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On second thought, why not just build a nice Pennsylvania-style flintlock, with a swamped barrel, some relief carving, fancy patch-box, and silver & gold-wire inlay. Then learn to load and shoot it properly! This would be a lot tougher challenge than making a modern rifle on a Mauser action!!

For the same price or maybe $25 more, you could get a Shilen, Lilja, Schneider, Kreiger, Pac-nor, or Hart barrel, that would be much better in quality to a Douglas. The last Douglas, supposedly premium grade, barrel I worked with about 14 years ago, was so soft that I still wonder to this day if it had beeen heat treated at all. The cutting tools and chamber reamer went through it like a hot knife thru warm butter. When I have a customer who needs to save a few $$ or just wnats a good serviceable barrel at a economic price, I use a McGowen barrel and have had very satisfactory results. Like Mnhunter said, if you are going to build a custom rifle, don' t cut corners or take short cuts. If you do you may regret it later down the road.

i' de pick any one of these big bores
8mm-06 , 338-06 , .35 whelen , 350 rem mag , 358 win , 358 sta , 450 marlin , 400 whelen

my personal choice would be any of the .35 calibers but , the 450 marlin and 400 whelen would be right up there to , but , you would probably have to have rcbs make up some dies for the 400 whelen as i don' t know of any standard producer for the 400 in respect to dies , shells , brass , etc...