Knowing where and what you are planning to hunt would help, in terms of making recommendations. If you are going on the very typical 1 buffalo + 4 to 5 plains game antelopes just take a .375 H&H with a good variable power scope which will go to at least 6X. For that kind of hunt you really don't need anything else. The more time you spend practicing with one rifle and one scope the better you will be at shooting with it.

I know one hunter who only has one rifle, a Remington 700 in .375 H&H and she takes one or two Cape Buffalo per year (and has for the last 10 years) using factory ammo with 270 grain TSX bullets. She has never wounded then lost a buffalo, only shoots when she knows she can make the shot and lets the PH carry a double rifle for the stuff he's supposed to sort out.

I have never taken more than one rifle on an African safari, usually a .375. When I went to Namibia, where shots can be longer, I changed ammo rather than the rifle, using 260 grain Accubonds, as flat shooting as you need. On the two safaris that ended up with me shooting a buffalo I only brought my 404 Jeffery, which was also used to shoot plains game up to to 250 yards. Beyond that I probably wouldn't take the shot anyway, under normal African hunting conditions.

In the most likely scenario you're are only going to have one rifle in your hands (unless you're shooting from the truck with the other nearby) so you might as well have the one rifle that can deal with the most possible situations.

Whether it's a 375 or 416 use the best possible bullets.

And if you put a Kenton turret on your scope, then you don't need to worry about holding over for PG.

Stupid question, are handloads allowed, or commercial ammo only?

I load for everything I shoot except rimfies if course

handloads are allowed.

IMHO Buy a 375 bolt gun, slap a good scope on it & you'll be ready to take on the world!

If I get a 375 bolt gun, ill need to sell the Ss. I don't like duping large calibers. Then ill need to scope it, and make up the 3 years of practice I have with it. My 375 is my newest 'big bore'. Had the 458 and 416 for a bit now.

IMO the .375 and the .416 are about the same trajectory wise out to about 300 yards with their standard heavy bullet loads, which is really enough for anything in Africa.

I have and usually take both with me over there, as I like having my own back up if needed.

While a single shot is potentially all one needs for hunting, on a big and nasty I would want the capability to get multiple shots without having to get off the gun.

While I tolerate recoil reasonably well, I do shoot the .375 a bit better than the .416.

If I had to get one and done, I would get a good .375 H&H bolt gun, but an intermediate range scope on it and just go hunting.

If I had more than one choice, if elephant were in the area I would take the .416 and the .458 from your choices. If no elephant, I would have the .375 as a back up and use the .458, as you don't have a scope on the .416.

Honestly, I have never brought in to overkill as a problem IF you can tolerate the recoil and you are good with it. As such, I would get a bunch of .458 ammo and have at it- unless you are in the desert, the likelihood of a shot over 150-200 yards is minimal.

On the 458, I have, in the past shot winmags for a time if the thump bothered me, followed by cleaning of course before resetting for lott

Shouldn't be a problem shooting winmag in a Lott. Like shooting 22 shorts in a long rifle chamber. Just clean good afterwards

My second trip, went to RSA. I just hauled two double rifles; Searcy .470 NE and a Chapuis 9,3x74.

Everything from Impala to Elephant with those two.

Bolt Rifles: a 300 H&H and either my 404J or 460 G&A. The big two, just stuck a 2.5-8X on the Jefferys, and am deciding on whether to do another 2.5-8X on the other one or the 2-7X I got here last week.

Enjoy...

Rich

For plains game I use the scoped 300 H&H Mag. rifle (200 grain bullets), DG is harvested with iron sighted 400 H&H rifle loaded with 400 grain bullets.
The single shot rifle has a lot of appeal to me too, thus the flanged version of the 300 H&H would be my personal preference.