Dugong - I marked the .500 as with 450gr. Lyman bullets, it will surpass the .450 in penetration & killing power and yet not kick much more.

I've a friend with a .500 DR marked Made of Maharajha - etc, etc. in gold script on the barrels - been way over 30 years since I last saw & shot it and sad to say, I forget the maker and other particulars, except the load - the most important thing.

#515450 Lyman mould(Lee now makes it as well), cast in WW alloy, 125gr. 2F GOEX and 2 hard cards to take up the space. I do not remember how thick the cards were, or had to be. I shot both tubes into 3 1/2" at 100 yards, and single groups each barrel of 2" and 1 1/2". I seem to think it shot one tube over the other, meeting at 100 yards with that load.

Why .50 in my choice? I firmly believe that the smaller the diameter of the case in a 3 1/4" long case, the harder it is to get the ctg. to shoot accurately with either smokeless or black powder. Those were my findings from using .40 through .50 calibres in Sharps ctgs. of 3 1/4" length.

The trend would hold of course, the bigger, the easier, and .577BPE would be the ultimate pig killer and probably the easiest to get to shoot accurately. It would also be the easiest on meat, merely punching descent holes through.

I seem to recall one English Sport writing to Greener, or maybe it was "The Field" and stating he'd shot 27 animals with 28 shots, including Elephants at 100 yards. I might have those particulars wrong - it was a long time ago.- HA! (Greener - The Gun etc.)