Nothing different if it is a classic cartridge or a modern one. Same restrictions apply as to the capabilities of the cartridge/calibre.

The difference may be between the following hypotheticals (actual real examples but re-written - sorry about the sarcasm

):

1. "Hey, me and my mates want to go buffalo shooting. Haven't got anywhere organised, reckon well just shoot off the roads. I have a .243 and a .22, plus a shotgun. Shots lots of rabbits. Reckon am goin to buy a .308 for the hunt. What do you think of this model, black pastic stocked tactical sniper rifle? Do ya reckon it would kill buffalo? My mate reckons a .308 can kill anything. Seen it on u-tube where a guy shot thousands of buffalo with a .308, so I reckon it would be easily enuff. If sum run away after shootin them, who gives a ffff, they vermin anyway. Ta everyone."

2. "My friend wants to hunt a buffalo or two with his newly acquired Mannlicher-Schoenauer in 6.5x54mm. We will be hunting water buffalo and he will be backed up by another guy with a .416 Rigby. My friend has shot and hunted about 27 water buffalo previously about 20 years ago with his .270 Winchester. A rifle he had used on almost everything, from camel to Alaskan elk, bear and moose, in addtion to the 27 water buffalo. He is also a retired butcher and knows the anatomy of a water buffalo precisely. What do the gentlemen of NE think?"

The second one is a real example. Wasn't asking for permission, nor really for information. It was a discussion prompter post. The first is a close to many 'enquiries' on some forums, and is sarcastically paraphrased. As Maxwell Smart said "Sorry about that chief."

No real difference between a .308 and a classic cartridge such as a 6.5x54. A huge difference between the experience of the hunters. And that's the main issue.

I carried a .30-06 for my first water buffalo hunt. A newly acquired rifle. My other rifles were a .222 and a .22. Plus a shotgun. Had cartridges loaded with Norma 220 gr RN FMJ's for buffalo. At least I have the right projectiles for the cartridge. Friends had a 12 gauge loaded with Brenneckes and a 6.5x55 loaded with 140 gr FMJs. Hunted on foot in the dried wetlands of an abandoned cattle station where the owners couldn't make a go of it and just walked away. Open slather on the place. Bit far South for buffalo in those days, and never found a single one, nor sign of one. Fishing was good though. None of us got to try out our less than ideal firearms and even more in-adequate knowledge. So I guess I was similar to example 1 above once, but better grammar and spelling.

One point about using medium calibre rifles. Of making good brain or spine shots, many guys are more confident and possibly their rifles more accurate. One reason (the other being cost and availability) professionals who need to brain shoot all their beasts use .308's. I remember an old story in a magazine when safari hunting first started up in Australia and the Top End. The writer wrote about a crew of professional buffalo hunters. They were using two magnum .300's and a .375. Again were shooting from converted Landrovers.

Last point. I asked one of our Top End NE member's why he no longer used his 6.5x54 on water buffalo. He actually hunts them, on foot, not shooting from vehicles. He said, "all it takes is one incident where it doesn't go well and you learn a lesson about using such a calibre." That's what happened to him.