Ok, so I've hatched an idea for a new deer rifle build based around the new .360 Buckhammer cartridge Remington released earlier this year. Of the newer straight walled cartridges this one seems to make the most sense as both the .350 and .400 Legend use pistol bullets (9mm/.355" and 10mm/.400") rather than rifle bullets (.358" and .410"), whereas the .360 Buckhammer uses rifle bullets. While factory .360 BHMR loads utilize round-nose bullets there's plenty of pointy bullets with better BC's readily available in the 180-250gr range to minimize drop at effective distances.

As for what to build it on, I'd really like to do it on a falling block action but everyone is soo damn proud of them price-wise that I don't know if it would be worth it. I've also considered the possibility of rebarreling a tired old 99 that was originally chambered in .30-30, but that could get pricey as well and I don't know any smiths that are capable and willing to rebarrel a 99. Would be awesome to be able to hunt deer in Ohio with a Savage 99 though.

So on the falling block front, what are my action options? I know the Sharps and Ruger #1 actions would be plenty strong enough, but what other options are there for actions that wouldn't set me back an arm and a leg? A Ruger #1 donor would likely fall in the $1,200-1400 range. I know where I can get a Sharps 1874 in .40-65 right now for $2,100, but I'd really like to keep the donor rifle at $1,000 or below if at all possible. Anything more than that and the Savage 99 rebarrel option becomes the more economical option.

A rolling block would be another option, like an old Remington Hepburn or something, but those are usually pretty spendy to get into as well and I'm not sure which models would be sufficient to stand up to the 50kpsi max SAAMI pressure of the Buckhammer cartridge as most of those old falling blocks were chambered for rimfire cartridges or light centerfire rounds (25-20, 32-20, .218 Bee, 32-40, .38-40, 44-40, etc.) which typically were 30kpsi or less max pressure.