I know this much: Considering where he lives, if that correspondent wanted to keep things real simple, he could just run with the 375 H&H and not clutter up his mind worrying about all the rest of those cartridges.

Personal Opinions:

More hunters will shoot a 308 well than the louder, harder-kicking, flatter-shooting 7mm Rem. Mag.

The 300 Win. Mag. is about 100 fps. behind the 300 Wby. when both are loaded to potential, but the 300 Win. burns less powder, kicks less, isn't as loud, is more widely-available in terms of high-quality, reasonably-priced ammo and brass, and it has longer barrel life as well. That's why I personally shoot the Win-Mag and not the Weatherby.

The 458 Lott is a great choice if you want a big 450. It out-performs the 458 Win. Mag. by at least 150 fps., plus in a pinch you can shoot widely-available 458 Win. Mag. ammo in it without a hitch and still get by. Personally, I wouldn't consider any of the others.......

The 416 Rem. Mag. is a truly great and versatile cartridge, one of my personal favorites, that hammers buffalo and stuff harder than the 375 H&H, but it also kicks somewhat harder, doesn't shoot as flat, and in the final analysis probably isn't quite as versatile as the 375 H&H. But it's a better dangerous game cartridge, especially if you're going to hunt buffalo on an ongoing basis.

When it comes to comparing rifles and cartridges, EVERYTHING is, in truth, a compromise

.........

AD