Ahhhh the days of a 7x57 killing elephants are long gone... brain shots don't require massive power though. What are the regulations on minimum cartridge?
some countries have regulations some not.
Namibia Minimum energy (Eo - muzzle velocity)
No solid point cartridge
1350 J springboeck, duiker etc./996 ft/lbs
2700 J gnou, grand koudou, oryx, eland, etc./1992 ft/lbs
5400 J buffle caffer, elephant, rhino, hippo etc. /3983 ft/lbs
lion et leopard no indications.
zimbabwe (Eo - muzzle velocity)
Part A - Thick skinned, dangerous game [Buffle caffer,
elephant, hippo] mini 9.2 mm (.362")5000 J (3,688 ft-lbs)
Part B - Thin skinned, dangerous and heavy game [eland,
giraffe, lion] mini 7mm (.275") 4300 J (3,172 ft-lbs)
Part C - General big game [Crocodile, Hyaena, Kudu, Leopard, Nyala, Sable,
Waterbuck, Wildebeest, Zebra , 600-800 lbs] mini 7mm (.275")
3000 J (2,213 ft-lbs)
Part D - Light big game mini 5.6 mm (.220") [Bushbuck, Bushpig, Impala,
Reedbuck, and Warthog] 850 J (627 ft-lbs)
Cameroon calibre mini.
Group 1 .354 bongo eland roan buffalo lion
elephant hippo topi
Group 2 .240 duiker hyena hog hartebeest
bushbuck sitatunga kob warthog bushpig
Tanzania
plain game mini cal .240
dangerous game mini .375
Zambia
no mini caliber plain game
lion Leopard cal .30
other dangerous game .375
no elephant on the menu but just for the infos.
ex french colonies
Benin +6mm
senegal
mini 8x68 buffalo hippo roan hartbeest waterbuck
for other antelope +6 mm
burkina faso
+9mm buffalo
+7mm lion roan hartbeest warthog hyena waterbuck bushbuck
CAR no calibers restriction despite what you can read on internet ... and they had one of the hugest population of elephant.