Scope or no Scope for Elephant hunting

[zephyr]

I am also right handed and left eye dominate, fortunately for me my father (60 years ago) caught it at an early age and made me shoot left handed with a "you'll thank me later remark"....
But I am Cross Dominate which makes shooting with both eyes open, both rifle and shotgun difficult. Knowing that shooting with both eyes open was important he put tape on my glasses to cover the pupil on my right eye (left for you) when my head is on the stock.. You quickly get use to the thumb nail size piece of tape never seeing it when your head is up or when on the stock
My 3 trips to Africa 2 Ele Cows, 3 Buff and other assorted game have been with Iron sights and both eyes open
Toss me a PM if you want further info

 

[CBH Australia]

Both probably work but it's your hunt your safari so you need to be comfortable with the choice.

Taking both rifles may leave options

 

[crs]

A friend of mine shot an elephant (not his first) with my 1886 .45-90 (450 grain NF solid at 2150 fps) at 25 yards -- frontal brain shot - bullet went through brain , head, and into body -- DRT.

He used the barrel sight due to the close range.
On a different hunt, I used the same rifle, barrel sight, and ammo to take a running bison at 45 yards.
Shot through both shoulders and beyond - sensational end over head tumble and done!
It can be done without a scope.

 

[375Fox]

I am also right handed and left eye dominate, fortunately for me my father (60 years ago) caught it at an early age and made me shoot left handed with a "you'll thank me later remark"....
But I am Cross Dominate which makes shooting with both eyes open, both rifle and shotgun difficult. Knowing that shooting with both eyes open was important he put tape on my glasses to cover the pupil on my right eye (left for you) when my head is on the stock.. You quickly get use to the thumb nail size piece of tape never seeing it when your head is up or when on the stock
My 3 trips to Africa 2 Ele Cows, 3 Buff and other assorted game have been with Iron sights and both eyes open
Toss me a PM if you want further info
View attachment 503332

Your comment about learning to shoot left handed I find interesting. My left eye was dominant as a kid and I couldn’t fully close my left eye to shoot right handed. I could not shoot open sights. I shot with a patch on my left eye for several years until I trained my right eye. No issues now (after about 14 years old) both eyes fully opened shooting right handed.

 

[zephyr]

Your comment about learning to shoot left handed I find interesting. My left eye was dominant as a kid and I couldn’t fully close my left eye to shoot right handed. I could not shoot open sights. I shot with a patch on my left eye for several years until I trained my right eye. No issues now (after about 14 years old) both eyes fully opened shooting right handed.

Try the Tape

 

[Tanks]

What do you think about a red dot sight like a Holosun 510C or Eotech XPS3 on 460 Weatherby?

They are 1X so should work. I had an Eotech on my .500 MDM for this one (and multiple others).

 

[grand veneur]

I shot all my elephants with rifles that had an scope, one caliber 460 WBY-Magnum, the other caliber 500 Schüler. I shot one of the elephants, a crop raider, at night. That would have been impossible without a scope.