Comparisons are presented for acoustical scattering from fluid‐loaded prolate spheroidal sound soft scatterers and elastic shells of the same shape, ranging in thickness from 0.1% to 2.5% of the semi‐major axis. TheKaregion being studied varies from 3 to 12, whereKis the wavenumber of the incident wave andais one‐half the length of the major axis. Exact theoretical calculations are performed using a modifiedT‐matrix approach which for the first time allows one to perform calculations on very thin nonspherical elastic shells. The calculations show that, with the exception of the very thin shell, one does not observe a sound soft background. Furthermore, resonances for these objects are very broad and tend to dominate the form function plots. Of particular interest is the fact that by the time the thickness reaches 2.5%, the background begins to appear rigid for suitably highKawith a shift in resonance nulls, which is related to the fact that rigid scattering is out of phase by 180° with sound soft scattering