First Safari - I’ll hunt plains game - What caliber?

[Ontario Hunter]

I used to think that I was a nice guy...

As I approach 60, maybe I should just embrace "curmudgeon."

I'm way past sixty. The old age excuse works for me. Wish that card would have been available when I was sixty ... or thirty. Back then I just had to live with being an arsehole.

 

[Bill J H]

I have been bouncing around between my absolute favorite gun (Ruger Mod 77 .308) and one of my 30-06s. Like girlfriends from many years ago: There are many you REALLY like to date, but your affection always returns to the one you’d like to marry
Fortunately, being retired I have a lot of time to reload, shoot, and hunt. I usually run thru 30-40 center fire rounds a week and double/triple that in pistol and 22LR.
My shoulder is replaced and I have plates and screws in my neck, so I’m averse to hard kicking guns - however - my lightweight suppressors mitigate recoil immensely.
My 20” barrel 308 pushes the 165gr Swift Scirocco very accurately at 2700fps. This was my “planned” load, however, I was just able to order several boxes of 165gr Swift A-Frames (200 bullets). I’m gonna work some loads and see how she likes them, then figure out which to take.

My tougher animals will be zebra, Blue Wildebeest, and Kudu.

 

[Piet Brood]

I have been bouncing around between my absolute favorite gun (Ruger Mod 77 .308) and one of my 30-06s. Like girlfriends from many years ago: There are many you REALLY like to date, but your affection always returns to the one you’d like to marry
Fortunately, being retired I have a lot of time to reload, shoot, and hunt. I usually run thru 30-40 center fire rounds a week and double/triple that in pistol and 22LR.
My shoulder is replaced and I have plates and screws in my neck, so I’m averse to hard kicking guns - however - my lightweight suppressors mitigate recoil immensely.
My 20” barrel 308 pushes the 165gr Swift Scirocco very accurately at 2700fps. This was my “planned” load, however, I was just able to order several boxes of 165gr Swift A-Frames (200 bullets). I’m gonna work some loads and see how she likes them, then figure out which to take.

My tougher animals will be zebra, Blue Wildebeest, and Kudu.

This will do everything you need it to.

 

[Mtn_Infantry]

I have been bouncing around between my absolute favorite gun (Ruger Mod 77 .308) and one of my 30-06s. Like girlfriends from many years ago: There are many you REALLY like to date, but your affection always returns to the one you’d like to marry
Fortunately, being retired I have a lot of time to reload, shoot, and hunt. I usually run thru 30-40 center fire rounds a week and double/triple that in pistol and 22LR.
My shoulder is replaced and I have plates and screws in my neck, so I’m averse to hard kicking guns - however - my lightweight suppressors mitigate recoil immensely.
My 20” barrel 308 pushes the 165gr Swift Scirocco very accurately at 2700fps. This was my “planned” load, however, I was just able to order several boxes of 165gr Swift A-Frames (200 bullets). I’m gonna work some loads and see how she likes them, then figure out which to take.

My tougher animals will be zebra, Blue Wildebeest, and Kudu.

Your M77 .308 is plenty for everything you have on your list even shooting the scirocco's. Excellent load choice for those tougher 3. The A-Frames are great too, and if there's a chance you add an eland or giraffe it'll be a good choice, though with that much shooting under your belt with that rifle/load I don't think you'll have any issues.

 

[Andama]

I'll be taking a 7mm PRC on my next hunt in May with either Norma Bondstrike or Federal Terminal Ascent projectiles. Cartridge has been amazing on Elk so far, quickly becoming my favorite.

Of the cartridges you listed, I would go .308 with a 165 Accubond, that's just me though!