Call The Shot Elephant

Where do you aim?

  • Red

    Votes: 22 71.0%
  • Blue

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Other

    Votes: 9 29.0%

  • Total voters
    31

Altitude sickness

Gold supporter
AH legend
Joined
Jun 24, 2023
Messages
2,950
Reaction score
10,410
Location
Michigan
Media
23
Hunting reports
Africa
1
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
 
Red dot would be it for me, level with the zygomatic arches
 
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.
 
Little below the red dot
 
If you shoot from the height the picture was taken shoot red, from 10yards on the same level as the elephant I would shoot below the red dot!
 
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
 
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.
I would shoot between the red and the green…good call!!!
 

Forum statistics

Threads
56,444
Messages
1,204,791
Members
98,617
Latest member
AddieWhitt
 

 

 

Latest posts

Latest profile posts

TERMINATOR wrote on Cuthberto's profile.
Reach out to the guys at Epic Outdoors.

They will steer you right for landowner tags and outfitters that have them.

I have held a membership with them for years and they are an invaluable resource.

Way better that asking random people on the internet...WAY better

Raskolnikov743 wrote on skydiver386's profile.
Skydiver386,

Did you ever find your 30-06 CZ550? I own a fairly solid conditioned one, if you wanted to talk.

[redacted]
Ryanelson wrote on Flipper Dude's profile.
I wanted to know if you minded answering a dew questions on 45-70 in africa
Ryanelson wrote on Sturgeondrjb's profile.
I wanted to know if you minded answering a dew questions on 45-70 in africa
 
Top