The best calibers for African plains game are commonly cited as the .270, 7mm, .308 and .30-06. [1][2] The .270, 7mm Remington Magnum, .308 Winchester and .30-06 are all excellent for plains game hunting, so use them as a shortlist before you choose a book. [2] For more detail, see Best Long Range Calibers and the Tools for Logging Your Shots.
If you want one book that covers the whole subject, Safari Rifles II is the first pick. The maker says it presents its information in bite-size pieces and shows what works and what doesn’t, so you can read one short section on your caliber without wading through a full reference.
This article compares five books, from ones written for first-time African hunters to a full-length reference on the whole subject. Pick your caliber first, then read the chapter that covers it. It also helps to read Big Bore Rifle for African Safari: Five Books to Start With.
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How we picked: from products sold on Amazon for this need, compared by what their makers state and what buyers report in their reviews.
The Picks at a Glance
Product | Best for | Item weight | Print length | Publisher | Buyer rating | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Safari Rifles II | Hunters Facing Too Many Choices | 3.3 lb | 594 pages | Safari Press | 4.6 of 5 (73 reviews) | |
African Rifles and Cartridges | American Hunters New to Africa | 1.82 lb | 496 pages | Sportsman’s Vintage Press | 4.7 of 5 (145 reviews) | |
African Dangerous Game Cartridges | Recoil and Bullet Questions | — | 677 pages | Cool Ideas | 4.3 of 5 (82 reviews) | |
Safari Rifles (2nd Edition) | a Full-Length Reference | 1.9 lb | 432 pages | Safari Press | 4.6 of 5 (26 reviews) | |
Great African Calibers | Hunters Who Want Experience-Based Advice | 1.45 lb | 250 pages | Safari Press | 3.6 of 5 (7 reviews) |
Buyer ratings as shown on Amazon on October 13, 2026; they change.
Safari Rifles II: Best for Hunters Facing Too Many Choices
Safari Rifles II is the first pick for hunters who feel overwhelmed by the number of rifles and cartridges on the market. The book explains doubles, magazine rifles and cartridges for African hunting in one volume, so you can sort out your options without reading several titles.
The maker says that the sheer number of products today bewilders even experienced hunters, and this book is written to sort them out. For you, that means a clearer starting point: instead of guessing which rifle or cartridge fits your trip, you can read one book that lays out the choices side by side.
The maker presents the information in clearly explained, bite-size pieces, and says the result is a solid understanding of what works and what does not. If you read a few pages each evening before a hunt, each section stands on its own, so you can pick up one topic at a time.
Pros
Short, clear sections that you can read in small sittings
Covers doubles, magazine rifles and cartridges together
Buyers say the book gives a solid understanding of what works and what does not
Cons
Its focus is the full range of African hunting, not plains game alone, so plains game gets only part of the book
If you already know you want a single-topic book on dangerous game cartridges or recoil, another pick in this list fits better.
African Rifles and Cartridges: Best for American Hunters New to Africa
African Rifles and Cartridges is the pick for American hunters who are new to Africa and have heard mixed advice about which rifle and cartridge to bring. It covers a wide range of cartridges and says what each is good for on African game.
The maker, the professional hunter John “Pondoro” Taylor, says he wrote it to inform American hunters heading to Africa who may have heard contradicting advice from many sources. For you, that means the book is aimed at your exact situation, not at experts who already know the field.
Taylor covers cartridges from the large bores to the small bores and gives their recommended uses and effectiveness on Africa’s animals, based on decades of experience. That range matters because you can see how a light cartridge compares with a heavy one for the same animal before you commit to a choice. The book also gives his own opinion on which cartridge a hunter should choose, based on several criteria.
Pros
Compares the cartridges used in Africa and gives you data to weigh them yourself.
Covers sight choices along with cartridges, so you can plan the whole rifle setup.
Buyers say it is a classic, must-own book on African hunting rifles and cartridges.
Buyers say it is the most informative work on the subject, and that later writers have not matched it.
Cons
It is written for a general hunter, so it gives less space to the reasoning behind each choice than a book on one topic would.
If you already know you hunt plains game only and want the reasoning in depth, look at Safari Rifles II: Doubles, Magazine Rifles, and Cartridges for African Hunting instead.
African Dangerous Game Cartridges: Best for Recoil and Bullet Questions
African Dangerous Game Cartridges is the pick for hunters whose questions are about recoil and bullet performance more than about which rifle to buy. The maker describes it as a definitive title written by a retired South African professional hunter. For you, that means the advice comes from field experience with cartridges, not from a catalog of gun specifications.
Part 1 covers definitions, double and bolt actions, recoil management, dangerous game sights and optics, and bullet behavior, including how soft and solid bullets perform. If you want to know how hard a rifle will kick before you shoot it, or why a bullet that expands well on one animal may not on another, these are the chapters to read. Part 1 runs about 134 pages in the hard copy version, so it is a substantial read on its own before you reach the rest of the book.
Pros
The Kindle edition is full color and interactive, which helps with the diagrams and comparisons.
Buyers say the author writes from real hunting experience, with practical knowledge and personal anecdotes.
Buyers say it goes into more depth than other books on these cartridges.
Cons
Buyers say the load data tables are small and hard to read on the Kindle edition. If you plan to work from the tables at the reloading bench, the paper edition may be easier to use.
Its title and main content focus on dangerous game, so plains game gets less direct attention. If your hunts are mostly plains game, you will need to translate much of the advice to smaller animals.
If you are new to African hunting and want a book that covers plains game cartridges directly, African Rifles and Cartridges fits better.
Safari Rifles (2nd Edition): Best for a Full-Length Reference
Safari Rifles is the pick for hunters who want one full-length reference on what guns to take on safari. It suits readers who would rather have the whole subject in one book than piece it together from several shorter ones.
The maker calls it a modern day classic that covers the entire subject of what guns to take on todays safari. For you, that means the rifle choice, the cartridge choice and the bullet choice are all in one place before you pack.
The book covers types of actions, calibers, premium bullets, and sighting equipment. In practice, you can read how each choice affects the others instead of looking up each topic separately. It is the 2nd edition, runs 432 pages and weighs 1.9 pounds, so it is a longer read that is light enough to carry in a bag.
Pros
Covers the whole subject in one volume.
Cons
It was first published on January 28, 1997, so it predates the newer cartridges and rifles on the market today.
Hunters who find the choices overwhelming should look at Safari Rifles II, which is the first pick for that reader.
Great African Calibers: Best for Hunters Who Want Experience-Based Advice
Great African Calibers – Trade Edition is a pick for hunters who want advice drawn from long field experience. The maker, Tony Sanchez, is nearing his sixtieth year as a hunter in Africa, and that record is the main reason this book stands out.
The book’s value comes from time spent in the field. The maker says that years of pursuing dangerous game bring a great deal of experience with calibers and rifles. For you, that means the caliber advice is shaped by real hunts rather than catalog specifications alone.
The maker’s interest in guns and bullets goes back to hunts in West Africa during the 1950s, when he first asked what gun and bullet he was shooting. He says that curiosity has never faded. For a reader, this shows the book is built around asking why a load works, which helps when you need to judge a cartridge rather than just copy a recommendation.
The book starts with the .375 and works up to the .700, covering all calibers in between. It splits them into 16 calibers for bolt actions and 14 rimmed cartridges for double rifles. If you hunt with a bolt-action rifle, you can go straight to that half of the book without reading the double-rifle material.
Pros
Written by a hunter with nearly sixty years in Africa
Covers both bolt-action and double-rifle calibers
Buyers say the hunting stories make it enjoyable to read
Cons
Buyers complain that the author disparages other writers’ views and comes across as boastful
If you want a book covering doubles, magazine rifles and cartridges together, Safari Rifles II is the first pick for that broader need.
How do you choose a caliber for plains game?
Start with the animals you expect to hunt and the shot distances you expect, then narrow the calibers from there. A close shot in thick brush and a long shot across open grass call for different choices.
Several writers name the .270, 7mm, .308 and .30-06 as suitable for plains game. [1][3] Each of these is a common starting point, so your list can begin with them and shrink from there.
One writer still recommends the .30-06 for plains game. He used it on his first safari and kept using it. [4]
For larger plains game, one writer compares the .308 with the .300 Winchester Magnum and the .338. [3] A magnum gives more power but also more recoil, the kick you feel after each shot. Before you buy, decide whether you will shoot a heavier rifle comfortably all day.
Choose a caliber you can shoot accurately. A rifle you handle well matters more than a small difference in cartridge. A .308 you shoot tightly will serve you better than a magnum you flinch from on every shot.
Which choice should you make first?
Safari Rifles II is the first pick for hunters who want one book that explains cartridges with clear, short sections. Start by picking your caliber, then read the book section that covers it.
The book’s main value is that it teaches you how to think about the choice. The maker says the number of products on the market bewilders even experienced hunters, so the book breaks the subject into small pieces you can work through one at a time. For a first-time buyer, that means you can build a shortlist without reading the whole volume at once.
If you already know your caliber, go straight to its chapter. Each section is short enough to finish in one sitting, so you can compare a .270 with a .308 and decide which one fits your rifle and your shot distances. Because the same book covers doubles, magazine rifles and cartridges, you will see how the caliber you pick fits the action you plan to use.