.28 Nosler Mountain Carbon Rifle

Shooting a Big 7mm

- John Haviland

Nosler plays on words “worth the weight” in promoting its new Mountain Carbon rifle. The company looked on for several years at the growing market for lightweight hunting rifles before introducing its version. “Mountain” is used for a rifle feathery enough to pack up a sheep mountain, and “carbon” is for its lightweight carbon fiber-wrapped, 24-inch steel barrel liner. The result is a rifle that is not too light or expensive, but just right at 6 pounds and at a price many hunters can afford.

The Mountain Carbon was the brainchild of Jeff Sipe, Nosler’s rifle division manager. Sipe said four essentials contribute to an accurate rifle and enable shooters to take advantage of that accuracy.

One is a good barrel. Sipe knew a carbon fiber-wrapped barrel was needed in order for the rifle to weigh 6 pounds, though he was hesitant. He previously headed up operations at Montana Rifle Company before going to work for Nosler a couple years ago.

“I bucked the trend in carbon-wrapped barrels for years because of technical issues and because the barrels just had not been tested enough,” he said. “Plus, we could make steel barrels just as lightweight.”

Sipe’s research at Nosler, though, proved carbon fiber-wrap barrels were accurate and contributed to an accurate lightweight rifle. Nosler uses PROOF Research carbon fiber-wrapped barrels on its Mountain Carbon rifles. “They are quality barrels with cut rifling and tight tolerances,” Sipe said.