Buffalo Caliber

[fester]

A friend and I are looking at going for buffalo next year. I have no rifles of a sufficient caliber. What are your experiences??

[d6dan]

338 WM kills them real good, using a good premium bullet like a 225gr Barnes will get it done. 300 WM is another one that lots of hunters prefer. Minimum caliber allowed by the MOE is a 7MM RM.

[Pioneerman]

338 WM kills them real good, using a good premium bullet like a 225gr Barnes will get it done. 300 WM is another one that lots of hunters prefer. Minimum caliber allowed by the MOE is a 7MM RM.


I sure do not see anywhere that is says a 7 mm is min caliber, can you point that out? I have been telling people when they ask, that is is min 175 grn bullet with at least 2000 lbs energy at 100 yards just like it states in the LEH booklet. That would mean even a 308 is legal. But realistically bigger is better . You have a lot of animal to knock down. I would want at least a 300 mag or of course the Ruger 375 king comes into play also

[fester]

7mm is not the min. I could hot load my 30-06 and get it done but I think bigger is better.

[todbartell]

a 270 Winchester would meet the minimum specs if handloaded with a 180gr Woodleigh Weldcore

[doubled]

You are correct Fester. There is no calibre limitation. It is a minimum grn requirement and also minimum hitting power requirement.

[bcfirefly]

Bought a 338 win bag just for this reason. buddy uses his 300 wm. All you 'need' is to meet those regulations but some of those bison have good noses and don't let you get too close.

[.330 Dakota]

Think traditional, tie a rock to a stick and hit-em with it

[todbartell]

7mm is not the min. I could hot load my 30-06 and get it done but I think bigger is better.

your 30-06 is more than enough. Load a quality bullet like a Barnes 180gr Triple Shock X and it will penetrate plenty deep. Although if you get drawn, it'd be a great excuse to buy a 338 Win Mag or 375 Ruger

[fester]

ohh and it is an excuse for a new rifle.

[fester]

I love the 375's a lever gun in one. would be awesome.

I also like the 9.3x62!!

[Pioneerman]

You don't have to hot load a 30-06 to be legal and get 2000 lbs at 100 yards, it is still 2000 lbs at 200 yards with factory shells, but again. BIGGER IS BETTER in the case of these large animals with a possibly once in a lifetime hunt

[d6dan]

7mm is not the min. I could hot load my 30-06 and get it done but I think bigger is better.

Your right. It used to be when they first started the draw on Bison that it had to be no less than a 7MM using a 165gr bullet.. Sorry for the mixup.:confused:.

[Rock Doctor]

I like to use my bow, anything else is overkill:-D

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p6qrFDpRiZk





Seriously though, out of the 5 I've harvested, none of them were hard to tip over. Big does not mean hard to kill, it all comes down to shot placement and comfort with the weapon you choose.

A 30cal 190gr Hornady BTSP between the eyes dropped this one in it's tracks
http://i123.photobucket.com/albums/o281/RockDocPhoto/IMG_0673.jpg

[Pioneerman]

You only take one arrow with you bow hunting? Must be a Ruger # 1 bow lol Nice animal !!

[BiG Boar]

I would take my bow next time. Very easy to close the distance on these animals. I used my 300 wm and 1 shot did it all. If you have 338 or 416 or something I would take that instead. I have heard some horror stories about them running wounded for days. Especially with head shots.

[BillBraskii]

.50 BMG anything less is just crazy IMO

[Foxton Gundogs]

My friend took his some years back with a .58 Cal "Ballard" repro muzzle loade, with 300WM for back up"just in case". BIG bull went down like a ton of bricks twitched a couple of times and never moved again.
Another vote for 300WM.

[SHAKER]

Most important is a really good bullet, placed well. What ever you can comfortably handle that meets the legal requirments would be good medicine. I'm a fan of heavy hit'n rifles but they aint worth the powder they burn if a guy can't hit (properly) what he's shoot'n at. Big guns don't make up for bad shooting! .338 Win gets my vote.

[recoil]

I agree with Bartell and Dakota, if the indians used to get them with stick and string and pioneers almost wiped them out with open sighted 30-30s and rifles that fired .45 caliber handgun rounds then you would be laughing with a quality 30-06 round with 180 grain bullet. Just make sure you hit them where you aim, but that goes with any round. I also put in for that draw and am going to wait to see if i get it before i even switch from shooting 165 grain to 180s.

[Whisky Creek]

Used a .340 Wby Mag, one BarnesX 225 grain, brain..... Done

[Marlin375]

Just hit him below the midline ..........I have seen a few videos where the shooter hits high in the hump several times with little effect.

Mine went down with a 225 gr sierra GK from my 358win and almost passed right through..........just make sure you hit him below the midline.

[Walking Buffalo]

Shot placement on Bison is MUCH more important than caliber size. For those comments on head shots.... I've personnally seen bulls knocked out from frontal head shots. Disection showed the bullet simply ricocheted off the skull, absolutely NO penetration.

This is how I recieved my Tsuu T'ina name "Walking Buffalo". I killed a Bull with my knife in it's throat, other hand holding a horn, standing nose to nose. I was cutting the throat of a head shot bull that seemed dead, turns out he wasn't.


I have been part of many Bison kills. I alway emphasive to the shooter that bullet placement needs to be tight to the shoulder to avoid a liver or stomach shot. Bison anatomy is different from our other ungulates, and a regular " behind the shoulder" shot will often just hit the liver. I recommend a shot in line and just above the elbow, that will take out the heart.

This is a great photo from Cas-has-cars showing just how big a bison's stomach is and how far forward it extends into the rib cage.

And a couple of pics showing heart and lung location.



http://i1096.photobucket.com/albums/g338/cas-has-cars/bisonstomach.jpg


http://i772.photobucket.com/albums/yy10/keetspics/bisonvitals1.jpg
http://i772.photobucket.com/albums/yy10/keetspics/BisonSkeletonVitals.jpg

[Fisher-Dude]

If you get the draw, the MoE will send you a package talking about where to shoot and bison behaviour after the shot. Read it!

I'd use my 300 WM, with a 200 gr Swift A-frame, or 180 gr Swift Scirocco.

[fearnodeer]

338 gets my vote, love this gun

[fester]

If you get the draw, the MoE will send you a package talking about where to shoot and bison behaviour after the shot. Read it!

I'd use my 300 WM, with a 200 gr Swift A-frame, or 180 gr Swift Scirocco.

Thats cool I had never heard sbout that package.

[fester]

I agree with Bartell and Dakota, if the indians used to get them with stick and string and pioneers almost wiped them out with open sighted 30-30s and rifles that fired .45 caliber handgun rounds then you would be laughing with a quality 30-06 round with 180 grain bullet. Just make sure you hit them where you aim, but that goes with any round. I also put in for that draw and am going to wait to see if i get it before i even switch from shooting 165 grain to 180s.

are you using 165's in a 3006??

I am using Hornady 165 btsp in mine

[Rock Doctor]

You only take one arrow with you bow hunting? Must be a Ruger # 1 bow lol Nice animal !!


Hip Quiver:-D
Lots of guys have made that comment, must think I "nuckin futs" or something:)

RD

[SimilkameenSlayer]

would the federal 30-06 180g soft point power-shock do the job? [with good shot placement]

[Caveman]

7mm is not the min. I could hot load my 30-06 and get it done but I think bigger is better.

I took mine with a 30.06, 180 gr MRX, dropped like a stone!

[outdoorsman812]

30-06 is plenty good at close enough range. I have been using federal fusion 180 grain for the last few years and find the bullets to stand up extremely well when penetrating bone.

[todbartell]

would the federal 30-06 180g soft point power-shock do the job? [with good shot placement]

probably, but for a once in a lifetime hunt, why not spring the extra $40 for a box of premium ammo that will work for sure

[hunter1947]

A 300 long mag or a 7mm would be the caliber I would get any one of these two caliber can be used for any big game animal..

[SimilkameenSlayer]

probably, but for a once in a lifetime hunt, why not spring the extra $40 for a box of premium ammo that will work for sure

good point and i agree.

[Bisonfirst]

I used my 300 WSM 180 grain barnes. It worked.

[hunterlaura]

My mom used my 300 win mag. Good ammo, gun, and shot placement - you're set. If you want a little more info on the hunt we had last October, the thread is located here - http://www.huntingbc.ca/forum/showthread.php?57306-Pink-mountain-buffalo-hunt&highlight=

Pretty interesting thread if you ask me :)