Bob, are thinking of hunting Africa? You should!
I don't think there's a lot of real difference between a 416 and a 375, and a lot of PH's and experts in the field say so as well. Both are considered medium bores in Africa. Until you get into the big .45 calibers and above, you aren't really dealing with a true "stopping" rifle/caliber. And if your rifle isn't in the stopping class, you might as well stay with a comfortable shooter like a 375 rather than buying a 416, which will only punish you more with minimal increase in terminal authority.
If you read books and articles by people like Craig Boddington, whose job is to sell as much stuff for as many manufacturers as possible in the shortest possible time, of course they will endorse any caliber as being desirable. But the fellows who had to (or still have to) limit their rifle battery to what they can carry for days/weeks in the bush, you learn quickly that they will carry all manner of rifles for hunting, but for stopping DG they seem to gravitate to the biggest rifle they can handle. I just finished reading Ian Nyschens' book on elephant hunting, and have read the full works of John Taylor, and many others; these guys didn't mess around with a medium bore rifle when they knew they'd be fighting for their lives against elephant and buff.
Because, as you say, these critters appear to be hard to stop.
My one and only buffalo exhibited impressive determination to not shuffle off his mortal coil after I put a 300 gr A-frame through both atria of his heart, essentially cutting off all blood supply to his ventricles. He still managed to run 75 yards, fight off another bull that was trying to gore him, and still didn't fall down for a good 45 seconds. When he finally did fall down, he continued to toss and mutter for a good 5 minutes before he let out his "death bellow". My PH, who estimates he's stopped over 100 buffalo charges in his career, had his Rigby 470 double up and ready to follow up my shot in case the buff sussed us out and charged.
Tough critters. As Nyschens says, "It's hard to believe he [Cape Buffalo] is a member of the bovine family."
Last edited by DocRocket; 05/20/16.
