You might consider looking at singleshotrifles.com



They make a Stevens 44 1/2 that does what you want..

except for the big fifty, and the rimless cartridges.



I have one with three barrels in 218 Mashburn, 30-40 and 38-55 Win. Also have three scopes to keep things simple.







http://groups.msn.com/BPCR/jeffsstuff.msnw?action=ShowPhoto&PhotoID=103

.348 Winchester is an interesting classic cartridge. Might work out well with the .50 if the rim sizes are close. Just a thought.

Thanks for the replies. I just started a similar thread on the wildcat forum. I know it is like drawing straws but I'm still stuck on something like an Ackley Improved 30-40, 7X57, 6.5X55 or 257R. Probably not a bit of performance difference between this group that the game hunted will discern. The only one I haven't heard much about is the 30-40 AI which PO Ackley seemed very keen on, but I don't have his book to confirm it. Some of his velocity claims were a little high.

jhrosier, I believe your right about the .348 Win. Doug Turnbull and I grew up together and in talking with him it takes very little work to get the 50-110 into the Win 71 .348 rifle. He has even had his .50-110 chamber and fire 50 Alaskan (which is built on the .348 case) and 50 Linebaugh in his .50-110. The .348 is a sweet cartridge in its own right.

Keep the comments coming and have a Merry Christmas...RW

My drawings of the 1885 action are not at hand, but if memory serves me, swapping extractors is not that difficult on it. I believe it would be no worse than on your 44-1/2.

There is no standard for a rimless extractor on the 1885, though, and RW should keep that in mind. Hmmm, on the other hand, some funky rimless extractor mechanism should work with a rimmed design as well, so perhaps that is no concern.

Personally, I like rimmed cartridges for single shots. I'd recommend either the .30-40 loaded up (perhaps 220 gn at 2300 fps) or the .33 WCF loaded up (perhaps 250 gn at 2300 fps -- or how about that 300 gn Woodleigh at 2150 ).

I appreciate all the replies. I believe I'm going to go with the 30-40 AI for a couple of reasons. First it isn't all that common, at least not as common as I thought. Second, it rates in the top 5, according to P.O. Ackley, as a cartridge most benefitted from improving. From what data I have seen it compares closely to the 30-06 in performance. Third, cases are easy to come by. And best of all the parent case is one of America's premiere military cartridges, one of the first to make the transition from BP to smokeless and I just plan ol' like the idea of the .30 US Army Improved. Now if anyone has any experience with this Ackley creation I would surely appreciate any data, hunting and shooting expierences they would like to share...

asdf, I agree with you and when it came right down to it wanted to have a rimmed cartridge for my single shot.

Thanks again all...RW