.700 Nitro Express
.600 NE
.577 Tyrannosaur
.577 NE 3-inch
.505 Gibbs
.500 A-square
.500 NE 3-inch

There were other very large cartridges made, usually for black powder, but some were proofed for cordite. They were described by bore rather than caliber--12, 10, 8, and even 4!

Old Western Scrounger used to have some 4 bore rounds with the powder removed...the bullets weighed 2000 grains and caliber was pretty close to one inch!

The .50 BMG (Browning Machine Gun) is certainly a large round, but it probably wouldn't work very well for a DGR.

shiflan

While very accurate, the boys around here feel it's unsporting.

I think it would make a wonderful professional poacher round, and I'm talking about the PP as the game, not the shooter.
gs

For the large "sporting" bolt actions, ie Mauser 98 magnum, Dakota, Ruger, P-14,17, the 505 gibbs is about max, the case is .635" in dia, and 2.9"(?) long. The 585 Nyati is the 577 NE round, with the rim turned down to 505 dimensions, ie slightly rebated, and with a bump of a shoulder.

If you go with a 50 BMG sized bolt action, you can go up to 700 NE as Saeed has done.

Huntington's sells 700 NE cases, for 505 Gibbs or 585 Nyati, I believe Midways carries them from Bertram.

As far as balistics, I have the preliminary plans for what I'm going to call the 458 Alaskan Varminter, original plan was to base it off the 500 Jeffrey, but now I'm planning on the 505 Gibbs. The goal is 500 gr @ 3000 fps.

quote:

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Originally posted by Wachtel:
Paul H; 500 gr at 3000 fps? Aiming for the magical 10 000 ft-lb limit? Now we're talking big bores!

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I don't put much stock in the energy #'s. I also have no plan to use such a monstrosity on game, it would just be a fun project (I know, I am diseased to have such thoughts ). I wanted something that I could say has the trajectory of a 270, and hits like a 700 NE. After the novelty wore off, I'd re-barrel the action as a 585 Nyati.

I dispise muzzle brakes, but this thing would definately be braked, I figure a 30" blank, left full dia, with an integral brake in the last 2" of the barrel. I could always cut off the chamber brake, and still have a nice 24" tube when I'm done.

Bullets are easy to get, and .50 brass is CHEAP. High quality new brass is $1 each. Good once-fired brass is 50 cents or less. you could approximate the ballistics of whatever round you like.

shiflan

The other problem is the brass is so thick, the typical reloading press isn't strong enough to re-work the case to useable dimensions. You need a hydraulic press.

The 585 nyati needs to go on that list too (160 grains of gunpowder is no joking matter).

It depends what you are after.
Hunting/range work/ blasting rocks /wheeling it out occasionally and showing it off etc.

You can go from the maximum sporting cartridges which I class as anything that gets 10 000ftlbs or more
585 nyati, T. Rex,600 nitro on single shot, 700 nitro etc.
Can still be built around 15lbs or so.

Up to any size military hardware your state will let you buy.
50 BMG, 55 cal anti tank, 20mm,30mm,field guns etc. plus all the usual wildcats and variants.

50 BMG wildcats would be my pick. Exchange barrels for long range stuff to rock blasting.

One fellow had a 727-50 BMG wildcat over here which he took on an African hunt.

Karl.

[This message has been edited by Karl (edited 12-19-2001).]