I have been looking for a light gun but hate to give up accuracy of my bull barrels. So I was reading American Rifleman and they had a story on New Ultra Light Arms rifles and how good they were. So on my way thru Morgantown, WV, I stopped at there showroom. Man, this is the lightest rifle I have ever seen. The .308 I was holding was less than 5lbs scoped. I got to talk to the owner too, who impressed me greatly. He claimed less than submoa groups with factory ammo out of the lightest rifle made. It was totally custom built reciever, bedding, and stock. Timney trigger, and douglas barrels. I asked about barrels heating up and accuracy. He was explaining like he did in American rifleman, that all has to do with the tuning of the barrel and bedding. And that he beds these to the tightest tolerances possible in the most lightest, most rigid stock available. I believe he actully cuts the sides of the barrel to get uniform harmonics. He was actually using a Oscilliscope to see the harmonics in the mag. Anyway it goes, I would love to have one. Cost around 2400 dollars however. Anyone else ever have one or shot one.

I have shot one in 284 win(extremely accurate) it will recoil but in a hunting situation will not be any problem. The owner of a gunshop nearby sells them and has 2 that he personally uses a 284 and a 358 if you go into his store he will be glad to show you the groups they shoot on his business card. Best engineered lightweight rifle made bar none.. Stiffest synthetic stock made with absolutely no flex at all and the barrels are full length bedded.I was interested in a 300 wsm that he sells last year right before my wife was laid off from her job ...that would be a shooter in his rifle. If you read Rifle magazine John Barsness uses them as well as his wife.

I just can't go for the 2400 dollar price tag. I mean, with all the effort he puts into adjusting and tuning the barrel and reciever, bedding the action, I am sure its worth it, but right now its just a dream.

Maybe he has lay away.<img src=icon_smile_big.gif border=0 align=middle>

Actually 2400 seems kind of low priced for him but depending on your home state you can buy a gun directly from him and that is probably the quoted price. I think otherwise his lowest priced one is 2800..he quoted me 3100 on a 300 wsm model they make with a stainless barrel. Because I live in NC could not buy from him directly. It's a great gun but it has a high price and with most good factory guns with a little bit of tuning and a stock replacement you can almost get a gun that shoots that well but it won't have the fit or finish or stock. I thought the 700 titanium would be good alternative in that respect and about 1/3rd the price but I would put on a good 3 pos wing safety and a Jewell trigger if I were going with that combo. I have already been burnt with the Weatherby ultralight 5 3/4lbs in 270 win rifle and won't be making that mistake again anytime soon.

I guess I am kinda jaded. After owning a bunch of factory guns, I had to do every trick in the book to get them shooting. From changing out stocks, floating the barrel, glassbedding, and finally changing out the barrels, torquing the screws right to 34in/lbs. Now, I have been burnt so much, I got it in my head that you have to have a 1&quot; barrel to get cloverleaf groups. But after talking to him for a while, he says, all that work is compensating for variations in metal in the barrel, thickness variation in the barrel, and just plain ole tolerances. He definately sold me but think he takes shooting and rifle building to the next level with all the vibration characteristics and all. Yea, I know people that has good luck out some lightweights, but most are dissatisfied with their groups. After going on my Newfoundland Moose trip, I will not be taking a 12 or 14 lb gun on a hunt like that again. So now I am on the light bandwagon. So what kind luck did you get out of that weatherby? He was also telling me about fluting and that it can hurt your accuracy due to the milling process. Unless you get all the flutes very simular. He said when heating up, if one side if more rigid than the other, that will cause accuacy problems.

I guess he assumed I lived in WV since I stopped by. I didn't tell him any different. I wonder why he won't sell directly?

It depends on your home state and regs attached for some crazy reason. You need to call Melvin and ask him if your state applies. If so you can drive up there and pick it up when ready...I am sure he has a pretty sizeable wait on one anyway. I am thinking he said 6 months on the 300 wsm . Weatherby problems were mostly bolt operation,rough bolt and extraction problems and basically after sending the rifle to a service center in Tn and then to Weatherby twice they determined that it was royally screwed and replaced it with a new rifle ..this entire process took 1 1/2 months which I think is pretty darn good service, considering a 700 KS I owned had the same problem and took 3 months to get back after hunting season and I had to put up with nasty customer service reps. They use a Krieger button rifled barrel on those and it is fluted but it shot very well 1&quot; groups with factory ammo and had a nice trigger, but there is just something about it that I can't put a finger on that I didn't like so I traded it in on a new KS in 280. My weatherby MKV 300 wthby has a fluted barrel on it also and probably not the same quality as that krieger but it is a very consistent shooter. That model was discontinued after 1 year of sales by the way. The person I know that has one(ULA) in PA in 284 has had it since 1987 and is the only rifle he uses anymore for anything...groundhogs to Elk , he was a real gun nut too but basically replaced a closet full of guns for that one ...I believe he paid in the 1500- 1600 dollar range for it back then. One of these days I am going to break down and buy one and I know a dealer that has 2 of them for sale in 7/08 and 284 at least he had a few weeks ago. If I do I will clean out the closet buy one and forget about swapping guns all the time....Right