Experienced elephant hunters.

I am interested in your elephant hunting experiences. When did you shoot your first and how many since? Bulls, cows, or PAC? Where and when? Body or brain shot? Calibres, the works?

Please share. Thanks.

My limited experience is as follows:

cow ele, 1st shot = heart/lung and she ran, 2nd shot = next to the spine (going away) and she dropped. 585 nyati

cow ele, 1st shot = side brain, 2nd shot = heart lung as she fell. Only a double can achieve that, and it was satisfying. 500 NE

cow ele, 1st shot = heart lung and she ran, 2nd shot was high shoulder/spine after she had only made it 3 steps. Again attributed to use of a double. 500 NE

cow ele, 1st shot = heart lung as she walked broadside at a travelling pace, 2nd shot = she turned to look right at me and I frontal brained her. A really fast man with a bolt might have gotten the 2nd shot off, but using a double made it easy. 500 NE

Please consider this post an advertisement for double rifles.

country: Zim, start date 2001

Only one.

Cow ele, first shot a frontal brainshot. She went down to the side but was kicking her legs a bit, thus I gave her a heart/lungshot just in case she got up, and finished with a side brainshot that turned her lights out like a switch. Calibur: 375H&H.

NitroX
3 elephants, all with my 450 No2, shooting 480 Woodleigh solids with 88 gr of RL 15.
First elephant, cow at 6 yards frontal brain, elephant went right down, classic brain shot, ele went down back end first, trunk flung high in air. Immediatly followed up with a shoulder shot, reloaded both bbls and sent another into the chest per the PH.

Cow number 2, side brain at 12 yards, again classic reaction to brain shot. We had snuck into a small herd, at the shot they all came toward us. WE backed out quickly, no insurance body shots could be fired.

Third elephant, bull 55 pounder. Saw him from camp. Drove for one hour, crossed river on foot and began hunt. Saw bull 3 times but could not get a shot. After 3 to 4 hours saw bull crossing a small clearing at 120 yards. PH asked if I could make the shot, I fired two rounds kneeling. First shot low in shoulder into body, may have caught bottom of heart. Second shot broke left fromt leg, passed through leg, passed through trunk. Bull spun around and immediately came for us. I ran toward bull, he fell down, and as he got back up I frontal brained him from about 60 to 70 yards. He went down. I ran up and fired first one, reloaded and then a second shot into the back of his head from point blank range.

The PH was VERY impressed with the power of my 450 No2 on the body shots of the bull elephant.
The first shot stopped him in his tracks.
The second broke his front leg... completly, then passed through the leg, then passing through the trunk.

Earlier in the Safari we had talked about the 577 and the 600 and my desire to use one on elephants, after I shot the bull the PH said I would be wasting my money as the 450 No2 was the Hammer of Thor.
When He described the impact on the body shots of the bull he said. "It is like a Train Hit him".

This was my first trip to Africa. It was most exciting.
I cannot wait to get back, March 2006.
[If there is a Zim to get back to]

Sorry for hijacking your thread NitroX.Elephant hunters what is going through your mind in the split seconds as you line up an Elephant and take the shot.

quote:

Originally posted by TOP_PREDATOR:
Sorry for hijacking your thread NitroX.Elephant hunters what is going through your mind in the split seconds as you line up an Elephant and take the shot.

Actually, not much at all! I was just kind of consentrated and focused.

NitroX, In my VERY limited experience, 1x old tuskless bull, Very bad tempered critter, charged as soon as he winded us, from about 100m out, frontal headshot 416 Hoffman/400gr solid, collapsed him like a popped balloon, just don't ask me to do it again. I couldn't pull that shot off again in a million years. then 2x finishing shots into the side of the chest, and 1 more into the side of the head, behind the ear, just to be sure.
Top Predator, Dunno, I wasn't thinking at the time, I was too busy trying to shoot. Then couldn't stop my hands shaking for about an hour.

Cheers, Dave.
Non Illegitium Carborundum

NitroX,

2001 - bull in Zim, heart/lung shot 470 NE about 25 yards.This elephant went a short distance and went down.
2004 - bull in Zim, heart/lung shot 470 NE about 30 yards. This elephant needed to be followed up and finished. First shot riveted off shoulder bone. Using Federal TBSH solids.

Both in heavy Jess.

BigB

Only one elephant personally, A bull in Zim. Elephant was quartering toward me. 1 shot from a .416 Rigby with 4000GR. Barnes monolithic solids. Shot broke his foreleg and pierced the top of his heart, he went right down. When I walked up to him he was obvioously dying but suffering so i brained him. Made a boo boo here as the bullet broke off a part of one tusk on its way out. My thoughts at the time of the shot? DONT SCREW UP mixed with I am actually shooting at an ELEPHANT !!!! Elation at the shot, but VERY mixed emotions when walking up to the old boy. Elation, grief, relief, saddness, pride, and respect all at the same time. Exhausting. I am wondering if others who have killed elephant had the same kinds of feelings?

First shot in Doma area Zim with 375. Bull, frontal brain shot at 20 yds with followup heart/lungs. Lost, made it back to protected area, could not follow.
Second shot in Gawyi area in Zim. Cow, heart/lung with 470NE at 20 ft. Went approx 50 yds and down.
Third shot in Matetsi area Zim. Bull,45lbs, heart/lung with 416 Rigby 20ft. Followup in hip. Went over 2 miles.
My conclusions are that shot placement is most critical aspectof Elephant hunting followed by enough gun to do the job. If I ever had the opportuniy again I would only go for heart/lungs and only with my 470NE.

only 1 bull elephant here taken at 17 yards with a frontal brain shot usuing my 700 nitro express double rifle the bull droped like a ton of bricks.

Too many to list here.

See this report.

More on ele hunting:

BTW:

quote:

classic brain shot, ele went down back end first, trunk flung high in air.

This normally accepted signs for a perfect brain shot doesn´t hold for most shots with the SuperPenetrator. e.g. April 2005 I shot an ele cow in a perfect situation. After the shot nothing happened for one full second, then she fell down stone dead. (Time measurement by a videograph.) That means, she was dead before falling down. No time for a reaction of the nervous system.

Zim in August 2004, a tuskless ele taken at 47 yds in an opening through heavy Jesse with shot to head, frontal brain-a tad low, but dropped her, however not completely gone.. Backed out fast from the herd and later put an insurance shot to back of head. 500 AHR with 570 gr Woodleigh solids.

Dak

One bull ele Zim, next to Matu Sadona National Park..Hunted a river drainage green thick jess.. Saw a herd of 22 bulls and wind was right and stalked into the back of the herd and shot a 30 pound bull at 30 feet frontal brain..Ele was at at steep angle and I hit to low went down about 75 % but recovered and I gave him another on the shoulder as he was spinning travel up and thru neck penetrated more then 6 feet with Bridger solids...Ruger 458 Lott...Fell 3 times running away tracked till dark and came back next day and stalked thru the jess lots of eles but not mine...Next morning airplane found him ....Made a big circle and fell dead 50yds from where I originally shot him...Very emotional time first...exciting an emotional overload....mind was gun enough?? would it fire???
Son GPSed from airplane We drove there and turned gps on and I pointed to my son there 500yds away and he took off with the trackers..I had the rifle and all natives walked hehind the bwana with the 458Lott...
There were 40 some bulls in the drainage in two herds and no cows....Ele hunting very intense....
Tanzania...the Selous for next chance 06

Mike

I shot two elephant in the Zambezi Valley with Buzz Charlton in 2004. One bull, one cow.

The cow was charging at 16 yards when she dropped to one 410 grain Woodleigh from a Davenport .416 Rigby to the brain. Bullet completly passed through the brain and lodged in the cervical area of the spine breaking the neck and causing instant death.


The bull was shot at 13 yards in thick jess and took four shots to bring down with all four bullets in the heart/lung region. Same rifle. The bull ran 60 yards before collapsing. Three more shots finished him. No bullets exited and only one was recovered. Though the shoulder shots were necessary because of thick brush...much prefer brain shots. Less suffering on a very noble animal.


I would agree with others that your shot is almost instinctive. Visualize the spot you want to hit, see it and shoot! The charge seemed to happen in very slow motion until I reviewed it on tape and was amazed how fast it happened!

I would rank elephant hunting as the pinnacle of Africa's big game experience. There are no flys on buff but ele are a true thrill and a tracking hunt for miles after YOUR elephant makes it a very satisfying hunt.

One (Namibia 1996)

Bull, 30 yards broadside, brained it with .375 H&H (PMP solid). Dropped back and over to side, trunk flung up into the air. After the shot we experienced a charge by an accompanying cow.

I was concentrating so much on the shot that I really don't remember much else during those seconds. Leading up to the stalk I was real worried about f*#@king the shot up as the deal was being filmed by a German television crew. Once the bull so dramatically dropped I didn't have much time to savor the moment as the darn cow made things "dicey". She started screaming and came right at us. Everybody except the PH was gone; camera guys, game scouts, etc.

I was so impressed with the PH (Danny Bartlett)that I stuck around and watched him. He instantly stepped forward and into the open, yelling at the cow and fired one over her head. I know the next one would have been right through her head and she apparently sensed that too as she stopped about 15 yards away. She continued to stomp and scream and the PH picked up a stick and whacked a tree with it a couple times. With that she turned and screamed off into the bush.

N.E. 450 No 2 wrote: I ran toward bull, he fell down, and as he got back up I frontal brained him from about 60 to 70 yards. He went down. I ran up and fired first one, reloaded and then a second shot into the back of his head from point blank range.

I thought that an elephant charge was supposed to be the other way around!!?? Marine by chance????

:-)

Harry C.

Norbert,

I am surprised at your comment about the reaction to a brain shot. I've never seen an exception to the trunk, back legs, front legs reaction.

Will and Ray,

Are you guys gonna list your elephants for this thread?

My score on elephant killing is zero but I have been in the middle of 52 of them with Geo. Hoffman. I felt like the small flea on a really LARGE dogs ass. I had a 416 Hoffman but I was not real sure if I had brought a knife to a gun fight or what. I found out quick I was not the bad ass I thought I was a few minutes before. Not standing in all of that mess of gray mass.
May I mention that I have a beautiful 500 NE double for sale. Engraved, color case hardened and ammo too.

what kinda 500 double is it. how old and what condition.

Wow!, I've never hunted Elephant, and probably never will, but reading the accounts here has really got my blood/adrenalin pumping! I can't wait to read the accounts of the rest of the "old timers" on this forum. I bet they've got some real heart thumping stories to tell.

One very large bull elephant taken in June 2005, near Kruger National Park in South Africa. First shot directly on the point of the shoulder at 60 yards with the .375 H&H Model 70, .300 gr. Trophy Bonded Sledgehammer Bullet. Follow up brain shots with .500 Nitro CZ Bolt Action and .470 Nitro Merkel Double Rifle, 500 gr. Trophy Bonded Sledghammer.

Use enough gun...You sure carry enough rifles so as not to be under gunned...

Mike

You can never be tooooo careful, especially when hunting Jumbo!!

my limited experience: 3 elephant
#1 Cow elephant. We stalked very close in very thick jess. She was on the other side of a leafed out tree feeding. All we could see were her feet. When see became aware of our presence she took one step to the left that allowed her to clear the trunk of the tree. Then the tree exploded in our faces. Its was amazing how fast she came at us. All I really remember is trying to get the gold bead low between her eyes and trying to make a smooth trigger press. (I didn't even know that my PH fired just after I did) She stopped and took one step back and spun to the right to run. As she moved right to left I remember trying to get the gold bead in front of her ear and another press and she collasped. I reloaded and put in two more brain shots as she lay on her side. My first shot was centered but low with a 450-400 3" with Woodleigh solid. The PH was using a 458 Lott with factory Hornady 500 solids. He had to shoot through a green bush. My bullet was centered but low. His was partialy tumbling and hit just on the outside of the tusk deflected off and broke the zygomatic arch on the way out.
My emotional response was over whelming. I was sad that a great animal was dead but the most powerful emotion was thankfulness that I was in africa and that I had the honor of elephant hunting. I had an agreement that I would have some time alone with my first elephant and frankly I completely lost my composure for a while.
# 2 very young bull that had a broken leg. We spotted him and the game scout said that he had to be killed. Because of his leg I was able to actualy run him down. Attempted two spine shots one was to high. The second missed the spine but hit the pelvis. This slowed him enough that I could veir of to my right, shoot past his paunch and place a bullet in the neck that angled forward through the brain and exited the forehead. 450-400 3".
#3 Cow at 35 yards. Side brain shot that worked perfectly. 450-400 3".
I didn't want to try any brain shots but circumstances but it was so thick where we were hunting that the only shots that were presented were brain shots.

One elephant this year, a side brain shot at 20 yds. (1) shot 375 RUM, 300 gr. old hornaday FMJ.

What went thru my mind, the PH instr. the distance between the ear opening and the eye for the bullet placement............Bob

One bull shot last year in the Zambezi Escarpment with Russ Broom Safaris:

Lung shot after 7 hours of tracking with darkness closing. Bull was near a park boundary so we were nervous about him getting too far. First 400 grain Barnes solid out of a m70 .416 Rem. went through the lungs (head was obscured by mopane trees). At the first shot when he turned the PH fired for the hip, missing slightly. My second went through the lungs again but pretty high. The bull ran about 100 yards and went down. After the others cleared we moved up. On approach I put another solid into his heart on the PH's instruction. Two of the .416 bullets were recovered in new condition plus rifling.
What a rush and mix of emotions.









All the best,
Kyler

One, a bull taken in Chirisa, Zimbabwe. Side brain shot (see photo) with 450/400 NE 3 1/4" at 15 yards.

While taking the shot I kept concentrating on
the target/elephant. However, the 5 minutes prior to the shot while crawing on my hands & knees in thick jesse within 20 yards of 7 elephant bulls I kept thinking "this is crazy, what am I doing, my life is great & now I'm going to get killed any second". It was incredibly scary & I think about it almost everyday, I'm already signed up for another [IMG]african elephant 2004 028.jpg[/IMG]
elephant hunt in 2006!

JungleBoy: Those were my thoughts exactly at the time that I was following up on my wounded bull. That's what elephant hunting does to you and then you're back for more. . .

i have shot 13 jumbos total.

4 in one hunt is the most 3 cows(one PAC cow) and one bull

I think 6 bulls and 7 cows is the brek down or maybe 5 and 8. its late and I cant remember exactly.

About 7 or 8 were frontal brain shots.

all were brain shots(i have never fired a first shot to the body) with a 375 H&H about 8 were one shot kills 2 of the 8 I didnt even bother with an insurance shot. this is the best of my reclocation. One of the 13 was with a 577T-Rex on a charge-a waste of a gun no penetration. So 12 with the 375.

I have had 2 charges both cows. Had the PH shoot back up shots on the 2 charges plus one other cow. So 3 times I was backed up. One charge was close and dangerous.

My closest was about 8-10 paces in thick greem mopane it was a frontal and knocked him cold so we ran to the side for a finishing shot.

Farthest was about 50 yards, one shot side brain-not very exciting but great ivory. about 50 pounds and nice symetry and shape.

Have about 120 days hunting of which about 100 were looking for jumbos, and about 75 chasing them or being chased.

Elephant hunting is my favorite like Saeed and buffalo. We have an agreement he will be the buffalo hunter and I'll handle the elephants.


Tomarrow when its not 240AM I'll think about the hunts and correct the numbers but I believe them to be accurate.

1 tuskless cow.

Zambezi valley, Dande North, Zimbabwe.

The shot was at 45 yards and was an attempted side brain shot.

we spoted the herd with a very old tuskless cow in it and put began a stalk. The wind was swirling and of indeterminant direction. At one point part of the herd flushed and we thought the game was up.

We continued around a huge termite hill and some thick jesse when we spotted a young bull.

The tuskless cow was bringing up the rear and walking very catiously towards us. At about 45 yards she stopped and turned broadside.

I was using my .470NE with 500gr barnes solids. At the first shot the cow sat on her haunches like a big dog and started to swing around. The shot, it turned out was to far forward. My second shot hit her in the shoulder and was followed by two rounds from the PH.

By this time I was reloaded and fired one more shot into the the cow who was sitting on her haunches. This one was a solid side brian shot. At the shot she threw up her trunk and rolled over.

Will and Ray,

We are waiting for your contribution!

And Will, we will still buy your book even if you give us a summary here first.

quote:

Originally posted by ROSCOE:
I took a non trophy bull(about 20lbs) in Zim last month. One shot with a Searcy 470. Side shot in the brain with a cup point. Distance was about 20 yards. I am glad I can say that I have hunted elephant however I doubt that my rifle will take another. I find Buffalo hunting to be much more of a rush. Having said this, without a doubt hunting for a trophy bull might provide a greater chalenge.

it is a great chalenge and long days sometimes they just aint there, I was on a 25 day hunt and didnt see one bull over 25 pounds.

The rush is tuskless cows, they are plentyful in some areas but good fun to approach.

I only have a bit over half of Norbert's "too many to list" but still too many. It is all good sport but like most hunts in Africa it is more a matter of having the cash than any particular prowess.

I maybe have done things a little different in that there were no sticks, no scopes, no PH instructions, and, except for one, they were close, though admittedly a scope would have been handy a couple times.

Like most hunts it is rather anti-climantic after the deed is done but getting charged at close range gives one pause, as to just how many times are you going to get away with this sort of stuff?!

I think Norbert accidentally admitted not long ago that his body count was 34, + 1 this year, so there you go.

Ive only one to tell. An old PAC cow taken with the lowly 458winmag 450gr barnes at 2250fps. A 30 yard heart lung shot. She ran about the same 30 yards. I hunted in Zim with Russ Broom.
Dean

One PAC bull near Magunge, Zimbabwe this past May. I killed the bull with one shot from my Krieghoff 500/416 double shooting factory 410 grain Woodleigh solids. The shot was 20 to 30 yards side on with the bull a bit above me moving from left to right (my favorite crossing shot for upland game) and I hit the shoulder and dropped the bull in his tracks. He fell on his left side and was kicking his right front leg so I shot him 3 more times in the heart and lungs up between his front legs. Kill shot was probably luck as it was my first elephant and I only had book knowledge of where to hit them.

I was concentrating on the spot I wanted to hit and swung the gun like a shotgun. After the bull fell the PH stopped me from running up to him (one of the reasons we have PHs with us so we don't do dumb things to get us squashed by elephants that my only be stunned). Upon reflection I was surprised how calm I seemed to be prior to the shot. The adrenaline rush after the kill was intense with the shakes, non-stop talking, tears welling up in my eyes and then a great feeling of accomplishment.

quote:

Originally posted by Will:
I only have a bit over half of Norbert's "too many to list" but still too many.
...............

I think Norbert accidentally admitted not long ago that his body count was 34, + 1 this year, so there you go.

So around 35 to Norbert and 18+ to Will.

Wow! Those sort of numbers must surely rank up there in today's hunting environment.

So far, a count using Nitrox's estimates for Will and Will's for Norbert the group's toal is 100. Wow, thats alot of experience.

JPK