At the time I only had the option of the .375 or a .308 in my battery. Given that I intended to try for either Gemsbuck or Kudu ( I took a Kudu in the end ) I considered my little .308 Mannlicher carbine too little gun. I bought the .375 specifically for the hunt figuring that it was capable of taking anything I was likely to encounter.

I developed two loads, a 235grn load for smaller game / longer range and a 300grn load for the larger animals in closer country. We were not aware when we booked the hunt that the Blesbok were located in such open country. My hunting partner had made the same decision re: his rifle. Our battery consisted of 2 .375 H & H Parker-Hale M81s and a 12 gauge shotgun.

The .243 wasn't purchased until around 1996, it was originaly a weatherby, but I couldn't get on with it, very fussy about loads. Traded it for the Tikka and never looked back, that sweetheart will cloverleaf the Hornady 100grn RNSP at 100m all week and will shoot every load I've tried sub 1" without fail. They are superb rifles.

Kgama also had a minimum calibre requirement of .270 so the .243 would have been out even if I had owned it at that time.

I now own a beautiful Mauser 7 x 57, had I owned that at the time, I think I would have squeezed that in the luggage and used it for the lighter game.