Good post. Dad always said "Get close, shoot straight". It certainly works.

I think too, many people have an "all or nothing" mentality. Everyone's opinions are colored by their experience. In Bell's case, he was trying to hunt and kill elephant as efficiently as possible, and had control of the situation, due to his skill-set.

If I were a PH, dealing with hunters who are often completely unknown quantities in their shooting abilities, courage, and bush-craft, I would definitely want more horsepower and a BIG stopping rifle, in Africa. Who knows what kind of a cock-up you'll be dealing with, from minute to minute.

Bell's skill was rare, as was Corbett's, and they both obviously had an analytical bent. They both also had that rare human gift: patience. In my admittedly limited experience, that is a huge advantage. It lets you get the setup you want, not hurry the shot, so you only rarely need anything extra in the way of help.