Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles Anyone get a Nula lately?

Are you waiting on a NULA?

I sure want one. I like Melvin. What a great guy to talk rifles with. I like his rifles even more.

You guys post more pics of the rifles!

Ever since I read that MD's wife won the ugly rifle contest with one I have wanted one dearly. Best sales closing line of all time.

With the mention of MF losing one of his machinists and stock painter causing so much problem, ..does MF actually build any rifles himself?

IIRC part of what made NULA so special yrs ago was that a 'one man show' made the rifle a customer ordered.




and those that like the weight and stiffness of NULA stocks can thank Dupont for Kevlar and the Co. that makes the carbon fibre sheet.

i dont know that Melvin has ever been a one man show...for the 25 years i have been around his rifles he always had 3-4 people that i am aware of he even had a secretary at one point

Don't know what Melvin has done in the past,but I would think that quality would come more from one dedicated man making sure things are done right on a limited enough production, than from a one man show.

I gather its how things have been worded in articles over the decades that made me think MF (at one point) did personally build
a customers rifle, including the action.

When the Forbes production rifle came about, MF was quoted as saying this in American Rifleman:

quote]...
"Forbes designed all the components and makes all of them for the NULA Rifles. But he sought out companies he trusts to fabricate
the lock and barrel, but not the stock, on Forbes Rifles. “If I’m going to make a lot of them, Mark, I just can’t do it all myself,” he said


The first full review I read of a NULA was an article from about 1990?..when the company was but only a few yrs young.
The impression I got was that MF got Douglas barrels in , but made the actions and stocks himself...but maybe the reviewer
and editor didn't word things correctly, which wouldn't be the first or last time pen pushers have done such.

Correct and if Melvin Forbes had to build every rifle personally only a couple would be made per year. His phone is constantly ringing with past customers and potential customers wanting to talk rifles or asking about building one.

Took me about a year and a half to get mine worked up a load and was very happy with the recoil and the groups i am getting out of it.
It is everything i thought it would be.
I did call Melvin quite a few times as I was told 6 months when i ordered it. Glad i have it and would not trade it.

300 win Mag

Yes been on order about 14 months. Have hunt planned in November and hope to have it by then...

turkey4090

Call Melvin and tell him your hunt is coming up and ask if you could get it in early October so you have a little time to develop a load. I bet he will say yes it is almost done then call him Oct 1st check status and he will get it out to you middle Oct.
Least thats about how it went for me. Squeaky wheel thing you got to call.

Got the call...rifle will be shipped next week. Thanks Fastback for advice. Called and three weeks later it was ready. Took 15 months from time ordered but know it was worth the wait!

Excellent, please post some pics when you get it.

Would anyone know how long it’s taking Melvin to do a rebarrel on one of his rifles, or has anyone had a rebarrel done recently? I was thinking about rebarreling one, but don’t want to wait two years for it to get completed. Thx.

I received my rifle in May 18, ordered and put down a deposit December 16 but never finalized the details until February 17. So it was 18 months from deposit to delivery.

I haven’t spoken with Melvin lately, is he still taking orders?

Model 20 6.5 Creedmoor

I’ve tried factory hornady 129gr SST’s and 143gr ELDX, they got maybe 1-1/2” to 2” MOA, Winchester Supreme 129gr LRAB’ got me just under 1” MOA, so I tried Federal 140gr non-typicals, probably the cheapest factory hunting ammo available and shot one ragged hole, probably 1/2” MOA.

I loaded up some 143gr ELDX with RL26 and some 129gr LRAB with H4350 stretched out to 2.910, I’ll see if it’ll like any of those. With my model 24 280ai I have a load it likes with 150gr LRAB over IMR 4350


Model 24 on the left, 20 on the right.

Melvin is still taking orders. At least he was back in July. I ordered grandson a model 20 in a .260. I also had a family member send a couple of guns back to Melvin to be reblued and stocks repainted. Turn around time was about 3 months.

i have had several forbes rifles updated by Melvin with new barrels and paint all have been right at 6 months

Saw This thread come back up and thought I would post a couple of pics from some recent load work up.My NULA is living up to expectations.

.284 Win, 120gr TTSX, 48.5gr N150. I was hoping to get to 50grs but the groups fell apart at 49

Also try 55 grains of IMR 4350 with a 140 grain Nosler Partition (yesterday's bullet today). Killed a lot of critters with my ULA Model 20 284 with that load and bullet.

That looks like a great load, here’s my two best loads from the weekend with two different loads and powders. First time testing loads with this rifle.

143gr eldx 47gr RL26 2.910 oal





129gr LRAB 42.5gr H4350 2.910 oal