quote:

Originally posted by JPK:
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

And, we've still to hear from some of our old timers.

Saeed, Ray and Ganyana, please post your totals here as well as any comments you might be willing to offer. Many thanks from those hoping for insight.

quote:

Originally posted by NitroX:

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.

Didn't Eader kill over 100 as a paying client? And isn't Feldstein in the 30-50 range?

Only a learner here ,but got my first! and hopefully not last !in Mozambique this year ! I never ever thought,{was always an impossible dream] i would own a double or get to shoot an elephant, but if you set your mind to something you can do it !Mine was a PAC Bull about 30pds and after several days of tracking ,waiting, we ended up on a moonlight hunt ,in a deserted village [courtesy of elephant predation]which was all the more hairier for me, never being close to a wild elephant before, let alone one at night ,anyway we ended up in papyrus with two big bulls, and one on the bank ,you could see the moonlight gleaming off one big bulls tusks and other one was making an incredible commotion in the river ,the PH elected we take the one up on the bank which had woken up to us being there ,i really wanted to take a heart lung shot because on my first , as i wasnt really mega confident on the brain shot,but the PH insisted on the brain ,so i put one 470 woodleigh solid into his head as he faced us ,the PH said he could see the blood fly out of his ears ,he then turned and walked off the PH putting a 416 into the side of his head, he walked about ten yards then fell down ,gurgling ,and so on .I then administered several 470 soft into him as PH suggested .Its all a learning experience ,and exciting !!! so when life becomes ho hum and ordinary ,take up elephant hunting,it definately gives you a renewed outlook ! i will be back again as soon as i can afford it

Very limited experience here as well - only one. One little itty-bitty 5 ton PAC bull with non-typical tusks taken May 05 in Mugunge area of Zim. First shot was frontal brain, knocked him off his feet, everyone thought he was done. PH said give some in the heart, so 3 shots in the heart and then (holy shit!) he started to get up (I learned I can reload and shoot a bolt gun very fast, probably not as fast as a double - yeah, yeah, yeah- I know). Then, one more shot in the side brain just as he was getting his front legs underneath him. Elephant no longer a problem. Then, PH kept saying give him another - so a total of 16 shots (actually only took 5) later and some very hysterical laughter I was through. Shooting match started out at about 20 yards away (and he had seen us started coming our way!) ended at about 7 feet (he had definatly stopped advancing, me on the other hand...). All shots were with a 375 H&H with 300 gr sledgehammers (still looking for a model 70 458 win I can have convert to Lott).
What was I thinking "Sit down you big Bastard".

I shot one PAC Bull Elephant, frontal brain shot @ 25 yds. 375 H&H, 300gr TBSH, CZ rifle, iron sights. This was a borrowed rifle from the PH as my 416Rem didn't make it off the Airplane. The bull dropped straight down and rolled onto it's side where I put two more shots in the heart/lung area. Tusks weighed 25lbs.

My first was in 2001, Charisa SA, tuskless cow, 30 yds. 465 H&H, shoulder shot. The cow went down but got back up. She couldn't walk and as I moved forward to finish her another adult cow charged from 20 yds. I swung on her and waited thinking she would stop but she didn't. When she didn't stop and crossed the 10 yd mark I fired for her lowered head. The PH fired his 450/400 a fraction of a second before I did. Between the time the sear broke on my rifle and my rifle fired the cow dropped below my sights and my bullet went right over her into the bush. How many of you can say you missed an elephant at 8 paces? Two 450/400s from the PH solved the problem.

2002, Matetsi SA. two tuskless cows, one side brain at 12 yds. and one shoulder shot at 25 yds. with a follow up shot behind the ear to the brain from 52 yds. Used my 465 H&H.

2004, two tusked cows and two PAC bulls at Omay. All were brain shots. Two frontal, two side brain. Two with 465 H&H and two with 458 Lott. Distances 18, 20, 6 and 29 yds.

2005,Omay SA, 458 Lott, one tusked cow and two PAC bulls. Two frontal brain and one side brain. Details on these will be in the next issue of African Hunter magazine.

465H&H

...one (1) .450 Rigby 500gr. Barnes solid, heart/lung.
Five (5) .416 Taylor 400gr. TBSH, one brain, four heart/lung.
Eight (8) .458 WM three (3)Speer AGS one brain, and two heart/lung, and five (5) 500gr. TBSH two brain, and three heart/lung.

Shot the first ele in 1989, and the last in April of this year.

Through the years I have been witness to another twelve ele being shot with various calibres: .375 H&H, .416 Rigby, .416 Remington, .416 Taylor, .458 Lott, .458 WM, .470 NE, .500#2, .500 Jeffrey, and .505 Gibbs. The only ele I witnessed being dispatched with one shot, were the ones hit in the brain.

Heart/lung shots were fatal in all cases. Some of the ele's carried on, perhaps 60-70yds prior to succumbing to their wounds.

I could not discern any appreciable difference between the .458 Lott, and the .458 WM in killing efficiency. (Note: Factory loaded Lott ammo, and hand loaded Win Mag ammo). There is a definite visible difference in impact on a jumbo when using any of the rifles chambered in the 50 calibre cartridges, viz, the Jeffrey, and Gibbs. Just my own personal observations. Obviously, bullet placement is paramount regardless of calibre.

I do indeed enjoy rooting around in the "puker brush" hunting buffalo, but to be in the jess with 'ol "nzou" is an experience I cannot begin to adequately describe. Each individual who hunts ele will have feelings known only to himself.

Even though nothing is wasted, and the meat goes to feed the masses, I have a deep feeling of regret each time I put one of these great beasts on the ground. Having said that...Given the opportunity , nothing, short of being incapicated, will keep me from heading to Zim for another go at these creatures.

Sala gahle, JLS

I've also only shot one bull elephant 61.5x60.5

Botswana, Okavango Delta, August 2004

Frontal brain shot with (Thelma) custom .375 H&H pre 64 with Federal 300 gr. Sledgehammer. I had planned to use .416 Rem(Louise) but encountered problems when checking zero upon arrival.

His tusks flew skyward and he dropped where he stood!

My next elephant hunt is booked for August 2006 in Tanzania.

Regards, D. Nelson

Now 128 and still missing some of our most experienced members.

JPK

Not much experience here with hunting elephant (but lots of being chased by them). I had always thought that the expense was prohibitive compared to buffalo, but I discovered I was wrong when I started shopping some (and got a last minute deal with all of two days preparation) and went hunting them with HHK last year. Thank you Kathi Klimes for finding last minute tickets so cheap!

One bull in Chete. He was entirely in the open along the shoreline of the lake. He was spraying mud over his back and was facing directly away. All cover ended about forty yards from him so the PH, Brent Hein, and I just started walking directly towards him. He never saw or heard us and I decided that 12 yards was close enough and stopped, figuring that counting coup by pulling on his tail was not a good idea.

I got down on one knee and signaled the PH that I was ready and he whistled and clapped his hands. As the elephant spun towards us, I put the first .470 Woodleigh solid in his heart behind his right leg. He shuddered like hit with a giant mallet and his whole body shook like jello. Immediately I shot again, breaking his lower shoulder causing him to drop to the ground, rolling onto his right side. A final shot to the brain ended it.

My impressions were:
What a giant butt (from 12 yards)...
I think I'm very close to this big sucker...
I'd looked at "The Perfect Shot" so many times the animal's skin seemed transparent and I just visualized the vitals and brain....
I was amazed at the "shudder" when the first bullet hit and the loud crash when he fell only a few feet from me...
I knew the PH was planning on me doing the shooting (as long as it was safe) when we left cover and began to get close. Brent reached down and un-snapped my cartridge holder for my quick access and winked...

After the shot I was slap worn out. It was November and extremely hot, well over 100 degrees. I got some hero pictures and found a shade tree and drank a gallon of water, I reckon. We recovered one of the bullets, that being the one that broke the shoulder, the others being pass-throughs. Other than a little lead being squirted from the hole at the base, the Woodleigh looked none worse for the wear.

I had really practiced with my Searcy double and don't remember reloading it except for the "poink" of the ejectors and the brass going over my right shoulder. Emotionally, I had mixed feelings for a few moments, but when I saw the joy on the faces of the staff as they began cutting upon the animal, knowing that they had meat for a while, any faux sadness went away, I "un-Disneyed" and my eyes returned to the front of my head.

I'll be back after elephant in March, again with Brent (Didn't you hunt with him this fall, Mr. Stewart?). It is addictive and after a couple more, then, I may have something intelligent to say.. or I may just be just a jelly smear in Zimbabwe?

btt

Where are Ray, Saeed and Ganyana?

I BELIEVE SAEED HAS 13

Come on now guys!

Still haven't heard from several long time members. Come on guys, don't keep us in suspense any longer. Pleeeeezzzzzzzeeee.

Personally I've only shot 2 elephants. One the first day of my first safari. We had to take care of a bull with 2 festering wounds from poachers AK-47's. He had a real bad attitude and my sphincter was pretty tight. A heart/lung shot with the useless 458WM caused a 40yd run followed by a big crash.

No 2 was last year in Botswana and I tried the brain shot. Elephant went down with trunk in the air but needed a couple of extras to make sure he stayed down.

I'm kind of a collector but I could do a trophy bull hunt each year if I won the Mega bucks.

There have been some comments here about what level of experience some of the AR folks have with elephants. I mean to steal no one's thunder but I think you would be surprised how many people have shot 50-100 elephants in modern times. People with the jingle can and do shoot multiple bull elephants every year.

Regards,

Mark

Mark,

Like I said, the biggest requirement is money!

quote:

Originally posted by mikeh416Rigby:
Still haven't heard from several long time members. Come on guys, don't keep us in suspense any longer. Pleeeeezzzzzzzeeee.

Maybe some of the members who claim experiance don't really have it?

Naw, that couldn't be true.

I'm at 13 and hope to have 30 within the next 5-7 years, thophy quality isnt important to me at all, I just want to get good enough that I will be able to track/stalk/approach/finish my own elephant from beginning to end. Right now I could under easy conditions but I see my skills improve with each hunt and thats what draws me back. There are some circumstances that one man cant do it all alone, but I want to achieve the highest level of skill possible.

quote:

Originally posted by LV Eric:
I'm at 13 and hope to have 30 within the next 5-7 years, thophy quality isnt important to me at all, I just want to get good enough that I will be able to track/stalk/approach/finish my own elephant from beginning to end. Right now I could under easy conditions but I see my skills improve with each hunt and thats what draws me back. There are some circumstances that one man cant do it all alone, but I want to achieve the highest level of skill possible.

LVEric!

Interesting, your goals are the same as mine.

465H&H

Eric and 465H&H

Your goals are certainly laudable. I hope you achieve them.

Even though numbers is never the game, it is the quality of experience (IMO), you have some impressive elephant hunting credentials.

Eric,

Where would you say is the "top spot" to hunt elephant today? (given any subjective qualifications you may have)

NitroX

To accomplish my goals the only country that I know of that offers the chance at multiple elephants and is affordable is Zimbabwe. With the current conditions there I am afraid that that might soon end. If yourgoal is to learn what e;ephant hunting is then IMHO tuskless hunts are the way to go. They are cheep, reasonably abundant in certain portions of the Zambezi Valley and you will have to approach multiple cow herds to find one. Hunting cow herds is considered by most of the PHs I have talked to, to be the most dangrou hunting on earth. That is where you will learn the most about elephant hunting and about yourself. Another key is to pick a PH that is a good elephant hunter and a good teacher. Not a often found in the same person.


465H&H

quote:

Originally posted by 465H&H:
NitroX

To accomplish my goals the only country that I know of that offers the chance at multiple elephants and is affordable is Zimbabwe. With the current conditions there I am afraid that that might soon end. If yourgoal is to learn what e;ephant hunting is then IMHO tuskless hunts are the way to go. They are cheep, reasonably abundant in certain portions of the Zambezi Valley and you will have to approach multiple cow herds to find one. Hunting cow herds is considered by most of the PHs I have talked to, to be the most dangrou hunting on earth. That is where you will learn the most about elephant hunting and about yourself. Another key is to pick a PH that is a good elephant hunter and a good teacher. Not a often found in the same person.


465H&H

exactly^^^^

I have hunted alot of days and chased alot of elephants but only in Matetsi and the Omay, I'm sure 90% of the elephant hunting I do will be in zim becuase of the quotas and heards/populations. I dont know enough about anyother areas to answere your question about "top spot" Mozimbique is where the big jumbo's are but CITES wont allow the importation of ivory to our "free country" and botswanna has nice elephants too I shot one on the boarder once(zim side)but its expensive there, i'd do when zim is finished.

I'll keep huinting in Zim until its finished, perhaps I'll go poach afterwards

For me its all about learning to hunt them not following someone around and puting a gun on the sticks and killing one, it started like that but now I've moved up a little, this last hunt in The Omay I followed as we were in the jessand I sure as hell dont have the necessary experience to hunt there on my own.

With the wind cooperating in favorable terrrain and good visiability I would be able to approach a group of 1-4 bulls and sort out my shot if nothing funny happened. That dosent qualify me as a "Elephant Hunter" but its a start.

I know my limits and am learning quickly. I made it clear to my PH what my goals are and he is teaching me or testing my nerve sometimes-thats a big part of hunting jumbos. Running at the wrong time can create a charge. Watching the wind, their body langague, the birds around etc. There is alot more to it than I thought after my first 2or 3 elephants, its one of those: the more I do it the less I know things

By LV Eric

quote:

I know my limits and am learning quickly. I made it clear to my PH what my goals are and he is teaching me or testing my nerve sometimes-thats a big part of hunting jumbos. Running at the wrong time can create a charge. Watching the wind, their body langague, the birds around etc. There is alot more to it than I thought after my first 2or 3 elephants, its one of those: the more I do it the less I know things

It is obvious that he has been there and done that. "A kindered spirit"



465H&H

BTTT

BTT, I would like to hear more if anyone hasn't responded. Goin to Bots in May. I am really excited.

Only have one so far which was last April in Zimbabwe Dande East. Hunted with Ingwe Safaris with Bruce Watson as PH. Hunt was for trophy bull and tuskless whatever. Knew and got close to very good bull several times but could not get wind right, etc. On day 4 found big tuskless bull locally known as "bigfoot". He was with two other bulls in a pan. He came out last and as we were 20yds and set up for side brainshot, he turned and faced us. Frontal brain killed him cleanly with 470NE William Douglass. Rather than fall straight down and stay that way he rolled over due to back foot still being in edge of pan. Was a very large bull that turned out to have a deformed tusk on one side and a very short broken section on the other. From the outside he had no tusks at all. Will post a picture if someone will PM me so I cna send it to them. Experience of being around so many elephants every day was tremendous. Not sure if you all will agree but the real part of elephant hunting is the hunt, tracking, stalking, etc. The shot is not the real reward once it is all over.

bulldog,

I would like to update my response. I have shot 9 cow ele and 1 bull ele. They are great fun to track. One thing that distinguishes elephant from buffalo is that an elephant will respond to a challenge by a human by trotting over to the human with head held high and ears spread and try to back the human down. A buff would prefer to just run the other way. This difference really gives me a kick out of ele hunting.

Harry C
No not a Marine... I will reveal my history in about a month.

Shot one fifty pounder in 97 with Russ Broom . One .375 in the armpit with a quick follower when he turned. The first one did the lungs and the second was removed from the heart by the skinner. Most exciting thing that I have ever done in my life. Only wish it wasnt so expensive.

I had shot none when this thread was started. I have now shot two. Both were tuskiless cows.

Can't wait to do it again and again and...

Will go for a bull in '07. More cows next year.

JPK

500, You have shot 6 more Elephant since Sept. Pretty good pace.

Would you guys suggest a brain or a heart shot for the first one? I will be hunting with a double so I was thinking try a brain and if he doesn't go down put one in the heart lung. Any thoughts?

quote:

Originally posted by bulldog563:

Would you guys suggest a brain or a heart shot for the first one? I will be hunting with a double so I was thinking try a brain and if he doesn't go down put one in the heart lung. Any thoughts?

If you want to try a brain on the first one, there is no reason not to. But best put that 2nd barrel into the chest even if your elephant drops, just for insurance.