I'm looking into building a 28 Nosler off of a Savage 110e j-series 7mm Rem Mag action. Barrel will most likely be a Shilen 26" #4 or #7 contour with a brake. Anyone have any comments, concerns, helpful tips or information would be appreciated! Thanks and happy holidays!
28 Nosler Savage Build
- Thread starter hnt4elk
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Engineering101
Well-Known Member
Good idea. You will like the 28 Nosler. I built a 28 Nosler last year and I am very impressed with Nosler's case design. I'm getting 7mm RUM performance out of a 30-06 length case. Got average velocity of 3,173 fps with the 180 Berger. Grouped 1.625" at 200 yards. Load was 92.0 grains of US869 with bullet seated 0.004" off the lands.
bowhunter020
Active Member
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- Dec 13, 2013
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Following this thread. Thinking of doing the same thing with a 26 nosler.
So a few things have changed since I first posted. For starters work has been hectic and I missed out on my action I had lined up. Here is my update as of now. I have changed the barrel I'm going with. I am in the middle of placing my order for a McGowen 26" 1:8 twist 28 Nosler barrel with their turbo brake. It will be throated for the Berger 195 EOL's. The 195's are shipping now and once in I have decided to make a dummy round with COAL at 3.660-ish (subject to change due to further research in the next coming days) for throating. This won't quite take me to the max of boat tail/bearing surface meeting the neck/shoulder but it will get me close. From there it will give me room for load data and chasing the lands. Extending the COAL should help with pressure also. I'm not worried about barrel life as between family and work I don't get out to shoot as much as I would like. Family comes first and well work has to be there to support my family and my passion for the outdoors.
So as of now barrel should be finalized and ordered tomorrow. Berger 195 EOL's are in shipping along with Nosler brass and dies. 20 moa picatinny rail and Sightron SIII 6-24x50 are on my bench waiting for this rifle. They will soon be joined by a B&C Medalist stock. (Still debating bottom metal) It will all be cerakoted once finished.
I am still looking for an action to build off of. I've found a bunch more around town but it seems everyone is wanting a premium for them right now. I don't know if it's because of the gun show coming up in town or what but no one is budging on prices. I have a little time though as there is lead time on the barrel.
Engineering101, I'm excited about this build. Nice work on yours. Did you do any other load testing with other powders or just with US869. Any pressure signs while testing?
So as of now barrel should be finalized and ordered tomorrow. Berger 195 EOL's are in shipping along with Nosler brass and dies. 20 moa picatinny rail and Sightron SIII 6-24x50 are on my bench waiting for this rifle. They will soon be joined by a B&C Medalist stock. (Still debating bottom metal) It will all be cerakoted once finished.
I am still looking for an action to build off of. I've found a bunch more around town but it seems everyone is wanting a premium for them right now. I don't know if it's because of the gun show coming up in town or what but no one is budging on prices. I have a little time though as there is lead time on the barrel.
Engineering101, I'm excited about this build. Nice work on yours. Did you do any other load testing with other powders or just with US869. Any pressure signs while testing?
Engineering101
Well-Known Member
hnt4elk
I learned with the 26 Nosler that this case likes US869 though I did try some RL-33 which was OK. I also found that this case has capacity to "burn". Didn't see pressure signs even though some of my loads were cranking out 4,100 ft lbs. Lately I've been waiting to get my hands on some 175 grain ELD-Xs since they work so well in my 30 cals.
I learned with the 26 Nosler that this case likes US869 though I did try some RL-33 which was OK. I also found that this case has capacity to "burn". Didn't see pressure signs even though some of my loads were cranking out 4,100 ft lbs. Lately I've been waiting to get my hands on some 175 grain ELD-Xs since they work so well in my 30 cals.
Well it's been almost a year since I posted anything about this "build". The 28 has been complete for awhile now but between archery & rifle season I haven't got to do to much load development yet. Once we're out of these negative temperatures I'm hoping to get more time down range this spring. Here is how this rifle came together...
Donor gun was a Savage 111 chambered in 30-06
Only kept the action and the bolt body
New Magnum bolt head
110BA bolt handle
McGowen 26" barrel with their turbo brake, custom throated for Berger EOL 195's
Timney Trigger
Choate stock
CDI bottom metal
AICS 5 round 338 Lapua CPI magazine
PTG SS Recoil Lug
PTG SS barrel nut
20 MOA base
Vortex rings
Sightron SIII 6-24x50 scope
Whidden custom full length sizer die formed off of fired brass
Redding Competition seater die
Gun was cerakoted by Freedom Weaponry
28 NOSLER.jpg
Donor gun was a Savage 111 chambered in 30-06
Only kept the action and the bolt body
New Magnum bolt head
110BA bolt handle
McGowen 26" barrel with their turbo brake, custom throated for Berger EOL 195's
Timney Trigger
Choate stock
CDI bottom metal
AICS 5 round 338 Lapua CPI magazine
PTG SS Recoil Lug
PTG SS barrel nut
20 MOA base
Vortex rings
Sightron SIII 6-24x50 scope
Whidden custom full length sizer die formed off of fired brass
Redding Competition seater die
Gun was cerakoted by Freedom Weaponry
28 NOSLER.jpg
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Danny1788
Well-Known Member
Looks cool good luck with load development
Well sweet deal I found this post....
I am thinking of building a 28 as well... Trying to figure out bottom metal, I just found a donor action 110 in 30-06 it's a staggered feed blind mag so will need to mod the action just a touch.. How was McGowan to deal with on your barrel ? Awesome rifle and hope ya don't mind if I pic your brain a bit...
Congrats! I'm sure she'll be a shooter. Happy safe shooting/hunting.
Cheers!
Cheers!
Thanks for the comments and PM's about the rifle. Happy to answer any questions that people may have.
McGowen was great to deal with on the barrel. I was mainly in contact with them via email prior to building the rifle. I went with their 26" Stainless Steel,Savage Small Shank,1:8 twist, Turbo brake installed with a 11 degree crown. I sent them dummy rounds that would stretch out the Berger EOL 195's to max potential with my magazine length in mind. They freebored the barrel so I can fit a C.O.A.L. cartridge with the 195's at 3.694" allowing the rounds to feed properly out of the magazine. McGowen was great to deal with & great turn around time on the barrel.
Barrel Break in at the same time as testing powder charges with the freebore. I got up to 88 grains of RL33 at 3115 FPS (3313' Elevation, 30 inHg Baro. pressure, 64 degrees, 52% humidity) before I started seeing significant pressure signs. I'll back off from there and start ladder testing once the weather is more cooperative.
McGowen was great to deal with on the barrel. I was mainly in contact with them via email prior to building the rifle. I went with their 26" Stainless Steel,Savage Small Shank,1:8 twist, Turbo brake installed with a 11 degree crown. I sent them dummy rounds that would stretch out the Berger EOL 195's to max potential with my magazine length in mind. They freebored the barrel so I can fit a C.O.A.L. cartridge with the 195's at 3.694" allowing the rounds to feed properly out of the magazine. McGowen was great to deal with & great turn around time on the barrel.
Barrel Break in at the same time as testing powder charges with the freebore. I got up to 88 grains of RL33 at 3115 FPS (3313' Elevation, 30 inHg Baro. pressure, 64 degrees, 52% humidity) before I started seeing significant pressure signs. I'll back off from there and start ladder testing once the weather is more cooperative.
Awesome I have been trying to figure out which Aics mag would work the best for the Nosler. Did you have to mod your mag to get it to fit? Hope it shoots great for ya. You definitely have me thinking. I did see that Accurate Mag makes a rum mag so that might work as well..
I did some emailing back and forth regarding which mag to go with also when I was trying to piece everything together when ordering. I was actually thinking the 300WM magazine was going to best for me but I was informed that the control ribs on the 300WM magazine weren't big enough for the 28; therefore I was told the AICS 338 Lapua CIP mag was going to fit me best. Which it did, I had to make zero mods to the magazine. I did have to do some work to the action for my cartridge C.O.A.L. to feed up into the action properly though.
Mcgowen builds a good tube. I picked up a 7SAUM Savage prefit on the classifieds here and screwed it together. Lapped lugs, action face and nut with an EGW lug. Dropped it in a Choate varmint and slapped a Vortex HS LR 4x16 on it. Under $1500 OTD.
Shoots 175ELDX at 3050 and into .686 MOA at 100 on a 15 shot group. Only had 1 target to work on the 7SAUM with as I was doing work on a 338 Lapua. Just kept driving them in while the Lapua cooled. Never shot a 15 shot group before but it impressed the heck out of me. Pull 2 flyers and the group is .350 ML. A .350 or .686 3 shot is OK, 5 shot is STOUT but a 15 rd group? YEAH BABY.
Which action style was the original 111 you started with? I am looking at 111 centerfeed wibth bottom bolt release, but I'm not finding many stock options that will fit. Specifically, all the choate stocks i see won't work with the bottom bolt release.
