Looking ahead to next years hunting season, I have decieded to do it with my encore with a pistol barrel. Looking at elk and mullies for next year, a remote posibility I might try a moose hunt but its doubful.

I have a Stainless frame and want to keep the barrel in SS also, so thats limiting my selection a little, but I am ordering probably Jan or Feb so a custom barrel would not be out of the question.

My current list of calibers:
375 JDJ Hand Cannon, 15"
454 Casull, 12" or 15" not sure
30-06 15"
45/70 Govt. 15"

I'll probably be handloading for which one I end up getting. Probably will have it magna-ported also on whichever one I order as it will probably be needed. I am leaning toward the 375 JDJ but my dad got me to wondering if I could get the 454 Casull barel converted into a 460 S&W. Then my question following that was if I get the 454 converted for 460 S&W, would it be possible to shoot .410 Shotshells like you can with the 45Colt/410 Barrel.

The 45/70 was just on the list because I was considering a moose hunt in 2006, but I am not all to certain I want to shoot a full hunting charge 45/70 in a pistol, magna-port or not. [:@] But the 375 is probably gonna be about same in recoil since its a 444 marlin cased down to 375.

My other question on the 30-06, do you think I would get a reduced powder burn with only a 15" barrel and the smaller bore reducing the performance below some of the others.

Any suggestions or input would be appreciated.