I have a fellow e-mailing whose buddy swears that a single

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Or one of your stretch frame s in angle action revolvers. Even with action jobs none of my 29's or 629's are as accurate as my SBH's. My DW 44 is as accurate but you can't go 500 S&W in one can you?

Very accurate and my favorite big bore. Loads from mild to wild.

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.. a 5 to 6 inch 5 shot in either 44 mag. 45 Colt, 475 Linebaugh with the Reeder Magnum grip. If that won't make this fella happy then he's just a gun snob who's read to many magazines and can't be helped.

45LC, but a close second would be the 480 Ruger. It will do everything the other big boys will do and like the 510 GNR is easier to build a light load. Like many of the folks on here, I have single actions in pretty much all of the calibers and from different makers. Any of them can shoot better than the shooter. I have several S&Ws, but they digest only mid range loads. Heavy loads I leave to Rugers, DWs, FAs, and BFRs.

A few years ago Garys folks did a perf package on a Ruger Blkhawk in 45 Colt, I will put that pistol against any other for accuracy. It shoots one ragged hole groups at 25 yds with several different loads from plinker to hammer.

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EDITED AND LAID OUT.

Followed by my .45 Colt from GNR.

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I'd have to stay with a Ruger Bisley model in .45 Colt, with Gary's 'tune-up'.

and have run the gauntlet of macho cartridges. things begin to change. Forced to be honest, the .475 LB is more versatile than any .50 or .51. Yet I covet my .510 GNR and no longer own a .475. As age becomes your close friend more practical size and more realistic goals start to win out more often. It becomes the old .44 vs. .45 argument. I never enter in to the fray, I just have both. The .45 is handy and useful in modern large frame revolvers that Keith never really had in his heyday. The large holes make it actually lighter than the .44. The variety of loads, powders, and bullets make it possible to do about anything. One can interject the .454 right here and have honest credibility. Who could argue? Somehow I never really bought onto the majestic .45 Colt bandwagon, not all in, zealous. I seem to personally go .44. My perspective now is to keep a medium frame but strong .44 that can manage full .44 Magnum level loads, yet shoot mostly not .44 Special. Hat tip to Mr. Keith. Along with that I also keep a larger chassis .45 Colt that can step it up. I jump to the end of the spectrum with the .510 GNR just because I can, and have the loading and casting skills to do what I desire. I depend on vendor only for bulk supply of powder, primers, and some type of brass I can use or convert.

The DA revolver is a fine tool but I see it in any form less robust, excluding the largest S&W, as more fragile than the working SA. The highest example is the N-frame S&W. If a man only bought his ammo and shot the N-frame he might indeed think it was the top kit, the pinnacle. The crisp trigger and short hammer fall of the DA may fool someone into thinking it has a leg up on the old SA. But they are just fooling themselves, possibly simply ignorant, from lack of experience. I own and enjoy them myself. Simple mechanics should easily illustrate that. I'll not rattle their fragile reality. If they are happy and blissful who am I to destroy their dreams? I see their point, but more clearly. Both have their place and can be tuned to perform.

My favorite is what I have in hand at the time. Anticipating the next outdoor experience we are to share.

Possibly, but I'm not committing totally 100%, my favorite revolver to actually carry and use.

The early days of the .429 GNR. It now has a .44 Mag. cylinder for top versatility in strange lands. I am always eyeing another cylinder assy. to add just for the possibilities of exotica.

We both have several of Gary's revolvers but it seems when we are going out for a day in the woods we grab our 45 Colts

One of Gary’s frames. As for accuracy I see no advantage in a double action when it comes to a large bore revolver. The single action with a fixed cylinder is less complex than a swing out cylinder. Both can be made well or poorly, but say a more complex design is better makes no sense to me. Now I am not trying to put words in anyone’s mouth just trying to make sense of the argument. The most accurate revolver I ever owned was a long colt hunter Gary built me in 2000. I on several occasions shot 5” 5 shot groups at 200 yards off a rest at a gun club range. 325 gr LBT over A warm charge of H110. I think the gun was capable of better accuracy than I was. I was using a 2x Leupold and the cross hairs more than covered up the 8” black center target I was shooting. Had to go a Hail Mary with the cross hairs to find the center of the bull. Anyway for accuracy on a big bore a single action is the way I would go. My 686 and GP 100’s are very accurate too but not big bore guns. $.02

minimum of .40 cal. I suggest anyone who wants to start in this class to go with the 44 mag. Plenty of ammo choices for the non-handloader.
My preference is the 45 Colt Ruger or now has graduated to the 454 Casull for being my go too. (like the 475-480 below)

As for a "major" caliber, anything over .45, The 480 Ruger is hard to beat for the non-handloader who is going bigger than his 44 mag. The 475 Linebaugh is the next logical step as it could shoot the 480's too. That is about the most horsepower the average shooter will "enjoy". That doesn't count some of the loonies I am lumped with. ( If y'all will have me) It is also capable of anything on earth in the proper hands and with proper projectiles.

I find the 500 Linebaugh to be a bit more 'gentile' feeling ( my perception, you mileage may vary ) than the full house 475 Linebaugh, however save a few boutique manufacturers, it is a handloading proposition. Being a handloader, I really like the 500 L. It can be handloaded with 300 grain cast bullets over trail boss for giddy fun shooting, or with 450-480 grain casts over H110 for loads that are salty enough to take anything on earth, if you, the shooter can apply them
accurately.

So I guess my steps are 44,454,480,500 Linebaugh. Depending on the size of hammer I need for the job.

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since last week. I will match my 510 GNR against his .44 mag and I have a few of those! Accuracy is as good as one practices. I carried my 510 in Alaska and never felt under gunned for anything up close and personal. Never had to make any long shots over about 30 yards so I can not speak to anything over that distance.