The photos that follow are of me stopping a charge from a cow elephant this year.

The photos were taken by Dave Hulme, a Zimbabwe photo journalist who happened to be in camp and asked if he could come along with us. Remember - he doesn't have a rifle!

By Will's figuring, I should have dropped the cow with the first shot, but what happens when you don't? Or when the PH's second shot - the first was a warning over her head - doesn't kill her either.

The first two shots are mine, then the PH's second barrel, then my right barrel after reloading just one, then the PH's right after he reloaded one and then my right after another reload of just one. I got four off, all hitting where I thought they should - my two frontal brain shots were low, as was the PH's. My first heart lung was right on and my second raking shot went the length of the left lung.

Here she is on her way.

About where the PH fired his warning shot.

The farther of the two trees is nine yards, the closer in seven yards. This is my second shot striking, my barrel is visible to the left. You can see the puff of dust from my bullet to the right of the right eye.( Actually, on these smaller pixel count photos you can't see the dust, its lost in the shadow)

She is wheeling to get outa dodge, PH Richard Tabor fires his second barrel about now.

I have reloaded just my right barrel and I make a good heart lung shot.

Richard gets in a heart lung shot after loading just his rght barrel, I'm just lowering my rifle after making a raking shot that ran the length of the left lung.

The calm quiet after the action

Continues...as we quietly contemplate the follow up.

Dave, who has a hell of a sense of humor lightens the mood.

Follow up. Fourty five minutes of tension. Relief is a physical sensation when we find her, dead, and only thiry yards from where we lost sight of her - though in a slightly different direction than she was heading.

Marcel Thys sidelock in 458wm shooting North Fork 450gr flat nose solids at 2190fps for me. $lots

Kreighoff 470NE shooting 500gr Woodleighs at 2250fps for Richard Tabor. $less

A cold beer afterwards - priceless!

Dave was the only one of four wearing a kahki shirt and both Richard and I got the sense that she had picked him out.

JPK

Great story and photos!

What happens if you are not hunting elephant and have to shoot one? Do you get to keep it? Do you have to pay for it or pay a fine?

Good going. Looks like it should've been video'd as the action would be tense to say the least.

Geoff,

Inside 10yds and charging is self defense. No fine. You need to recover the elephant tusks, meat and hide and turn it into Parks.

Some of my hunt was captured on video, but not this part. Still, Dave did a phenominal job with the camera - and he was just along for the heck of it, to avoid spending a day in camp waiting for his next photo client.

JPK

JPK -- all I can say is WOW! Great photos, great story, great job! My hat's off to you.

quote:

By Will's figuring, I should have dropped the cow with the first shot, but what happens when you don't? Or when the PH's second shot - the first was a warning over her head - doesn't kill her either.

That is exactly when, and probably only when, a double could be a real asset.

You should have waited until she was a lot closer.

Awesome!

Will,

Yes, you are right, I should have waited. Still, she was at seven paces when I hit her the first time, just a second or so before this second shot.

This is the only cow that hasn't drop to the 458wm for me, perfect shot or not. Also notice the lack of muzzle rise. Its even more apparent in Buzz's videos.

JPK

So, did the PH have any trouble getting his Kreighoff cocked in time?
Peter.

great pics and writing!!!!!!!!!!

That was an excellent sequence of photographs and your description was very effective, too.

excellent post - shows why you plan for things when they go wrong instead of right

John,

Great pics and story! Lots of burnt powder in the air!

I am glad you bought that beautiful Thys - you certainly have put her to good use.

Jim

458wm? they must have bounced off!
nice pictures

as Robert Ruark once said "...use enough gun...".

addendum: and keep using it until the animal falls over dead!

Rich
NRA Life Member
DRSS

Great story ! superb Pictures.

If you had the opportunity to get 4 shots off (with 2 single reloads) from your double, I would bet that someone with decent bolt action skills could have gotten 4 shots into the elephant faster then you. You may have been faster on shots 1 & 2, but not 3 & 4.

Don't know if this post convinces me that a DR would have been better in this particular situation.


Tim

Shumba,

Shots #1 and #2 stopped the elephant.

Any shot after that is optional.

JPK

JBK: I presume your Thys has ejectors and I also presume your PH's Krieghoff has extractors. Was any conclusion reached between you and the PH about the merits of ejectors? It is rare that one of each style is used in a single confrontation where conclusions can be made. I just wondered if it was discussed. Thanks!
LJS

LJS,

With ejectors I was faster.

Just so the following explanation is clear, I'm left handed and Richard Tabor is right handed.

I have damage to my right wrist and can't hold a pair of cartriges in my palm, or my fingers. So I load from my belt with my left hand. In fact, in one of the photos, the one where the elephant is wheeling, you can see me mid reload. Note that I'm looking at the elephant and not my rifle or ammo!

Richard Tabor holds a pair of cartriges in his left palm, with the bullets facing the breech. When his rifle is empty he opens it and rolls it to the side then quickly slides in the ready to go rounds.

Richard practices his reloading. So do I and I also ussually reload from a belt when duck or goose hunting. If he had ejectors he would be faster, but, even with me reloading from a belt, I'm faster with the ejectors.

Gets me wondering why Richard only loaded one on his reload...maybe he loaded two but only had one clear heart shot before he was obstructed, while I still had a raking shot.

We started and finished in the same positions shown in the last three photos.

BTW, continuing with Shumba's thoughts...I believe that I beat a bolt guy with #2 by so much that #3 is about even steven, with me reloading just one. But if I could hold the cartridges, like Richard does, and load two as quickly, then I would get off #4 well before a bolt fellow could get off #4.

FWIW, both Richard and Buzz Charlton have told me that I load fast and that I can put two on target fast also, at least compared to other hunters they hunt with. I think the speed comes from practice, but really mostly from the hundereds of rounds loaded and shot while duck and goose hunting as well as thousands loaded from a pouch on my left side while dove shooting or target shooting.

JPK

That sounds pretty intense! What is that stain on the back of your shorts?...

JPK
Good pictures and great shooting.
This "episode" shows me you are a great handler of the double rifle.

reloading only one barrel when under duress to get off a quick shot is a good technique, amnd shows cool thinking under pressure.

I do not carry extra rounds in my off hand either. But I do have a butt stock shell carrier. I feel it is the fastest posible 100% fail safe reload.

You, and all others, might want to try it.

Exciting photos and story.

NICE WORK, GREAT EXPERIENCE!!!!!

a wonderful story and great pictures.

now if you could get marcel thys to rechamber it to say 450 #2 you probably would have dropped it. same for the 458 lott.

another example of the weakness of the 458 win mag

WOW! Packy

Tomo,

The Ph was shooting a 470 pushing 500 grains at 2250fps, he didn't drop her either and his shot was right next to my two. Know why he didn't drop her? He missed, just like me.

BTW, 450NE No2 shoots the same bullet out of his rifle as I do and his bullet is moving all of 20fps faster.

JPK

I agree that it's very important to know your rifle so you don't have to look at it or the ammo. ..Thanks for the photos...In other types of hunting the phrase is 'Shoot early and shoot often' !!

Looks like she just flat-out decided she was going to give you some mayhem John, perhaps the killing of eight of her friends had something to do with it, they say ele can communicate over long distances you know.

When she was coming for you was she uttering loud obscenities or did she come in silence? In Hollywood they're always very vocal, in Buzz's DVD you couldn't hardly hear them sneaky suckers coming.

Ray,

She took one look at us and came on without a sound.

I've had others that made a lot of noise but they seem to ussually bluff,

JPK

WAAAAYY cool!

Dave