During World War I, German snipers pushed around 30-pound steel shields.
The shields were capable of stopping the .303 round that was used by British riflemen.
The German snipers would move these shields into the middle of the battlefield, then engage the enemy while being protected.
To combat this, the British troops requested safari or elephant guns, which were commonly used to hunt big game animals in Africa.
The elephant guns could penetrate up to half an inch of steel thanks to the big-bore ammunition.
The elephant gun cartridge could deliver well over 3,500-foot pounds of energy and blow holes right through the German shields.
After going through the steel, the elephant gun round could kill anyone behind it.
So, because of this counter attack, the Germans eventually abandoned the tactic of using 30-pound sniper shields.
The British also soon developed a more efficient round that didn’t require the use of elephant guns.
What defines an elephant gun?:
We all have seen Hollywood movies portray elephant guns as massive rifles that you can barely maneuver with.
They are large caliber firearms designed to hunt big game such as elephants or rhinos.
Historically, they were used by hunters in Africa during the colonial period.
What makes the guns so effective against these animals is the massive bore size of the rifle.
This allows the rifles to fire big, heavy bullets that carry a lot of stopping power.
An elephant gun usually fires calibers that range from .450 to .600.
This means the diameter of the bullet is larger than most hunting rifles.
In most cases, the bullets weigh between 500 grains and 1,000 grains. The heavy weight helps the bullet penetrate large animals.
Benefits of an elephant gun:
Elephant guns are known to be very heavy. One reason for this is that the weight of the gun will help absorb the recoil when shooting.
Modern elephant guns have recoil systems to make them easier to shoot.
The main benefit of an elephant gun is the massive stopping power.
These rifles deliver a huge amount of energy with each shot, which allows them to take down a large animal with one round.
The large bullets can go through bone, muscle, and animal hide, damage internal organs and kill the animal.
This prevents hunters from long, drawn-out chases to find the wounded animal.
Surprisingly, elephant guns are designed for long-range accuracy over 100 yards, since the bullets travel with enough velocity to penetrate animals from distances.
Also, even though they are called elephant guns, the weapons are capable of taking down any large game.
Drawbacks of an elephant gun:
The biggest drawback to an elephant gun is the massive weight and size of the weapon.
These rifles are so big that it would be hard to carry them over long distances.
In addition, it would be a challenge to maneuver inside a house or even in heavy brush or woods with an elephant gun.
This could cause significant fatigue, making it harder for the shooter to be accurate with the rifle.
Another concern is the recoil of the rifle.
If the shooter is less experienced with an elephant gun it can cause injury or pain because of the heavy recoil.
Plus, the massive recoil can make it difficult to maintain accuracy after the first shot.
Additionally, because elephant guns are less common, the ammunition is hard to find and expensive.
You can’t walk into your local sporting goods store and expect to find a .600 caliber round on the shelf.
In fact, depending on the specific rifle, you might need to have custom ammunition made for the weapon.
Finally, an elephant gun is expensive, costing many thousands of dollars.
Should you buy an elephant gun?:
There is limited practical use for an elephant gun unless you hunt big game animals.
A true elephant gun isn’t useful for smaller game or self-defense.
Plus, a smaller caliber hunting rifle would be more versatile for different uses.
And it can be hard for inexperienced shooters to handle an elephant gun, since they are not user-friendly and require significant skill with a steep learning curve.
To me, they are unique weapons that could be valuable as collector items, but not a gun I would use for home defense or survival.
