just to argue with Ray...

while I do think that many americans want to be overgunned, I just bought a 35 Whelen to mow-down bambi.... so take it with a grain of salt.

to me the mystique of hunting africa is largely tied to the fact that it is the last place on earth like it... while it is being slowly cizilized, places like the Moyowasi and most of Namibia are just wide-open with relatively little human infringement... that's one of the things I struggle with hunting close to home, not enough open space...

as such I think that whatever you use should carry with it something to that antique nature of the place. the 300H&H is likely the smallest round that could fit the "best" requirements, but there are a few others I think might be a bit better... and its just a tad small for my tastes.

the 358 Norma is sufficiently rare and powerful, yet it seems too modern, a true bastard-hybrid if you will.

the 338WM is about as perfect as you can get, and the response of the PHs mentioned a few posts above lays proof to that pudding. but it lacks soul IMO...

the 35 Whelen, while sufficiently old and rare, is, just like a 358 Norma, a bastard-child, and is quite difficult from a practical standpoint as ammo is not common. and in some instances it does lack in range...

the 338-06 is an interesting anomaly, but the 338WM is much more gun and much more practical and isn't exactly young...

the 30-06 isn't enough to call "best" but it surely is "enough" and I would heartily reccomend it to most any shooters looking for a PG gun that is easy on the wallet and shoulder.

so... what have I established??? well, just that most of the mid-level .3xx rounds are not ideal, either by capability or by character...

the 8mm rounds are impractical, and "best" can never be "impractical"

which makes me do a very very difficult thing... admit that I have absolutely no idea... but my first hunt with be with a 35 Whelen and a 375 H&H... well, maybe