I have ordered two Africase 5-round shell holders for my november cow elephant hunt in Dande North. I planned on carrying 5 solids and 5 bonded soft points, plus my rifle holds 3 down and one in chamber. This gives me 5 SP and 9 solids. (The SP's are for buffalo).

My soft rifle case has a side pocket I can leave a 20-round pack in back in the truck. Am I set or should I carry a few more SP or solids on my belt or fanny pack?

(I planned on carrying a small camera, leatherman tool, mini mag light, sunscreen, DEET, and water bottle in the fanny pack).

Andy

Ditch the water bottle, there will be someone carrying water. Let the water boy wear your fanny pack or there may be room for it in his backpack. Add matches or a cigarette lighter to your fanny pack. Also, buy a couple of Nalgene 1 Qt. bottles and take some powdered Gatorade.

Get at least one more 5 round shell holder and fill it with solids.

Who is your PH in Dande North?

Regards,

Terry

I carry a cartridge belt with 24 rounds, half solids and half softs, but for elephant I would carry all solids, as I have no need for softs and if I was to see a 60 inch Kudu I would plunk him in the shoulder with a 500 gr. .470 solid and go collect him....I always carry a lot of ammo when hunting DG and I have seen instances wherein it was needed..Sometimes we have had to sleep on the track and continue the following day and a night in the bush needs extra ammo on ocassion...Also I have seen some animals like buff take up to 9 to 13 rounds, and I want some left when I get back to camp...

No need to carry water, your scouts will carry the water, at least they would with us..They would also carry the other items in their pack. You carry ammo and rifle.

Oh my God!

15 or more solids please. The rest of the junk someone else can carry.

Andy,

You have plenty of solids. And the softs for buff aren't really necessary as solids work great for buff too.

I shot 3 elephants in Zim 2004. 2 cows and a 55 lb bull. Counting finishers/ insurance shots I used 9 480 Woodleigh Solids from my 450 No2.
First cow, frotal brain, followed by 2 finishers to the body, second cow side brain, no finishers, rest of heard "advanced" we backed off. Bull, 2 body shots, he turned and came for us, a frontal brain knocked him down, 2 more brain shots at point blank as finishers.
I carried a 15 round belt with half solids/half softs, and a butstock carrier with 6 solids, both made by http://www.murrayleather.com.
Always carry plenty of bullets, sometimes you will be a long way from the Safari car.

Thanks everyone for advice. It is hard for me to get away from carrying my own gear (fanny pack). But it will be hot and I dont mind ditching it with someone else.

Terry, I will be hunting with Myles from Charlton-McCallum. I already use the 1 quart nalgene bottles.

Will, should I just load up both 5-round cases with solids and keep soft points in my shirt? I do want to use the North Fork bonded soft point for buff.

Andy

Sorry, it has already been covered, BUT, you don't need to carry all of that stuff while hunting. If you're hunting cow elephant, You'll be spending a lot of time crawling around in the jess. The less to snag the better. Carry 15-20 solids on your belt. Forget softs. Maybe a small knife. Your PH will have a Leatherman and the #2 tracker will carry water. Leave the camera in the truck for after the hunt.

I carry at least 15 solids and preferably 20 when after elephants. Especially when hunting cow herds. I always want enough to handle a cow war if it should happen. I usually carry one or two softs in my pockets if there is a possibility of buff. Don't carry your softs in the same holders as the solids as Murphy will dictate that you grap the wrong one in an emergency. You don't want to try a frontal brain shot on an elephant with a soft. Also don't carry the softs in the same pocket as they will clink. I usually only carry a handkerchief in one pocket and a folding knife in the other. As all the others have said, the trackers or water carrier will carry your other misc items including water. I do like to have the tracker carry a camera and have gotten some great pictures of elephants and buff when on the track. "Landa ene, Bwana"!

465H&H

Whenever I carry a rifle of .458 or more in bore size I only shoot solids. IMO they work just as well as softs and have the advantage of never failing and always going to the vitals from whatever angle you need to shoot.

The only exception is in herd shooting but even then just pick your shots.

It does sound like you have it well though out for your type of hunting and that's all that matters.

Andy, I wore a belt with solids and two X bullets on the extreme left side of ammmo..10 plus 4 in Lott I also had tracker carry another 10 in pouch in a pac...I also took gatorade podwer and did all water bottles we carried while tracking the eles...at the end of the day I still had miles left in me from the hydration... I only carried ammo and rifle...
This next trip will be all solids for buf, ele, and hippo...Solids only in belt this time.
450#2...

Mike

Andy,

Yeah, carry a couple softs in your pocket, just in case a buff pops up, but normally one wouldn't shoot a buff when tracking eles.

Thanks Will,

After spending three years testing every premium 458 soft point in the world I would hate myself if I had to shoot a buff with a solid!

Dont know which I will see first, buff or cow elephant so want to be ready for either.

Sound like I should load up on solids though. How often have you had to shoot over the head of cows to scare them off?

Andy

I have almost run out of solids, because I had to use so many for follow up and finishing shots--not on elephant, at least not yet, but on buffalo and hippo. Just an FYI.

Good hunting and good shooting on your safari.

Andy,

If you want to scare elephant off, get some of those plastic capsules for holding snake shot in .45 caliber and carry that in your chamber. Then shoot the cow in the ear flap with it. She'll get the idea and either run away or come stomp you.

After you try this, if it works out OK let me know and I may try the same.

Most elephant hunts end with one solid in the brain or a couple in the heart/lungs, but that is something you cannot depend on..and then there is the Hippo and he can take a couple of dozen solids and make a crowd out of you with one bit, and you can fire a lot of shots scaring stuff off and I remember the night we camped on the track and Lions really got cozy with the camp fire, so bang about every hour or so all night, then the Hyenas came and that always bothers me more than Lions, so bang, bang but we had enough ammo the next day to finish up the hunt and get back to camp with a couple of rounds apiece...

Mule Deer? well a gun full gets me by most of the time, but I have had to return to the truck a couple of times to get ammo, always ticked me off!