Ultimate Firearms Black Widow

[Boreal]

Figured I'd throw this out there to see what you guys think. I have an opportunity to purchase a Black Widow in .50 cal. The gun has approx 40 rounds through it. It's fitted with a McMillan thumbhole stock, upgraded carbon fiber barrel, custom muzzle break, original ignition system as well as an Arrowhead rifle ignition for BH209. Also included is Pack-Jack, T/C t handle starter, 60 .45 cal shell/primers and decapping pliers, 20 .308 Arrowhead ignition modules, 88 Whitetail Medicine .45 cal 300gr bullets with Johnston sabots, 80 Harvester .45 cal 300 gr Scorpion PT Gold bullets & sabots, 1/2 box of 777 50/50 pellets, breech plug tool and manual. It currently wears a Leupold VX-6 but it's not included in the sale.

The owner is asking 3 grand for the whole setup. I wasn't looking for a custom long range rifle setup but this seems intriguing. Researching this rifle, I find that it's definitely an upper end custom gun but not a lot of info on actual value. What on your thoughts on this rifle? Any experiences with Ultimates? Is it worth it?

 

[GM54-120]

For under 3 grand you can spin a Brux 45 barrel on a RemUML with a ASG LRMP conversion and have a far more powerful rifle.

 

[1874sharpsshooter]

For under 3 grand you can spin a Brux 45 barrel on a RemUML with a ASG LRMP conversion and have a far more powerful rifle.

I agree. Better options out there for less money and go 45 not 50 cal

 

[Pointers]

Smokeless 45 caliber rifles make great BH 209 rifles

 

[retrieverman]

I had a UF BP Xpress a few years ago, and in my opinion, it’s not worth the money. I’m not saying it’s not a good rifle just not worth the price tag.

 

[ENCORE50A]

Very few have shot a BP Xpress as much as I have. If I were you, I'd forget about it completely.

Johnston sabots are H5045LB Harvester, nothing special. The whitetail medicine bullets.......... common Hornady SST only with a white tip.

Do yourself a HUGE favor............ go a different route. That is WAY to much money.

 

[Pointers]

Buy yourself a Remington UML. $700
This way you have the action and stock
Install a new Brux barrel $330
Hankins or arrowhead breech plug 180ish
nice muzzle brake $100-185
Powder funnel $ 35-75
45 cal jag $12
Magnetic bolt stop $35
ram rod thimble for the contour of your barrel
$25-65
Size die $145-180
Lee hand press to take with you to the range to size Bullets $45
Hand Priming tool $25
Depriming tool with punch $25
100 Pittman Bullets $190-220
1 lb h 4198 or BH 209 $$$
Labor to machine barrel and install brake as well as assembling the complete rifle
$250-500
And this rifle will shoot smaller groups at 300 yards than any of the 400 plus BP Express rifles I built for Ken Johnston from 2004-2007.
that is a fact that I can back up no BS My good honest estimate of 8000 200 grain loads shot out of my 3 BP rifles I own
Ken supplies the ammo and powder and I made sure there wasn’t any left when I went back the next time to pick up more
The smokeless guns are more than capable of sub 1” groups @300 yards
I’ve spent a lot of time and money shooting my rifles before the customer gets them and there are plenty of them out there
Good luck with your decision and I’m just laying it out that there are better ways to spend $3K

 

[ENCORE50A]

Figured I'd throw this out there to see what you guys think. I have an opportunity to purchase a Black Widow in .50 cal. The gun has approx 40 rounds through it. It's fitted with a McMillan thumbhole stock, upgraded carbon fiber barrel, custom muzzle break, original ignition system as well as an Arrowhead rifle ignition for BH209. Also included is Pack-Jack, T/C t handle starter, 60 .45 cal shell/primers and decapping pliers, 20 .308 Arrowhead ignition modules, 88 Whitetail Medicine .45 cal 300gr bullets with Johnston sabots, 80 Harvester .45 cal 300 gr Scorpion PT Gold bullets & sabots, 1/2 box of 777 50/50 pellets, breech plug tool and manual. It currently wears a Leupold VX-6 but it's not included in the sale.

The owner is asking 3 grand for the whole setup. I wasn't looking for a custom long range rifle setup but this seems intriguing. Researching this rifle, I find that it's definitely an upper end custom gun but not a lot of info on actual value. What on your thoughts on this rifle? Any experiences with Ultimates? Is it worth it?

Hope that the couple posts have convinced you to spend your money elsewhere.
Breech plug gas cutting and extremely excessive replacement costs just don't get it. You can't even get a replacement breech plug and they require you to send in the rifle so they can replace it.
I shot 6 cases of pellets each summer for 5yrs and that was enough. I went through more manual labor with that damn thing than anybody should ever have to do. Yes, I could shoot small groups at 400 and 500yds (on good days) but, the whole system just wasn't designed for extreme accuracy. Its nothing more than a over priced hunting rifle, capable of longer range.
Go custom and don't look back.

 

[fishhawk2700]

Yep, have the same rifle. If I knew then what I know now, I would never even considered buying one. The McMillan stocks they use don't have bedding blocks (mine has cracked twice) crappy X40 trigger, useless Harrell brake.

Go custom. You can't get a RUM for 700 any more. Buy a Pierce action and a GOOD stock and build from there

I have so much money in mine it would piss me off to sell it for what it's worth. I think I would take a chop saw to it before I sold it. With all that being said, with BH and Fury bullets it's still one of the most accurate .50 cal ML's out there.

 

[muzzlestuffer]

I agree. Better options out there for less money and go 45 not 50 cal

But can you hunt with a 45 cal in all states if he plans on hunting I'm not sure ?

 

[Boreal]

Great info guys. Thank you. At first, I thought the VX-6 was included in the price and that sounded like a great deal. When he said "no scope" I thought I'd better do some research. I knew I came to the right place!

 

[ENCORE50A]

Great info guys. Thank you. At first, I thought the VX-6 was included in the price and that sounded like a great deal. When he said "no scope" I thought I'd better do some research. I knew I came to the right place!

If............ the VX6 even worked, its totally discontinued. The erector systems failed one right after the other. Leupold fixed that by building the HD series.