What caliber for buffalo?

[nico]

This started on another board where someone mentioned going out to buy buffalo steaks. I jokingly asked if they were legal to hunt and if a .270 (the only rifle I have) would be good enough. But, it got me thinking. I know (think) they aren't legal to hunt in the US, but if they were, what caliber would you use?

 

[Hook]

H'lo nico,
I'd use my .338.


Good Hunting



Hook

 

[Larry Ashcraft]

It is legal to hunt them here, in some places. Most are in private herds, I believe.

A knifemaker friend of mine hunted them in a Nebraska indian reservation a month or so ago, in a culling operation (believe it or not, I guess they were over-running their pasture).

He killed a young bull with a .44 Magnum out of a Winchester Trapper at about 70 yards. Your .270 would probably work with good bullets made for penetration.

Sure made some good barbeque sandwiches with the meat he gave me!

 

[kudu]

There are some places that you can hunt err.., shoot buffalo. On ranches that raise them for sale. I had heard of a traditional buffalo hunt somewhere, but can't think where or what is was about.

I'd go with the traditional .45-70, if it was good enough for the hunters in the late eighteen hundreds, it's good enough now.

 

[Kurt S.]

Nico, visit http://www.hunts.net/bison.html .

If it was me, I'd have to use my Marlin 1895 .45-70 or maybe one of the Mausers with good heavy S&B or Norma loads. Those critters look kind of big. I wouldn't be out there with my .25-06 or my SKS, that's for sure.

The only account I have heard concerns "a friend of a friend" who went on one of those things. The figure $5000 comes to mind but I could be wrong. The FOAF supposedly used a .300 Mag of some kind, but I don't know if that was a Winchester, Weatherby, H&H, or what. I kind of got the impression it was not much of a "hunt", more of a buffalo kill. As a matter of fact, the only thing I know for sure was that I ended up with 3 or 4 packages of coarse-ground bisonburger which made some outstanding chili.

 

[WYO]

You can find ranch "hunts" around here for as little as $800 bucks, if I remember correctly from a brochure I saw recently.

 

[mete]

I understand that the really wild ones are very tough. I'd choose a 338 or a hot loaded 45-70. They are big ,2000 lbs, so you need a tough bullet , heavy and well constructed like a Nosler.

 

[SteelyDan]

There was an article in Shotgun News about eight (?) weeks ago by Mike Venturino (and I'm probably spelling his name wrong) about his experience shooting buffalo with 1870s and 1880s vintage rifles. Adds kind of a historical dimension to the experience, I suppose, if that interests you.

 

[stevelyn]

Alaska offers drawing permits for bison. To hunt bison under the permit, the state requires using a rifle capable of firing a minimum 200 gr. bullet and maintaining a minimum level of energy at 100 yds (don't recall exact energy levels at the moment, but I think it's 2000 ft-lbs). Heavy .30-06, magnum .30s and larger easily meet this minimum requirement.
A .45-70 stoked with appropriate Buffalo Bore, Cor-Bon, or Garrett ammo would not be an issue.

 

[Smoke]

Most definitely a .45-70, fired from a Sharps (or at least a replica)

Bad medicine for Buffalo

Smoke

 

[NRA4LIFE]

There are a few wild herds that the B&C & P&Y recognize as "fair chase" for their records books. I know one of them is in Arizona somewhere and the other I think is in Colorado. IIRC, Chuck Adams set the new world record last year or the year before from one of those herds. I also read an article about a guided hunt on an Indian Reservation in North-Central Montana somewhere.

 

[Sunray]

A net search for 'buffalo hunting' turns up lots of sites. Most are $1,000 per day. Using a .270 would require a bullet that will penetrate. Other than that, there's really no reason not to use it. Native Plains Indians used handguns if they had 'em. Mind you, from horseback and very close. If you decide to spend the money, ask the outfitter if your .270 is enough. It may not be legal like Stevelyn says. If not, it's a great reason to buy a new rifle. Buffalo meat is tasty.

 

[Quartus]

Makes good burgers and steaks.


But I think it would be SACRILEGE to hunt buffalo with anything other than a .45-70, preferably in a Sharp's replica, as mentioned, or at least a lever gun.

Or bowhunting.

 

[Johnny Guest]

Around 15 years back - - -

- - - My good friend Jim invited me to go on a buffalo hunt with him. I was unable, both from time constraints and money, but the price seemed quite reasonable. It was in a locale I would have considered unlikely, and wish I could recall exactly where. Minnesota? Wisconsin? In any case, my friend was to assist in thinning this particular herd, and most of the cost was to pay the skinners, cooks, and so forth.

He wanted to be traditional AND practical. He had his gunsmith build up a Remington Rolling Block in .45-70, with a HUGELY long, extremely heavy, octogon barrel, custom stock, complete with full curve brass buttplate, and a near-full length brass tube reproduction scope sight. Weighed a short ton, but soaked up most of the recoil of some medium-heavy loads using, I think, 500 gr. bullets. I could put three of 'em in about two inches at 100 yards. My friend could hit bullseye with the first shot but was so recoil shy, his second shot invariably was four to six inches out.

His other rifle was a pre-64 Model 70 lightweight rifle, with 180 gr. factory loads. I shot it about as well as I did the rolling block. Jim could still hit the bull at 100, and subsequent shots made about a FIVE inch group. Did I say he was a leeetle soft shouldered?

Anyhow, he called me upon his return. He'd taken one very large bull with the .45-70 and a medium-size one with his aught-six. Both one shot kills. He was very pleased with himself, and I was very relieved . . . .

Yep, from a traditional stand point, I'd use my .45-70 1895GS, or possibly my .375 H&H. But if a .270 was what I had, and I could load up some strongly-constructed bullets, I'd have no qualms a-tall. Hey, Kevin Costner made do with a .44 Henry, huh?

Best,
Johnny

 

[cidirkona]

I prefer some Tabasco brand chipotle sause and alot of napkins... ooh wait... ACTUAL buffalo?

-Colin

 

[redneck]

I'd be awful tempted to take my .54 great plains rifle and shoot a maxi ball/buffalo bullet over 100 or so grains of FFg

I've got a fast horse

 

[Dr.Rob]

I'd borrow dad's 1895 Marlin full sized rifle, in 45-70 with a 405 gr soft point.

I'd have to get pretty close with the crude sights on my .54 Hawken. I shoot a 400gr Remington hollwbase bullet on 110grs of pyrodex.

 

[H&Hhunter]

Public hunting of buffalo is available in Arizona, Utah, Wyoming, Alasaka, several provinces in Canada. used to be a public hunt in New mexico as well but the animal rights Ascosiate brain trust got it shut down.

As far as free range buffalo hunting there are several indian reservations that offer buffalo hunts they tend to run about $3000,. But if you just want a meat buffalo you can hunt the Vermejo ranch in Northern NM for for $800. that's for a cow or a young bull.

I've killed 5 bison with a .308 but I wasn't hunting them just shooting them for slaughter on a farm. I can tell you this, a big Bison bull needs something heavy duty I'd use my .45-70 or a .375H&H or a good 200gr .308 bullet.

A 150gr .308 Corlokt will not exit on a side brain shot at 20 feet on a 2 year old cow. I've tried it 5 times now and none of them have.

These are some serious thick bones critters.

I'd really like to take one with a bow...

 

[Stand_Watie]

H&H hunter, are yours any wilder than domesticated cattle?

 

[H&Hhunter]

H&H hunter, are yours any wilder than domesticated cattle?

Stand,

No they are just about the same. The bulls get a little western from time to time but no more than your average black angus range bull. they just look more scary. We keep them in a barb wire fence just like your average beef they just aren't wild anymore they're domesticated buffalo.

Buffalo don't respect a horse like beefd does either. they can be plum ignorant when it comes time to try and move them.

Now they wild buffalo I've dealt with can be pretty cagey when on public land but I wouldn't call them tough to hunt just tough to find sometimes.

Those buffalo on the vermejo are plum docile and you just drive up and shoot them but for $800.00 your getting alot of meat. the bulls will get a little cranky from time to time but I've never felt indangered by one.

I'm going out tommorrow to shoot and butcher two cows on my buddies place. I just drive out into the field with a tractor dump some grain on the ground and when they come in i shoot them behind the eye with a .308 and that's that.

 

[cidirkona]

I'd like to see someone take one down with one with a sharpened, titanium spork.

-Colin

 

[smokemaker]

I would have to take my pet Omega with 400 grain cast .452 bullets in MMP sabots and a heavy charge of 777 (130-140 grains) or the Winchester 1895 in .405 with Barnes X-bullets in 300 grains. Either will do the job fine... Oh, but the .35 Whelen would be great with .225 grainers. of course I might take y'all up on the Ti spork idea.
I've found bison to be a bit bipolar in my experiences with the free ranging herds in Theodore Roosevelt Natl Park. Some of 'em you could just about pet, others put up the whole tough guy act, stomping and snorting and being generally anti-social. Definitely not your average holstein, as witnessed by the bison head print in the side of the Park Service's Explorer.
Not an animal in the wild to be getting close to, as they can close ground fast. Amazingly powerful and surprisingly agile on the hoof.

 

[BJPARKER]

Will hunt bison in Nov

I have booked a bison hunt on a private ranch for November, for a mature cow 1000-1200lb, for the meat and robe. I plan to use my Marlin guide gun 45-70 with a 4x scope and Garrett 420gr Hammerheads which will be more than adequate. There are Bison hunts available for less than $800.00 for mainly cows and young bulls, mine is $675., and for what I usually pay into an Elk hunt, its worth the money for me. I will be driving 6 hours to Montana, and paying for 2 days economical lodging, and doing some flyfishing on the way there. My kind of adventure at 55.

 

[HBK]

A real man would use a Bowie knife.

 

[H&Hhunter]

I have booked a bison hunt on a private ranch for November, for a mature cow 1000-1200lb, for the meat and robe.

BJ

Please give us some details and contact info for your hunt. I know several ppeople that would be interested.