There is a reference to Bell in Terry Wieland's book. "Rifles for Africa" on page 71-73 as to the reasons why he chose and eventually dropped the 7X57 in favor of the 318, WR, 350 Rigby and eventually the 416. In the doubles, I was indeed mistaken, as I was thinking of Taylor and not Bell. But his quotes are there in Wieland's book as to the wounding and losing elephant, and the real reason as to why he initially hunted wit the 7X57.
Bell liked the larger .318 for the difficult oblique shot, its extra penetration allowed him to get through the neck mass region before reaching the brain. At first, Bell thought he was misplacing with his 7x57 solids on the oblique brain shots, but then discovered the problem was lack of penetration, but outside of that, the 7x57 pretty much covered all other shots on the brain very effectively.
Bell purchased two .416 Rigby mausers in 1913, and the first edition of his book came in 1923, in it he still praises the smaller bores for elephant.
"..Again, the smallest bore rifles with cartridges of a modern military description, such as the -256, -275, •303 or -318, are quite sufficiently powerful for the brain shot. The advantages of these I need hardly enumerate..." -- WDM Bell, Wanderings of An elephant Hunter.
" As regards rifles, I will simply state that I have tried the following : -416, -450/ -400, 360, 350, -318, 275 and -256. At the time I possessed the double -400 I also had a 275. Sometimes I used one and sometimes the other, and it began to dawn on me that when an elephant was hit in the right place with the 275 it died just as quickly as when hit with the -400, ....... I continued to use the -275 and the -256 in all kinds of country and for all kinds of game. Each hunter should use the weapon he has most cojifidence in. -- WDM Bell, Wanderings of An elephant Hunter
-Bulletproof and Waterproof don't mean Idiotproof.
