i've been thinking about it and the 40-65 win should do........

1. hunt deer out to 100ish yards.
2. be able to use smokeless and bp
3. weight should not be a problem, the closest i have to carry it is about 50 yards. i luv my polaris utv. 
4. me and my friends informally do a competition. it includes paper, cans, and such. it goes out to 500-600 yards. i wish i could do bp at that.

but hunting deer will be its true calling. 2-3" at 100 yards(5 shots) and open(peep?) sights. my own record(should've photo it) is a1898 spr armory(bubbasized) 30-40 krag with redfield 102k peep sight is 3/4" at 100 yards(5 shots). 165gr ranch dogs and h4198. i normally do 1 1/2 - 1 3/4" at 100 yards but 3/4" has been done once. just goes to show me that an old barrel can do a sub minute anyday.  

so i just have the caliber pick out. i want it to be a rolling block. and i would like it to be 30ish" long. 

and again, i thank you. as far as i am concerned, i am just a newbie.

You can definitely shoot a .40-65 with black powder accurately at 500-600 yards.   The NRA midrange 600 yard target has a ten ring that is 2 minutes of angle and a well tuned .40-65 will hold vertical well enough to keep them in the ten ring.  It's only wind reading problems and the occasional pulled shot that prevent perfect scores.

Chris.

I've not seen a 40-65 hold up well when the wind picks up and the distance is long, beyond 600. I do like what I've seen my 40-90 bn do at the 1000 yard line.
I like both the 40-65 and the 40-70 st, but they just don't have the horsepower to lob those long skinny bullets when the winds get cranky.

Yes, what SKG said. 10 shot groups at 100 of 2 inches or under are easy in my 40-65 using the Lyman 405 Win bullet (412263) which casts at 300 grains in 1 to 20 and 18.5 grains of 5744 or 27 to 30 grains of 4895. For 200 I use 21.5 grains of 4759. For BPCR out to 500 meters it's a 400 grain bullet and 54 grains of 1.5 Swiss.

Ranch 13, the Green Mountain 1-14 twist barrels will certainly help keep bullets stabilized out to 1000 yds. My 40-82 w/1-14 GM shoots like a lazer to 500/600 yds and beyond.

Three of us in row shot a 40-65 on the same bank of rams at the TX State Championship in 2015. The first two of us rang the same ram. We thought the third shooter did the same as the ram slowly rocked backwards and then even more slowly rocked forward and fell off the front of the rail. We ringers were shooting a 400gr & 413gr bullet. The 3rd shooter was shooting a 420gr bullet. That said, I went to a 439gr Money bullet shortly thereafter and it earned a 15-ram pin at one of the 60-shot regional matches. The 40-65 is an excellent cartridge out to 600yd and capable to 1000yd. However, think the 40-82 is "more capable" past 600yd and can always be 'loaded down' for the shorter distances.

Unfortunately there are some target rails that are not flat on top or are not set with a level surface such that a center of mass hit on a ram produces only a straight push up the rail which leaves half the area of the feet hanging over the back without tipping the ram off. I've seen this happen with 500+ grain bullets out of 45-70s just as well as lesser cartridges. These would be great hunting shots but a more off center hit on a ram will tip them over. On the other hand we use the same rams at 200 meters for cowboy silhouette but on different rails and 170 grain lead bullets from 30-30s at 1100 fps will knock them over. In BPCR I've cleaned the ram line with 360 grain bullets ahead of 51 grains of BP in a 38-50. Mainly, you have to hit them.