Body Shots On Elephant (Does Caliber Really Matter?)

[grand veneur]

Like the majority of the Forum members, I have not shot enough elephants to be an expert. Despite everything, I think the heart shot on elephants is the safest, especially when a big bore rifle is used. With such a rifle the damage caused is in all cases greater than that of a smaller caliber. I shot an elephant with a heart shot where the 535gr FMJ bullet of the 500 Schüler cartridge go through the heart, but also broke both humeri. It is also sure that a bolt action rifle with a scope offers clear advantages for a good shot placement compared to a rifle with open sights. In summary, it is much better to kill an elephant with as few as possible good placed primarily letal shots in order to spare the animal unnecessary pain from various non letal bone shots.

 

[Pondoro]

Like the majority of the Forum members, I have not shot enough elephants to be an expert. Despite everything, I think the heart shot on elephants is the safest, especially when a big bore rifle is used. With such a rifle the damage caused is in all cases greater than that of a smaller caliber. I shot an elephant with a heart shot where the 535gr FMJ bullet of the 500 Schüler cartridge go through the heart, but also broke both humeri. It is also sure that a bolt action rifle with a scope offers clear advantages for a good shot placement compared to a rifle with open sights. In summary, it is much better to kill an elephant with as few as possible good placed primarily letal shots in order to spare the animal unnecessary pain from various non letal bone shots.

A scoped large caliber double rifle is even better when it comes to bullet placement.. I have landed on .470 with a red dot Leupold....works splendidly for me..

 

[KMG Hunting Safaris]

Big holes matter.

 

[Foxi]

one day,
what do you think about the aiming point at the head?
My PH (15-20 Ele per year) would say too low.
So many elephants so many opinions apparently.
A PH from HHK (biggest outfitter in Zimbabwe) told me at the campfire in Save that they no longer allow head shots from clients, as 90% of these elephants are not found if they miss.
In the region where I was recently in South Africa, headshots are mandatory as the first shot.

Hm......

 

[grand veneur]

one day,
what do you think about the aiming point at the head?
My PH (15-20 Ele per year) would say too low.
So many elephants so many opinions apparently.
A PH from HHK (biggest outfitter in Zimbabwe) told me at the campfire in Save that they no longer allow head shots from clients, as 90% of these elephants are not found if they miss.
In the region where I was recently in South Africa, headshots are mandatory as the first shot.

Hm......

The reference should be the ear canal and that seems to be a bit higher to me.

No matter what, the elephant's brain is extremely small compared to the heart and lungs and can therefore easily be missed. I speak from personal experience. It is therefore understandable that a PH would prefer the heart shot than the brain shot, only that one should use big bore rifles for heart and lung shots on elephants.

 

[Foxi]

Cross-section of an elephant skull in the Letaba Elephant hall.
The index finger on the left - ear slit
red cavity-brain
fist right- the eye

 

[VertigoBE]

one day,
what do you think about the aiming point at the head?
My PH (15-20 Ele per year) would say too low.
So many elephants so many opinions apparently.
A PH from HHK (biggest outfitter in Zimbabwe) told me at the campfire in Save that they no longer allow head shots from clients, as 90% of these elephants are not found if they miss.
In the region where I was recently in South Africa, headshots are mandatory as the first shot.

Hm......

Although the red dot you put there, is slightly obscuring the end of the ear slit, so I’m not 100% on the height, I would put a bullet just to the right of the red dot you indicated.

 

[One Day...]

one day,
what do you think about the aiming point at the head?
My PH (15-20 Ele per year) would say too low.
So many elephants so many opinions apparently.
A PH from HHK (biggest outfitter in Zimbabwe) told me at the campfire in Save that they no longer allow head shots from clients, as 90% of these elephants are not found if they miss.
In the region where I was recently in South Africa, headshots are mandatory as the first shot.

Hm......

Well... maybe... I think that VertigoBE is pretty much on it. The darker color at the top of the ear slit makes it look like the ear hole is higher, but if you look at the zygomatic arch, the shot is pretty much in line. I might shoot (blue dot) a little forward of the Perfect Shoot II recommended red dot, and a bit higher, but not by much.

I am reminded of the old say for elephant brain shots: "when in doubt, shoot low!".

For that matter, my body shot (green dot) would also be just a little different from the suggested shot (red dot), assuming a perfect broadside with no angling.

As to body shot vs. brain shot, I am on record on AH.com for recommending unconditionally and repetitively the behind-the-shoulder double lung & heart shot on elephant for most clients, especially the novices, which we almost all are, as darn few of us nowadays have more than a couple elephants experience...

A lot of hype is placed on blogs and in videos on the brain shot, and it is misguiding clients to believe that somehow "real men" only take brain shots. This is not only ridiculous, but really not helping folks on their first elephant hunt...

And yes, .375 will do (I have done it!), and the various .40+ will do a bit better, but I too believe that elephant is .45+ territory, including in case one would hit the humerus accidentally (and certainly not purposefully as was suggested).

My own elephant medecine: R8 Pro steel insert stock with .458 Lott Selous barrel and Leica 1-6x24 scope. Works quite well too on Impala for the pot out to 200+ yards. And no, this is not an also-ran because I could not afford a double. I actually sold my Krieghoff .470 double after switching repetitively to my "backup" R8 on DG hunts.

Of course, the bigger you go, the more leeway you have -- assuming you can still shoot the rifle accurately -- and the .500 Schuler (dubbed Jeffery by the British) or .505 Gibbs will easily shatter ANY bone up to and probably including Tyrannosaurus Rex , but my own recoil tolerance threshold is with the .458 Lott, which I can still shoot accurately enough from the sticks, to make it count.

3 rounds of .458 Lott 500 gr TSX or Banded Solid (they shoot to the same point in my barrel) from my R8 off the sticks @ 100 yards.

 

[Sideshow]

Heres hoping those rifles don’t round the corner to the kitchen of no return.

Ohoo are you referring to the infamous kitchen counter

 

[francois_458]

I am contemplating doing an elephant hunt in the near future. I realize that most people prefer a brain shot for Elephant, but in the case that a heart/lung shot is presented, wouldn't that make a much larger target? I also realize the Elephant could possibly run for quite some distance before succumbing to such a shot, but if placement was correct, the outcome should be certain.
That said, due to the large size of an Elephant, and the fact that solids would most likely be used, is there really a huge difference in effectiveness between a 375 bullet, vs something larger? Say 416, 404 or 458. I'm sure the bigger guns are always somewhat more effective, but on such a huge animal, they all seem relatively small bore when considering a heart/lung shot.

I may be very late on this particular topic but would like to add what i Believe to be the case...
On broadside heart shots there little difference between calibers, Elephant will be dead under 100yds.
When it comes to angles and back up/second shots, i would think 458 minimum. I spoke with someone with experience shooting eles with a 375 h&h, shots that hit leg bones simple created .375 sized hole through the bone, thus failing to bring the animal to a halt.

I would say therfore that for the typical hunter a 375 of 416 with a scope is ideal, and the PH will have something bigger to cope with the tricky back up shots... If required

 

[towserthemouser]

I wouldn't say that! But that Heym sure is mighty pretty to be dragging through the thorns. My synthetic stocked 416 would make much more sense!

In my opinion pretty rifles become beloved rifles when they earn some scratches and some character and some history. They are tools. Use them.