More About Mozambique Elephant Hunting

The best time of the year to target this member of the Dangerous 7 in Mozambique would be between June and September. Mozambique’s hunting season runs from 1 April – 30 November, with the dry season being the optimal season for an elephant hunting safari. The IUCN lists the African bush elephant as “endangered” and a CITES permit is required for this hunting safari.

Shot Placement on a Mozambique Hunting Safari

Elephant hunting in Mozambique is exciting, thrilling, and extremely dangerous, making it the perfect big game hunting safari! This African hunt will start where spoor have been spotted, or at a local waterhole or river that the elephants frequent. One cannot stress the importance of shot placement enough! While good and accurate shot placement is always needed on an African hunt when the hunter is engaging in dangerous game hunting safari, this requirement is critical, both to the success of the hunt, as well as the survival of the hunting party. Nobody wants to be charged by a wounded elephant bull intent on doing physical bodily harm! If you aren’t 100% sure that your shot is precise and on the mark, don’t take it. Shoot with the largest caliber rifle with which you feel comfortable and can make accurate shot placement.

With shot placement remember that elephants have extremely thick skull bones and a caliber rifle that will penetrate these is required. Forty and fifty caliber rifles loaded with 400 – 500 grain solids will work well during the Mozambique hunting safari. After a great first shot, don’t just stand there and admire your excellent marksmanship, be ready for the critical follow-up shots to ensure a quick and humane death for this majestic animal.

What Caliber Rifle is used when Elephant Hunting in Mozambique?

As with any dangerous game hunting in Africa, the minimum legal requirement is a .375 caliber rifle, with a 300-grain bullet. There is no such thing as “too much gun” when big game hunting and for elephant hunting in Mozambique calibers 450 grain and up are recommended, such as a .416 Rigby, .458, or .458 Lott. Only solid bullets should be used on this African hunt. Double rifles are also often used to target these huge mammals and include options such as 470NE and 500NE.