HOw many shots for an elepant??

[royinidaho]

I have a couple of acquaintances that have returned from Africa and an elephant hunt.

Both got their elephants. One guy had 8 shots w/a 416 and the other had twice that w/a 375.

I've never been in the situation myself but may be on of these days. Is this number of shots typical, average or otherwise?

The first fella's elephant was coming for them. Same for his buffalo. It stopped about 12yds short of them. He was using a 460 for the buffalo.

Just sittin' here thinking and tho't I'd ask.

Thanks

[grayghost]

Shot placement is what everyone tells me. Look at what Bell did with a 7mm. Most of my friends who hunt Elephant take them with 1 to 3 shots, counting their PH on a follow up shot. Not all situations will be the same...ever. But in a good scenario, waiting for the right shot will usually do it with one shot fired. Haven't done it myself but it's coming soon. Buff and Lion are first. I'm going with the .375 but like you, I look forward to replies from our veteran Elephant hunters. Maybe you can join me for Elephant? Good hunting, grayghost

[BILLY D.]

Keep shootin' till they quit wigglin'.

[pomoxis]

The first shot is the most important. If you are able to hit the central nervous system a second or third shot for insurance. If you have a heart lung shot you have the shot placement is the next issue. I shot a cape buffalo with a heart lung shot and it ran 85 yards, that was the good news the bad news was that I shot him at 70 yards and he ran 50 yards back at us.

He squared off at 20 yards before running parrell to me allowing for my 5th shot. I was reloading when he squared off. If the bull would not have reacted to the echo of the shot we would have walked up on a dead buffalo. By the way I was using a .375 H&H.

Being over gunned may cause you to flinch and not placing your first shot exactly where you want it. There can be too much of a good thing when you are talking about knock down power.

[Mil Dot]

If it took 8 to stop him at 12yrds I'd say 9 and then change your drawers!

I was watching a show, may be "dangerous game", and the folks were hunting lion. They had a wounded animal that charged and I tell you what there was alot of gun fire and the last shot the ph made saved his own skin. The lions momentum knocked the ph off his feet! He got up smiling but a little pale to look at.

Like any animal shot placement is crucial.

MD

[MacD37]

Gentlemen, I dearly love the 375 H&H round, and it, with a 300 gr Nosler Partition, is the only chambering that I have a one shot kills on a Cape buffalo with.

Haveing said that, the bolt CRF action 375 H&H, is a perfect for a one rifle safari. It will shoot flat enough for plains game shooting, even in open country. It is powerfull enough to handle the hunting of Cape buffalo, in open country, as well. However, in tight bush, it is on the light side, when Buffalo, or Ele are on license, even for hunting them, though it will do if that is all you have.

Now! Lets talk stopping! The 375 H&H is NOT a stopper! The verious 416s are barely in that class, especially in a bolt rifle. I hear all this talk about shot placement as being all one needs, to take anything that walks, and that is bunk, when one is discussing stopping calibers. A Cape Buffalo rarely charges unwounded, and the smaller chamberings do kill him nicely when he is not adrenalized, and where you can pick your shots. The cards are delt differently, when he's been poked with a less than instantly leathal hole in his gut.

Now we are talking, shoot him anyplace you can, and as often as you can, as quickly as you can, and you will think he is made out of cast iron before he goes down. There is a quote that says it all here, "when a Buffalo puts together a close charge, your options have been wounderfully simplified, you kill him, or he will kill you!" The quote is true, because a Buffalo will not turn, no matter how many times you hit him, once he charges you!

This is when the hole size matters most, and the heavy bullets are needed, and you still may not stop him in time. But in this case a big hole is far better than a small hole, and a heavy bullet breaks more bone than a light one.

Silly comparisons to BELL, and his silly 7mm are not valid! If he wounded he simply abandoned that one, and shot another. They were not brudoned by law saying they had to follow-up, and sort out a wounded animal, and they didn't. Those guys hunted on foot, and it was not good planning to walk ten miles following a wounde ele, when they were pleantiful. Of course he only wrtoe about the ones he got, not the ones he killed, and didn't get!

The 375 H&H is a hunting rifle, but it is well too small for a stopping rifle!

[grayghost]

I think Billy D summed it up quite well :D I'm supposing here: I suspect that Murphy's Law is the norm when hunting DG. I can't picture many scenario's where DG will stand there and allow for the "perfect shot." Hell, it's hard enough to get a Kudu to stand still long enough for a good thumping, so at close range, I'm thinking a Buff or Elephant is not only going to use his eyes and ears, but the confounded wind to rile them up, or at least their sixth sense. I'd like to say I felt comfortable with the perfect shot but I doubt that would happen...at least not for me. I appreciate all of your posts, especially those of you that walk the walk. The more I read of your knowledge, the better I feel....nervous that is ;) I can only hope (and pray) when my turn comes things will go smooth. My wife thinks I want some kind of adrenalin charge, but trust me (no, I'm in no way a politician) I want no part of a life threatening problem; to myself or hunting party. I'd prefer a good hunt, and a challenging hunt. But in no way I'm I looking for a pissed off wounded animal. Thanks for the imput guys. I'm paying attention. grayghost

[Bwana White Hunter]

Shoot for the heart. Big target, and it will run only 100meters or so. Only one shot.

The best option is to go for the brain, but if you are not a steady (I'm not saying good) shot under pressure, you can fluke it, then you would have to shoot it untill it is dead, dead, dead.

www.infinito-safaris.com
"For the best hunting deals in Africa"