With regard to extraction and ejection, Nosler selected two of the best and most reliable designs to date. As for the extractor, the company chose an AR-15 type. “The AR-style extractor is field-proven, robust, and very tolerant of dirt and abuse,” explained Lake. “Additionally, they also remove stuck cases much more reliably than some other designs, and failure is not an option.” As for the ejector, the company opted for the Model 700 plunger-type, which protrudes from the recessed bolt face.

To further enhance reliability and corrosion resistance, as well as performance, the interior surfaces of the bolt body, firing pin spring and firing pin are coated with Micro Slick—a dry lubricant, and yet another NIC Industries product. This treatment could certainly prove invaluable in extreme climates where liquid-type lubricants become less effective.

Although the rifles’ bolts are similar, like the receivers, there are minute, cosmetic differences. Whereas the bolt knob of the Model 48 Custom Sporter, Varmint and Trophy Grade Rifle have a single, 0.194-inch-wide band of 24-line-per-inch checkering, that of the NoslerCustom features four sections of checkering in a teardrop shape, with the NoslerCustom “NC” logo engraved in its outside face. Additionally, each bolt’s Cerakote color matches that of the receiver, and thus changes through the line-up.

Each rifle is fitted with a hand-lapped Pac-Nor barrel button-rifled in a right-hand twist. Those used on the NoslerCustom Rifle and Model 48s are stainless steel, while that on the Trophy Grade Rifle is chrome-moly; however, all are absent sights and receive Cerakote in the same colors found on receivers and bolts. Barrels for Model 48 Varmint rifles are finished with a recessed, target-style muzzle crown, while all others are radius-cut. Why? “These rifles are designed to be used in the field, and a radius crown handles wear and tear (truck floorboards [muzzle down]) a bit better,” said Lake. With the exception of the 24 3/4-inch-barreled NoslerCustom in .338 Win. Mag., barrel lengths run 24 inches, regardless of chambering or model, although barrel contour does depend on chambering.

Earlier NoslerCustom Rifles and Model 48s featured an adjustable Timney trigger with a three-position safety; however, the company recently changed to Jard and Rifle Basix triggers, respectively. The Jard retains the familiar three-position-safety format of the Timney, but the Rifle Basix has a two-position safety that enables the bolt to be operated while in the “safe” mode. Nosler found this to be a better option for most shooters.

The reasons for this configuration are two-fold: First, the Jard’s three-position safety is viewed as an “upgrade,” and therefore applicable to the higher-priced NoslerCustom Rifle. Secondly, some users found the three-position safety confusing, and forced the bolt open even with the safety in the rearmost position, in which the bolt was locked, thereby damaging the rifle. Others suffered from attempting to pull the trigger with the safety in the middle position, in which the bolt can be opened to load/unload, but the rifle cannot be fired. Nosler determined early on to bolt the trigger to the receiver, so no pins and springs are used. All triggers are factory-preset at 3 pounds.

The bottom metal on the NoslerCustom Rifle and Model 48 Custom Sporter and Varmint is made from a single piece of A36 or 11L14 low-carbon steel, while the Model 48 Trophy Grade Rifle has an aluminum trigger guard—it uses a blind magazine. Two action screws secure the bottom metal and stock to the barrelled actions of the NoslerCustom Rifle and Model 48 Custom Sporter and Varmint, while only one action screw passes through the Model 48 Trophy Grade Rifle’s trigger guard—the other goes directly through the stock. A second, smaller screw secures the front of the Model 48 Trophy Grade Rifle’s trigger guard to the stock.

As with the rifles’ other metal, the bottom metal unit, including the drop-out floorplate—NoslerCustom Rifle and Model 48 Custom Sporter and Varmint only—and the trigger guard, are coated in Cerakote matching that of the rest of the rifle. The steel follower likewise receives the treatment. Engraved on the floorplate is a NoslerCustom “NC” emblem. The floorplate release button, which is on the inside front of the trigger guard, requires deliberate, but not excessive, pressure to operate.

With regard to stock designs, Lake cited, “Fit across a large percentage of the population without customization, recoil reduction, stiffness, light weight, ease of assembly and accuracy,” as considerations the company took into account.

The NoslerCustom Rifle has a “fancy” walnut stock with contrasting ebony fore-end tip and grip cap, finely executed 22-l.p.i. checkering on the pistol grip and fore-end, a hand-filling palm swell, and a shadow-line cheekpiece. The Model 48 Custom Sporter and Varmint feature a durable, yet lightweight, hand-laid Kevlar stock with textured surface, and the Model 48 Trophy Grade has a Bell & Carlson stock, which is structural urethane with aramid, graphite and glass fiber fillers. Although the Model 48 Custom Sporter has a “deep onyx grey” finish, which complements the “sniper grey” Cerakote of the metalwork, the Varmint variant has a “desert sand”-colored stock and black Cerakote metal finish. The Bell & Carlson stock has a spider-web-like design. All three rifles have relatively straight combs and are fitted with 3/4-inch-thick Pachmayr Decelerator recoil pads. The barreled actions are bedded with Marine-Tex, and the Model 48 Custom Sporter and Varmint sit on a single pillar, while the NoslerCustom Rifle has an aluminum-bedding block and the Model 48 Trophy Grade Rifle sits on a full-length aluminum chassis.

View the Nosler Custom Rifle Photo Gallery

Evaluation

To evaluate accuracy, one rifle was selected from each line, topped with an optic (Leupold, Nikon or Bushnell) and subjected to testing with four types of ammunition, which consisted of standard and “premium” loads at various prices. The exception to this was the NoslerCustom Rifle, which, because of its .280 Rem. Ackley Improved 40º chambering, precluded using anything but Nosler’s ammunition, which is offered in both NoslerCustom and Trophy Grade varieties. The latter, loaded with the 140-grain AccuBond, was used here.

The company guarantees the NoslerCustom Rifle will shoot 1/2 minute of angle (m.o.a.), 3/4 m.o.a. for the Model 48 Custom Sporter and Varmint and 1 m.o.a for the Model 48 Trophy Grade Rifle; however, their accuracy guarantees are based upon three-shot, 100-yard groups using NoslerCustom ammunition, as fired in the company’s facility by a technician.

That said, American Rifleman accuracy testing calls for five consecutive, five-shot groups at 100 yards, which is a far more stringent and revealing test. It’s worth noting, though, that throughout testing—both at Nosler and NRA—the rifles grouped three, even four, shots exceptionally tight, illustrating that each rifle is capable of meeting the accuracy requirement, if not bettering it. For example, during a brief range session while visiting the Nosler facility in Bend, Ore., last year, I shot three-shot, 100-yard groups that measured 0.170 inches (60-grain Partition in Model 48 Varmint in .22-.250 Rem.) and 0.200 inches (140-grain AccuBond in NoslerCustom Rifle in .280 Rem. Ackley Improved 40º), respectively, using an acoustic target system. Considering the guarantees are 3/4 m.o.a. and 1/2 m.o.a., respectively, both rifles performed more than acceptably.