Originally Posted by prairie_goat
Originally Posted by memtb
Bell had a privilege that “none” of us will never have! Almost unlimited time and opportunities to take game and no lost money on licenses when the animal is wounded and lost!

If you’re paying for a guided, potentially “once in a lifetime” hunt…..use the largest, most powerful cartridge that you are proficient/comfortable with!

If you’re on a “cull hunt” and is legal…..hell, use a .22 LR. That should help “red line” your “fun meter”! memtb

I'd argue that Bell was under more pressure than an average sport hunter. He was hunting to feed a huge number of porters and wanted to make sure every shot counted, as it was a long trek up from the coast and the nearest ammo resupply. Additionally, when the shooting was hot and heavy in a herd of elephants the goal was to put as much ivory on the ground as quickly as possible with the least amount of fuss, and he clearly found what worked most efficiently for the task at hand. Guess I'm not overly surprised that a Big Bore like yourself finds a reason to doubt.


I have no doubt that he did it…..only saying that it was a far different situation than any of us will ever have the pleasure of experiencing! memtb

You should not use a rifle that will kill an animal when everything goes right; you should use one that will do the job when everything goes wrong." -Bob Hagel

“I’d like to be a good rifleman…..but, I prefer to be a good hunter”! memtb 2024