On certain safaris, you could do very good work with a 243 Win. (within reason), just so long as you had a 375 H&H or something of that order to along with it.
On our last safari going on two years ago, my hunting partner and I took 338 Win. Mag. rifles only. He hunted entirely with Remington 225 gr. Swift A-Frame factory load, and I did much of my hunting on that safari with that same ammo, which I borrowed from him. To say that it was effective and sufficient for all of the plainsgame we hunted (impala thru eland) would be a great understatement.
We're taking the same rifles this year for plainsgame, plus 416 Rem. Mags. for buffalo, hippo, and whatever else we feel like using those 416s on.
Over the last couple of days, we made the mutual decision to take just Federal factory 225 gr. Barnes TSX ammo for our 338s. For one thing, I've used it myself for the last three seasons of elk hunting, but I haven't really shot enough animals with that load to have a full feel for the performance of the bullet yet, but it's super-accurate out of our rifles, fast (2850 fps.), tested at the factory to 150 degrees F, and it'll be fun to try a new, true premium bullet out on a wide variety of animals.
John55's previous comments are totally on the money, and I like rifles with punch, especially for areas with lots of lion, as well as many buffalo.
I'm saving the 270/375 combo for the next all-plainsgame safari, and I'll be taking my wife on that one...........
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