quote:

Originally posted by goshoot:
MacD37,

You can't compare us sport hunters to guys like Bell. It's like comparing a guy going fox hunting with a call and a decoy to a guy setting leg hold traps to sell the fox pelts. Back then elephants were considered at worst a pest and at best an endless resource. Lost wounded game was mourned more for the lost $ than anything else.

Check out this month's article by Harry Selby about him using Bell's 7X57 to kill two buff in the 1970's. He also relates choosing this rifle for his teenage daughter to take a bull elephant with 50lb ivory. Selby uses Bell's rifle

I can only assume Bandedsolid would consider Selby a "dumb ass" like Bell. Personally I prefer a big bore open sight double up close, in reality however if you are looking for a safe margin of error a scoped smaller bore at 75 to 100 yards is really the best to stay safe and make a clean kill. As I believe Elmer Keith said, "dangerous game is only dangerous when it is close." Most of us who post here prefer to get up close as the danger is considered part of the fun.