ORIGINAL: bobfm10350
Whats a good rifle for up to kudu and maybe leopard sized game?
A 30-06 or a 300 Win Mag. 338 Win Mag would be fine as well as long as you shoot it very well.
Take a well constructed bullet, and you'll kill all the plains game.
Some outfits for Leopard will require a minimum of a 300 Win Mag, but they do occasionally make exceptions. A client of mine took his wife on a safari with him, and bought her a Blazer 93, and she took a gemsbok, kudu, warthog, several of the smaller antelope, and a leopard.. all with a .308.
In some places (safari outfits) they may even require a .375 or larger for leopard. I am aware of no restrictions for kudu, as they are not much larger than caribou, but all African game will be much more hardy than just about anything you'll find in North America.
When it comes to leopards, most PHs would rather have you put a medium caliber bullet in the right spot, than a .375 or bigger bore bullet through the guts. A wounded leopard is a worst nightmare.