We followed an elephant bull for sometime - he had enormous tracks!

We caught up with him, and started to get close.

Roy and me had a discussion of whether I should take a brain shot or a heart shot.

I decided to go for a brain shot.

We got to a few yards from him - I thought we were too close! Especially with me holding a Remington 700 Safari in 375 H&H Magnum.

I worked it sequence in my mind, that I will fire my first shot, and just keep working the bolt and fire again, and again!

I have never been that close to an elephant, and I wasn’t sure my rifle was big enough for him.

There was a bush we were hiding behind. Roy signaled for me to move forward and to the side and shoot.

He had already told me where to aim.

As I put the rifle up to my shoulder, I was working in my mind the sequence of follow up shots.

I fired my shot.

The elephant dropped stone dead!

The first thought that came into my mind was how easy it is to kill an elephant, or any other game animal, as long as you hit the right spot.

We all shook hands, and went back to camp to bring everyone over to cut it up.

We came back with the ladies and kids. And took some photos.

I have a photo of Alan sitting on that elephant!

This elephants feet are at Alan’s house in Bulawayo. They were enormous, and I think Roy mentioned that he had not seen any bigger.

The tusks were about 55 pounds each.

Now many years later, with many elephants shot, thousands of kilometers walked tracking them, and the excitement has not gone.

Sadly, hunting in Tanzania, we have not seen a single shootable elephant in the 15 years we have been hunting there.

We live in hope.

You RISKED your life using a push feed?

quote:

Originally posted by Slider:
You RISKED your life using a push feed?

Funny enough I have never had any failure with a push feed!

I think it is probably an old wives tale, just as bad as the bigger is better tale

If I remember, you bought that 375 second-hand at Bullseye in Tacoma, WA.

quote:

Originally posted by BaxterB:
If I remember, you bought that 375 second-hand at Bullseye in Tacoma, WA.

I cannot remember the name of the shop, but you are probably right.

That rifle is in Zimbabwe with Peter Johnston where I had left it for him.

Thanks for sharing.

Shooting the right place is the magic stuff

Yes, no matter how big an animal is killing the brain is all it takes.

glad you were using a remington if in the story you would have been using a blaser - well - it might just be known as shooting the bull

Thanks for sharing, fun.

The stuff dreams are made of. Thanks for making my imagination run wild

Great story! Wow, Tacoma for the 375. I would have never thought that Saeed would be found in Tacoma, Washington, and especially buying a rifle at Bullseye! My ever burning question, now that we have your firsts on Buffalo and Elephant, is: when was the first time you met Walter and how did he come to be as big as life?!

I'm not sure Bullseye was open then. Maybe Chet Paulson in Tacoma? I seem to remember you mentioning the store having an underground range, Paulson's did. He was also one of the biggest and best gunshops in the area at the time, had about a 1/2 dozen gunsmiths on the payroll and outfitted many hunters going to far off lands. The Klineburgers were well represented their also.

I like a happy ending! 99% of everything that is accomplished only got done because someone did his best with what he had.