Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Custom Rifles & Wildcats ULA/NULA pics.........!

Haha. That 270 Bee used to have gray/black stripes. LOL. It was sent back to Melvin to cut 2" off the barrel and repaint/rebed the stock.

I sure hope it shoots! Thought it might be yours.

What cartridge are you going with?

Scott, glad you asked! Most likely .221 Fireball......

The idea is to have a ramblin' rifle for off season pursuits that can accurately handle varmints, put small game in the pot with head shots, not blow fur bearers all over the hillside, and reliably take a deer if I decide to. 50gr TTSX's will most likely get the nod but 45gr TSX's are already proven so we'll see.

I'm fortunate that I only have to work during the spring, summer and early fall, then take the winters off. Most of my off season trampin' is done via a boat along the Missouri River and the many islands it conceals. I'll typically spend 3 to 5 five days a week just bumming around the woods from Nov. through late Feb. Most days I'm scouting cat sign (to be trapped later) or looking for Indian artifacts, sheds, caves, etc.

Such trampin' around usually leads to shots of opportunity on a variety of furred and feathered varmints and occasionally I'll shoot a few tree squirrels or rabbits for the pot. If I get tired of hiking, exploring, climbing, or crawling through caves, I may just sit down and try to call a coyote or fox via hand calls.

I've currently got an LVSF .221 bedded in a MR take off laminate. The 45gr TSX always amazes me in this rifle... It's a great combo but I'm getting tired of carrying the 8+lbs everyday. Maybe I'm just getting old but to replicate the performance in a 5.5 or 6lb rifle would be nirvana for what I do!

I've built a lot of higher end stuff and have most everything covered. The fact is, the current rambler get's carried way more days per year than anything else and as a result has killed way more sh+t than all of them put together.

Some of you will no doubt think I'm crazy to pay NULA prices for a ramblin' rifle in .221 Fireball but I've never been afraid to spend money to get exactly what I want. Like I said, I've got several high end rifles that won't get carried nearly as much...............

There is certainly more than one way to skin a cat though. After a lot of research I was right on the verge of hitting the "buy it now" button on Gunbroker for a Sako A1 donor. That action along with a McMillan edge and a #1 contour would be really hard to beat.

Then there is the Kimber Montana. I thought long and hard about buying one in .223 tripping the barrel here and doing SAS's Lilja contour or a factory dupe in .221... However, I questioned how it would feed the shorter Fireball cases from the mag. A mag box mod could likely solve any issues but even easier would be to just do a .222 Rem............

In the end I decided since I had never owned a NULA and always wanted one, that it may very well make the most sense of the three and quench my eclectic thirst all at once...


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Quite like your idea of the .221 fireball. It's an excellent cartridge, I own one in a Remington 700 classic. I also really like the .222 Rem, and find it somewhat more reliable when it comes to feeding. Also the .222 Rem is extremely accurate and can be easily loaded down to .221 fireball speeds if after pelts. NULAs are extremely excellent fine tuned machines. I think you will be impressed with the accuracy you achieve and they are certainly a pleasure to carry, not to mention Melvin puts much thought into balance.

You only have to make yourself happy.

I'm sure it will work fine, but I've yet to see a Fireball anything that wasn't a little temperamental when it came to feeding.

I can't see picking it over a 222/223, but again, you only have to make yourself happy

I totally agree with spending or investing the most on what sees the most use. I have a real light 223AI and I can't guess at how much more use it gets compared to everything else. I even shot a deer with a ff load....grin.

I also really like the stripes fwiw

Here are my two;





Top is a CLR/Nula in 7x57.

Bottom is a NULA Model 20 in 7-08.

donsm70

Have not tried a small caliber NULA, but I'd love to have one.

The 223 Montana is hard to beat....and could be loaded down as others have said. But I've never been one to worry about practicality. And Melvin can rebarrel for not much dinero if you're not satisfied.

There's a ULA 243AI on Gunbroker for a good price, but it's probably slow-twisted. And it would need the barrel cut down.

I know, I know...There are more practical choices but I have a real soft spot for the .221. It has the features I like in a woods bumming rifle. Easy on fur with the 45 TSX, doesn't shut the woods off every time you pull the trigger, and leaves the edibles when head shooting small game (again TSX)......BTW, it feeds perfectly in my LVSF.

I intend to talk to Melvin about the feeding with the Fireball and will follow his advice. I'm not in to loading sh+t down, never have been so the .223 is out. If the Fireball is a no go then I could probably live with a .222 Rem and will have to revisit the Montana .222 idea...!

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Had 220, 22/250, 223, 222, and 221.

Love the FB, but feel the triple deuce is what I would build. The larger three can be had in numerous OEM but bore me - and only gate Swift shot as accurate - a VSSF, but eats bbls.

My FB also had a few issue feeding/extracting - built by SG &Y, on a former 223 action in ADL set up.
Shot bugholes, but so did a 222 BDL sporter I goofed and sold. Shot literally one hole like the FB, when dropped into an HS sporter.

A 6x222 would be a consideration if shooting modest ranges but the 40 Vmax at 3700+ w Lil Gun perks, and the small Barnes doubles on Bambi if state regs allow .22

Sounds like you have decided on a NULA but you may want to consider a Pierce Ti action. I just had one put together by Pierce for much less than the NULA's I have owned. The weight is the same and from my experience they are a different class of rifle.

I like the idea of the 221 fireball and agree I spend much more time with my walking small game rifle.

I got them all and seems like I grab the FB about every time I head out...One in a lite weight would be better.....ejo, could you post some pictures and specs or start a new thread on them....mine is a LVSF in a Mickey Classic....

I assure you it shoots really well. My memory is if was not hard to get sub 1/2"

There he is.....you been huntin' or something??

Your LVSF on a diet would be alright.

Trim 2" off barrel, or close to the end of the flutes.
Lightweight bolt and shroud.
Rifle Basix aluminum trigger.
Edge stock.

I think you'd end up with just as nice of a rifle.

It will be a .221 or .222, no debate there. If Melvin doesn't think he can make the Fireball feed then I'll likely just go Montana .222... Back to the NULA pics please...

UPDATE!

Found a Montana .223 for a good price. I figured fugg it, and it is on the way! I had already talked to a very well known gunsmith and he thought that the little CRF Montana would be a pain in the a$$ to make feed with the Fireball, so we'll see.

When it gets here I'll run some Fireballs through the mag and see how they do then go from there....The NULA is still in play but out of curiosity I had to see what was what with the Montana.......


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Should you go with a 222, is there any foreseeable downside to using a fast twist, say an 8?

Probably not but I really could'nt foresee an upside either...



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