Looking at the following drawing by Bell, taking in account his score as a small bore marksman - just wonder about the brain position on his remarks? Any thoughts?

Line seems to be pointing to the front part of the brain, I for one am not going to disagree with Bell's drawing of a side brain shot.

The arrow is even in front of the brain. The brain sits between the ear canal openings in the zygomatic arch, not way out there.

Don't know why Bell would have drawn it that way. Maybe those little 7mm pointed military solids deflected a lot!!

Bell practiced his marksmanship by pass-shooting waterfowl with his 7x57 rifle.

He is probably indicating proper elephant pass-shooting lead for elephant crossing at 10 mph at 25 yards range.

You tell 'em, RIP.

If you continued his line indicating the bullet path, it would pass behind where he indicated the brain is. That is a good thing...

JPK

Ron Thomson's book, Mahohboh, includes excellent elephant brain shot/location images.

I would have to say - based on this and other images Bell drew for publication - that he was a much better shot than he was an artist!

I have wanted to bring up the subject of Bell's drawings for years but I did not have his book to scan and post the photo.

I would like to see some of his other drawings including the one that shows the front and rear sight lined up too far forward.

I always have been bothered by these drawings. I have read where others have said that bells drawings were the best for learning the brain shot. From what I have seen they were well in front of the brain. I always wondered if they were really his drawings, or if the publisher just shipped them into the book.

I wonder hove many times I have read modern writers(with little African experience) stating that you brain an elephant by "shooting halfway between the ear hole and the eye." Someone famous wrote something to that effect(JOC or Wooters?).

quote:

Originally posted by mrlexma:
Ron Thomson's book, Mahohboh, includes excellent elephant brain shot/location images.

I would have to say - based on this and other images Bell drew for publication - that he was a much better shot than he was an artist!

Yup. Pretty sure he knew the right spot.

There are other examples of perhaps poor editing in Bell's writings. I can't remember the title, but one of his books had a quote to the effect that the .308 was probably the best elephant cartridge. The reality was the .308 hadn't even been introduced yet. Maybe he meant the .318?

quote:

Bell practiced his marksmanship by pass-shooting waterfowl with his 7x57 rifle.

He is probably indicating proper elephant pass-shooting lead for elephant crossing at 10 mph at 25 yards range.

Either that or he was shooting them over decoys...

Seriously, would there be much lead needed with most centerfires up close, even at 10 mph?

quote:

Originally posted by Dogleg:
There are other examples of perhaps poor editing in Bell's writings. I can't remember the title, but one of his books had a quote to the effect that the .308 was probably the best elephant cartridge. The reality was the .308 hadn't even been introduced yet. Maybe he meant the .318?

In an article in either Rifle or Handloader Magazine [I think it was Rifle], Bell was interviewed and did state that if he was to be hunting elephants today he thought the 308 with a heavy solid would be his choice. He liked it for its short bolt throw.

Bell was scared of recoil, that is why he used the 7x57.

In his drawing above, he pointed where he would aim with a larger caliber, and as he jerked the trigger, the point of impact would move several inches to the right.

He did not shoot elephants facing to the right.

Interesting - watching side shot placement on Buzz's video there are two instances of such placement - cow and bull - both knocked down - cow was down but shot again, while bull was stone dead...

quote:

Originally posted by mouse93:
Interesting - watching side shot placement on Buzz's video there are two instances of such placement - cow and bull - both knocked down - cow was down but shot again, while bull was stone dead...

It is a well known fact that cows have their brains in different place than bulls.

Just like in humans

Who knows what procedures were followed in preparing the book?

I think it quite possible that the publisher might not have liked Bell's art work and redid them for "artistic reasons".

I sort of think that a fellow who could, by eyewitness, hit flying ducks with his .275, find the brain on an elephant!

quote:

Originally posted by mouse93:
Interesting - watching side shot placement on Buzz's video there are two instances of such placement - cow and bull - both knocked down - cow was down but shot again, while bull was stone dead...

That one bull that was running to it's left was shot with so many rounds before that video clip started it probably fell from the accumulated weight of bullets. Or a deflected bullet or previous wounds or ???

But Saeed is going good on his comedy routine, so it's whatever he says.

Bell shot the Coramurants with his 318, because the ammo was hiving him problems, and he wanted to shoot it all up. 8 out of 10 is a pretty good record with a shotgun at 100 yards, but he did it with a rifle.
I will post a Bell Picture. He was good enough to have a picture accepted by the Field Club. 3 were rejected, but 1 accepted. I do not know which one,but I have several, and he was a first rate artist, as well as hunter. He was also a first rate sailor, for those who would like to know. 2nd place in the Fastnet Race is not for tyros. He was a MAN. Unlike the sniveling excuses that pass for one these days,Present company excluded.

this is his picture of Elephants in the High Grass, Charging. A gentleman told me, that hunted Elephants, that this was the most authentic picture he had ever seen of how an Elephant Charges, with its trunk back, and its tusks sticking out like spears.

I have finally figured this out.

Bell was hoping that Jimmy Sutherland would read his book and take his illustrations to heart.

That would have cut down on the competition.

quote:

Originally posted by mrlexma:
I have finally figured this out.

Bell was hoping that Jimmy Sutherland would read his book and take his illustrations to heart.

That would have cut down on the competition.

quote:

Originally posted by mrlexma:
I have finally figured this out.

Bell was hoping that Jimmy Sutherland would read his book and take his illustrations to heart.

That would have cut down on the competition.

Mzuri sana! You may be on to something!

Brett

quote:

2nd place in the Fastnet Race is not for tyros.

That's very impressive. The Fastnet separates the men from the boys. I had no idea. I must read up more on this man, for he was, indeed, just that.

Interesting thread. I guess I'll just have to go to my bookcase to take out my 1st edition of "Wanderings of an Elephant Hunter" that I purchased when I was 17 years old. I'll have to read it again to see if he was as screwed up with placement as some of you say.

Lucky you bought it when you were a kid. It's pricey now, if you can find a copy. Christies has one on auction.

Is that first photo an Indian or African Elephant ? The ears look a little small and the forhead is rather sloped.

Edit: The reason I ask is that at the time of Bell's publication, in the British Empire large and dangerous game hunting was considered to be centred in India. Most of the literature of the time was centred around that continent. In the Public Service postings rankings, the preserve of the Public School (those who could afford to hunt) Africa was considered a backwater.

If there were numerous editorial mistakes, it could include the use of pictures from India, not Africa and also inaccurate depictions of the location of an elephants brain.

quote:

Originally posted by Code4:
Is that first photo an Indian or African Elephant ? The ears look a little small and the forhead is rather sloped.

Edit: The reason I ask is that at the time of Bell's publication, in the British Empire large and dangerous game hunting was considered to be centred in India. Most of the literature of the time was centred around that continent. In the Public Service postings rankings, the preserve of the Public School (those who could afford to hunt) Africa was considered a backwater.

If there were numerous editorial mistakes, it could include the use of pictures from India, not Africa and also inaccurate depictions of the location of an elephants brain.

Is Australia located on planet Earth somewhere?

The drawing above has been "edited" by the editors, and is slightly different from the original.

Below, scan from 1st edition of "The Wanderings of an Elephant Hunter", Country Life, London, 1923.

quote:

Originally posted by Philip A.:
The drawing above has been "edited" by the editors, and is slightly different from the original.

Below, scan from 1st edition of "The Wanderings of an Elephant Hunter", Country Life, London, 1923.

That bottom drawing is the one that caused me to screw up my first and only attempt to side brain an elephant. I hit her almost precisely in that spot just a smidgen lower and it was not a brain shot. It was that exact drawing that I had studied before heading off to bag a phunt.
Whoops.

That frontal looks way high to me too. If one was shooting from the ground that is.

quote:

Originally posted by gunsmithing:
this is his picture of Elephants in the High Grass, Charging. A gentleman told me, that hunted Elephants, that this was the most authentic picture he had ever seen of how an Elephant Charges, with its trunk back, and its tusks sticking out like spears.

Neither one of those elephants are charging. They may charge but not yet!

465H&H

So little time. So much mumbo jumbo!

I thought everyone here knew that - like Capstick - Bell was a BS artist who never killed an elephant in his life. He based his stories on the exploits of PJ Pretorius.

quote:

Originally posted by umshiniwam:
I thought everyone here knew that - like Capstick - Bell was a BS artist who never killed an elephant in his life. He based his stories on the exploits of PJ Pretorius.

And you were there as to verify this?

quote:

Originally posted by Will:

quote:

Originally posted by umshiniwam:
I thought everyone here knew that - like Capstick - Bell was a BS artist who never killed an elephant in his life. He based his stories on the exploits of PJ Pretorius.

And you were there as to verify this?

But of course!

You guys have so many problems and so little time, and you guys are worried about some Englishman getting any credit for anything?

quote:

Originally posted by Will:
You guys have so many problems and so little time, and you guys are worried about some Englishman getting any credit for anything?

I was only kidding...I would not want to take anything away from good old Walter Dalrymple Maitland

quote:

In an article in either Rifle or Handloader Magazine [I think it was Rifle], Bell was interviewed and did state that if he was to be hunting elephants today he thought the 308 with a heavy solid would be his choice. He liked it for its short bolt throw.

With all due respect, Bell died in 1951. The .308Win. was introduced in 1952. I have no information on it but I do beleive the referenced magazines were not around at that time either.
Seems unlikely the above interview could have actually happened. Maybe some more "creative editing?" Someone somewhere claiming to recall him saying it... So much has been attributed to Bell and his contemporaries it reminds me of the myths about American bison hunters that persist to this day.
NE450#2, please do not be offended, I mean no disrespect and do not doubt your word. It is the word of the (magazine article) writer I am suspect of!

Call me a sceptic, but IMO.........

Bell's account of his amazing kills with small caliber rifles is extensive. The record I would rather see is the one nobody talks about, especially Bell, the list of the elephant that got away wounded and were never recovered.

Like all the old time ele hunters who had only porters as witness to thier antics, never mention the screw-ups they made, and even seem to have maximized the collected score!

It only stands to reason that a walking safari was not going to follow up eles that went south at a fast clip,after being shot, when they had two or three on the ground to work on, and the follow-up was not required by law as it is today!

As I said it is only my opinion, but I doubt most shot even half what they claimed,and actually collected half of those with any rifle!

Somewhere along the line came the notion that wounded game had to be followed up and finished off no matter what the cost or price.

Has not always been the case I suspect.

quote:

Originally posted by MacD37:
Call me a sceptic, but IMO.........

It only stands to reason that a walking safari was not going to follow up eles that went south at a fast clip,after being shot, when they had two or three on the ground to work on, and the follow-up was not required by law as it is today!

Exactamundo!

What was left out of the old time African hunting books would be far more interesting than what was put in!