May 17, 2012

What gun for bison?

They're on the loose a half-hour west of me. .30-06?

(Because, dammit, I don't own a .50-70, that's why.)


One of the hunting chiefs:

Lieutenant Seth Hofman of the Osceola County Sheriff's Office says the buffalo are "really, really fast." 


I dunno, Loot. Anything the Indians could catch on a little Appy can't be too swift. But they are big, and you might advise your warriors that while a Glock   -- with several charged magazines at the ready -- might eventually put one down,  they would be pretty well advised to have a Plan B.  Forty-caliber oozing sores get Tatonka heap pissed.






Makes me hungry for some hump meat and boudins.

6 comments:

Knucklehead said...

Dances With Wolves used what sure looked like a Henry to drop a charging Tatonka from at least 100 yards, maybe more. Sounds like your modern 30-06 might be a bit of overkill but if its all you've got, what the heck.

Jinglebob said...

They are fast and can literally spin on the proverbial coin... We used to sell some at the sale barn I worked at. And they can jump, kick and hook, all at the same time. Yeah, heap big smoke pole chief... 'Course if you can hit them in the lights, a black powder 45 would do it if you ain't too far off. I'd use my 30 30 but then I am real comfortable with it. Right behind the should in the chest. Heart is not where you think, seems I read.

John said...

Soon we'll have feral bison hunts just like the feral hog hunts in other states (and perhaps ours, as I hear they are creeping in from Missouri into the southern counties)!

Either that or we'll see a few beefalo calves showing up - I imagine the boys won't pass up an opportunity to sow a few wild oats.

If you have to shoot, shoot well...otherwise you might piss them off!

Firehand said...

Jinglebob isn't kidding; they're kind of like Cape buffalo: when just grazing along, big cow. But when irritated...

.30-06 will do, but I'd use heavy bullets, 180 minimum, preferably 200 grain for a big bull.

JohnW said...

No fun show coming up, huh? There must be Sharps or two on the tables.

Tam said...

As I recall reading someplace: "With the appropriate bullet and charge, .357 Magnum, .41 Magnum, .44 Special, .44 Magnum, .45 Colt, .454 Casull, and .500 Linebaugh will all shoot completely through a bison. To determine the cartridge you should use, decide how much recoil you can tolerate and how big of a hole you need to shoot through the bison."