Watch as this brand new .416 Rigby elephant gun knocks down professional shooter Ron Spomer in this funny and embarrassing video.
Ron Spomer filmed this video in order to demonstrate the right way to shoot an elephant gun. What he didn’t anticipate was that the recoil of the .416 Ribgy can be similar to the massive 8 bore rifle, and is no laughing matter.
Hats off for being a good sport as he posted this video to YouTube, because what follows is pretty embarrassing!
When hunting thick skinned dangerous game like elephant and buffalo, it is important to have a well built rifle chambered in a cartridge powerful enough to stop them if things go sideways. The Mauser M98 rifle and the .416 Rigby fill these roles perfectly, which is why the rifle and cartridge are widely regarded as among the best for hunting Africa. As you can see though, even the most experienced shooters can still have trouble dealing with the recoil of an elephant gun sometimes.
Much respect goes to Spomer, because it takes guts to post footage of yourself in an embarrassing situation. He shows he is okay with other people laughing at his expense.
In his defense, his foot did slip on a rock, which is perfectly understandable. Accidents like that happen on occasion, even to experienced hunters and shooters like Spomer. I’m impressed he maintained control of his elephant gun and did not let it go flying off and get damaged or possibly injure someone.
Sources: Ron Spomer Outdoors, John McAdams
