Which Elephant Rifle and cartridge?

I've only hunted one elephant so far. If I ever got to hunt another, my "Ideal" would need to be practical and limited to what I have on hand for firearms.
So I'd pick my Merkel 140 AE double rifle chambered in .450-400 3" Nitro Express. Perhaps few experienced elephant hunters would consider it "ideal" but with this relatively mild but quite capable chambering, in a rifle that I know, have some experience with, and like, I feel I could quickly hit what I'm aiming at. It's especially quick, accurate and responsive when fitted with a Burris reflex sight in the Recknagel QD mount. The recoil is manageable, so I don't flinch. That matters more to me than extra power.
 
I've only hunted one elephant so far. If I ever got to hunt another, my "Ideal" would need to be practical and limited to what I have on hand for firearms.
So I'd pick my Merkel 140 AE double rifle chambered in .450-400 3" Nitro
What rifle, cartridge did you take your first Ele with?
 
It was a rented Winchester M70 Safari Express, .416 Rem, loaded with Trophy Bonded Sledgehammer solids. Equipped with a 1.5-5x Leupold. Worked OK, but it would fail to feed if three cartridges were placed in the magazine. So it was a "three shooter". That didn't bother me until I had a wounded bull elephant on the ground at spitting distance and an empty rifle in my hands ... that was disconcerting!
IMG_7378.jpeg
 
Last edited:
That didn't bother me until I had a wounded bull elephant on the ground at spitting distance and an empty rifle in my hands ... that was disconcerting!
Disconcerting………….. Understated, yet apt description.
 
The calibre choice is alway as debatable as the preferred vehicle brand and best tyre to do offroading....

Being a leathered PH and listening to conversations around the campfires on our safaris, you gather a lot of advice and get to poke a couple of suggestions around and feel the response coming from clients.

Shotplacement is the best choice.....just another opinion , but once you can deliver a very well placed shot with trustworthy bullets, the calibre choice is up to you.

My BRNO .375H&H have proven itself over and over. My Mauser .458Lott is my go to as back-up , but experience and bullet choice cannot be placed on the back burner.

On Elle, a lot can go wrong if your bullet do not have the penetration that is needed. The tusks inside the scull is a major obstruction and the nasal cavity alike.

If you hit the brain with a .375 solid, you will have the trophy on the ground......missing the brain or spine with the biggest rifle , may leave you on a death run or ending up under the tusks or trunk of a wounded Elle.

I use Peregrine VRG3 Bushmaster bullets on all DG hunts with excellent penetration, perfect expansion and proper weight retension.

" HORSES FOR CAUSES " , Budget is also a prominent factor.

In short : Why use the minimum calibre if your life is at stake ? Rather get a rifle that gel with you, not kicking like a mule. A calibre that you can handle and shoot from the sticks and still do a 50-80 yard 5 shot grouping into a 3inch circle. Use good ammo and study the anatomy of your trophy while putting you in every possible position to take a shot...........Your first shot determine the type of funeral in camp.....yours or the Elle's funeral.

The most common mistake on calibre that I have seen, is the biggest, heaviest ass kicking rifle to boost your ego in the gunshop or around the campfire..........We see this so many times , use enough gun, be one with your rifle, use it as your companion and do not let your ego choose your calibre....
 

Forum statistics

Threads
58,157
Messages
1,248,671
Members
102,930
Latest member
dvco_68
 

 

 

Latest profile posts

autofire wrote on LIMPOPO NORTH SAFARIS's profile.
Do you have any cull hunts available? 7 days, daily rate plus per animal price?

#plainsgame #hunting #africahunting ##LimpopoNorthSafaris ##africa
Grz63 wrote on roklok's profile.
Hi Roklok
I read your post on Caprivi. Congratulations.
I plan to hunt there for buff in 2026 oct.
How was the land, very dry ? But à lot of buffs ?
Thank you / merci
Philippe
 
Top