I don't understand the references in this thread to the .308. The .308 Winchester was introduced in 1952. By that time, Bell had been back at his estate in Scotland for some time. He died in 1954. He may have tested the .308 cartridge for a sporting publication around the time of its introduction, but certainly he never used it in Africa. As far as I am aware, the last shooting he did was in the Scottish Highlands with the .220 Swift.

Over the course of his career, he used the .303 British, .275 Rigby (several of them), .22 Savage Hi-Power (also a Rigby), 6.5 Mannlicher,.318 WR, and a few large bores like the .450-400 and .416 Rigby - as already noted by other posters.

As to his legacy, it seems to me that it's quite intact. I don't see him as a reckless hunter who lost large amounts of game, but quite the opposite.