In doing the thinking on our batteries/collections etc. these things come to mind. (LONG term planning/thinking. A relaxation exercise I do and enjoy)

where are the gaps? if you have a 404 and a 375, does a 416 make sense? I have a 375 h&h and am building a 404-375.

is the next logical step a 458 or just go to a 500? (at this point if I did a 416 or 458 it would be the 416 or 450 rigby cz, if I did a 500 it would be a jeffery on an argentine I already have).

Red
PS
there'll be a few from me like this, just wondering in my mind about things. nothing happening right now, just thinking.

DR,

As you know, your 375 H&H and 404-375 H&H use the same belted case with basically a .050” difference in bullet diameter. And historically they cover the same range of African game animals.

The 375 is a Medium bore cartridge, abet at the upper end of the medium bores, touted as a great large plains game cartridge while being the minimum caliber for use against the largest DG.

The 404-375 is a Large Medium bore cartridge, squarely in the middle of that category, touted as a very good large plains game cartridge while also being a good caliber for use against the largest DG. This is the classic “one gun” African hunter caliber.

Your next step up is the Large bore category, .458 caliber through .600 caliber, though this class should be split into three sub-groupings categories. One grouping covering the .458 to .499 calibers – perhaps the Large bore category, one grouping covering the .500 to .577 caliber – perhaps the Medium Large bore category, and the last grouping – the Ultra Large bore category – covering everything larger than .577 caliber.

Historically as the shooter moves upwards, sub-group to sub-group of the Large bore categories, the impact of the cartridge upon shoulder and upon the game animal increases substantially as does the rifle weight.

Anyway, enough of that stuff… Your choices are logically the 458 Lott or the 470 Capstick. Both are a step up performance wise on large DG animals; as well both utilize the H&H belted case and fall within the lower end of the Large bore spread of cartridges.

As you’re already using basically a .050” difference in bullet diameter for your first two rifles the 470 Capstick would be the next step up cartridge that maintains the case type and bullet diameter difference.