Am I crazy?????

woodland · July 26, 2002, 10:41 PM

Ok, tell me if I'm just nuts. A couple weeks ago, there was a circus in town. I took my boys down to see it. I know that is not wierd, but how about this: Before going I put my 30/06 in my suburban, with a box of Winchester Fail Safe's. My logic (or was it?) was there will be elephants there. Elephants have gone crazy at circus' before, and killed and hurt people. It has happened more than once. One video I saw once, one killed the handler, then went on a rampage, tearing up all in it's path. I remember reading that a bunch of cops were shooting it with their service pistols, obviously to no efect other than to maybe piss it off more, untill some one finaly had a rifle. Now I know a 30/06 is not really a good choice for an elephant, but it is the most powerful thing I have at the time. I just wanted to be as prepared as I could possibly be were such a thing to happen again.

So. Am I totaly crazy? Was this logical to y'all, or should I just go commit myself?

I'm just curious to see if I'm the only one who thinks of things like this. Please tell me I'm not alone!!!

Kaylee · July 26, 2002, 11:36 PM

You're crazy.

.... the rifle shoulda already been in your rig, on just General Principles.

-K

spleenandideal · July 27, 2002, 12:13 AM

It's not the elephants you need to worry about, it's those evil clowns!!!

woodland · July 27, 2002, 12:14 AM

My PWA with 16" A2 Bushmaster upper and 4x AR scope and collapsible stock was. Fits perfect inside the back flap of the seat cover on the third seat.

Just didn't think I'd want to try it on a mad elephant.

Zorro · July 27, 2002, 12:20 AM

Only a 220 Grain Solid out of a 30-06 is advised.

.375 H&H Mag is MUCH BETTER choice!

.458 Win Mag is getting closer to reality.

.416 Rigby is better yet.

Bob Locke · July 27, 2002, 12:33 AM

Yes, you're crazy!

But taking the rifle along to the circus has NOTHING to do with it!

roscoe · July 27, 2002, 02:52 AM

oh brother

TMfr · July 27, 2002, 04:14 AM

Quote:

Now I know a 30/06 is not really a good choice for an elephant, but it is the most powerful thing I have at the time. I just wanted to be as prepared as I could possibly be were such a thing to happen again.

Your 30-06 is a lot more powerful than you may realize and your choice of the Winchester Ammo was an excellent choice. The fail safes I have used have tremendous penetration. In the old days one had to use a very heavy bullet for maximum penetration but some of these new premium bullets even in the lighter weights have amazing penetration.

Many years ago a famous gun writer took his wife to Africa and she dropped and elephant with a 30-06 with only one shot. The elephant died as if hit by lightning. She was a very good shot and placed her bullet right into the brain of the Elephant. She did not shoot for the heart because she knew that even large caliber weapons almost never drop an elephant right away when shot through the heart or lungs. She did this with old style hunting bullets that today would not even be considered for serious use.

Moral of the story, the 30-06 has killed just about every large animal on this planet providing the person behind the gun was a good offhand shot and knew were to place his shots.

The 30-06 with its lower recoil and muzzle blast, long barrel life, light weight and super accuracy is probably one of the best choices in real life hunting situations where the ranges are seldom much past 200 yards.

Hang on to your 3006 ,properly used it will never let you down.

C.R.Sam · July 27, 2002, 09:47 AM

Anatomy of the critter.
Precise shot placement.
Lots of good luck.

No sweat.

Sam

yorec · July 27, 2002, 12:38 PM

I'd have taken my .300 Win Mag...

Hey I think the circus is coming here next week, I gotta order some 220 gr Barnse Xs! Now how much is that overnight freight???

tex_n_cal · July 27, 2002, 01:40 PM

Even if it was totally justified to save human lives, you could count on all kinds of grief shooting a circus animal. There's a good chance that as a visitor, you'd get cast in the media as a nut case who took a gun to the circus. The circus employees or security could argue it was their job to protect visitors, and escape blame.

Besides all that, there are millions of people every year who go to the circus, and never see an out-of-control animal. I suspect the odds of being killed by a mad circus animal are probably worse than being in a plane crash.

The Bay Area Safari Club one year had an adult elephant at their dinner. She was quite friendly, enjoyed having people come up and rub her trunk. Pretty awesome experience approaching an elephant and interacting with one. I wouldn't have enjoyed it as much if I were worrying about how to take her out in event of a rampage - or worried about what people would think of me.

There are reasonable precautions in life, and reasonable risks taken during enjoyable activities. I'd just enjoy the circus in the future.

dfaugh · July 27, 2002, 02:50 PM

into your life it will creep

"For what its worth"--Buffalo Springfield

Art Eatman · July 27, 2002, 05:30 PM

woodland, this is one of those deals where the odds of an elephant going bonkers are about like a one-ticket win of the Powerball lottery.

Trouble is, somebody usually wins the lottery.

I dunno. Most folks never see a nutzoid elephant or win a Poweball lottery. Me among 'em. I've never had to deal with physical violence in public, either, but I have a CHL.

Dangfino. It's a bit beyond the usual "Plan ahead", but that doesn't mean an elephant never goes weird...I'd probably plan to practice rapidly being elsewhere and let the "Duly Constituted Folks" deal with it.

Art

PATH · July 29, 2002, 01:30 AM

Yup, you really only need it for the "evil"clowns!

BlackRazor · July 29, 2002, 01:21 PM

I like this guy. Now how come I don't think like that?

Guyon · July 30, 2002, 10:33 AM

Damn. I just realized I'm not prepared for runaway elephants.

Back to the gun shop...

Marko Kloos · July 30, 2002, 01:03 PM

Pop quiz: Which caliber has killed more elephants than any other rifle caliber?

Answer: The lowly .303 British, thanks to the British Army being the most common service rifle cartridge on the African continent until the AK-47.

H&H,hunter · July 30, 2002, 03:40 PM

If you were to purchase a good short .470 double gun you could break it down and carry it under your over coat. that way if jumbo gets cheecky you could assemble it and shoot that sucker right there under the big top. And if any of those evil clowns get in your face well, who's wearing the happy face now sucker!!!

This is a cool post.

BlackRazor · July 30, 2002, 03:53 PM

do you think it would be easier to take out an elephant with a full auto AR or from a normal M1A?

benewton · July 30, 2002, 04:59 PM

I'd take the AR:

It might live, but I'd be having a great time, and the anti gun types would be ???

sjc1 · July 30, 2002, 09:17 PM

Woodland, you are kidding, right?

oops · August 1, 2002, 04:21 AM

I would have taken my BMG Quad .50s mounted in the back of my pickup.

fastang50 · August 1, 2002, 08:27 AM

This thread rocks! Myself, I think it's a touch paranoid to be prepared for a mad elephant, but hey Boy Scouts right. Better to have it and not need it than.......

GnL · August 1, 2002, 09:15 AM

woodland,

I know you were serious, but I have to say this was one of the funniest posts I've read in a long time! Are you really worried about runaway elephants at a circus?

Just curious, was this an indoor circus? If so, what would you have done? Run outside, grabbed your rifle from the parking lot, run back in and start shooting elephants? That would be one hell of a headline in the newspapers.

MeekAndMild · August 1, 2002, 01:35 PM

You've got to consider the elephant's anatomy though. Much of what looks like forehead is just huge sinuses. The elephant's brain actually rides lower than you'd imagine from studying squirrels and deer.

Clowns on the other hand have no brains. It is better to hit them with a Super Soaker, trying for total body immersion. Then their clothes shrink up and they're caught and can be disposed of head down in a dumpster.

July 26, 2002, 10:41 PM	#1
woodland Senior Member Join Date: December 26, 2001 Location: western wa. Posts: 564	Am I crazy????? Ok, tell me if I'm just nuts. A couple weeks ago, there was a circus in town. I took my boys down to see it. I know that is not wierd, but how about this: Before going I put my 30/06 in my suburban, with a box of Winchester Fail Safe's. My logic (or was it?) was there will be elephants there. Elephants have gone crazy at circus' before, and killed and hurt people. It has happened more than once. One video I saw once, one killed the handler, then went on a rampage, tearing up all in it's path. I remember reading that a bunch of cops were shooting it with their service pistols, obviously to no efect other than to maybe piss it off more, untill some one finaly had a rifle. Now I know a 30/06 is not really a good choice for an elephant, but it is the most powerful thing I have at the time. I just wanted to be as prepared as I could possibly be were such a thing to happen again. So. Am I totaly crazy? Was this logical to y'all, or should I just go commit myself? I'm just curious to see if I'm the only one who thinks of things like this. Please tell me I'm not alone!!!

July 27, 2002, 12:13 AM	#3
spleenandideal Senior Member Join Date: December 2, 1998 Location: I-77, USA Posts: 522	It's not the elephants you need to worry about, it's those evil clowns!!! __________________ "Be mindful of the living force" 'spleenandideal' here is 'agony' everywhere else....

July 27, 2002, 12:14 AM	#4
woodland Senior Member Join Date: December 26, 2001 Location: western wa. Posts: 564	KAYLEE My PWA with 16" A2 Bushmaster upper and 4x AR scope and collapsible stock was. Fits perfect inside the back flap of the seat cover on the third seat. Just didn't think I'd want to try it on a mad elephant.

July 27, 2002, 12:33 AM	#6
Bob Locke Senior Member Join Date: December 19, 1999 Location: Greeley, CO Posts: 2,518	Yes, you're crazy! But taking the rifle along to the circus has NOTHING to do with it! __________________ "When the people fear the government, there is tyranny. When the government fears the people, there is liberty." - Thomas Jefferson

July 27, 2002, 12:38 PM	#10
yorec Senior Member Join Date: February 2, 2000 Location: Wyoming Posts: 2,328	I'd have taken my .300 Win Mag... Hey I think the circus is coming here next week, I gotta order some 220 gr Barnse Xs! Now how much is that overnight freight??? __________________ What part of "... shall not be infringed..." don't you understand?

July 26, 2002, 11:36 PM	#2
Kaylee Senior Member Join Date: June 14, 2000 Location: The Last Homely House Posts: 1,677	You're crazy. .... the rifle shoulda already been in your rig, on just General Principles. -K

July 27, 2002, 12:20 AM	#5
Zorro Senior Member Join Date: October 28, 2000 Posts: 1,072	Only a 220 Grain Solid out of a 30-06 is advised. .375 H&H Mag is MUCH BETTER choice! .458 Win Mag is getting closer to reality. .416 Rigby is better yet.

July 27, 2002, 02:52 AM	#7
roscoe Senior Member Join Date: July 16, 2002 Location: AZ Posts: 575	oh brother

July 27, 2002, 09:47 AM	#9
C.R.Sam Senior Member Join Date: October 29, 1999 Location: Dewey, AZ Posts: 12,858	Anatomy of the critter. Precise shot placement. Lots of good luck. No sweat. Sam

July 27, 2002, 01:40 PM	#11
tex_n_cal Senior Member Join Date: July 14, 2002 Location: North Carolina! Posts: 308	Even if it was totally justified to save human lives, you could count on all kinds of grief shooting a circus animal. There's a good chance that as a visitor, you'd get cast in the media as a nut case who took a gun to the circus. The circus employees or security could argue it was their job to protect visitors, and escape blame. Besides all that, there are millions of people every year who go to the circus, and never see an out-of-control animal. I suspect the odds of being killed by a mad circus animal are probably worse than being in a plane crash. The Bay Area Safari Club one year had an adult elephant at their dinner. She was quite friendly, enjoyed having people come up and rub her trunk. Pretty awesome experience approaching an elephant and interacting with one. I wouldn't have enjoyed it as much if I were worrying about how to take her out in event of a rampage - or worried about what people would think of me. There are reasonable precautions in life, and reasonable risks taken during enjoyable activities. I'd just enjoy the circus in the future. __________________ With top loads & hard cast bullets, a .357 mag, .41 mag, .44 special, .44 mag, .45 Colt, .454 Casull, .475 Linebaugh, .480 Ruger, .500 Linebaugh Maximum, and .500 S&W will all shoot through Bison. To select the gun, determine how big a hole you want to put in the Bison, and how much recoil you can stand

July 27, 2002, 02:50 PM	#12
dfaugh Senior Member Join Date: January 17, 2002 Location: Upstate NY Posts: 1,715	"Paranoia strikes deep" into your life it will creep "For what its worth"--Buffalo Springfield __________________ "If you Listen to Fools, the Mob Rules" "No one has the answer, but one thing is true. You'e got to turn on evil, when its coming after you. You've gotta face it down,and when it tries to hide, you've got to go in after it, and never be denied. Time is running out...Let's roll. Let's roll for freedom, let's roll for love. We're going after satan, on the wings of a dove. Let's roll for freedom, let's roll for truth. Let's not let our children grow up fearful in their youth."

July 27, 2002, 05:30 PM	#13
Art Eatman Staff in Memoriam Join Date: November 13, 1998 Location: Terlingua, TX; Thomasville, GA Posts: 24,798	woodland, this is one of those deals where the odds of an elephant going bonkers are about like a one-ticket win of the Powerball lottery. Trouble is, somebody usually wins the lottery. I dunno. Most folks never see a nutzoid elephant or win a Poweball lottery. Me among 'em. I've never had to deal with physical violence in public, either, but I have a CHL. Dangfino. It's a bit beyond the usual "Plan ahead", but that doesn't mean an elephant never goes weird...I'd probably plan to practice rapidly being elsewhere and let the "Duly Constituted Folks" deal with it. Art

July 29, 2002, 01:30 AM	#14
PATH Senior Member Join Date: September 10, 1999 Location: Rockland, NY Posts: 1,489	Yup, you really only need it for the "evil"clowns! __________________ For sure it is an evil spite, and breaking to the heart, For Irishmen to watch a fight and not be taking part. -Robert Service 'How MacPherson Held The Floor'

July 29, 2002, 01:21 PM	#15
BlackRazor Senior Member Join Date: January 6, 2002 Posts: 169	I like this guy. Now how come I don't think like that?

July 30, 2002, 10:33 AM	#16
Guyon Senior Member Join Date: July 27, 2000 Location: Over the Hills and Through the Woods, Tennessee Posts: 1,207	Damn. I just realized I'm not prepared for runaway elephants. Back to the gun shop... __________________ Gun control should just be about hitting your target.

July 30, 2002, 01:03 PM	#17
Marko Kloos Senior Member Join Date: January 12, 2000 Location: Enfield, NH Posts: 5,521	Pop quiz: Which caliber has killed more elephants than any other rifle caliber? Answer: The lowly .303 British, thanks to the British Army being the most common service rifle cartridge on the African continent until the AK-47. __________________ "The right to buy weapons is the right to be free." --A.E. Van Vogt, The Weapon Shops of Isher the munchkin wrangler.

July 30, 2002, 03:40 PM	#18
H&H,hunter Senior Member Join Date: July 25, 2001 Location: Colorado Posts: 504	If you were to purchase a good short .470 double gun you could break it down and carry it under your over coat. that way if jumbo gets cheecky you could assemble it and shoot that sucker right there under the big top. And if any of those evil clowns get in your face well, who's wearing the happy face now sucker!!! This is a cool post. __________________ Velocity is thrilling, But diameter does the real killing.

July 30, 2002, 03:53 PM	#19
BlackRazor Senior Member Join Date: January 6, 2002 Posts: 169	at close range do you think it would be easier to take out an elephant with a full auto AR or from a normal M1A?

July 30, 2002, 04:59 PM	#20
benewton Senior Member Join Date: June 30, 2002 Location: NH Posts: 253	I'd take the AR: It might live, but I'd be having a great time, and the anti gun types would be ???

July 30, 2002, 09:17 PM	#21
sjc1 Member Join Date: July 20, 2000 Posts: 51	Woodland, you are kidding, right?

August 1, 2002, 04:21 AM	#22
oops Member Join Date: March 26, 2002 Location: Illinois Posts: 77	I would have taken my BMG Quad .50s mounted in the back of my pickup. __________________ revolvers...- Taurus CIA 850b .38 Spec snubnose, S&W M19 Nickel 4" 357 Magnum, S&W M581 4" 357 Magnum .357sig......- Springfield XD Service .45acp.......- Kimber Classic Royal, Rock River Limited Match Hard Chrome 9mm.........- H&K USP, CZ 75b, SigSauer P225 ------- Me and my first guns

August 1, 2002, 08:27 AM	#23
fastang50 Member Join Date: July 11, 2002 Location: Indiana Posts: 86	This thread rocks! Myself, I think it's a touch paranoid to be prepared for a mad elephant, but hey Boy Scouts right. Better to have it and not need it than.......

August 1, 2002, 09:15 AM	#24
GnL Senior Member Join Date: June 1, 2000 Location: Wisconsin Posts: 321	woodland, I know you were serious, but I have to say this was one of the funniest posts I've read in a long time! Are you really worried about runaway elephants at a circus? Just curious, was this an indoor circus? If so, what would you have done? Run outside, grabbed your rifle from the parking lot, run back in and start shooting elephants? That would be one hell of a headline in the newspapers. __________________ NRA GOA (Life) SAF JPFO SAS "For every complex problem, there is a solution that is simple, neat, and wrong." -- H.L. Mencken

August 1, 2002, 01:35 PM	#25
MeekAndMild Senior Member Join Date: August 2, 2001 Posts: 4,988	You've got to consider the elephant's anatomy though. Much of what looks like forehead is just huge sinuses. The elephant's brain actually rides lower than you'd imagine from studying squirrels and deer. Clowns on the other hand have no brains. It is better to hit them with a Super Soaker, trying for total body immersion. Then their clothes shrink up and they're caught and can be disposed of head down in a dumpster. __________________ In a few years when the dust finally clears and people start counting their change there is a pretty good chance that President Obama may become known as The Great Absquatulator. You heard it first here on TFL.