470:

I have a Merkel in .500 NE and I can tell you wihtout a doubt that the Merkel is going to be "slimmer" than most other DR you'll find in SIMILAR calibers. The action is smaller and so is the wrist of the stock.

Also, an interesting note is that a Merkel in .470 NE weighs more than a .500 NE! At the DRSS hunt, we compared a .470 and .500 next to each other and they are identical. Even the barrels are the same size - the .470 had more meat on the walls of the barrels because the bullet diameter is smaller - this, we estimated, made the .470 weigh more.

At least this is from the limited experience that I have with DR.

I can tell you this much though, if you want your stock shaved to be more streamlines, I know that Butch did it for someone who posts on another forum.

Bottom line - you get a custom gun from Butch for a few grand more than an off the shelf Merkel.