I am considering finally ordering a NULA before Melvin retires. While I have had great success with the .270Win., .308 Win., 300 WM and the 300WSM, I can't help but go back to the 30-06. From the mountains of Alaska to the lower 48 - from pronghorn to moose - I just know the '06 will handle it all. I would order a #2 barrel, cerakoted at 22". From bullet weights at 150 - 220, what am I missing?
I know this may become a "popcorn thread" but I am interested to read what others might say.

I don't think you could do much better than that.

Here's a good thread on the topic, with Mule Deer's reply:

https://www.24hourcampfire.com/ubbt...f-you-had-to-downsize-today#Post12561455

I might tweak it with a 23 or 24 inch barrel, but that’s personal preference.

Joe, one thing I know, the older I get the less I enjoy recoil, and that's only going to intensify the older I get (I'm 1.5 years away from 60 - I know you're older).

For me, I'd go 270 Win. As my friend Dober said to me recently, "the 270 is the only LA cartridge I'll own anymore." He's in the same place as me with recoil, and he's a guy that has burned up multiple 340 Wby bbl's, mostly shooting rock chucks.

I'd specify a 23", no.2, 1-9" twist.

I'll never own another 30-06 in a rifle as light as the NULA...

I'd stay with a .30, but for a NULA it would be the .308 Winchester.

If it were me I’d just get a Fieldcraft. I’ve owned a couple of Nula’s over the past few years and in hindsight I would never go through the wait again, the quality of the rifles just wasn’t there. Both had issues with the safety, the cutout for the safety switch was a little rough and accuracy on both rifles was average, I had better fit, finish, and accuracy with the Kimber I sold to help fund the purchase of one of them. The wait time on the last one I bought was 16 or 17 months.

If you want to buy one just to have a rifle made by Melvin Forbes then by all means I can understand, but in reality there are better, cheaper, and more readily available options in my opinion. The waiting and anticipation for the Nula to arrive, only to be disappointed with the quality was a big let down for me. After the first rifles issue with the safety (the rifle fired when I took the safety off!), I thought it was just bad luck. When I was able to replicate the same thing with the second rifle (while unloaded of course) and the fact it took nearly a year and a half to get it from the time I ordered it, I’m done with Nula’s. Sold them both and found rifles I’m much more happy with.

I don’t mean to tell you to go another route, but I think it’s important to share my expirience. I will add that Melvin fixed the safety on the first rifle, I sold the second one before dealing with the warranty issue, I did let the new owner know about it so he can deal with it.

Christensen Arms Ridgeline is a mighty fine rifle for the price. Fit and finish is impeccable, accuracy is phenomenal and they absorb recoil great, also come with both a brake and thread protector. Just an FYI. Ymmv.

With a light mono bullet to help lessen recoil even more.

If going LA I would lean towards the 280 if available, if not 270 would get the nod.

300 wsm would handle whatever comes up in North America. For me I'd want a brake on it in a light rifle at least for punching paper.

If you want a 30-06 just buy a fieldcraft and be done with it! I’ve owned 3 NULA’s and still have 2, Simply not worth the wait with the fieldcraft available!

I would get Mels favorite the 284 Winchester or do a 6.5x284. The M20 is 3.1" and can handle the 284 not sure how the 6.5x284 would do but with hunting bullets it would probably fit as well. Get a 30-06 Field Craft while your waiting for the NULA. A 270WSM would be interesting in the dedicated action.

The NULA handles recoil very well but I would still lean towards lower recoil rounds. A 300WSM would have a pretty fast recoil.

I'll get flamed for this, but the 308 with a 150 TTSX is what the 30-06 with a 180 Partition used to be.


Okie John

I would lean 7mm08 if grizzlies aren't on the menu

Go Fieldcraft,as they are S/S through and through.

7-08 has no equal.

Hint................

+1. Very similar experience.

A Leupold 6x scope would be all that is needed for the rifle.

I've never had a NULA in my hands, but have the impression they are expensive. If I'm paying an expensive price I would prefer to have something better than just a Douglas barrel.

I have had an accurate Douglas in 25-06 and it took longer to clean because it was a heavy fouler. It has been a while since I wanted a NULA and he may have moved away from Douglas, are perhaps as an option he would use some other custom barrel that has been lapped.

You are not missing much.

For me, I picked a Montana, cut it to 22" and had iron sights installed. Done. Pick a load for the use you want and done.

For a do all, I'd go 7-08...

I've had that rifle except with a 24" barrel. Excellent balance and a great rifle. The 30-06 is just more than I need for what I do....that didn't stop me from going with a Fieldcraft in 30-06, again great balance/shooter, again more than I need.

The NULA and FC really shine in the short actions. Pick the round based on what you want to do and ranges. Hard to overlook the bullets in 6.5 and 7 if you wanting to shoot longer with a bit less recoil.

The .308 and 30-06 still kill as well as anything....just a touch more drop, windage, and recoil.

If I was doing one rifle, itd be a 280 Rem. When my Montana 280 AI needs a new barrel, it will become a plain Jane 280. Love 0.284 and especially the 280. Been shooting one since 1982 or so.

Cartridge is fine as is a host of others. Seriously? One rifle?

Make sure you like the rifle.

I have handled a few NULA's, ULA's, CLR's. They are not for me. But that does mean they are not for you.

I currently have more than one "one rifle" from 7-08 to 338-06. All happen to be model 70 classic's. That is what I prefer.

You just need to figure what rifle/scope you prefer.

Main thing is for you to be comfortable. Make a choice and shoot 600 or so rounds through it and you will be set.

Surprised no one has mentioned the 6.5 man bun (Creedmoor).

Offers a lot, light recoil, accurate ammo is the norm.

I’d go FC 7-08. They’ll be around for quite some time, they’re less money and done right. I like NULA, but the brain trust is in his very golden years and the increase in cost is not worth it IMO.

I read the NULA website and it made a claim they will "shoot all bullet weights into the same point of impact". Is this common for a NULA?

OK Nula owners, is this just "sales talk"? Is this misleading, should it say it may be possible to shoot a few bullet weight/powder/seating combinations into the same point of impact?

Maybe that’s what I was doing wrong? I tried using all the same bullet weights and couldn’t hit the same poi!

Well, it's been done with a simple 30-06, Remington 700, and Nosler Partitions:



Am sure any of a dozen cartridges could do equally well. Pick the rifle you like the most, pop a good scope onto it, and enjoy! I've never shot a NULA. Was disheartening to read of the safety issues from posters here.

Regards, Guy

‘Whoop.... you gotta have a back up rifle man! So have him build a 30-06 and a 7-08.

If I were ordering a nula today, it would be a m20 in 284 or m24 in 280 ... because anything else I want I can get in full stainless for $2000 less. And while I am a huge nula fan, the 3 position safety or heavier barrel contour in a SA isn't enough of a motivator in and of itself.

Re: made by Mel Forbes...well depends what people understand that to mean.

As long as I can remember his actions are made by an outside machine shop, his stocks are made by his stock maker,
employees fit the barrel and action , finish the stock, etc.

just curious what hands on processes are normally done by Mr.Forbes himself.

I could not imagine owning a NULA in anything but .284win.

He builds his own actions and stocks.

My family and I gifted my father a NULA rifle 12 years ago for his retirement. We let him pick the particulars and his is just as you mentioned minus the cerakote. He has used it extensively ever since with great results. Since then he has bought 2 others “one new and one second hand” and I ordered one for myself and one for my son. All of our experiences have been positive. The build time is the only aspect that leaves a little to be desired. With that said Mr. Forbes has always been honest and straight forward. The last rifle I ordered was finished a little over a year and a half. If you ever pass through central Ohio you are more than welcome to try them out.

Thanks for all the comments. Brad brings up a good point with the recoil situation and I certainly recall that having a 30-06 in a Kimber 84L. RBO, Starman and ejo bringing up "quality control" issues were very surprising. And of course there is the "wait time" and actually who does all the work in Melvin's shop? He isn't a one-man operation.
Big Stick and the 7-08 is valid too - a cartridge I've never owned as I've usually had a 7mm Mauser in the safe.

So some things to consider before ordering up a $3600 rifle that will take up to 18 months to receive. Plus, full disclosure, I have a Fieldcraft in .270 Win that is excellent and a Kimber Montana 6.5CM that is equally impressive. And there is a Kimber Talkeetna way in the back of the safe begging for an AK. "field trip".
I will consider all my options based on what I have and what others have offered here. Thanks again, everyone. I'll be monitoring this for other ideas to consider.

Other than just wanting a new rifle, I can't see much benefit in trying to replace what you already have with one NULA. Seems you have all the bases covered.

If you have a 300 WSM, you have a 30-06 & a 308.

If you wanna go back to the 30-06, do it. Not a hard decision.

RBO,

Yeah, NULA's won't shoot very well....

Straydog,

Yes, NULA's do tend to shoot different bullet weights to the same point of impact at 100 yards. This is probably due to the full-contact bedding of the forend, in a pretty stiff composite stock. Have seen this in a number of them.

That’s what I was saying, I couldn’t get mine to shoot the same poi with the same grain bullet either.


I do have rifles that will though.

Here’s 5 168gr .284 projectiles hitting the same poi



And the safety functions perfectly.

I’m trying to convince my wife of the same thing, I want a NULA before it’s too late. I already have multiple 308s, and my favorite weighs just slightly more than a model 24. So if I’m getting one, I want a model20. I’ve considered the 257 Roberts since I primarily hunt deer, but because of the price I want a gun that can do it all, and also want a round that’s not extremely common. I’m really looking at the 284Win, 6.5x284, 6.5 Wby RPM and the 7-08AI.

6.5 rpm won’t be an option in a model 20. If you want something to “do it all” in a model 20 that’s “not extremely common” you probably want a 284. I would personally go 7/08 (and in Fieldcraft), but I I understand the nula “want”; just know that one won’t quell it!

Get a Model 20 in 284 Win and never look back. Best mountain hunting rifle made IMHO. Never shot a bear or moosh with mine but has worked pretty damn good on everything else.

I'd love to dig up a thread from 15 years ago on this same topic. I imagine the word magnum would have appeared more frequently. A do-it-all, if you are going to include big bears, would start at the 30-06 for me. Whoop, that choice is a good one. Take big bears off the list, and that opens up options considerably. I'd have a hard time passing up a 6.5 PRC for the task. Load it way down to Creedmoor levels if you want something easy on the shoulder, or run it full speed for potent medicine on larger game.

I wrote Barrett about doing just that with the Fieldcraft. Me and one other person want one from what I have seen in their comment section. Haven't looked in awhile though.

Actions are made for Melvin. Out of 3 Nula’s and one Montana re-barrel with Douglas, all clean easily. His rifles and stocks are made in house-at one time his garage-stocks are painted by another away from the shop. Melvin oversees perhaps 4 or 5 employees and his phone rings constantly with people who want to buy or talk rifles. Melvin shoots the finished product.

You think Barrett has his hands on every rifle that leaves the shop?

Between 7mm-08 and .284W, Melvin said 7mm-08 is the winner based on the constant availability of good brass.

Different loads do most often come close to the same POI. Close, but not 3 inches away or on top of one another.

Been to his shop perhaps 5 times and unless things have changed, I’m not guessing.

I have a ULA 7 08, 30.06, and 300 Win as well as the 284. All good shooters and nice rifles. Any of them would work for your purposes.

The "I'd go .284W" always gives me a chuckle, when today, he probably would go 7mm-08.

Things have changed. . .Melvin is doing almost all the work himself now. Since the coal mines re-opened and one or more employees retired, the wait time is somewhat longer. I have had his .284 for 15 years, no issues at all with it. Just received the ultimate imo for everything, a 24" .338-06. I have known Melvin for 48 years and am honored to have more than 1 of his. The .338-06 was engraved with his signature, a rarity. His rifles are an opportunity, not merely a commodity. He has built about 7000 of them since the 1980s.

As Elmer Keith decided in the 1940s, the .33 based on the 06 case is the way to go, unless you go "high velocity" as he called it.

Well Sir I've shot 284 Wins since 1965 when I was 12 years old. Melvin made me my first 284 in 1990 and I now have 3. I am kind of partial to that rifle since I have carried it all over North America from the Brooks Range in AK to the Baja in MX and most places in between. While the 284 may not be the "in cartridge" right now I like mine just fine and yes I'd order another one. You ever even shoot one?

Fast forward this video to the 5:35 mark

https://hah.life/video/yHZiaHsFzw2Q...-%20Melvin%20Forbes%20And%20His%20Rifles

I do believe that at one point in time Melvin had hands on all his rifles, either he doesn’t anymore or age is having its effect on him. My first rifle was shipped with a crooked trigger, sticking out past the right side of the trigger guard. It was the first thing I noticed when I got the rifle, then I noticed a couple small chips in the paint (even the paint seemed easy to scuff off). This was my first Nula so I wasn’t sure if this was normal, I called Melvin and told him this is the sort of QC I’d expect from a $500 factory rifle not a $3800 semi custom order.

If I were ever to buy another Nula it would be second hand and no newer than 2014, after he lost his cnc operator and his painter, his workload got too big for him to teach those skills to new employees, those two guys were a huge part of the Nula’s the legend was built on.

You are right....





And Douglas barrels suck....

I concur. A Fieldcraft in 270 covers a lot of ground. The Kimber Talkeetna covers what is left.

Get something else, but your words tell what you have always wanted....The mind is a strange unit....

Hi Joe, I suppose I can't see any reason for a NULA if you already own the Fieldcraft. It's essentially the same thing, unless of course you "must have" a NULA in 30-06... but I just can't see what it's going to do for you the 270 doesn't do, ballistic minutiae aside.

Shoot, no, just going off of what he told me.

Now I do own a NULA .22LR, .223AI, .22-250, 7mm-08 along with one of his smokeless muzzleloaders. You shot all of them?

And while I haven’t been to most places in between, I did shoot one of two Mountain Goats with the 7mm-08.

I’m not going to talk about accuracy with you because it’s a personal opinion and clearly we have different opinions on accuracy. I didn’t say Douglas barrels suck, I said they are average. My son’s youth model savage axis will print patterns like the ones you posted with factory ammo, After I seen the results guys were getting with their Barrett Fieldcraft’s I sold my Nula’s. It doesn’t matter who built my rifle because they won’t be there holding my hand while I shoot.

The target I posted the picture of was made with a 7rem mag the first day I had it at the range. I sighted the rifle in at 100yds, shot over a chronograph, then entered the info into my ballistic calculator then went straight out to 1000yds.

Here are my first 3 shots at 1000yds, one shot is at the -1” mark on the left hand side of the target. Had approximately a 10mph crosswind left to right and was holding about 5’ left of center. This rifle comes in at about 8-1/2lb with a 28oz scope and sling, My Nula came in at about 6-1/4lb with an 11oz scope and no sling,

bigwhoop. “for all of North America”, you didn’t list it! .338 WM! Maybe “not” the best for extended varmint shooting sessions, but for “all” big game.....a sub 9 pound .338 WM is very hard to beat! memtb

The Douglas post was a general comment re all who mentioned them and not just you. Although for some reason your sensitivity side was poked. Didn’t mean to, but you just happened to be part of Mule Deers post.

Now, Nice shooting, but you have made a mistake if you think I couldn’t do the same, if I put my mind to it. Or that I care all that much what you shoot, use or how good you are at it. .

Shotguns have always interested me more than rifles, but I do find them interesting.

RBO,

Gee, and I thought a .37 group was OK for 200 yards....

You're right, many rifles shoot extremely well these days, and I've owned Ruger Americans that shot as well as many custom rifles. Had 6.5 CM which shot a 5-shot 100-yard group of .33 with the first handload tried. But it did not weigh under 6 pounds scoped--in fact was about like your 7mm Remington Mag.

But in my limited experience with Fieldcrafts is they don't shoot as well as the majority of NULAs tried over the years, and I have tried quite a few NULAs. On the other hand, have not shot any NULAs made in the last decade.

Yup do have a 22LR and a 260 Rem. All of mine are ULA's and yes I also shot 2 Mountain Goats with my 284 as well as about 20 North American Rams all four kinds, Mountain Caribou, Elk several, Mule Deer, Whitetail Deer, Antelope, and have probably forgotten a few. What else you got?

I don’t mean to imply that I have shooting skills you don’t posses, I’m sure you can shoot tight groups...... with a capable rifle.

A Nula is no doubt a nice rifle, but so are Fieldcraft’s, Kimber’s, and several other rifles. What I’ve found is carbon wrapped barrels offer a great balance of light weight and accuracy. The Christensen Ridgeline is in my opinion one of the best values dollar for dollar in the lightweight market. I don’t think they quite qualify as an ultralight weight rifle but the accuracy they offer outweighs the extra few oz saved with a conventional #1 contour barrel imo. Plus they come out of the box with a muzzle brake and thread protector, I had one in 300rum that was a pussycat to shoot, try that with a Nula or Fieldcraft, lol.

You know, I did a lot of research before settling on my first Nula, before owning one I had Tikka ultralites, Sako Finnlights, Kimber Montana’s along with my go to model 70 Featherweight. After reading many reviews, some of yours included I decided on the Nula.

My first Nula had a couple issues, but I was able to get about 3/4 moa out of it. I figured maybe I got the 1/1,000,000 that wasn’t perfect so I figured I’d buy the second one. In the interim I bought a Forbes in 25-06, that rifle was shooting 1/2” moa with factory ammo! Then my second Nula arrived and along with the safety issue I could only get 1-1/4 moa out of it, although admittedly I only owned it for a few months before I sold it.

A Nula is a good ultralight weight hunting rifle, but in my opinion is no better than a Forbes, Fieldcraft, or Kimber Montana (I’m just basing my opinion of the Fieldcraft off of reviews as I’ve never owned one).

I missed the part where your group was shot at 200yds, that’s a pretty nice group!

You got me beat. Bunch of Whitetails, one Elk, couple Mulies, 1 Blackbear and 1 Antelope and the two Mountain Goats.

Had a Dall picked out, but Smokepole went out and killed him first.

You know how to operate one of those fancy bolt action rifles? I thought they came long after those Flint Locks of your day!

💪💪Atlatl💪💪

Yea, Yea, Yea it's all in fun. Just killing time in between elk hunts. Killed a bull Wed with the ULA 300 Win. headed to Wyo next weekend w it. Never had a flint lock. If Melvin made it I'd probably have to buy one. Do have my first NULA on the way a muzzy. Can't wait to try it. Glad you are a hunter Battue. Good luck this fall.

And to you also!!!!👍

Considering the same but pretty sure I’ll just go 280AI Fieldcraft when they are available. SWFA 3-9 on top or a 2.5-10x32 NF if I can find one. Wouldn’t need anything else could stop buying rifles and spend the money hunting.

Why not a .280 Ackley?

Something to consider...
Purchase a forbes rifle and send it back to Melvin for a barrel,paint and any other things you may want and be around 2000.00 total depending on the donor rifle

This is what I did. I wanted a Nula form the time I first heard of them in the 80's but couldn't afford one. Bought a Forbes not long after they came out and shot it for awhile but dreamed of it being a 284 Win so called Melvin and had it done. It is a good rifle and shoots very well , Douglas barrel and all.

35 Whelen!!

Plenty of power, moderate recoil for old bones!

The very last sentence is of some concern...........

This minus the Iron sights and install a Swaro Z3 3-9x36 👍.......Enjoy!....Hb

I don't know what Barrett does and I personally don't care if Forbes touches his NULA rifle builds or not,
as long as the product is up to scratch.

but for any prospective customers seriously considering handing over their money for a rifle they think
will be built by Mr.Forbes personally as a guarantee of quality , it may interest some to know that their
order may have very little hands on involvement from the man.

when the more budget priced mass production Forbes 24B was being reviewed and promoted, Forbes went on record
to explain the difference between it and his customs ..




but it didn't go on to say what or how much personal 'touching' you got from Melvin Forbes on a NULA.

I took it that a person buying a new Forbes 24B would be getting a great value rifle - in that you would have a lot of what
the NULA custom shop delivers but at a fraction of the price.

As suggested by some, buying a pre-owned 24B for under $1k and then fitting a high quality barrel, seems smart.

It would seem that Melvin Forbes has made two major mistakes in his rifle building career. One with Colt and the other with Forbes. Or at least the outcomes didn’t live up to his expectation.

The Barrett comment was made to state the obvious, that he no longer does much of the hands on smithing, and for the most part oversees the final product.

Another later mentioned that with the reopening of the mines, this has changed. Something I don’t know to be fact or not.

However, Melvin Forbes laughingly calling himself the Master, would seriously be an anomaly from what I know of his character.

Melvin is probably touching the rifles they make as much as he use to and maybe more...he cant find help or anybody that wants to learn to build a rifle...the last time i was at the shop thats next to his house he had two employees

I've tried other light rifles over many years, but never found one that would shoot like my NULA .308 that I ordered about ten or so years ago. I have the #1 barrel, 22" in length, with a 6x36 Leupold. I've used it only for elk hunting and have taken several with it at ranges up to a little over 300 yards. No doubt this rifle would be fine for deer or most other game on this continent. Granted NULA rifles are expensive and they may not always be out-of-the-box perfect, but my gun has been a good one that remains very accurate after years of the uncontrolled load development that I do with all rifles (can't seem to try enough powders and bullets). I now use only the Barnes 150 TTSX BT and H4895 powder that provides a muzzle velocity of about 2850 fps.

I won't argue cartridge choice as I think there's virtually no field difference between the .308, 7mm-08, the .284 or similar short cartridges. And, sure, the .30-06 is always a good one, too. My NULA is not one of the "all day long rifles" that many Internet pros have, but I've shot enough small groups with it to know that it's a very accurate rifle, despite having been fired a great deal. There's nothing wrong with Douglas barrels, even if they aren't the most popular.

Agree on CA Ridgeline. Mine in 300wsm has minimal recoil. The lightest I've felt in that chambering. It's a shooter too. The happiest I've been with a rifle in a long time.

Kind gesture for a newer fire member

Hank

There are too far many quality factory rifles on the market these days that come out of the box sub moa accuracy for this to be acceptable imo.

If I’m sending $1000-$1500 and I get a rifle that has a mechanical issue or I can’t get a sub moa group with it using premium factory ammo, it’s understandable because it’s a factory rifle but if I’m ordering a rifle in the $4000 range and have to wait a year and a half to receive it, it had better shoot and function as advertised, otherwise all I’m spending the extra money on is the name stamped on the side of it (which by the way was crooked on my model 24).

bigwhoop,

While I haven't shot a NULA made in the last decade, I did get to extensively shoot one of the Forbes rifles in .30-06, while doing an evaluation of a couple of "limited production" rifles for a a magazine. That particular Forbes was one of the early ones put together by Melvin, and it shot exactly like the .30-06 ULA I got in 1996, with the same handloads I worked up for the ULA.

In fact, it shot so well a local friend who was at the same, small private range while I was testing it decided he wanted to buy it. I was pretty sure that would be okay, so let him take it home to play with it some himself. The people who ran Forbes said it would be okay as well--but Melvin heard about it and objected, because it was among the test rifles he was sending around to gun writers. So I got it back from my friend, and Forbes sent me another .30-06 for him to buy--which shot just like the first one. He likes it a lot, and has shot a bunch of game with it, including several bull elk. As I recall, the handlooad he uses features the 165-grain Nosler AccuBond. Can't remember the powder, but three shots at 100 are usually touching.

NULA...308. Will do anything

I certainly can't add much to this discussion
I have a Fieldcraft (in man bun) but with out a doubt (in my mind)

Like owning a Les Baer or Wilson 1911
To some for many reasons there is pride in ownership owning a rifle Melvin has been a part of

I have 2 NULA rifles and one Fieldcraft. I did a side by side comparison when the Fieldcraft first came out. A link to the first part is below. There's also a second part.

https://www.24hourcampfire.com/ubbt...rrett-fieldcraft-comparison#Post12303749

They are all excellent rifles. There is some difference in feel to the stocks, with the NULA feeling stiffer and more substantial even though the weight is very similar. The NULA's are more forgiving and will shoot just about anything well. The Filedcraft is also a great shooter but took some load development and was not as happy with some factory ammo.

Shameless plug... The NULA in the pictures is for sale. .338 Federal has about 120 rounds through it. Killed 2 deer with it and haven't had it out in bad weather. $3000.00 including the Swaro z3.

Seems odd, more than a few in WV that are more than a little interested in rifles.

Has to be a reason beyond just not wanting to work.

Don't recall the issue number, but there was a comprehensive write-up several years ago in either RIFLE or HANDLOADER magazine on a NULA .308; included loading data, etc.

If I recall correctly, Melvin would be happy to substitute any makers barrel for a Douglas if desired.

Personally I'm thrilled with my Douglas barreled NULA's. Heck, I think even the NULA 209 smokeless ML'r barrel is from Douglas.

With somewhere around 7000 rifles built and i would guess most have had douglas barrels I think Melvin has a handle on what barrels work...not that othets wont but if it aint broke

Yes he will. There will be an extra charge if there is any difference between his cost for a Douglas and what the other barrel costs.

Thanks, John for your comments. Every year or so I go through the thought of ordering a NULA but back off due to what is already in the safe. So we'll see what develops..........

Joe, I've come close on more than one occasion to ordering a NULA in .284.

I feel your pain as the 280 Ackley Kimber Montana I already possess keeps me from committing.

Well.....Just to muddy it up more. There is a like new Forbes in 30-06 with a stainless barrel on Gunbroker for $1000 buy it now. I've almost pulled the trigger a few times, but I'd rather someone else do that.

I have an early Forbes 270 with the jeweled bolt and like everything about it. The 30-06 on GB is a later 2014 model with the fluted bolt.

I was in Melvin's shop last week. I got there about 9am and I would say he had already put in a good half days work by then. There is no hurry there, the shop is what I would expect a custom rifle shop to be. I had picked up a CLR which he was happy to fix up. Talking with Melvin is a real treat. You are going to learn something regardless of your previous experience. He is the real deal and I have complete trust the work he and his crew will do will be as good as it gets.

I would vote for NULA in 308 for the all around big game choice. You can always go cheaper but a NULA is going to be better than a Fieldcraft which is better than a Rem 700 or a Tikka which is better than a Savage Axis.An Axis will probably get the job done. I would much rather do it with a NULA. As a note, the accuracy of the NULA would be well down the list of reasons to own one. It will be twice as accurate as it needs to be.

Although I really do not need it, there is the CLR 3006 getting fixed and a Forbes 3006 in the safe, I believe I will order the 308 NULA as soon as Melvin delivers the CLR and the 22lr NULA I just ordered. He may retire soon, although I doubt that.

As a general comment, around 20 years ago at the SHOT Show was talking to Kenny Jarrett, who said, "Melvin can get more out of Douglas barrels than any gunsmith I know."

i think Petzal said Jarrett had Melvin beat by an 1/8 inch on accuracy but Melvin had Jarrett beat by 2.5 pounds on the rifle....pick your poison

As I recall it was around 2/10, but it definitely wasn't much.

Should not that the Forbes rifles have Shaw barrels. Or at least they did when production really started. Apparently Douglas couldn't provide enough for anticipated demand.

.284 Win, 140 gr. 3000 fps, It take anything walking, as would a .308 with a 165 gr... But the .284 will shoot better than we can..

Montana Rifle Company 280 Ackley X3, Best Rifle I ever owned - laser beam, action is smooth as glass, light - but not to light,,, a NULA is to light for my taste as is the Kimber .308 mountain accent..

My .284 NULA weighs over 7 lb. with scope; it has a fairly heavy 28" barrel. So, you can get a NULA that is not "too light" if you want. I call mine a .284 magnum because it gives 7 mm mag performance with the long barrel and Reloder 22 (3100 fps with 154 Hornady).

Agreed, and were I ordering one, that’s what mine would be.

I own two NULA rifles, both are super accurate.
257wby & 270wby. I don’t often use them on hunts, but rest assured they will get used in the years to come.

DANG ! That’s tempting.

Jerry

That’s EXACTLY what I’m getting in my 98, 284 W with 21” bll.
It works !!


Jerry