First, you can tell be how and elephant drops whether you brained it not. When the shot is successful, the rear colapses, the head goes up and then the front gives way.

Sometimes because the elephant was turning or moving prior to the shot, or because of the terrain, etc, it isn't 100% clear.

Also, a brained elephant tends to have a rear leg circumscibing small cirles and likewise the tail. But not a 100% indicator either.

So, no matter whether the elephant dropped like it was brained or dropped front end first, which generally indicates a knock out or knock down with a miss and not a perfect brain shot, the leg is circling, the tail twitching, the elephant should get an insurance shot to the heart/lung area. If that angle isn't available, another to the head. When they aren't moving the brain shot is a heck of a lot easier.

So the 10-15 second thing gets me wondering too.

But there are circumstances that might lead to a second shot being delayed or even unwise. Examples are other elephants coming and bluffing (and you really only know its a bluff after the fact), or elephants looking for you. Who wants an empty gun in these circumstances, or the reverberations of a second shot causing a charge or possible mass charge. Even ejectors can tell an elephant where you are.

So there might be good reason that the second shot was delayed or not made, but not too often, I think.

Old African saying, "Its the dead ones that get you."

JPK