[PGR88]

I notice they had no armed security to guard against hippo or other animal attacks.

What caliber is needed to take down a hippo? Anything less than .50 would probably be useless.

[marktwain]

Used to be, a person would put a round or two into the water between them and the hippos. Hippos in the water are likely sensitive to the sound and shock.

It does not take an elephant rifle to take down hippos, but they are big, tough animals. You want something with a lot of penetration.

Most would say a .375 H&H or above. The .375 is the minimum legal caliber to hunt hippos in South Africa.

Lots of hippos have been taken down with .308/.30-06/.303 loads or less.

If I were hunting hippos, I would likely opt for a .375.

[Equine1952]

.375 H&H and up are proven. Hippos are not to be screwed with. If you have to ask what caliber, you’re not ready to tackle the job.