Call The Shot Elephant

Where do you aim?

  • Red

    Votes: 69 75.8%

  • Blue

    Votes: 3 3.3%

  • Other

    Votes: 19 20.9%
  • Total voters
    91
Altitude sickness

Altitude sickness

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This bull is charging and at 10 feet you have enough time to raise your barrel and fire. No time to think. Where do you aim.
IMG_5018.jpeg
 
If I’m not mistaken, the brain is on the level of the red dot, but since at 10yards (on flat terrain) you will be shooting upwards, I would aim for the crease below.
 
At 10 feet it is essentially “on top of you” and you are essentially “pointing way up so you need to enter way below the transverse lie of the brain and have the trajectory go way up and back at a rather sharp angle.
 
1724698192740.png


Blue will not even phase it! It might turn it. This would be the shot to take to try desperately to get it to stop charging without killing it (e.g. accidental elephant charge while hunting buffalo), but if this does not work and it is close and truly coming, you are about dead...

Red, above the eyes, and just above the upper end of the zygomatic arches, will maybe graze the top of the brain, especially with a shot angling up, but more probably go just over it. A 9.3, .375 or even .416 will probably not knock it down, but a .500, .470 or .458 Lott will most likely drop it but not kill it. You have about 5 to 10 seconds to run sideways and put another one in the top of its head or a couple behind its shoulder.

I would go a little lower than discussed so far because its head is held up; the shot is angling up; indeed "when in doubt aim low" (attributed to Richard Harland in modern days, but he could have just repeated it from older hands, and in any case advised by Charlton McCallum in his videos) and they do not mean 1" low but 4" low - it is an elephant after all; and the shot is still in line with the zygomatic arches.


PS: red would work if it is coming for you from below, e.g. it is in a shallow river bottom and you are on the bank 4 to 6 ft higher than it.
 
Last edited:
I know a case where the elephant was coming in, too close and no time to aim, the shot did not bring him down, but it make him turn
 
One Day... said:
View attachment 629508

Blue will not even phase it! It might turn it. This would be the shot to take to try desperately to get it to stop charging without killing it (e.g. accidental elephant charge while hunting buffalo), but if this does not work and it is close and truly coming, you are about dead...

Red, above the eyes, and just above the upper end of the zygomatic arches, will maybe graze the top of the brain, especially with a shot angling up, but more probably go just over it. A 9.3, .375 or even .416 will probably not knock it down, but a .500, .470 or .458 Lott will most likely drop it but not kill it. You have about 5 to 10 seconds to run sideways and put another one in the top of its head or a couple behind its shoulder.

I would go a little lower than discussed so far because its head is held up; the shot is angling up; indeed "when in doubt aim low" (attributed to Richard Harland in modern days, but he could have just repeated it from older hands, and in any case advised by Charlton McCallum in his videos) and they do not mean 1" low but 4" low - it is an elephant after all; and the shot is still in line with the zygomatic arches.


PS: red would work if it is coming for you from below, e.g. it is in a shallow river bottom and you are on the bank 4 to 6 ft higher than it.
Click to expand...
I would shoot between the red and the green…good call!!!
 
The dot from the aimpoint on the first crease below the red. Hopefully at that range I would still be thinking clearly.
 
No higher than red. Probably a bit below depending on head angle, elevation, etc. At 10 feet you better be moving back as you shoot. Even if you brain it, you could end up under the head.
 
One Day... said:
View attachment 629508

Blue will not even phase it! It might turn it. This would be the shot to take to try desperately to get it to stop charging without killing it (e.g. accidental elephant charge while hunting buffalo), but if this does not work and it is close and truly coming, you are about dead...

Red, above the eyes, and just above the upper end of the zygomatic arches, will maybe graze the top of the brain, especially with a shot angling up, but more probably go just over it. A 9.3, .375 or even .416 will probably not knock it down, but a .500, .470 or .458 Lott will most likely drop it but not kill it. You have about 5 to 10 seconds to run sideways and put another one in the top of its head or a couple behind its shoulder.

I would go a little lower than discussed so far because its head is held up; the shot is angling up; indeed "when in doubt aim low" (attributed to Richard Harland in modern days, but he could have just repeated it from older hands, and in any case advised by Charlton McCallum in his videos) and they do not mean 1" low but 4" low - it is an elephant after all; and the shot is still in line with the zygomatic arches.


PS: red would work if it is coming for you from below, e.g. it is in a shallow river bottom and you are on the bank 4 to 6 ft higher than it.
Click to expand...
perfect!!!!!
 
I pray that I’d never have to face this dilemma, but I would try and shoot 2- 4 inches below the red dot. Am I wrong???
 
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