There have been many statements made about brain shots on elephants both on here and in written literature. The most common statement is "The side brain shot is easier then the frontal brain shot on elephant." Since it appears that quite a few AR members have taken elephant with brain shots, maybe we have enough experience to see if the above statement is true. Let's limit our poll to the initial shot and eliminate follow up or insurance shots. A success means that the elephant was brained with the first attempted shot. BTW all of the elephants listed below were knocked down on the frist shot and were killed quickly with follow up shots.
Please list your results on elephants. Here is mine.

Side brain shots attempted. 4 succesful 2

Frontal shots attempted. 4 succesful 2

So I am running 50 % on both side and frontal shots.

465H&H

Side brain shots: Many, successfull 80 %.
Frontal brain shots: Many, successful 100 %.

Some side shots needed a second one, which followed immediately, when after downing, the ele tried to stand up again. Reason was a little low shot placement.
With a good penetrating bullet ( SuperPenetrator)
I had more success with frontal shots because eventually the bullet hit after passing the brain region in addition the neck vertebra.

My experience if very limited, but I intend to change it this year and next:

Frontal shots attempted: 1 and 1 successful

So I'm running 100% on frontal shots

.375 H&H 300 gr Sledgehammer

D. Nelson

Not a lot of experience here either...

One frontal, successful. Entry was in the trunk, see photo below.



This animal was somewhere between 12 and 13 yards away. No follow up shots taken.

0ne frontal brain shot attempted and sucessful on my cow.
My bull was killed with a heart/lung shot in thick jess.

By the way, for those of you who hunt elephants and especially for those who dream of doing so, I highly recommend Buzz Charlton's elephant hunting video. Buzz is a good friend so I may seem biased but those that have seen it will probably concur that his instructions and diagrams on actual brain shots are superlative. There is more shot placement footage and instruction on brain shots on eles than I have seen in any video. It is very well done and well worth the $$$$$!

Much better done than other instuctional videos in my opinion and BTW don't miss Richard Harland's new book on elephant hunting either!

Limited here also --but-- 1 frontal 1kill 100%
Hope to keep the average up this summer with # two

Attempted a brain shot on 8 ele, connected on 6.

2 side brain attempted, 2 successful

6 frontal attempted, 4 successful

bwanamrm, where can one find Buzz's video?

quote:

Originally posted by bwanamrm:

By the way, for those of you who hunt elephants and especially for those who dream of doing so, I highly recommend Buzz Charlton's elephant hunting video. Buzz is a good friend so I may seem biased but those that have seen it will probably concur that his instructions and diagrams on actual brain shots are superlative. There is more shot placement footage and instruction on brain shots on eles than I have seen in any video. It is very well done and well worth the $$$$$!

I'd love to. Where do I get a copy?

It looks like Rowland Ward is going to distribute Buzz's video. You might want to call and place an order so that they can let you know when their stock arrives.

Try his website:http://www.cmsafaris.com/

I am 0 for 1 on the first shot connection for a side brain shot - but made up for it with a running sucessful side brain shot.

I am also 0 for 1 on a frontal brain shot, we weren't sure at the time since she went blank in the eyes and dropped and never moved again. But we opened her skull to check and the bullet went an inch or two over her brain. She died from the insurance shot to the heart. We had to run after the insurance shot because the others were looking for us. When we returned, she hadn't moved since we'd left.

I get seven or eight tries this Sept and Oct to get it right on the first shot.

JPK

Of two attempts at brain shots....
Side brain shot successful in knocking the bull down but followed up... just in case.
Frontal brain shot at 12 yards and closing
extremely unsuccessful
Underneath shot...successful!

Rich Elliott

My one bull Elephant was one frontal brain shot, and it worked but I did put in a couple extras for insurance.

It looks like Rowland Ward is going to distribute Buzz's video. You might want to call and place an order so that they can let you know when their stock arrives- 500Grains


Dan was correct and initially Buzz was going through Rowland Ward, he still may be.

However, when I was at the Dallas Show in Buzz's booth, he and Ludo struck a deal to distribute them through Safari Press. They purchased 1,000 videos and will carry them as a catalogued item. Don't know when they will get their supply and list them, an e-mail to Safari Press will certainly confirm this. Buzz was also selling them at his booth in Reno and Dallas.

I e-mailed them and got a reply from Charmain saying that they are setting up a web site so you can purchase on line.

465H&H

I would also highly recommend Buzz's video. I finished watching it last night and I believe that it is the best hunting video I have ever seen. Great footage and information as well as starring roles from AR members. I have read about where to place brain shots before, but after watching the video I have a much better understanding.

I do have a questions for those who have hunted elephant. In the video Buzz points out the zygomatic arches as the key landmarks for a frontal brain shot and the ear hole and the temporal glands as the landmarks for a side brain shot. How visible are those landmarks when you are 20-50 yards away from an elephant and the head is moving? It is hard to see them in some of the video footage.

Doug

dougaboy,

IIRC, the zygomatic arches are visible with good light from the side and the front. If the elephant has its ears out they can be harder to distinguish from the front agsinst the background of the ears in the shade or mottled light.

Again IIRC, the temporal glands are sometimes really apparent and sometimes less so depending on the seeping. Lighting isn't a big factor.

The ear hole was hard for me to pick out unless I was a bit to the rear of it, then it was much easier to see. Easier in good light, harder in the shade.

I have hunted for two elephants. Before I go this Sept I want to see Buzz's video and I am going to take a folding chair and my binoculars to the zoo, several times, and study the elephants. When I planned my Oct safari elephants weren't on the agenda and I didn't even try to add one until ten days before departure; didn't know if one was available til I was in Harrare. I was less than well prepared though I had read "The Perfect Shot" a hundred times.

JPK

Liked Buzz's video as well. have not finished it completely. Good strategy, techniques, honesty throughout.

My experience is one ele, frontal brain shot, 100% dead.

Too bad Buzz didn't use me as a consultant.

I enjoyed the video and it was entertaining but I have never seen an elephant die from a near-miss brain shot! And the red superimposed "brain" is shown too low in the video. But kids, are they going to listen?

The checkbones are a poor way to find the brain on a frontal shot. They really have no correlation to the where the brain is located from the front and on cows are generally not noticable from the front.

But keep the faith!

Will,
pls. not too arrogant.

quote:

I have never seen an elephant die from a near-miss brain shot!
The checkbones are a poor way to find the brain on a frontal shot. They really have no correlation to the where the brain is located from the front.

The high pressure wave from an appropiate FN bullet with high terminal velocity can damage the brain near-missing with deadly effect.
For an experienced hunter and a well instructed beginner the cheekbones are a well suitable aid
for aiming a frontal brain shot.

Bill - Wait till Buzz posts his review on your book!

Personally, I like the frontal shot using the cheekbones as a general guide in helping determine the angle of the head. Ultimately you want to line-up w/the ear holes, and finding the cheekbones first helped me on quick shots. For me, the key is to see "the big picture", and not zero-in on a particular spot. [added]

I think the side brain CAN be easier if one has time to setup the shot, such as on a bull. But for snap-shooting and/or cows close-up, I'd prefer them facing me. Note this is based on just three ele, two tuskless cows and a bull.

I'm really no expert on brain shots on elephants having only taken 8 that way but I find that on frontal shots the forward or I should say leading edge of the cheek bones under the eyes are very visable even on cows. The cheeks bones can angle up from there, be even or actually angle down to the ear hole depending on how high the ele is holding his or her head. So I agree both both Norbert and Will ( I went through a getting along with people class lately). I find that the funnel of the ears as Will describes it helps to locate the true ear holes and the line between them is what I aim to hit. While a near miss won't necessarily kill an elephant in most cases it will knock it down which is a very comforting thought and gives you plenty of time to finish it off.

465H&H

Will,

Although I had already planned to do so, your comments guarantee that I will buy your book to see your thoughts on brain shots.

Doug

This is another one of those times when I knew I should have kept my mouth shut!

I guess everyone needs to decide themselves how best to reach the brain on a frontal shot. Though I disagree about the cheek bones indicating the brain location with Buzz, and with Ron Thomson for that matter, as long as one gets the job done, it doesn't really matter! The method I use I have confidence in
and others may see it differently.

I flinch so bad that it doesn't matter where I aim.

quote:

I flinch so bad that it doesn't matter where I aim.

You are a crack shot, Dan...

quote:

Originally posted by 577NitroExpress:

You are a crack shot, Dan...

I don't hear the baboon arguing.

Doug

Ann,
What a great shot you made on Buzz's video. And, you reloaded without taking your rifle from your shoulder. You are an inspiration!

Thanks for noticing, Scott. I've really been blessed with some good mentors along the way in life.

I sure hope that hunt was just a warm up for many more to come!


I just got the DVD of my whole hunt and as soon as I can figure out how to post video I will share my leopard and hippo kills as well.

I am a little disappointed as I was hoping for more people to chip in on this question. As it stands we so far have reported the following.

frontal attempts 22, succesful = 11 for 50%
side attempts 8, succesful = 4 for 50%

Total brain shot attempts 30 with 15 being succesful for 50%

It is also surprising to me that that the frontal shot is used so much more often then the side brain shot.

465H&H

I hate to steal my brother's thunder, but I watch him use my 375 H&H to take a frontal brain shot and drop his elephant like it was dynamited. After a bit, it started to get up and he put 3 more shots in the heart area and I put 2 in the high shoulder with a 500/416 double. The elephant was still attempting to rise when he stuck one in the side brain that permanently collapsed the elephant. So I guess his frontal shot would be a failure, but the side shot certainly worked.

Perry

Elephants that drop like they are knocked out (or dynamited), are. And not brained, and not dead.

I am 50/50 on one elephant.

I attempted a side brain shot and hit a little far forward knocking the elephant down.

I then shot it in the shoulder with the other barrel. Did a quick reload and side brained her on the next shot.

Range 42 paces.

From my report over on the African Hunting Reports forum (which most of you guys/gals have probably seen), here's a clip of an ele cow knocked out with a near-brain shot:

Video Clip #1

Contrast that with a good brain shot:

Video Clip #2

REPORT --> https://forums.accuratereloading.com/eve/forums/a/tpc/f/6321043/m/600105803]

Bill,

I can't see anything in that first clip for all the smoke. Were you using black powder?!

I know a PH in Ethiopia who "brained" an elephant and took a picture of himself on the elephant carcass with a self timer equiped camera. When he returned with helpers to extract (chop out) the tusks, the elephant was gone!

Rich Elliott

Frontal: 337 out of 359 shots taken.
Side: 693 out of 710 shots taken.
Rear Quartering: 75 out of 93 shots taken.

W.D.M. Bell

Damn, he was good!

465H&H