Forums.NitroExpress.com

Home | Ezine | Forums | Links | Contact NitroExpress.com: Elephant-Killinest-Cartridge???

*** Enjoy NitroExpress.com? Participate and join in. ***

You are not logged in. [Login]

Main Index · Search · Active Topics
New user · Who's Online · FAQ · Calendar

Hunting >> Hunting in Africa & hunting dangerous game

Pages: 1

9.3x57
.450 member

Reged: 22/04/07
Posts: 5504
Loc: United States

Elephant-Killinest-Cartridge???
#90929 - 08/12/07 02:09 PM

I suspect that the cartridge used to kill the most elephants is one of the following: 7.62x39, 7.62 NATO, 7.62x54R, .303 British, .404, and possibly the 7.5x54 French, with a second tier being the 7.65x54 Mauser, .470 NE, and maybe 10 or 12 bore smoothbore.

Maybe the 10 bore {or thereabouts} roer should be in the first tier?

Anybody care to weigh in on this, possibly with a ranking of your own?

Dankie vir u help!

--------------------
What are the Rosary, the Cross or the Crucifix other than tools to help maintain the fortress of our faith in Jesus Christ, the Son of God?

Post Extras:

500Nitro
.450 member

Reged: 06/01/03
Posts: 7244
Loc: Victoria, Australia

Re: Elephant-Killinest-Cartridge??? [Re: 9.3x57]
#90931 - 08/12/07 02:21 PM

7.62 x 39, 308 and 404.

All depends on how many were shot by poachers
and culled by Game Wardens using te Parker Hale 404's ?

Post Extras:

9.3x57
.450 member

Reged: 22/04/07
Posts: 5504
Loc: United States

Re: Elephant-Killinest-Cartridge??? [Re: 500Nitro]
#90934 - 08/12/07 02:29 PM

Quote:

7.62 x 39, 308 and 404.

All depends on how many were shot by poachers
and culled by Game Wardens using te Parker Hale 404's ?

My sentiments exactly.

But what about the Heyday of Annihilation just before the complete establishment of the self-contained cartridge? I seriously wonder about the number of elephants killed by muzzleloaders before, say 1890, muzzleloaders in the hands of both European hunters and the vast number of trade guns sold to Africans and in the hands of Arab slave traders, etc. It had to be a staggering number, of those collected and those lost. Unknown to be sure, and incalculable, but...?

Whatcha think?

--------------------
What are the Rosary, the Cross or the Crucifix other than tools to help maintain the fortress of our faith in Jesus Christ, the Son of God?

Post Extras:

500Nitro
.450 member

Reged: 06/01/03
Posts: 7244
Loc: Victoria, Australia

Re: Elephant-Killinest-Cartridge??? [Re: 9.3x57]
#90935 - 08/12/07 02:39 PM

I would say Centrefire would outweigh ML's regardless,
just because of the sheer weight of numbers of people
and the sheer number of people who had them.

After all, we are really talking after 1880 onwards where
travel and movement + the number of cheaper guns available.

303 is probably another one.

Post Extras:

NitroX
.700 member

Reged: 25/12/02
Posts: 39261
Loc: Barossa Valley, South Australi...

Re: Elephant-Killinest-Cartridge??? [Re: 500Nitro]
#90944 - 08/12/07 04:06 PM

Well we know Bell used his .275 and .318 to kill a lot of elephants. pre- and post-WW1.

In recent years SLRs in 7.62 will be doing a lot of "un-sung" killing probably (culling).

In the days post the NE revival, the .458 Win Mag probably did a lot of work

--------------------
John aka NitroX

...
Govt get out of our lives NOW!
"I love the smell of cordite in the morning."
"A Sharp spear needs no polish"

Post Extras:

Ripp
.577 member

Reged: 19/02/07
Posts: 16072
Loc: Montana, USA

Re: Elephant-Killinest-Cartridge??? [Re: NitroX]
#90985 - 09/12/07 02:40 AM

I find it amazing that Bell used the .275 for a lot of elephants..after reading the book it clearly illustrates the old saying of "Not the size of the bat but where you hit it"

--------------------
ALL MEN DIE, BUT FEW MEN TRULY LIVE..

Post Extras:

peter
removed

Reged: 11/04/07
Posts: 1493
Loc: denmark

Re: Elephant-Killinest-Cartridge??? [Re: Ripp]
#90989 - 09/12/07 03:10 AM

what about the 6,5 x 54 ms that did some ele work as well.

peter

Post Extras:

9.3x57
.450 member

Reged: 22/04/07
Posts: 5504
Loc: United States

Re: Elephant-Killinest-Cartridge??? [Re: Ripp]
#90990 - 09/12/07 03:11 AM

I wouldn't be surprised to find that more elephants have been killed by the 7.62x39, 7.62x62 NATO, 7.62x54R and .303 than all other cartridges combined.

I'm still wondering about the muzzleloader era. A truly vast amount of African game was killed during the years 1830 to 1900 and certainly there were lots of elephant among that number. Reading some of the early explorers' and missionaries' accounts indicates that ML's were spread pretty far and wide, and there was much unrestricted killing of elephant for ivory in the latter half of the 19th century. I guess the question is, were more elephant killed before 1900 than after? Because of the dissemination of many documented hunting and culling accounts published after 1900 it's easy to assume more were laid low after, but I wonder.

--------------------
What are the Rosary, the Cross or the Crucifix other than tools to help maintain the fortress of our faith in Jesus Christ, the Son of God?

Post Extras:

Ripp
.577 member

Reged: 19/02/07
Posts: 16072
Loc: Montana, USA

Re: Elephant-Killinest-Cartridge??? [Re: 9.3x57]
#90992 - 09/12/07 03:24 AM

You made me remember reading Selous's accounting and how when in a herd, his BP failed to fire..he handed it to his tracker, who, not knowing it failed, loaded it again, and handed it back with a double charge--this time it went off and knocked him out with the gun exploding ..

AS to the .303, before I got really involved in African hunting I had no idea it was used that much in Africa for big game.. The very first centerfire rifle I ever bought was when I was 12 years old--I bought a army bolt .303---used if for the next 8 years shooting everything from Deer to coyotes..worked great.. Little did I know at the time I have an "elephant gun"

--------------------
ALL MEN DIE, BUT FEW MEN TRULY LIVE..

Post Extras:

Marrakai
.416 member

Reged: 09/01/03
Posts: 3489
Loc: Darwin, Top End of Australia

Re: Elephant-Killinest-Cartridge??? [Re: Ripp]
#91049 - 09/12/07 02:07 PM

Ripp:
The .303 was only ever an "elephant gun" if the shooter at the time, like Selous with his .275 and .256 small-bores, never polluted his barrel with a soft-point! I would go further to say that the .303 was successful only with the Mk VI and earlier ammo, loaded with 215gr solid-core RN FMJs. The chambering was considerably less successful with the later composite-core Mk VII 174gr spitzer bullet!

Going on those I have had the pleasure to examine, most .303 sporters used in Africa probably had the earlier fast-twist barrel for the heavier RN bullet. My A&N-retailed Martini Enfield and Lee Speed sporters do.

--------------------
Marrakai
When the bull drops, the bullshit stops!
--------------------------------
www.marrakai-adventure.com.au

Post Extras:

9.3x57
.450 member

Reged: 22/04/07
Posts: 5504
Loc: United States

Re: Elephant-Killinest-Cartridge??? [Re: Marrakai]
#91057 - 09/12/07 02:31 PM

Quote:

Ripp:
The .303 was only ever an "elephant gun" if the shooter at the time, like Selous with his .275 and .256 small-bores, never polluted his barrel with a soft-point! I would go further to say that the .303 was successful only with the Mk VI and earlier ammo, loaded with 215gr solid-core RN FMJs. The chambering was considerably less successful with the later composite-core Mk VII 174gr spitzer bullet!

Going on those I have had the pleasure to examine, most .303 sporters used in Africa probably had the earlier fast-twist barrel for the heavier RN bullet. My A&N-retailed Martini Enfield and Lee Speed sporters do.

Marrakai: What "earlier fast-twist" are you referring to? I'm familiar with the 1/10" but haven't seen any others and wasn't aware of any other.

--------------------
What are the Rosary, the Cross or the Crucifix other than tools to help maintain the fortress of our faith in Jesus Christ, the Son of God?

Post Extras:

Pages: 1

Extra information

0 registered and 23 anonymous users are browsing this forum.

Moderator:

Print Topic

Forum Permissions
      You cannot start new topics
      You cannot reply to topics
      HTML is disabled
      UBBCode is enabled

Rating:
Topic views: 2520

Jump to

NitroExpress.com

Home | Ezine | Forums | Links | Contact