I have a Namibian leopard hunt this year, and I'm kinda' wondering about which rifle to take.

1) Ruger .416 Mag Hawkeye w/mag-na-brake (still kicks like a rabid mule). Ammo: Hornady .416 - 400-gr. soft point
2) Weatherby .257 Mag. Ammo: Weatherby (Norma load) 100-gr. spire point (soft)

The 416 has a 1-4 Leupold while the Weatherby has a 3-9 Leupold. The lower power scope would be better for hunting from a blind, but the 3-9 would work well on plains game/bait.

This will be my 5th African safari, and I'm fairly good at placing a shot. The 257 is a very fast cartridge at 3000 fps and Roy Weatherby took a Cape Buffalo with it. The 416? Wellll, it SHOULD be enough for anything. It's just that the bloody thing is so damn unpleasant to shoot - even with the brake. It's too light for caliber, but that makes it easy to carry.

The 257 will do the job, and the rifle shoots 1/2 MOA. I'm kind of leaning to taking it, but what do you think.

257 or 416???