Forty years ago, Melvin Forbes didn’t set out to build a brand. He didn’t chase trends, venture capital, or flashy marketing. He was solving a problem—one that most of the firearms industry had simply accepted as unavoidable.
Heavy rifles.
The story starts the way many great gun stories do: with a hunting trip that went wrong. A friend of Melvin’s went elk hunting in Colorado, carrying a massive, scoped .300 Weatherby that weighed nearly 14 pounds. When the snow came down hard, the rifle became more burden than tool. He leaned it against a tree, flagged his way back to the road, and didn’t retrieve it until days later—with a “rented hoist.”
When that rifle came home, it was sold. And well-known, local gunsmith, Melvin Forbes, was given a challenge:
“Build me the lightest 7mm mag you can.”
That single request lit the fuse that led to today’s NULA Bolt Action Rifles.
Weight Is Easy. Balance Is Hard.
Melvin didn’t approach the problem like a marketer. He approached it like a craftsman and a thinker. Sure, you can shave ounces—but what happens when stiffness disappears? What happens when accuracy suffers? What happens when the rifle no longer handles?
That question guided everything.
He obsessed over actions. He weighed stiffness against mass. He studied barrel profiles. And most importantly, he focused on what nearly everyone else ignored—the stock.
Four years went into the stock alone.
The result was something most people thought impossible at the time: a rifle that weighed under six pounds with a scope and still shot like a serious hunting rifle. Not a gimmick. Not a compromise. A real tool.
And when Melvin said he could do it, people told him flat out that he couldn’t.
So he did it anyway.
Walking Into SHOT Show With No Confidence—& No Money
Melvin’s first SHOT Show wasn’t glamorous. He walked into Atlanta in 1984, saw Browning’s massive booth, and nearly turned around and left. He didn’t think he belonged in that room. He didn’t think he could compete.
What he did have was belief in the rifle.
He didn’t buy ads. He couldn’t afford them. Instead, he did something far more old-school: he studied gun writers. Every magazine. Every byline. He learned what made them tick.
Then he waited.
And when Jim Carmichael finally stopped at his booth, Melvin didn’t pitch him. He handed him the rifle.
A Nula rifle in 708 weighing 5 pounds, 12 ounces—with glass.
Carmichael joked that Melvin must have removed the scope lenses. But he wasn’t condescending. He was impressed.
The phone rang not long after.
One Magazine Cover Changed Everything
When American Rifleman put Melvin’s rifle on the cover, it wasn’t just validation—it was survival. Melvin wasn’t chasing volume. He owned his shop. He owned his machines. He only needed to sell two rifles a month to keep going.
After that cover, the phone “never quit ringing.”
To this day, those magazines trade hands for serious money. But more importantly, they cemented something rare: a reputation built not on hype, but on performance.
Live Inventory Price Checker
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Wilson Combat NULA 20S Mini Action .300 HAMR 16" Bolt Action, Kodiak Rogue Armor-Tuff Camouflage | Palmetto State Armory | $ 2682.99 $ 2438.99 |
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Ar-15/M16 Hbar Rifle Barrels - 18'''' Hbar Rifle Barrel W/ Headspaced Bolt | Brownells.com | $ 349.99 |
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BC-15 | 5.56 NATO Rifle | 20" Parkerized Heavy Barrel | 1:7 Twist | Rifle Length Gas System | Rifle Handguard | A2 Front Sight & Carry Handle | No Magazine | Bear Creek Arsenal | $ 529.99 $ 409.95 |
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Crickett My First Rifle 22 S/L/LR Bolt 16.10" Single Shot Blue Rifle | Ammunition Depot | $ 114.99 |
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“The Only Rifle That Feels Alive”
Over the years, Melvin heard plenty of feedback. But one comment stuck with him more than any spec sheet ever could:
“This is the only rifle I own that feels alive in my hand.”
That word—alive—meant balance.
Not just lightweight. Not shortcuts. A rifle that points naturally, carries easily, and disappears in the woods until the moment it’s needed. A rifle that feels like an extension of the hunter, not a burden.
In a world where companies chased shorter barrels and heavier stocks, Melvin focused on harmony. Weight and stiffness. Strength and elegance. Engineering, not marketing.
A Legacy That Still Matters
Today, NULA Bolt Action Rifles live on through Wilson Combat, which now builds and offers NULA bolt-action rifles for shooters who understand what they’re holding. These aren’t rifles for everyone. They’re for people who appreciate craftsmanship, restraint, and doing something right the first time.
Melvin Forbes didn’t just build a light rifle.
He proved that thinking deeply, refusing shortcuts, and trusting real-world experience still matter in the gun world.
Forty years later, that lesson feels more relevant than ever.
My family bought some of the first ones in Mel ever built in 1985, a group of five consecutive serial numbers. In fact, I may be wrong, but I believe my uncle Bill Howard was the person that challenged him. I still have three of the rifles.
The only problem with light magnum rifles is recoil ! I do not like muzzle brakes due to the ear splitting report from them . So I opt for a 10 pound 300 win mag to save my shoulder .