I've probably owned or fooled with at least a dozen NULA's over the decades, and only one would not group three shots in half an inch or so with the standard Douglas barrel. I sent it back to Melvin for rebarreling with another Douglas, and it immediately started shooting tiny groups, long before most people would consider the barrel "properly" broken in.
Several of those barrels have been #1 contours, including the one on my wife's first NULA, a .270 Winchester, which would put three 130-grain Nosler Partitions under 2" at 300 yards. None of the barrels have been foulers, and in fact most haven't fouled much at all. But if you would feel better about another brand, then Melvin will be happy to put one on. (By the way, Hart barrels are button-rifled, not cut--though they're lapped, and Douglas barrels aren't.)
As somebody else already noted, Norma is making .284 brass. I hadn't heard it was an exclusive, but Melvin told me about it a couple months ago. Personally, I would lean toward the 7mm-08 for the purpose you describe.
Some people do prefer the forward balance provided by a slightly heavier barrel on NULA's. My own .257 Weatherby and .30-06, for example, have 24" #2 barrels and I prefer that on those rifles. But also had a Model 20 in 7x57 for a while with a 22" #1, and had no difficulty shooting it in the field, even offhand. It depends a lot on you.
Thank you John...much appreciated. My mistake on the Harts, as I could have sworn they were cut rifled barrels. The overwhelming consensus is to let Melvin use his Douglas, so I'll go that route. On barrel contour, I have a Kimber Montana that, depending on how I'm doing on any given day, is a 3/4 MOA shooter. I'm not making a comparison between a Kimber and a NULA of course, but that rifle has left me with the distinct impression that there is such a thing as "too light." I feel like I'd be a little happier with the #2.
