Stopping Rifles, .375 - .450 - .505 Gibbs
- Thread starter Ardent
- Start date
I've seen that one before, but its a good one.
Picture that instead of being in relatively open area you are crammed into cover that is unlikely to let you see 10 yards, with an animal twice as tall as you are that weighs as much as 10 big brown bears or 20-30 average sized adult grizzlies. Then consider that you might even be doing it on purpose.........................its sort of a sport for lunatics.
Picture that instead of being in relatively open area you are crammed into cover that is unlikely to let you see 10 yards, with an animal twice as tall as you are that weighs as much as 10 big brown bears or 20-30 average sized adult grizzlies. Then consider that you might even be doing it on purpose.........................its sort of a sport for lunatics.
I don't think a fellow can properly imagine that without having lived it. There was a good scene with Ivan Carter running into some brush after a wounded elephant. After stopping the charge he said something to the effect of "those are the times you really have to keep your wits about yourself". Quite different than heading out to your Whitetail honey-hole.
In my very limited experience, a slightly low ("failed") brain shot on a charging elephant did turn it away from me and my PH and from the first intended victim, my videographer. That had been previously described to me as "the next best thing that can happen if you shoot too low and miss the brain" on an elephant.
That said, five and a half paces to the bull elephant's front feet doesn't feel that close. I suppose adrenalin plays a role. When an elephant raises its head back up close, it really screws up your shot reference points.
The cartridge I owe my life to is the 404 Jeffrey. 400 grain Barnes Banded Solid, 2350 fps and the rifle was a Heym Express Rifle (from Ralf Martini). Amazing rifle. Smooth, accurate and providing less felt recoil than the other medium bores that I had shot over the years (Ruger RSM, CZ 602, CZ 550, Winchester Super Express).
So, I agree that sometimes "turning" a charging animal is a perfectly satisfactory result from the charging animal being hit "hard enough".
That said, five and a half paces to the bull elephant's front feet doesn't feel that close. I suppose adrenalin plays a role. When an elephant raises its head back up close, it really screws up your shot reference points.
The cartridge I owe my life to is the 404 Jeffrey. 400 grain Barnes Banded Solid, 2350 fps and the rifle was a Heym Express Rifle (from Ralf Martini). Amazing rifle. Smooth, accurate and providing less felt recoil than the other medium bores that I had shot over the years (Ruger RSM, CZ 602, CZ 550, Winchester Super Express).
So, I agree that sometimes "turning" a charging animal is a perfectly satisfactory result from the charging animal being hit "hard enough".
BigUglyMan
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- New Scotland
I got outrun by a 50 year old tracker. We decided that if they ran up the hill we retreated to then they were serious enough to shoot.
Ardent
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
Oddly, we even pay handsomely for the privilege.
Yeah, isn't it great?
Even more than the dreaded ex wife?....
Nice to hear the stories from those who have been there and done it....
Yep, and the more time I spend around them the more entrenched that fear becomes............backing up very quietly in bush so thick you can barely see your hand when your arm is extended, knowing there are 4 or 5 within less than 10 mtrs and the bush in front of your face may explode at any second if you screw up or make a sound, is just a tad unnerving. Especially when the 3 black fellows that had moments previous been at my side, had just silently evaporated and were nowhere to be found for well over a 1/2 hour later..........have I mentioned how much I hate elephants!!!! They have a way of screwing up an otherwise perfectly good hunt.
It's not the ex's that I fear SB, they've already done all they can to me...................
The big difference between elephants and wives is, the wives don't usually want to terminate you permanently and immediately as do the elephants, when you screw up, they want to keep you around and make you suffer long term. Elephants are much more humane, and tend to get it over with quite quickly.
