Call The Shot My 2021 Elephant Bull

[Altitude sickness]

Due to my very negative experience with a brain shot under poor conditions, I have become a supporter of heart shots for elephants. I shot two elephants this way with the cartridge 500 Schüler and in both cases they go down in place, similar to shot deers.

I have a total of one tuskless kill. I practiced for the frontal and side brain. Had it burned into my muscle memory. As soon as the first shot breaks, rack the bolt and shoot incase the brain shot didn’t work.

Well after many stalks and looking over a lot of elephant’s, the one cow that checked all the boxes. Mature, tuskless and no calf.

She was positioned in light tree branches at 20ish yards. so my PH said heart shot. The .505 Gibbs with .525 grain CEB solid hit the left leg went through the heart and hit the right leg. She dropped instantly.

So my vast elephant experience

Tells me there is a third shot that will drop an elephant if the angle is possible and the power and bullet allows.

Both front legs and heart hit and they can’t stand. It’s a much larger target.

 

[Altitude sickness]

I may not have got bone on the left leg. But I definitely hit bone on the right leg.

 

[Green Chile]

Side brain is one thing but frontal brain shots are very complicated and a very common presentation when they hear or wind you. In other words, not a good idea for many but commonly seen. If I was a PH, I would not allow them in most cases or I would be prepared to backup shoot immediately. I took a heart shot on my last ele and was pleased to see it drop quickly. I will be doing more heart/lung shots.