Bigfive;
I have only been on one lion hunt. It was pitch black at 2 in the morning. We were attempting to stake out a dead cow in Namibia. By flashlight earlier we had spotted fresh tracks. We were using .375 H&H rifles. In the night they seemed too small. By the time we got back to camp, my teeth were chattering. Perhaps, my imagination ran away with me; I saw lions in every shadow where ever our flashlight wasn't shining. I remember thinking that a .375 was too small. My understanding is that a .308 or 30-06 or about any 30 caliber rifle is fine for hunting lion provided you don't wound him or he doesn't charge. after that I want faster running shoes than you. From my brief experience the size of the lion rifle = resonable caliber x amount of darkness x size of flashlight x size of tracks x volumn of growl - proficency of riflecraft. Next hunt it's the Krieghoff for me.
Westley Richards