Guys,

Where would you place your shot on this elephant if you were hunting him and why?

1st shot


2nd shot



3rd shot



4th shot



5th shot



The idea is to teach 1st time elephant hunters where they need to look and aim for an effective killing shot at different angels.

Do you know?

Will

From reading the number of your posts I suspect that you you know the answer! I have always wished that some of you guys would tell us whether a skull shot is the only way to go (although if he or she is coming head on, I don't know what other area there is to shoot at!) I was only there once and for buff only, but I saw elephant every day and thought they were the most impressive animals I had ever seen. I shot my buff at maybe 35 yards -but elephant really scared me with the scream I heard from a matriarch -and so I always have admired elephant hunters. It has to take something to stand and face a charge.(something like standing on the tracks as the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe is coming at you) I used a 375 on my buff - I would prefer a recoiless rifle on an elephant!

Looks like five photos of the same elephant to me.

If he had bigger tusks, I would wait until he turned broadside, as in photo no. 4, and then shoot him in the brain.

Just above the zygomatic arch and forward of the earhole.

Yes,

Its the same elephant, I took photos of him last Saturday.

The idea is not to look at ivory size but purely at shot placement at the different angles

How does these look, red dot indicate shot placement

Oh c'mon Will - be a sport:

Gerhard,

Good selection of pics for targeting purposes.

I note that in the 4th pic the Ele is on the move and going to pass behind heavy shrub. In that position I suggest a first time Ele hunter take the safer heart/lung shot slightly above and forward of the rear crease of his front leg. Because this leg is forward in the pic, this would be ideal and would guarantee a dead trophy, even if he turned after the shot and departed straight away behind the bush, thereby negating a follow-up shot. You'll find the Ele down and dead some 100-200 yards from the location of the shot. JMO, others may differ.

I am far from an elephant master and I've only killed five. Two were heart shots and three were in the head, one of which missed the brain but bumfuzzled the elephant, knocking it down and a few shots to the chest ended the process without a problem. The other two were DRT side-side brain shots.

JMHO, but here's what I think:

#1 is fine.

#2 is too far forward, I'd think five inches to the right and a couple up.

#3 is o.k.

#4 is too low for the brain. I'd shoot 4" higher and maybe 3 inches to the rear. The chest shot is a bit too far forward, too and I'd shoot 6 or 7" further back, but where you're aiming, it would probably break the leg bone, making an escape impossible.

#5 is 3 or 4 inches too low and I'd shoot a hand span back on the chest shot.

I welcome criticism of my opinion.

While I was posting, Mouse93 added his "modified" pictures. I'd worry about his brain shot on the bottom picture. It's mighty close to the extention of the tusk... I'd go a wee bit to the right or just take his chest shot.

Hello, based on my total ignorance of the location of shooting the elephant, I would ask whether they were also shot in the hip. I have read in a Spanish story of a hunter that it was impossible to make a shot to the heart or brain (the elephant was of "ass" and also the grass was too high), the hunter decided to make a trip to the hips (the gun was a Winchester 70 and a caliber 458 Winchester Magnum) to slow the march of the elephant and close once again to perform best shot. What do you think?

Regards,

Oscar.

Just like Bill, to wait for others to tell him where to shoot and then to chime in with a "me too". Be bold Bill, take a stand.

Based on Gerhard's shot placement:

#1 Looks good
#2 Same vertical line but more to the right (probably just shoot through the eye)
#3 Looks good
#4 Too low, move up into the lower curve of the depression in the skull
#5 Ditto for #4

All good for me except the quartering towards shot that in 1st post is listed as shot 1. That one like Mike said should be shot right through the eye. I think your shot will miss the brain forwards.

for me correct places here are
1 4 inchs a front of ear hole
2 in left part of forehead on ear hole line
3 in ear hole line(above eyes line on this picture)
4 in ear hole(easy here)
5 litle bit a front of ear hole

Mouse is just about dead-on, assuming the center of the front sight bead. Very good, in my opinion.

Great minds think alike!

quote:

Originally posted by Will:
Mouse is just about dead-on, assuming the center of the front sight bead. Very good, in my opinion.

Never got to hunt them but have finally planned a trip for 2012...Greeff wanted me to hunt them with him and so we played with some up close....had more encounters since in Zambia....
Heck, they are so big they cant walk on thrre legs so just put the first round in the Knee, then use up all your ammo finishing them off!

Geez! It is no wonder so many people have trouble with wounding elephants.

Based on Gerhard's shot placement.
#1. Line is pretty good except it is going to clip the right tusk socket and probably go off course. I would wait until he turned more toward me to avoid the tusk socket and aim about three to four inches higher. Viewed from the side the bottom edge of the brain is about even with the zygomatic arch line.

#2. Way too far forward. Sure to hit the tusk socket and go in front of the brain. Need to line up with a vertical line drawn down from the rear center of the skull. Again, I would wait for a better shot. But if I did, I would try to hit even with the back edge of the eye but one to two inches higher.

#3. Spot on!

#4. Four inches higher for the side brain shot and. The heart shot will hit the lower portion of the heart. The more vulnerable parts are in the upper portion and the aorta above the heart. I would shoot on the same horizontal line but about six inches higher for the top of the heart.

#5. Maybe two inches higher for the brain shot. The body shot is way to low and may miss the heart completely or just hit the lower part. I would use the same line but come up to where the thorn branch crosses that line.


Those are the shots that have worked for me in the past. I always avoid the tusk sockets at all costs as they will stop almost any solid bullet.

If I'm wrong please tell me so as I am always ready to learn.

465H&H

quote:

the first round in the Knee, then use up all your ammo finishing them off!

Namibian PH said that's what he did in Angola during the war with an M16. He and another would work as a team putting the 1st rounds into both knees at the same time, then just walk up and put one in the brain.

I got the shoot them in the knee line from John Greeff. Being a neophyte African Hunter at the time, I asked John where do you shoot one of those magnificent beast....John says, "Well Tom, if it is a client who is shooting poorly, I have them shoot them in the knee."

quote:

Originally posted by Tom In Tennessee:
I got the shoot them in the knee line from John Greeff. Being a neophyte African Hunter at the time, I asked John where do you shoot one of those magnificent beast....John says, "Well Tom, if it is a client who is shooting poorly, I have them shoot them in the knee."

Remind me to never hunt with that guy(?).

Photo 2 - The red dot is too forward. I would shoot behind the eye to try & center the brain towards the medula oblangata. The green sights on the Photo2 would miss the heart IMO. I would shoot just inside the left leg to hit the heart.

Arm chair elephant hinting is so easy!

Bill, isn't #4 a wee bit low. Others look spot on. I give you a B+. Maybe you should write a book?

quote:

Originally posted by MJines:
Bill, isn't #4 a wee bit low. Others look spot on. I give you a B+. Maybe you should write a book?

#4, as with the rest of Bill's shot placements will put him down one time! Perhaps Bill has done this before?? Paint dots on pics I mean.

INteresting, Mouse why inthe photolooking o our left did you pick what appears to be a chest shot??

Have never hunted them just curious

Tricky angle - I don't see the brain + would be afraid to shoot so close to the tusk socket...

First of - I have no experience in shooting elephants, tho since I have first met them in the wilds (they were those crazy Save cows from Gonarezhou) I was so intrigued and haunted by their appearance I knew I had to do something about it - done my homework - Buzz's DVD and Harlands Ndlovu were basics that I have learned to know by heart...never had Idea if it would work tho... so a Big thanks to Gerhard for posting this thread and another big one to professor Will to certify my wanders...

After 40 days Buffalo hunting in the elephant country I am a firm believer that any day without Elephants when Buffalo hunting is a good day - they are just bloody nuisance.

quote:

Bill, isn't #4 a wee bit low

Pleazzzzz!

quote:

Perhaps Bill has done this before?? Paint dots on pics I mean.

I never miss with a paint ball gun!

quote:

Originally posted by MJines:
Bill, isn't #4 a wee bit low. Others look spot on. I give you a B+. Maybe you should write a book?

Will and you have done that rodeo far more than I, but I thought #4 looked OK and the others could be about 2" lower.

I'm not saying they would miss the brain, just that they could be a bit lower.

Number two could be a bit lower, but I'm queasy about putting a shot right through the eye on the internet!

hey Thanks guys the information and visuals helped me out on shot placement. I got my buffalo this yr and have booked for elephant next still working on shot placement and a good load for my 458wm. If I had the funds I would go down to FTW and shot on there range but I guess my back yard will have to do

quote:

a good load for my 458wm.

Any brand case, Fed 215 primer, enough AA 2230 to make it go ~2250 fps, and a nice 450 gr North Fork Flat Nose Solid to top it off.

Drop the 2230 through a 24" drop tube and work up with a chrono from 68 gr. to achieve ~2250 fps. Crimp the bullet in place with a Lee FCD in one of the grooves. Seat the bullet as far out as the chamber and magazine allow. Make sure this bullet will feed through your rifle well with a sample pack of bullets.

Another option is the Hornady 500 grain DGS solid in front of 72 grains ( +or- ) of AA2230 depending on your rifle for around 2,150 fps.

465H&H

Lane,
I got that load saved on my pc will be loading some of it up soon as it cools off enough to breath 465h&H got it thanks
thanks again

Gerhard, I understood your question, but was making a different point.

Sometimes, one must take the first shot offered and take it quickly. But often, if the first shot offered isn't optimal, one can wait or maneuver for a better one.

My point is that I would rather shoot at the brain from the side than the front.

It's an easier shot, meaning that the brain is a bigger target from the side, and a broadside profile provides more easily visible anatomical reference points for lining up the shot.

Of course, like most who have hunted elephant in this day and age, I have lined up far more shots than I have taken.

But I'll take a side brain shot over a frontal any day!

quote:

Originally posted by 465H&H:
Another option is the Hornady 500 grain DGS solid in front of 72 grains ( +or- ) of AA2230 depending on your rifle for around 2,150 fps.

465H&H

Or the same for a 500 gr. NF FNS. But maybe can get a slightly faster vel than 2150 w/ NF.

A big part of shooting an elephant is being able to read their behavior. This elephant doesn't know the camera man is there or if he does he so acclimated to people that he isn't paying any attention to him. If you notice he is looking down in all the pictures and his eyes are not wide open. Even in the full frontal position he is not looking at the camera man. What that means is that you have the opportunity to wait for a much better shot angle than some of the pictures portray. What did Pondoro say about patience?

465H&H

Will, if you were serious in your response to my previous post, you obviously don't understand a good sense of humor from a PH or anyone else! Have a nice day!

quote:

Originally posted by Tom In Tennessee:
Will, if you were serious in your response to my previous post, you obviously don't understand a good sense of humor from a PH or anyone else! Have a nice day!

I tried to delete that post but it wouldn't let me! But lecturing me ain't gonna git ya anywhere.

I'm going to show my complete and total ignorance here. . .

Where the hell is the elephant's earhole?

Everything you read mentions the earhole as a reference. . . Bell, Boddington, Harland, Robertson, etc.

I think I know where it is, cause I think I can see it, but I'm just not sure. So could somebody paint a dot on that elephant's earhole for this dreamer?

Thanks

Bake

Will, okay....friends?
Anything that smacks of an insult to John, who is still recovering fron the Leopard incident sets me off! Sorry if I offended but I did not start it!!
Let us move on!