Hi, I'm new to this forum. I got a book many, many years ago called "Trophy Hunter in Asia" by Elgin Gates. I was facinated by it and this trophy hunter's exploits. I understand he has also authoured "Trophy Hunter in Africa" as well. He is (or was) a facinating hunter having collected more game species than anyone else at the time and he is reputed to have opened up unhunted (by western trophy hunters) game fields in Asia and Africa. He was also a (and the youngest at the time) winner of the Weatherby Big Game Award. He is also credited with the 7th best Elephant of all time, see http://www.safaripress.com/page51.html, taken with his favourite rifle, a 300 Weatherby!!
I hear he had one of the finest trophy rooms in the US (if not the world) and he died in 1988. He sounds like a man of great passion for the sport of trophy hunting and with an unusual drive to do what he has done.
I'd like to know more about him, pictures of his trophy room (which I heard was destroyed by fire before he died) and converse with anyone who knew him or about him.
Magnum
Posts: 62 | Location: Brisbane, Australia | Registered: 11 June 2004
He founded the International Handgun Metallic Silhouette Association (IHMSA) in 1977. When I was getting interested in silhouette shooting with handguns, Elgin Gates was "da man" -- Elgin Gates this, Elgin Gates that.
He developed the SuperMag series of cartridges in calibers of .357, .375, .44, .45, .50, and .60 -- all quite impressive in their own right.
Good luck in your research.
Russ
Posts: 2982 | Location: Silvis, IL | Registered: 12 May 2001
Like Russell, I too was captivated by his exploits while growing up including my predilection for Weatherby rifles. I have his book about Africa and it's pretty good reading, the chapter on the elephant you mention is pretty good also. Just one quick tidbit, there is a passage in the book where he kills a large bull elephant with an experimental Weatherby cartridge, a 378 Wby case necked down to 30 cal--in 1959!
Weatherby didn't release this caliber until the 90s. But his favorite caliber was the 300 and I think his accomplishments demonstrate the caliber and the rifle-maker's greatness. jorge
Posts: 7149 | Location: Orange Park, Florida. USA | Registered: 22 March 2001
According to Jack O'Conner (one of his book's where he talks about trophy hunters he knew) - Elgin Gates grew up in Wisconsin on a dariy farm. He went to the University of Wisconsin (I believe on a football scholarship) where he got a degree in accounting. Went to work for Standard Oil and studied geology at night. Was talked into leaving Standard Oil by an independent oil man (wildcatter), who set him up with a $1MM line of credit at a bank. Elgin finally went out on his own (reluctant to leave the security of the big company) and almost used up the whole million dollars, before he found any oil. During his peak he was making around $35,000 per day (around 1940 to 1950). He sounds like he was a very interesting man!
MHC your talking about Herb Kline a friend of Gates'. Gates was in the outboard motor business with Mercury. He held a number of offshore speed boat records. He was also an amateur archaeologist,was interested in orchids and trophy hunting. After he stopped big game hunting he took up trap shooting and became involved with IMSHA.
Posts: 179 | Location: Westbrook, Maine | Registered: 26 May 2002
MHC- Its easy to mix them up. They hunted a lot together, both won the Weatherby Award. Both men were involved with Weatherby. Klien was a partner in Weatherby's firm and Gates named the Mark V.
Posts: 179 | Location: Westbrook, Maine | Registered: 26 May 2002
During the latter part of his life, Gates maintained a residence in Idaho Falls, Idaho, where the IHMSA was headquartered. Gates built a world class pistol range in Idaho Falls where the IHMSA world championships were held for a few years.
Gates was instrumental in getting Dan Wesson to build their silhouette handguns and getting Ruger to upgrade the sights on the 10-inch target Rugers.
To the best of my knowledge, his wife Dolly is still alive and staying with Robbie, his son, in Idaho Falls ........haven't talked with him in a couple of years. Find some old copies of Gun World from the 70's and you'll find various articles written by Elgin. Basically, he was a developer/big game hunter turned speed boat racer, got interested in trap, and set out to prove that an older person could shoot plain-jane Remington 870's and beat the younger guys with fancy, specialized shotguns ...... to the extent of being a world-class champion! .......then developed the interest in Silhouettes when he and his son attended the first pistol shoot in mid 70's ........went on to start IMHSA and was president for several years, took it to the fastest growing shooting sport in the 80's .......died, and the world went to hell in a handbasket! I liked him, considered him a friend who always had time for anyone with like interests!
