.22 Nosler

Versatility in Both a Rifle and a Cartridge

- Stan Trzoniec

If had to pick one caliber that I have followed through most of my life, it would be the .22. From the lonely rimfire to the high-end rifles of today, I've been involved with commercial ammunition as well as tuning my rifles with specific handloads while venturing into the world of wildcats. It seems it doesn't end - and that's good, in fact, one of the latest to grace my office is the .22 Nosler, and together with the Model M-48 rifle, has added another dimension to my work for this year.

The way I understand it, the .22 Nosler was originally designed for the AR-15 frame. The idea was that this type of rifle limits the overall length of a cartridge to around 2.26 inches, which then of course, limits the power of the cartridge that in the past played host to the more common and the granddaddy of the military scene, the .223 Remington. It is common knowledge that since everyone is trying to increase the power of the .223 Remington with a new design fitting the popular AR rifle, there was a niche here to be filled, and the .22 Nosler seems to be doing a good job at it. Since the .22 Nosler was designed to fit the existing bolt face of the AR-15, any conversions are accomplished with just a simple barrel swap and a magazine suitable for the 6.8 Remington SPC, which the .22 Nosler closely replicates in both the body taper and case diameter as a rebated-rim, bottleneck cartridge approved by the Sporting Arms and Ammunition Manufacturers' Institute (SAAMI) as a standardized cartridge.

The Nosler Model 48 rifle is a gun that even the most traditional hunter will like. Smooth lines, a bolt that is friction-free and excellent accuracy are the hallmarks of this rifle.