It's a pissed-off elephant...Get the **** out of it's way!
That thing backed up a little when they hit it with whatever caliber rifle they had. The heaviest load I have is a 215 gr. load for a British Enfield.
So I just had to ask...
"Yes, attacking or charging elephants have been stopped, and hundreds have been killed, by the British .303 cartridge using 215-grain full metal jacketed (FMJ) bullets. Famous elephant hunter W.D.M. "Karamojo" Bell, who shot over 1,000 elephants, specifically used a .303 Lee-Metford rifle for his first major, successful hunts, taking 63 bulls with it.
Historical Evidence and Context
W.D.M. Bell's Experience: Early in his career, Bell utilized a .303 British rifle with 215-grain round-nose solid ammunition. In his first safari using this rifle, he recorded 63 bull elephants killed.
Other Hunters: Arthur Neumann, a well-known hunter, also used a .303 Lee-Metford for years to shoot elephants before Bell.
Ammo Specifics: The cartridge in question was the military 215-grain bullet, which provided significant penetration, necessary for brain shots.
Mechanism: These hunters did not use the .303 to stop an elephant through pure kinetic energy (like a modern Nitro Express rifle), but rather through precise, calculated brain shots at close range, often from the side or behind.
Limitations
While it was possible to kill an elephant with this cartridge, it was not considered an ideal "stopping" rifle. It required extreme expert marksmanship to hit the relatively small brain target, often requiring the hunter to be very close (sometimes almost on top of the animal) to ensure a clean, instantly fatal shot, which is required when facing a charging animal."
nypost.com
