I just got back the video of my recent elephant bull hunt that I reported last month ( First Elephant Bull with CM Safaris )
I thought it worth posting the following pictures captured from the video of my first experience of being charged by an elephant. It fortunately turned out to be a mock charge, but who was to know !!
My main memory is of concentrating on the aiming point and remembering to watch for that point changing if he dipped his head, whilst still awaiting instruction from “the boss” who was conducting a shout down next to me.
What are other members memories of their first time ?


HERE HE COMES !!!



CONCENTRATE ON THAT SPOT



WATCH FOR THAT HEAD POSITION



THAT’S CLOSE ENOUGH THANKS

RJ, SWEET!!!


Mad Dog

Oh please sir, tell me where the aiming point might be, says I.



Glad to see you had a good time.

Looks like you were ready for whatever happened, nice show. I'v been in those shoes lots of times, and it makes about everything else seem kind of tame, doesn't it! Very nice memory captured forever.

quote:

Originally posted by Will:
Oh please sir, tell me where the aiming point might be, says I.

Still trying to figure out where to shoot them Bill? Here's a tip:

I'd say that's a pretty good tip.

Great footage.

But isn't the rifle mounting proceedure and sequence backwards?

JPK

Will, Mike + others

Will i miss the brain if i go lower like this picture...Im a low shooter

quote:

Originally posted by A.Dahlgren:
Will, Mike + others

Will i miss the brain if i go lower like this picture...Im a low shooter =)

That's where I would have shot. BTW, I think that that elephant came one step too close for me, how much closer where you going to let him come?

After the first time that I ever saw a "mock" charge (as my PH said it was in my first day in camp)I told my PH -"If that's a mock charge I never want to see the real thing!" (I stayed in Africa long enough to find that the screaming and the flaring of ears of a matriarch which I heard and saw some more times afterwards scared me more than a Cape buff which I had come to hunt.(successfully) I admired then (and still do) the guys who stand and face an elephant. Magnificent animal -and I always have regretted that I never tested myself against them) These are beautiful photos -and convey that looming sense of an animal who can stomp you into the ground. Thanks for posting them.

WOW!!!!!!! Awesome footage!! I might have had to take a nitro pill after that!! I have never had that happen to me as I have never hunted Ele. I watch all I can about African hunting and I have to admire the steel will of Ivan Carter. My wife and I want to run away from the TV but Ivan barely twitches when the beasts mock charge!!! I have never seen anyone w/ as much understanding of an animal as he seems to have. Almost seems like he is talking to them. Incredible.

Great pictures and aiming advice. As one who has been charged I can tell you it's a thrill you will never forget. I was armed with only my camera. My askari still refuses to go into the bush with me. He says something about wyzumu mazungu ie. crazy white boy you going to getuse both made into red guuuuuu

As long as his head is up as in the pictures and his ears are out spread he will most likely stop. When they drop their head so the tusks are near the ground and their ears are folded back then prepare to repel borders.

465H&H

Wouldn't his ears be pinned back if he was coming?

quote:

Originally posted by Slider:
Wouldn't his ears be pinned back if he was coming?

Usually but you can't count on it.

465H&H

If ya had to bet a bull isn't going to bring it home.

And most elephants don't know the proper charge protocol, some come with ears back and some with ears out. I think it just depends on whether they have you precisely located or not.

I've had some old hands swear that if they have their ears out it ain't a real charge. I beg to differ!!

quote:

Originally posted by Rine Everett:

quote:

Originally posted by A.Dahlgren:
Will, Mike + others

Will i miss the brain if i go lower like this picture...Im a low shooter =)

That's where I would have shot. BTW, I think that that elephant came one step too close for me, how much closer where you going to let him come?

Might get lucky, but the shot is too low.

quote:

Originally posted by Will:

quote:

Originally posted by Rine Everett:

quote:

Originally posted by A.Dahlgren:
Will, Mike + others

Will i miss the brain if i go lower like this picture...Im a low shooter =)

That's where I would have shot. BTW, I think that that elephant came one step too close for me, how much closer where you going to let him come?

Might get lucky, but the shot is too low.

+2,
MJines shot placement is IMO spot on with the angle of the eles head. Using the zygomatic arch in this instance puts it low on the brain but you would probably anchor it with a 458 and up. At least with the shot he would act a little drunk and with the second barrel shoot at Mike's spot.

I agree that the shot would be just under or through the lower part of the brain but should put it down with a heavy bullet with good penetration. Four to five inches higher would be my spot and that should center the brain.

465H&H

Actually Mike's shot is an inch too low but I didn't want to start a fight!

Gimme a break I only had 7/10 of a second to pick my spot. Besides, that is why I shoot the Big Kahuna.

quote:

Originally posted by MJines:
Gimme a break I only had 7/10 of a second to pick my spot. Besides, that is why I shoot the Big Kahuna.

Absolutely. It is one thing to analyze the shot for half an hour and another to make it quick!

Actually I would say you are spot on, so to speak, but I figured if I questioned it a bit I could see if you were still paying attention. Sorry.

I love elephant hunting.

The "false" charge is one of the thrills of the hunt.

I have had elephants come close enough to throw dirt on me and the PH, stop and raise all manner of vocal hell.

Nothing else even comes close to this thrill.

This is why I love the double rifle.

I have shot 4 elephants at 6 yards or less, they were always ones that we wanted to shoot.

I have had several false charges inside of 10 yards, by elephants that we did not want to shoot.

What FUN.

While I have killed elephants... IT IS THE HUNT... I LOVE to HUNT them.

THE HUNT, UP CLOSE, that is MY HOLY GRAIL.

No other HUNT even comes close.

Elephants are the most Majestic of all animals IMHO.

I don't think I have ever been as scared as when being charged by elephants, or wondering whether the big jumbo we were looking at may at any minute decide to charge us.

I still can't say I enjoy being charged by them but I will probably go elephant hunting again. I must be mad.

Maybe it is what they say about women and childbirth - the memory plays tricks on you so you don't run screaming from the idea of ever doing it again.