If you could only have one...

[rnhathaway]

If you could only have one rifle to cast for, what caliber would it be, and why?

[pipehand]

45-70 Marlin. Because I couldn't afford to shoot it if I had to buy jacketed.

[Hamish]

The Old Man's duffle cut 1942 98k, it was the first rifle I carried deer hunting.

[PS Paul]

7x57 cuz it was the first caliber I ever shot in a centerfire rifle and it just seems to get the job done. Super-versatile and just one of those great calibers that BEGS one to handload due to the "low-pressure" ballistics of most factory ammo.

So, a little versatility, a little nostalgia and a little bit of just plain fun!!
PSP

[357Mag]

RNH -

HOwdy !

.35 Rem for me. Amazingly accurate & flexible. Can shoot .358" cal rifle or .357" cal handgun lead boolits. And even shoots well w/ J-words.

Heck... I've shot .35 Rem in my Marlin M-336 XLR w/ the case necks cut clean off ! Used Dead Center Duplex .35" calibre 195 SPBTs, "patched " w/ Dymo label tape. The shoulder on the rebated boat tail sealed against the flat opening of the case " mouth", and was held there by boolit being engaged into the rifling @ the other end. Got it to group half-way decent @ 100yd ( this was w/ a reduced load of IMR4759.

All great fun !


With regards,
357Mag

[Hardcast416taylor]

338/06. Medium large bore that has the ability to take groundhogs up to elk, a decently made 225 - 230 gr. boolet does nicely. Can be made up on any Mauser, Springfield or U.S. Enfield action besides any `06 sport length action.Robert

[dbosman]

.35 something.

[rnhathaway]

Thanks for your input, but I meant more for a casting point of view. Neck length, case capacity, etc..

[btroj]

30-30 Winchester Marlin. Good variety of moulds. Lots of case neck. Decent case capacity for cast. Max pressure and velocity is very accessible to cast.
If there was ever a cartridge that screamed to be shot with cast it is a 30-30.

[1Shirt]

Tough one! Toss up between 30-30 and 308, with druthers on the two going to 30-30 because of savings on powder with smaller charges. Now to add to this thread, I would say if you had only the one, what mold would you choose and why. For me, it would be the 170gr. Ranch Dog-------How about the rest of you?
1Shirt!

[rexherring]

.30-30 or .45-70 Marlins.

[runfiverun]

I had an answer all prepared and then I read the others.
I really think I enjoy shooting cast in my 22 calibers the most.
if I had to make do with just one caliber for everything I shoot it would be my 358 Winchester.
I can do from p-dogs through elk with it.

[Jupiter7]

Being new to boolit casting, right now it'd be the 300blackout. Versatility of subs, supers, bullet weights, and across numerous platforms make it ideal for a new caster.

[Shooternz]

9.3x62 with a 285 grain GC will take down the biggest critter I am likely to run in to and have horse power to spare, with light loads will take rabbits cleanly,
Robert.

[geargnasher]

.30-'06. Most versatile cartridge on the planet. It's not only capable of but excels at more different things than any other I can think of.

And that's just with cast boolits.

Gear

[dagunnut]

I have to agree with geargnasher on this one, 30-06 in a bolt gun. With all the various 30cal cast bullets and powders that are suitable for it. The options are pretty much endless everything from mouse-fart to moose killers to long distance it will do it with cast boolits.

[stubshaft]

45/70 I can load it down or even load shot in it if I needed to.

[ShooterAZ]

.30-'06. Most versatile cartridge on the planet. It's not only capable of but excels at more different things than any other I can think of.

And that's just with cast boolits.

Gear

+1 on the 30-06. First choice of rifle would be my 1903 Springfield, it loves cast boolits and shoots most of my loads to the same POI. Second choice would be my M1 Garands...I finally got all of them shooting cast very well.

[gnoahhh]

First choice would be a heavy barreled .32/40 on a single shot platform for strictly cast bullet experimentation at 100 and 200 yards. Please let it have a tight chamber and throated for breech seating, and if cost were no object a false muzzle too. Two different stock sets: one for off -hand work and one for bench work. Windgauge tang sight and globe front, with a 15x Unertl as backup.

One can dream, can't one?!

[jimb16]

.30-06 here too. But I'm torn between the Garand and the Smith-Corona 03. Second would be the .45 colt 94 Winchester due to the fact that I can use the same ammo in my Blackhawk.

[Crusty Deary Ol'Coot]

Considering we are talking one CAST BULLET rifle here, and at best expansion with a cast bullet is iffy and unrelyable, depending greatly on alloy, distance and velocity, the most relyable cast bullet will be one on which your results do not need to rely on expansion.

You may have come up with the best expanding cast bullet alloy in the world at 1800fps and 100yds, but be faced with blow up at 50yd and penciling through at 150 - 200yds.

So, for those reasons alone, I say the BEST cast bullets with a good WFN -meplat - begin at .35cal and get better as the bullet dia. increases.

With my 45/70, 465gr an .460 dia WFN, I not only don't need expansion, but simply do not desire that unrelyable situation to occur.

So for me, I'd hang on to my RUGER #1S - 45/70.

Crusty Deary Ol'Coot

[DrCaveman]

My vote would be 30-06 too since there is sooooo much variety available in boolit weight, shape and velocity. 93 grainers from 900 fps to 3000. 220 grainers up to 2000 fps. And everything in between. Hard to find a niche not being filled there.

And brass is very abundant, boolits dont consume that much lead, 30 cal gas checks are probably the most common ones. Powder choices (with published data) are... three dozen or more?

Rifles chambered in 30-06 are very plentiful, from $300 beginner savage models to $8000 dakota rifles. And of course all the military surplus.

30 cal moulds are big enough to be easy to work with, every mould maker has a bunch to choose from. Spitzer, flat point, round nose, hollow point, what do you like?

[RayinNH]

Mine would be 30-40 Krag. Factory ballistics easily reached, nice long neck, and will kill most things on the North American continent.

My second choices would also be .30 caliber as well, either ,30-30, .30-06 or .308 simply because of mold and brass availability.

[Blanket]

35 whelen

[historicfirearms]

I really like my 30-06's. Very accurate with cast and versatile too. 30 cal mold selection is great and 30-06 brass is plentiful and reasonably priced. One other thing, every sporting goods store that I've been in within the last few months has always had factory 30-06 ammo in stock.

[I'll Make Mine]

I think I'd probably have to select .35 Whelen for this. With cat sneeze loads, you can replicate the performance of .38 Special economy plinking loads (think .360 round ball or 90 grain .380 type bullet and a couple grains of Bullseye -- the big case takes a little more powder than the .38 Special to give the same velocity), but you can go all the way up to full bore hunting loads (what, 250 grain?) that will take almost any animal on Earth -- and with paper patch and slow powders, shoot them at jacketed velocity. The sheer versatility of this round is astonishing...

[rnhathaway]

My vote would be 30-06 too since there is sooooo much variety available in boolit weight, shape and velocity. 93 grainers from 900 fps to 3000. 220 grainers up to 2000 fps. And everything in between. Hard to find a niche not being filled there.

And brass is very abundant, boolits dont consume that much lead, 30 cal gas checks are probably the most common ones. Powder choices (with published data) are... three dozen or more?

Rifles chambered in 30-06 are very plentiful, from $300 beginner savage models to $8000 dakota rifles. And of course all the military surplus.

30 cal moulds are big enough to be easy to work with, every mould maker has a bunch to choose from. Spitzer, flat point, round nose, hollow point, what do you like?

Right now I'm only casting for my .45 auto and .223. Don't have a lot of rifle casting experience and the reason I posted this question. I want to build a dedicated cast bullet bolt gun. I am leaning towards '06. I also like the idea of 30-30 or .35 Rem in a lever gun. I'm am also a huge fan of the Marlin .44 mag lever guns(although I don't own one yet). Probably end up with a custom 22" barreled M700 chambered in '06.

[starmac]

You guys will probably laugh, but if I had to live out my days with one rifle.(and knew it in time) I would have to go shopping.
It would have to be lever action, and suitable for everything from grouse to grizzly, so I'm thinking I would have to find a model 99 in 358 win., 45/70 or 50 alaskan would be my next choices.

[Catshooter]

Make mine a 30-30. Either a Winchester 94 or a H&R single shot. Probably the single shot, I've got a nice 20 gauge barrel for it. It loves the Lyman 3118 over five grains of Red Dot or the Lyman 31141 over a full charge of AA 2230 for full power.


Cat

[PS Paul]

Isn't the ability for us to have so much VARIETY in our shooting pursuit just awesome!!

This is actually one of the more FUN threads I've seen in a while. Some great reasons for choosing what we would choose and all really valid reasons based on our personal needs, preferences, experiences and biases. Cool!

[geargnasher]

Considering we are talking one CAST BULLET rifle here, and at best expansion with a cast bullet is iffy and unrelyable, depending greatly on alloy, distance and velocity, the most relyable cast bullet will be one on which your results do not need to rely on expansion.

You may have come up with the best expanding cast bullet alloy in the world at 1800fps and 100yds, but be faced with blow up at 50yd and penciling through at 150 - 200yds.

So, for those reasons alone, I say the BEST cast bullets with a good WFN -meplat - begin at .35cal and get better as the bullet dia. increases.

With my 45/70, 465gr an .460 dia WFN, I not only don't need expansion, but simply do not desire that unrelyable situation to occur.

So for me, I'd hang on to my RUGER #1S - 45/70.

Crusty Deary Ol'Coot

While you are certainly not wrong in what you say and do have some valid reasons for your choice, I still disagree. It isn't all that difficult or exacting to find an alloy that will deliver optimum performance reliably on game with ANY boolit style in a given rifle across the entire effective distance of the load. WFN's also have their own set of challenges.

But isn't it great that the cast lead boolit enables us to take two totally different, yet equally effective approaches to the sport?

Gear

[Lead Fred]

I have two rifles I load only cast for.
45/70 Marlin GG, (Ranch Dog 425s) would be my chioce between the two, unless I was on walk-about, then Id take:
1949 Winchester 1894 in 30 WCF (Ranch Dog 165). Because Im old, and the Winnie is way lighter.

[StrawHat]

I currently cast for all of my rifles. If I had to pick one????? Wow, like asking which was your favorite wife. I like the 50-70 because it is accurate and hits with the authority a 45-70 wishes it had. The 45-70 is versatile but used less and less since I got the 405 WCF. I guess if limited to one, it would be the Winchester 1895 in 405 WCF. Plenty of oomph, less lead than the others and still can reach out and touch. Not really a varmit rifle but I'd figure something out.

[pull the trigger]

35 rem in my marlin with a big flat nose, just cause I love to shoot it and deer hate it. If I could only have one it would probably be desperate times, hope it dont come to that.

[digger44]

44 mag

[Doc.Holliday]

Winchester 32 special first and if I had a second it would be 45 colt

Doc.

[Bullet Caster]

Well, I guess I'm gonna have to stray off the beaten path, you know "two roads diverged in a wood, and I, I took the one less traveled by and it has made all the difference." I'd have to say I'd cast .490 round ball for my flintlock; blacks still available and I can vary the charge depending on what I'd be shootin'. Full charge for takin' deer and lessen up the charge for smaller critters. Been done for a while now. BC

[Kiv]

for me, the 45 Colt would be ideal because it can be used in both rifle and pistol.

[Seabee1960]

30-40 Krag hands down.

Tons of great molds available... RCBS 30 180 FN on top of 29 grains of A2230 is a great all around shooter. Very long case neck so you can shoot even long 220 grain bullets and keep the base above the sholder. Case headspaces on a big old rim, perfect for reloading and infinate case life . Most 30.cal bullets in the 180 grain range at less than 2000 FPS have little recoil and are economical on powder use.

You can get a hillbilly dear rifle on gunbroker or at a gunshow pretty cheap. Use this as the basis for a good cast boolit test gun.
about 50 used .30 cal molds on ebay at any given moment.

I will post some pics of the bull barreled Krags I have built over the years. ebay parts and Midway barrels. Great shooters and I am seldom into one more than $300.

OF ALL TYRANNIES, A TYRANNY SINCERELY EXERCISED FOR THE GOOD OF ITS VICTIMS MAY BE THE MOST OPPRESSIVE. IT WOULD BE BETTER TO LIVE UNDER ROBBER BARONS THAN UNDER OMNIPOTENT MORAL BUSYBODIES. THE ROBBER BARON'S CRUELTY MAY SOMETIMES SLEEP, HIS CUPIDITY MAY AT SOME POINT BE SATIATED; BUT THOSE WHO TORMENT US FOR OUR OWN GOOD WILL TORMENT US WITHOUT END FOR THEY DO SO WITH THE APPROVAL OF THEIR OWN CONSCIENCE.
-- C. S. LEWIS17

[Seabee1960]

66110

The Krag is my .30 test rifle. I have used about every cast bullet powder combination you can think of

[Seabee1960]

The ideal rifle would be an original 1885 High Wall Winchester in 30-40 Krag. I saw one once on Gun broker, bid on it and got sniped at the last minute. Made me mad. I have one of the "new" Winchester 1885's in 300 WSM but that is for shooting the cursed copper colored metal do dads with..... The new Winchester 1885 trapper is about worthless with that little short barrel. I dont want to spend $1500 on a rifle I would have to re-barrel at once.

[jimgun]

it would be a toss up for me, for rifles either my marlin 45-70 or my rem 35 whelen ackley imp. the 45-70 has probably killed every game animal on this planet, but the whelen being able to shoot lightweight hangun bullets for plinking and rifle bullets for bigger animals is actually shot more by me. in handguns my FA 454, although I am seriously considering purchasing a BFR 45-70. if I did, then it would be 45-70 all the way. I am a big fan of the same bullet for both rifle and handgun, for hunting. jim

[Coffeecup]

Talking cartridge rifles, it would have to be the Krag. I'd hate to give up my flinter though.

[ACrowe25]

30-06. :)

[Shuz]

For me it would be my 35 Whelen with a 1:12 twist in a Rem 700. And.....there's only one boolit.... 358009!

[rnhathaway]

For me it would be my 35 Whelen with a 1:12 twist in a Rem 700. And.....there's only one boolit.... 358009!

Why 1-12" twist? Most I see are 1-14".

[felix]

I have never seen a 35 caliber gun of any type NOT shoot good enough for survival right out of the box. Any mid range powder works with any boolit/bullet in just about in any case size. The only problem would be to match boolit, case and chamber when walking into a store. Whatever fits will shoot! ... felix

[Ron.D]

358 Win. for me. What a treat to live with. I've never bought a piece of brass. Simply collect some 308 range brass, sort by brand, neck size it to .358. I've never split a neck if I anneal, and about 2-4 out of 100 if I don't. Out of a rebored, 16" twist, 99 savage with a 19 1/2" barrel, I can reach 2200 '/s with a 210 gr. boolit from an Accurate Arms mold, no leading, just a patch wetted with Ed's Red plus lanolin and put it away till next time. Regularly groups 1 1/2 to 2" with anything it likes. It does well with almost any powder from IMR 3031 to Varget. There are a lot of folks on here that have had similar results. If you can't go fast, go heavier and as fast as you can. I may be able to go faster with the copper included alloys some folks here have been working with. All in all, good case size, enough neck, very accessible and a great cartridge to live with. Yep, I'm a fan, lol. Ron.D

[hicard]

I would have to agree with Ron.D on the 358 Winchester. I have several and they are a blast to shoot. I have several boolit molds for them and I really like the RCBS or Saeco 250 grainers. My favorite 358 rifle is the Ruger SS Hawkeye. I just installed a muzzle brake on it and am anxiously waiting for a range day with it.

[Shuz]

Why 1-12" twist? Most I see are 1-14".

1:12 twist will stabilize the 280g Lyman 358009. I once had a Rem 700 in 35 Whelen with it's 1:16 twist and it would not stabilize that boolit. When I had my 700 in 35 Whelen built by a friend of mine I specified a 1:12 twist because I wanted to be sure of stabilization. Many folks have reported that 1:14 will also stabilize the 358009. One of these days I'll get around to trying the 358009 again in a different factory chambered 1:16 twist 35 Whelen in a Rem 700 that I picked up at a gun show a few years back. So far it shoots the RCBS 35-200 real well, so I haven't bothered to re-check the stabilization situation of the 358009. I still have my custom 35 Whelen for that pill.

[MaineJim]

Torn between .308 and 30-30 here,propably 30-30 though because it uses less powder to accomplish the same things my .308 does with cast.

[dougader]

338/06. Medium large bore that has the ability to take groundhogs up to elk, a decently made 225 - 230 gr. boolet does nicely. Can be made up on any Mauser, Springfield or U.S. Enfield action besides any `06 sport length action.Robert

I only had to look to post #6 to find my favorite. Please let me know your preference for a good cast rifle boolit about 225 grains.

[Beerd]

.356 Winchester for me. Or if you are into bolt guns, the .358.
..

[Coonazz]

45-70.

[uscra112]

Been watching this thread a long while because I couldn't decide. But living where I do, I'm down to a 336 Marlin, and I'm still trying to decide between my Dad's old .35 Rem., or a .30-30. Leaning to the .30-30, because of the long, boolit-friendly neck. Sorry, Dad.

[badbob454]

im torn also i love the easy reloading of the 7.62x39 i shoot the 314-175 saeco clone #315 in it feeds great with 17 gr of
wc820 medium speed (like aa#9 ) tack driver and reliable , can feed it my 314-85 hp up to the earlier mentioned .
or a 30-06can go from subsonic to 2900fps or faster with boolits as light as 85 gr to 220 gr i like the 311041 from Noe in it ...

[rockrat]

It would have to be a 35 cal. Either 35 Whelen, 358win or 356win

[bowhunter]

35 rem. in my model remington model 8 or 81 it will get any job done.

[DHurtig]

My first choice would have to be my 45-70 because of the sheer versatility. I can load from 200 grainers up to 500 grainers as well as round balls and shot shells. After that it would just about be a toss up between my 30-30 and my 357. All are single shots. The 45-70 and 357 are NEF's and the 30-30 is a contender. All are a blast to shoot, but the 357 gets shot the most. Dale

[rintinglen]

I guess my first choice would be the 30-30. Unless one of 'em buys a plane ticket, grizzlies aren't in the cards. Where I hunt, 30-30 is plenty. It's easy to cast for, versatile, and very handy. I like it. But my 45-70 and 30-40 also get votes.

[flipajig]

No question in my mind it would be my 44mag. Easy to cast for and will work from mouse to griz I'm feeding 3 of them SBH and my M94 same load for both of them just wish they would shoot the same sized Boolit. The 429244 slides through the M94 like butter and right at 260grains fully dressed I'm not scared of nothing.

[Horace]

Month to month could be a different answer ..... a 1936 99 Savage takedown in 303 Savage.

Horace

[Dannmann801]

"If you could only have one..." is always such a hard question, no matter what the topic.

30-30

[27judge]

30 cal with a GC in a 30-06 because they shoot very good with so many different powders. tks ken

[edward hogan]

My go to bullet weighs out at about 290gr when cast from WW alloy in a .338 round nose NEI design. Have played with it in .340wby and intend to work it in .338/300win, .338win and maybe .338-06 this Summer. Amazing penetration from my water-dropped WW loads and in this super-long roundnose design I am sure can count on the boolit to take any Moose or Bear could ever encounter or hunt.

Also have begun casting the Lee 220gr .338 boolit. Looks most suitable for the .338-06.

[otter5555]

30-30 in my handi. 5.5 gr unique pushing lee 180gr or 17.5 gr 4895 pushing the same boolit. dead on accurate to 300. good for paper, steel or meat :)

otter

[bob208]

only one to shoot cast in. my .30-40 krag. killed a 8 point buck with it and a 200 gr cast bullet. after that any of my winchesters i have shot cast in all of them. then any of the reproduction rifles. i get a new cal. i buy a mold for it.

onl one rifle i would say a model 94 winchester. rifle 26" barrel 2/3 mag. in .30-30

[BAGTIC]

38-55 or .375 Winchester. They are both large enough to take any game in North America with cast bullets and small enough not to be totally out of place with smaller game like deer, pigs, smaller bear, coyotes. I imagine one could take big bears, moose, elk with a 7mm to .30 caliber gun with cast bullets but I would prefer a bigger hole and deeper penetration just in case.

[grampa243]

only one. umm just one?

that would be hard.. lol i guess it would be betwen the 45-7- or one of my 30 cal.

with the 45-70 i can load roundball all the way up to 500+ grain. [ the draw back would be the short range.]

any of my 30 cal. would be good the '06 being the most versital maybe.

the 30-30 uses less powder.

and the 308 is great all around with brass being cheap[when it's not being horded].

a 150 grain flat nosed gas check boolit will do good things in any of them. even with out the check for slower loads.

so i guess i would have a hard time picking the gun i leave home with for good. LOL

[joepb]

A year ago I would have said the 45-70, but since I started working with cast in the 358 Winchester, I am going to change my mind.

[Andrew Mason]

.45-70 government

can be loaded up hot enough to kill anything on earth,
can be loaded with a single round ball over just a few grains of powder for a gallery load,
or...like said earlier, can even be loaded with some shot as a small more shotgun if needed.

[jeo22]

I sure am glad I'm not limited to just one, but if'n I had to choose one it'd be the 45-70.

[greenwart]

Many times in these posts the 35 remington keeps coming up. So it keeps reminding what a doofus I was for not buying the Marlin at a local pawn shop in 35 Rem. It was in great shape and under $300. I went back a couple of weeks later and it was gone. I am pretty sure it was not a micro groove also. I was concerned about having to get additional dies and cases etc..That was before I got religion. Now I don't even know how many dies/molds I have and will rarely even blink on picking up a new caliber unless it is some very obscure wildcat or proprietary cartridge. So I think the discussion is ridiculous since I will never have only one. So speaking of ridiculous selections I opt for the 6.5x55 swede. Here is my reasoning First it is my favorite rifle and cartridge. I have experimented with it more than any other caliber I own for both j@#$% and cast and feel confident I can place my shot where I want to. It can definitely work as a varmint round using 85g bullets. Since there are limited cast molds for 0.266 I guess I will need to cobble up some cruise missile molds for that purpose or just shoot a 140g . As for heavy bullets I have the NOE group buy and a couple of cruise missile molds. I just can't see a 45/70 as a varmint load. I wish I had bought the 35 rem!

[40-82]

For me it would be the 40's: 40-82 and 40-65. I use the same bullet in both. If I didn't cast for them I couldn't shoot them. Nobody has made a bullet for them that I could afford in a long time. But then I could say that about most calibers. I store my cast bullets in old commerical boxes that originally held copper coated bullets, and the price labels on the old boxes usually say something like five or six dollars. The other day I was in Sportmans Warehouse, and I saw the prices they are getting now for those same bullets. I almost choked.

[Ithaca Gunner]

I've had the best results with the 30-06 and the RCBS 30-180-FN. I would stick with that. It's accurate and looks deadly for hunting.

[GLynn41]

easy -- I have two of them .358 Win

[helice]

It is interesting to see the "love" for the 35 calibers. Years ago I found my M-600 in the 350 Rem-Mag and have enjoyed the rifle in all styles of shooting. It allows me to shoot the pistol boolits up to the heavy weights, so slow to blistering fast. Edd Badgley got me interested in the 35/30-30 a while back. Its long neck seems more appropriate for cast and I'm enamored with the M-94. I think that might be my second choice. I have the 350. I long for the 35/30-30.

[retread]

30/06 has to be the choice for me. Most versitile.

[OnHoPr]

From your OP I'll add where and why, why this question or for survival, hunting, target. If I was in the Brooks range then a lever 45-70 for big critters and can be loaded with shot for snowshoe and ptarmigan. If I was in most of the 48 then a 760 rem in 35 whelan because it can handle all of the big game species from close to extended ranges plus the capabilities of a plinker load. If in Ohio where big game can't be hunted with a centerfire then a bolt .223 for target, small game, and predator because brass is easier to get. For target, whatever discipline you where wanting to shoot would choose the appropriate gun and caliber. Or is it just because its the only gun you have or one of your cast boolit babies?

[Smoke4320]

308 for O so many reasons

[singleshot]

44 Mag, easy to cast, very forgiving to load, can use a handy 16" barrel with no ill-effect, can reach out to 200 yards if necessary with my 4x scope, can kill anything on the planet that needs killin' and has, and last but not least...is frugal with power charges (but uses lead quickly with my 310 gr cast ;-)

[singleshot]

Now that I've seen 35 Rem pop up so many times, that'd be my #2 choice...I keep forgetting it's in my safe, but it's a great performer. Uses more powder than my 44 mag, but can reach a little farther. If griz is on the menu (or polar bear) I'd rather have my Ruger 77/44. (But haven't seen a griz since I lived in Montana. Griz isn't tasty, but it'll keep you alive if you're starving. Except those that live in the "banana belt" and feast on huckleberries!)

[Good Cheer]

If the question is which one if I could have only one then it's the .375x45-70. From '77 to '82 I used various cartridges as test beds to conduct my research, settled upon a design that incorporated what I'd learned and had the dies and reamer made. So hey, it's what I wanted and we haven't changed.
Years later it tickled me is that reinventing the wheel, the design I came up with is nothing but a smokeless version of the final evolution in black powder military cartridges that Mauser developed before small bore metal jackets took over. Form follows function no matter what century you're in.

[Socal147]

Rifle: 45 70, because it can bring the pleasure "and" the power, while others are suffering from ED.
Pistol: 500 Magnum, because it can do anything!.

[starmac]

That would mean for some reason I was down to one rifle, so my choice would have to be 300 savage. It would not be the best cast choice, but it was my first rifle, given to me by an uncle that can't be replaced, and it is MY rifle. The rest can come and go with no worries.