So if one were to go on a DG hunt and then extend the trip to hunt various PG and only bring a .458 Lott, how badly would one be handicapped if the .458 Lott were the only rifle brought on the trip?

For example, the DG part is easy..... relatively close shots and using softs + solids of either 450 or 500 grains and of suitable construction.

The equation gets a little muddier with the plains game side of things where ranges can get quite a bit longer....... Think Namibia.......

The ballistics tables hold some promise using 400 grain Woodleigh PP SN bullets driven to at least 2500 fps with a maximum point blank range of 250 yards with 3000 foot pounds of energy and terminal velocity close to 2000 FPS...... This would suggest to me that other than the unpleasant recoil, muzzle blast and weight of lugging the heavy rifle around, one could hunt even larger plains game i.e. eland out to 250 yards without hold over......

At 300 or 350 yards, the velocity drops off and range estimation become factors..... Assuming one can overcome these distance derived obstacles, what about terminal velocity where the 400 grain bullet gets down to 1700 or even 1600 FPS with 2000 foot pounds of energy...... Shot placement is always the most important factor, but at these extended ranges, is there enough horsepower to get the job done?

I am really interested in the thoughts of the membership on this subject. Yes, I do realize that there are better caliber choices to fit in to this broad performance envelope, e.g., the 416 Rigby comes to mind, but my question is VERY SPECIFIC to the .458 Lott.