Tom - I agree wholeheartedly - the 16 is the pefect all-round calibre for North America, while, as Forsyth rather well proved, the 14 was the "IT" for India.

I've owned a few .458's & shot them a lot and while the 14 bore, with it's 480gr. ball at 1,550fps rises fully as high in the muzzle during recoil, the actual recoil speed is lower which reduces felt recoil. I find the .69 (14 bore) easy to shoot, while I don't like shooting the .458's at all.

Comparing the .69 to the .458 is a good comparrison, though, as the .69 seems to have been the .458 of it's day. Able to exit an Elephant's head, handle tiger's, buffalo and bear - at 9 to 9 1/2 pounds. It was an easy shooting but powerful rifle for the hunter to carry himself.