Elephant Hunting

[butta9999]

I am curious to know do these huge elephant guns eg: .416 Remington Mag,
.416 rigby, .460 weatherby, .470 Nitro Express, .500 Jeffery, have enough power to hit the lung area broad side on an elephant.

I dont plan on hunting African elephant but was curious to know of anyone who has hunted elephant before, to answer this. Is the head shot preferred and where to aim on the head.

Even members who own some of these beasts of the firearm family would they do enough in the boiler room of the biggest land Mammal.

[nate45]

I remember reading a story in Gun Digest by Layne Simpson, I think its in the 1989 or 90 edition I'll look and see for sure in the A.M. Anyway he used the then new .416 Weatherby Magnum with a 350 grain bullet SP at 2900 fps on safari and killed everything including elephant with heart lung shots. I don't see why it would not work, but if it were dangerous game I'd want some back up, because while I'm sure that combo would kill them, I would not want them getting me before they died.

[Benonymous]

I was under the impression that it was "normal" to head shoot elephant. That's the reason you go for a heavy, low velocity projectile. It transfers maximum energy into the elephants "spongy" skull. That's if you're dopey enough to want to shoot one in the fist place.

[Art Eatman]

Benonymous, the elephant meets all the criteria for a game animal: In many areas, a surplus population. Good meat. Good trophy. If you go to the Hunting forum at http://www.thehighroad.org, there are stickies which give some good factual information on the subject of elepant hunting.

Butta9999, SFAIK, yes, all those cartridges will get the penetration.

My understanding of the reason for the brain shot is the rapidity of death. You don't want an irate elephant zeroing in on you during his final moments, with "Squash!" as his final thought.

[hogdogs]

while I am not ever going to travel the world to hunt... If I ever did shoot a 'phant I sure want him DRT as I have no plan of my body being the icky stuff 'tween their toes!
Brent

[LionHunter]

The heart-lung shot on Elephant is easier to make than the brain shot and is recommended by many PH, especially if the client is armed with a .375 rather than one of the .40+ calibers - due to the reaction from a missed brain shot with the .375. Elephant brain is the size of a loaf of bread and can easily be missed depending upon the attitude of his head at any given moment. The H-L target is very large and quite easy to locate and hit, even on a moving Elephant.

While the properly executed brain shot has a dramatically immediate affect, the H-L shot is mortal as well, but will allow the Elephant to move 100-200 yards on the run, prior to succumbing and falling over dead.

Elephant hunting is managed by the Commission on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) and they may be currently sport hunted and their ivory legally exported/imported from five southern African countries. It was never sport hunting that endangered the Elephant but rather the poaching of Ivory for the carving trade. Sport hunters have assured the conservation of the Elephant.

There is currently an excess of Elephant in many parts of Africa, where they can become a serious problem to habitat, other species and humans.

[indy245]

Has anyone used a .50BMG for this purpose? I don't know if there are any bullets other than FMJ for it but there are alot of nice rifle platforms that would seem to work well.



Indy.

[butta9999]

What would be the maxium distance, if it will run 200yds with a heart lung will these super calibers have the punch from 250yds?

[Art Eatman]

Indy, what stands out about African hunting is the possibility of need to shoot Right Now! on something which intends to stomp you or eat you. If the weight of one's rifle is a bit much for heavy, you might become the late lamented...

[fisherman66]

I like WEB's choice. Partly because that's what I shoot. 7x57 with brainer solid.

[indy245]

Thanks Art, I never really took into consideration that other platforms in the above listed calibres would be much better suited for easy movement and follow up shots or pressure shots.

I've never seen anyone list .50BMG which I would think would have enough pentrating power.

Indy.

[Microgunner]

I once saw a film where the military of some African nation were culling the elephant herds using FN FAL .308 military rifles. A double tap and down those huge bull elephants fell, every time, without fail. I guess if you know what you're doing even the lowly .308 is enough rifle.

[LionHunter]

Ele are shot up close and personal. Generally under 25 yards. You do not shoot Ele, or any dangerous game, at distance >50 yards. The stalk up on Ele is part of the thrill of Elephant hunting. A man on foot cannot keep up with an Ele on the run, particularly in the forest/jungle environment. Ele are relatively easy to track but it always amazes me how quiet and difficult to see they can be when in forest/jungle.

I doubt you could get a .50BMG rifle into most African countries without prior approval, as it is a military round. That makes me wonder if you can even take it out of the U.S. Many items that have military applications are restricted. Night vision devices were, and may still be, on the prohibited list.

My personal Ele rifle is a .458Lott with 500 gr solid bullets doing 2350 fps.

[Kreyzhorse]

Butta - No sure if have the jones to go hunt in Africa or if this is a random question, but if you are a reader, hunt down "Months of the Sun" by Ian Nyschens. Great book on elephant hunting and Africa.

And, as a side note, Walter Karamojo Bell was an elephant hunter who used a .303 for a while with 200gr bullets and other assorted small caliber rifles. Bell also prefered the brain shot.

[fisherman66]

And, as a side note, Walter Karamojo Bell was an elephant hunter who used a .303 for a while with 200gr bullets and other assorted small caliber rifles. Bell also prefered the brain shot.

Yes, but he preferred the .275 Rigby (over a 1000 elephants to that cartridge). So did Eleanor O'Connor for her trips with Jack.