Which Elephant Rifle and cartridge?

[mark-hunter]

My BRNO .375H&H have proven itself over and over.

I have ZKK 602 in 375 H&H. I am considering to hunt ele, as my next animal. (if all going well, in planning, there is a lot iffs, etc)

With your experience how would you comment this caliber on elephant?

Brain shots, are clear enough for me.

But in case it happens to get broad side shot to heart/lung area?
What kind of performance or effect of this caliber to be expected?
Or is it better not to take such shots, and try on next chance for a brain shot?

 

[uplander01]

Never hunted Elephant but feel my 500 Jeffery with 535 Barnes solids at 2225 FPS would do the job, it may get tested in the coming years.

 

[Green Chile]

That 500J will bounce off the ele for sure. It might work on the honey badger but then again...

 

[Nhoro]

The .375 Holland is not a good choice for frontal shots on Big bulls such as in Botswana. You will not drop your elephant. Anything from .400 up is better. The choice is wide open. Mine would be .404Jeff in a bolt gun . Affordable and not that rough on the shoulder.

I would disagree. 375 H&H has plenty of penetration for a brain shot, more penetration than a 500 NE i would wager.It will drop an elephant if your aim is good. I am not saying it is the best choice but it will do the job.

 

[Manwe]

Ask 30 different members, you'll likely get 30 different responses. If you're actually considering an elephant hunt, my personal recommendation would be to make contact with the PH who's going to be your guide and ask him exactly what equipment he recommends you bring. He is, after all, the guy who could very well be responsible for saving your life if your first shot or two doesn't bring the big pachyderm down immediately.

 

[Cajun Hunter]

Have been quietly following this topic and now will chime in for what it’s worth. Having hunted ele’s 4 times and going again next year; shot and lost one with a .416 so thought my comments might be of value. I can tell you for sure it’s all about bullet placement and bullet construction not so much caliber.
My first was shot with a .35 cal. Wildcat using 310 gr. Woodleigh solids. 2nd was with.416 Rigby and after 2 rounds in heart/lung area through some very heavy brush, the bull made it into the park and was lost. Remainder and one shot last year was with .375 H&H. Using Swift BA solids. A .375 will kill anything that walks, crawls, or flys!! I will also be hunting buffalo again next year with a 9.3x62 and would love to try it on a tusker with some .300gr Swifts. After passing though 6.5 feet of wet media and plywood spacers, it shot completely through my bullet trap with 286 gr. NF solids. Elephant in September of next year will be with the .416

 

[thi9elsp]

I'll be using a CZ550 404 Jefferey in July with Hornady 400 solids. My PH said they have the same rifle and that it's their favorite. I'll update after the hunt on how I and the rifle/bullet perform.

 

[375Ruger416]

Interesting thread with lots of opinions. My answer is Blaser R8 in 375 H&H - which I should finally receive now that Canada Post has been ordered back to work temporarily ending their strike! It is the only rifle I own in a DG suitable cartridge - will see how I like it. Trying to stop buying more rifles and redirect funds to hunting trips, but I suspect if I book an elephant hunt I will be tempted to add a 416 Rem or a 458 Lott barrel to my collection…

While I’m a proponent of the ‘use enough gun theory’ in general, I also buy into the theory that you should use a rifle you are highly familiar with. Planning to use it for PG in 2026 and buffalo/PG in 2027. If I ever hunt elephant, it sounds like it is more likely that shot placement will be the issue and that if I do my part, a 375 H&H should do its part. If there’s a failure, it’s likely to be shot placement (aka a screw loose behind the gun, not in the gun).

I think this is definitely an area where we should defer to our PH and the practical experience of those who have hunted numerous elephant and DG and documented it. Will likely never be another generation of hunters/guides with the experience some of those had in the 19th and 20th century hunting and culling many, many elephants. From my limited knowledge on the subject, it seems anything from a 375 H&H and up is reasonable though there seems little benefit to me of cartridges larger than the 500 NE or 505 Gibbs. Shot placement and penetration being so important that once again the largest cartridge you can shoot well is probably the right answer. Sectional density of some of the common loads in smaller cartridges is also better than some of the ‘bigger’ cartridges, further narrowing the performance gap.

Think I’ll have a read of my Perfect Shot II again tonight - if nothing else, it’s fun to think about! (This is particularly true as it is snowing and - 16 C here today). If I was a PH, I’d own a proper ‘stopping rifle’ and perhaps even a double. In my hands though, I think I’m best served by a 375 H&H and aim to take 15 or 20 animals with mine before I’d consider trying it on elephant.

 

[TOBY458]

Interesting thread with lots of opinions. My answer is Blaser R8 in 375 H&H - which I should finally receive now that Canada Post has been ordered back to work temporarily ending their strike! It is the only rifle I own in a DG suitable cartridge - will see how I like it. Trying to stop buying more rifles and redirect funds to hunting trips, but I suspect if I book an elephant hunt I will be tempted to add a 416 Rem or a 458 Lott barrel to my collection…

While I’m a proponent of the ‘use enough gun theory’ in general, I also buy into the theory that you should use a rifle you are highly familiar with. Planning to use it for PG in 2026 and buffalo/PG in 2027. If I ever hunt elephant, it sounds like it is more likely that shot placement will be the issue and that if I do my part, a 375 H&H should do its part. If there’s a failure, it’s likely to be shot placement (aka a screw loose behind the gun, not in the gun).

I think this is definitely an area where we should defer to our PH and the practical experience of those who have hunted numerous elephant and DG and documented it. Will likely never be another generation of hunters/guides with the experience some of those had in the 19th and 20th century hunting and culling many, many elephants. From my limited knowledge on the subject, it seems anything from a 375 H&H and up is reasonable though there seems little benefit to me of cartridges larger than the 500 NE or 505 Gibbs. Shot placement and penetration being so important that once again the largest cartridge you can shoot well is probably the right answer. Sectional density of some of the common loads in smaller cartridges is also better than some of the ‘bigger’ cartridges, further narrowing the performance gap.

Think I’ll have a read of my Perfect Shot II again tonight - if nothing else, it’s fun to think about! (This is particularly true as it is snowing and - 16 C here today). If I was a PH, I’d own a proper ‘stopping rifle’ and perhaps even a double. In my hands though, I think I’m best served by a 375 H&H and aim to take 15 or 20 animals with mine before I’d consider trying it on elephant.

No need to wait. Your R8 375 will work for elephant if you do your part.

 

[M70375!]

I like my .458 Lott with Swarovski Z6 and CEB 450grain flat nosed solids. I now just need to find a country I’m allowed to take it to!

is 458 Lott illegal in some countries?

 

[Green Chile]

is 458 Lott illegal in some countries?

No. Why would it be illegal?

 

[Altitude sickness]

I have only killed one tuskless cow. So definitely not the most experienced here by any means.

My advice is to watch as many elephant hunting videos as you possibly can before your first hunt. YouTube has hundreds of them. You will enjoy your homework.

You will see magazine rifles, double rifles, even a rare Farquarson.

You will see .375 H&H up to the largest big bores used in the real world on elephants. In brush, in the clear, at 10 meters, at 100 meters, facing the shooter, quartering too, broadside, quartering away.

You will see first shots drop the bull or cow. You will see some stunned and need follow up. You will see a fair amount run off after the shot. Necessitating the PH and hunter to now shoot at a tail bone or hip bone. Hoping for extreme penetration if those points are missed.

Then once you have settled on your platform, go out and shoot $1000 worth (or more if feasible) of your preferred ammo. Shoot from sticks. But you will most likely need to shoot off hand.

Just as selecting to use iron sights verses a scoped rifle limits your opportunities on Buffalo. Using a .375 may eliminate some shot opportunities. You May trail elephants for 2 weeks and get one shot. As long as you are potentially willing to walk away and go home without a shot.

So all of that is the long way of saying what everyone has already said. “use enough gun” the largest powered and best bullet you can shoot accurately at an average of 30 yards.

I used my .505 Gibbs with great success but also had my .416 Taylor on the truck that I would have happily used. Both loaded with CEB solids

 

[Rare Breed]

No need to wait. Your R8 375 will work for elephant if you do your part.
View attachment 653760

really excited your going after a bull @TOBY458!!!!!

 

[ftrovato]

I was in Mozambique this past fall on safari and had encounters with hundreds of elephants. Several being bulls in the 50-60lbs class. Getting so close to these giants was imagining. I wish I could afford to pull the trigger! As I put the red dot on many heads I was happy to have my 500 NE in my hands. When I was carrying my 416 Rigby (on a few occasions) and the elephants made it clear we were not welcome or deserving to be in their company, I was wishing I had my 500! For all intent and purposes I was blessed to have these experiences as an elephant observer. However, after having those encounters I do feel if I can ever afford to hunt an elephant, it will be with my 500.

 

[PaulT]

@Fatback

Thank you so much for the details that you have on the rifle.

This morning I have pretty much convinced myself that has to be his rifle, I can't see the Custom Shop just making very many LH Stainless 458 Winchesters, and with a Brake installed..... Maybe LH, on occasion, but not with a Brake....... I would think that would be extremely rare, and I am thinking a One of a Kind to be honest.......

I have done some brief searches back in some old data, and I am just not finding anything that might 100% identify it.

He used the rifle from late 2000 in Mozambique for a lioness, and also buffalo. As I recall he would have been shooting a 400 Swift A frame on that mission at 2350 fps or so, I loaded everything for him and that is what I was shooting also in a Winchester M70 RH of course for me, at 22 inches...... He used it exclusively for several years thereafter, and only put it aside when I had a 50 B&M built for him.

Looking through the photos convinces me even more about the rifle........

View attachment 604740View attachment 604741View attachment 604742View attachment 604743View attachment 604744

I am guessing it would have been 2008-2009 when he retired the gun...... as far as upkeep on it, he was always rubbing on it, cleaning and looking after it like it was made of gold..... HEH..........

Again, logically I just can't see the Custom Shop making these, I have never seen another left hand 458 of any kind, and I kept up pretty well with the Custom shop until they closed down....... I believe it was one of a kind.......... I sincerely hope if indeed this is so, that you enjoy the gun as much as he did and best of luck with it in your future hunts, I know it will serve you well, again, thank you for taking time to get back to me on this, brings back many memories........
Michael

R.I.P Lou.

 

[BeeMaa]

 

[Altitude sickness]

That’s a heck of a Steelie, you have to be a certain age to know what a Steelie was.

I was fortunate as a kid. My Grandpa owned a bearing manufacturing factory. He had a contract with the U.S.Navy and his bearings were on the USS Nautilus. So I always had huge Steelies in my marble collection.

 

[375Ruger416]

I was in Mozambique this past fall on safari and had encounters with hundreds of elephants. Several being bulls in the 50-60lbs class. Getting so close to these giants was imagining. I wish I could afford to pull the trigger! As I put the red dot on many heads I was happy to have my 500 NE in my hands. When I was carrying my 416 Rigby (on a few occasions) and the elephants made it clear we were not welcome or deserving to be in their company, I was wishing I had my 500! For all intent and purposes I was blessed to have these experiences as an elephant observer. However, after having those encounters I do feel if I can ever afford to hunt an elephant, it will be with my 500.

View attachment 653957View attachment 653958View attachment 653959

I’ve yet to read a post where someone spent time close to elephant or hunting them and wished they had brought a ‘smaller caliber’. Not that a 375 isn’t adequate, a 416 is better, a 458 good, and a 470 or 500 ideal by all accounts. I’ve concluded it’s not the cartridges that drive this feeling, but the size and power of these majestic animals.

When we were viewing elephants in Namibia, a young bull ~ 11 yo - was eating seed pods out of my hand and ‘frisking me’ looking for more as I was sitting in the front seat of the Land Rover. Talk about feeling insignificant…

 

[Green Chile]

Very true. The power of an ele is awesome and very humbling. Go heavy within your ability but not so heavy that you are not in control of your gun or worse, you are afraid of your gun.