you shoot nothing but NoslerCustom Trophy Grade Ammunition you’ll be rolling your own. Based on the .280 Rem. introduced in 1957, the Ackley Improved version simply straightens and lengthens the case wall and blows out the shoulder from its original 17 degrees to 40 degrees. Case capacity is increased by about 5 percent, and sensible handloads yield roughly a 200 f.p.s. increase in velocity, putting it within spitting distance of the 7 mm Rem. Mag. Ackley Improved cartridges are enjoying a small resurgence for custom gunmakers as shooters, and hunters continue to clamor for something more interesting to shoot than standard factory cartridges.
The extended bolt handle is a rounded tetrahedron.
Shooting across my chronograph, I showed an average of 3120 f.p.s.—just a little shy of the 3150 f.p.s. claimed by Nosler—with a standard deviation of 11.7. That is remarkably consistent performance and certainly is a major factor in Nosler achieving its accuracy guarantee.
The NoslerCustom Rifle is clearly intended for the rifle nut who has arrived. At a suggested retail price of $3,995, you won’t see it at the big box discount store. Buyers of this rifle will be those who appreciate fine walnut in a classic form combined with modern innovations that enhance accuracy with every aspect of its construction superbly executed. By the time you fill the magazine and hang a sling on this rifle it will weigh more than 10 lbs., so it’s not a rifle for a backpacking sheep hunter. But for the knowledgeable rifle shooter who wants a comprehensive package—rifle, scope, ammunition and a Kalispel aluminum case—sighted in and ready to hunt, it’s a heck of a deal.
