I have a reamer, action, stock, etc to build the same thing when I get a barrel. I would focus on the slowest powders like N570 and Retumbo but N565 and H-1000 would work as well.
I have a SBE 2 12ga, a SBE 3 12ga, 2 SBE 3 20ga and 2 SBE 3 28ga's plus some Retay Masai Mara 20ga's, which are a Turkish copy of a SBE 1. Benelli's 25 year patent ran out on the SBE 1 and many companies have basically copied them. I shoot my Retay's the same as my SBE's and have actually hunted...
I started shooting 10ga's when steel shot first came out because you couldnt hardly kill a teal with 3" 12ga steel shot back then. I wounded so many ducks it was crazy. As the steel shot tech got better I switch back to a 12ga. 3.5" 12 gauges were developed during this time. 3.5" 12 gauges work...
I have 2 BPS 10's and a SP-10. I killed tons of ducks with the BPS's in the early steel shot days.
I shot quite a few slugs and buckshot through them, its nasty.
Just for giggles...if you have a non bushing die size a case in it and measure runout prior to a expander and after. I'd also be curious about your bullet runout after seating bullets in those .003 out cases.
Your right the 21 is a Mack Bros clone. The 48 probably still uses a Remington trigger if the bases are compatible. Why anyone would copy Remington's bases on a custom action is beyond me, just make both the front and back round.
Steel cases are tougher and allow for more pressure but they arent nearly as elastic as brass. The front reciever ring and barrel shanks need to be thicker to handle pressure. Similar to why Lapua and 378 Weatherby show pressure sooner with 1 1/16" threaded barrels versus 1 1/8" threaded...