I met Mike Venturino at my first "End Of Trail" in 1986 and we sat around a campfire talking of hunting... and a "buffalo" rifle and hunt fired me up! Ordered it a week later! During that week, Mike & I talked a coupla times about caliber, purpose and features... I wanted a traditional rifle, but didn't want the "hassle" of paperpatchin' bullets as the original 40-90SBN factory cartridges were. I liked Shiloh's Long Range Express gun, but Mike convinced me to cut 4" of barrel from the 34" standard length. I think his words were: "...after 28" of barrel, you're runnin' short on lube and anything over 30" is just sight radius." We talked about just leaving the last four inches as free bored, no rifling;, but he said, if you ever compete in BPCRS, you'll also be over the weight limit unless you go with the standard wood, and maybe even turn the barrel to round. As it is, it's only 2 ounces under the legal weight for NRA competition.
Just the way it came from Shiloh, globe front, no rear barrel dovetail, tang sight & all!
I spent the next 51 weeks scroungin' brass, after many discussions with Vernal Smith ordered a custom mould from LBT and studied up on the history of the cartridge and loads... What I first tried was 85 grains of Prodex RS under a waxed card wad & 370gr LFN seated out to touch the lands. But gosh, was it a mess, hard crusty fouling and frankly, poor performance. With only two days left before EOT '87, I switched out the 2F Goex with the same card wad & the same BP lube made by a friend. Straight outta the box this is a 2" in 100yd load. No compression and the powder filled to the bottom of the neck. I ended up shooting the long range side match at the '87 EOT using the 370 gr LFN and 5744... Hitting 10 of 10 @ 200 yards on a ¼ lifesize buffalo silhouette, but a little slower than the winner... Strangely enough, I've never shot any loads over 5744 on paper with any of the bullet I have...
I SHOULD rectify that! 
The subsequent 26 years have been a search for that sub MOA load! Interestingly enough, my research keeps tellin' me to relieve the throat, and use a lighter bullet. Yet, I'm stubborn if not determined. Twist in this rifle is 1:18 and I've yet to improve on the 2" group that the first Goex load yielded.
I've played with an RCBS 350 grain plain base bullet and a 400 grain Postell that I got from Mike V. That 400 grainer has to be set back below the neck to chamber... otherwise I need to recut the leade to allow it the be seated out further. Or cut it for a PP bullet. Can you tell I'm reluctant to alter the rifle?
Anyway, here's the 3 bullet molds I have (from l-r: 400gr Postell, 370gr LFN, & 350gr RCBS , the two case styles, a #14 shell-holder & a dial caliper for scale.
I really need to get out and try some of my Swiss, but I keeping tellin' myself I'm waiting on a new .410 sizer (finally ordered), the 330 grain spritzer mold I want made (still hemmin' & hawin' over that)... and any number of other excuses... I would probably be more fired up to do this if I didn't have to drive to west Texas, Houston, or OKC to shoot BPCRS or signed up for that buffalo hunt or goin' to Africa!
BTW, Leverluver I just measured the rim thickness, Bertram is .074 while the HDS, CSA & unmarked brass I have is all .069. All will chamber, but yes, the Bertram Brass needs a little more force to close the block. I'll have to measure one of the fired BB cases. Rim dia. on the HDS etal is .601 and the Bertram is .600. A #5 shell holder is on the way from either Midway or Brownells, (can't remember, got stuff comin' from both & too lazy to look), be here next week. BTW, Custombrassandbullets.com has some 40.-90SBN brass by Quality Brass in stock! It's only $41.97 per 20. Theoretically, made in the US, TX to be exact. I'll have to research that a bit more tomorrow. All the older brass I have (HDS/CSA/unstamped) was by the old Jamison Co.; who BTW, is back making brass: Captech International out of Rapid City, SD.
