Hmmmmm,
I knew that Bell had killed just over a 1000 elephant, I hadn't heard he was clear up to 2000 head -- that guy must be getting really old by now and must also be really rich as well to have "pushed up" his tally in today's expensive elephant hunting market.
Bell started out with shooting all number of rifles, including in the later years his favorite the 7x57 with full metal solids. Of course at this point, he had established himself as one of the best shots in all of Africa, and after the first 500 elephant he was a bloody bloomin' EXPERT in how to take them down (practice makes perfect). Today's relative novices (with only 0,1,2,3, .... or even 20 elephants to their credit) who might want to copy him will never have the same depth of experience Bell acquired and especially on such unsophisticated, undisturbed, naive game --- his personal best being 19 bulls in one day (no reference given as to what he used). This tidying up of the details might just make a "minor" difference in the telling of the "BELL" story when applying the assumptions to this century's hunters and their respective choice of weapons.
For your amusement, I copied a small handful of signature lines from the African Hunting forum for your review, these boys (having been there and done it many times) have a little different viewpoint versus NA; you may find the last one the most entertaining.
*** "In nature there are neither rewards or punishments - but there are consequences"
*** "Once you've been amongst them, there is no such thing as too much gun."
*** "When you follow your buff into the thornbush, it is unlikely you’ll find comfort in repeating to yourself, “Well, Bell killed elephants with a 7x57!"
Good Luck and Good Hunting
EKM