I've not done dangersous game, but have a 2.5 X scout scope on my dark timber 45-70 elk.moose unit. I too see no issues with scopes with that level of magnification. They are close enough to what we typically see that the off side eye is still able to track and deliver info on the surroundings well out of the scopes field of view. In the grass and at ranges inside of 25 yards, I'd likely not bother with sight pictures anyway, and be shooting mostly on instinct. That's where a lot practice with pointing exercises would come into play. I think you're good to go.
Try this: Mount your rifle (empty of course) and point it at a painting, photo, tv mounted on a wall at eye level of higher (as one would when attempting to shoot an elephant), keep both eyes open. Then note how large the area is that is obscured by the scope. For a righty, the area ia ahead and to the right of the scope. The area is triangle in shape and grows as distance increases.
At five or ten yards it is more than large enough to hide an elephant. A short eye relief scope makes a larger blind spot than a long eye relief scope, both both are too large.
As far as elephants and visibility, you will be shocked, when you go to Africa, at how well elephants blend into even thin jess that all leaves have fallen from, let alone how hard they are to see in heavy still-in-leaf cover.
And with elephants, a lot of trouble doesn't come from the one you see, but its unseen mate.
And Ray is 100% right regarding counting on backup. Whoever that backup may be, he may or may not have the opportunity to save your bacon, and if he does, he may not be up to the task, oe maybe is just having an off day when he misses and you become strawbeery jam as an elephant gores you and then crushes you, or a shadow of yourself as a buff hooks and disembowels you or a chew toy for leo or chiue.
JPK
