which one and why? would have to do double duty as a North Amercian deer rifle
Brian,
You didn't state if these were your only choices, or something you already have access to, etc.
I have used the 7x57, the .300 Wby, and the .375 Ruger (little speedier than the H&H) in Africa, all on plains game. All worked.
On bigger stuff, the .375 kills with a certain degree of authority, provided you can handle recoil and place your shots well. The 7x57 works well, as it has for many decades in Africa, and as JorgeI points out, there are great bullets available nowadays.
My favorite, for game up to and including Zebra, was the .300 Weatherby. Flat, fast, plenty of punch for the largest game, and with good bullets like the Barnes TSX and Swift A-Frame, a certain killer. Again, if you can handle recoil.
Now that I believe I am about done with African safaris, I seriously wonder of the .375 will ever see use again- certainly not here in NA for deer. And, the 7x57 is not my first choice as an ideal deer cartridge, at least for me, as big mulies in open Western country is my favorite pursuit. Faster, flatter cartridges, like the .257 Wby, .270 WSM, and yes, the .300 Wby, get most of the work.
Unless you are firmly committed to one or the other, IMO a .30 cal., from .06 to one of the fast .30 magnums, would make a better all-around choice. Read up on some of JJ Hack's comments on rifles for African plains game, and Craig Boddington's Safari Rifles II is a great read on just this subject.
