Here's the situation. I have a trip to SA next August. Taking impalla, blesbock, kudu, oryx, baboon, & jackal, lion & maybe leopard.

I have a .416 Rigby that I won that WILL go.
I have a .338WM that is a tack driver and I have a lot of faith in. A 7mm-08 and a .22-250

What calibers whould you take to shoot what animals?

My wife is going so I COULD take 4 rifles but with extra baggage fees maybe fewer guns and more ammo???

For everything except the Lion I'd be very happy with a prudently loaded 7mm-08.

One tends to go far over gunned.....and the fewer guns the better.

On my return trip for plains game I'll only take one gun.....either a .308 or a .30-06 depending on how I'm feeling on that day!

I tend to view taking two rifles as having a spare to take whatever is on the menu if one malfunctions. That would suggest you take the .338.

Make your Ph smile and take the .338.

Karamojo Bill

Do as Johann has suggested. The 338 may be the perfect plains game rifle and more than adequate for the lion. Out of the choices you presented the 416 is a better back up than any of the rest.

Mark

Take the 416 and the 338 and you'll be more than adequately equiped to handle everything on your list.

I hunt with handguns, so the airlines don't limit me to just two -- but my primary battery always includes Encores chambered in wildcat equivalents of the 375 H&H and 338. The other guns I take are just a diversion --

I'll stir the pot a little....

Make sure you practice,practice,practice;off sticks in shooting conditions.Standing,kneeling,etc.Being able to reload,stay on target,and don't admire the shot.Nice to benchrest 3/4 inch groups,but it doesn't mean a hill of beans in the field!

Understand shot placement in a variety of positions,not just broadside.

Bullet choice and caliber are overrated if you can't place the shot under the stress of hunting conditions.

Not a lecture,just an opinion.


Dan

My wife and I hunted SA last year and if you are going to leave out dangerous game, her 338/06 worked like the hammer of Thor! 210 grain bullets and she had 9 of 11 one shot kills on animals as large as Zedba and Kudu.
Her longest shot was 311 and two or three in the 260 + range.

You don't need a monster cartridge just a QUALITY BULLET to deliver it. I have, in the past even used a 270 Winchester with Barnes x-bullets and it killed like a 340 Weatherby. One shot kills on 18 Impala (shooting for the camp) but what was impressive were one shot kills on Wildebeast and Zebra 4 & 2 respectively. Along with baboons and Leopard and several mid-sized animals.

As much as I love the 270 I used the 338/06 on our last Safari to Tanzania (2007 also) for Impala, White Bearded Wildebeast, Heartebeast and Grants Gazelle. It just flat kills like it's big brothers the 338 cal magnums, at least out to 350 yards. We used a combination of Nosler 210 Partitions and 210 Triple Shocks for light and heavy animals respectively and no problems.

Each bullet would have served just fine but I like to "play" with bullets and see what they do and we just alternated in the magazine and that was it you needed the other bullet simply work the bolt and the trackers were kind enough to grab the round, off the ground, for us and we were good to go.

By the way Hart Rifle Barrels inc. rebareled a 30-06 BDL and did an awesome job for a reasonable price.

Easy, the .338

The 338 will do the job on all the animals mentioned.

The 416 will be a great back up rifle