Enough Gun for Buffalo??

[lionhunter]

Looking for advice from those of you who have harvested a bull buffalo.  I have both a 300 wsm and a 300 win.  If and when I ever get a chance to hunt buffalo would they be enough gun, and more importantly what bullet would you recommend?  Both rifles shoot a 180 nos AB very well.  Was also thinking about loading some 200 partitions and seeing how they fly.  I know Game and Fish would like hunters to shoot lead free ammo, but did not have very accurate results with the ones I have tried in the past.

Thanks in advance for input and info.

Whitey

[biglakejake]

200 or 220 partitions.  all you have to kill something like a buff is penetration/wound channel.

the barnes originals did well for us.  whats closest to that?

lee

[yotebuster]

I shot my Yellowstone bull this winter with 175g swift a frame out of my 7mm STW.  They performed flawlessly.  I killed my muskox in September in Alaska with 175 partitions out of the same rifle.  Wouldn’t use them again for BIG game.  They lost the entire front section and only weighed 110 gr when recovered.  I read they are actually designed to do this to shed energy but I don’t like the idea of a 110gr bullet being what I have to drive deep into a bison or Muskox.   I’ve had mixed success with accubonds but I know some people like them.  

[thegunsmith2506]

2 minutes ago, lionhunter said:

Looking for advice from those of you who have harvested a bull buffalo.  I have both a 300 wsm and a 300 win.  If and when I ever get a chance to hunt buffalo would they be enough gun, and more importantly what bullet would you recommend?  Both rifles shoot a 180 nos AB very well.  Was also thinking about loading some 200 partitions and seeing how they fly.  I know Game and Fish would like hunters to shoot lead free ammo, but did not have very accurate results with the ones I have tried in the past.

Thanks in advance for input and info.

Whitey

When my buddy drew a tag he borrowed my wife's .300wsm. He used 180gr Barnes and it worked great. I don't think you need to worry too much about accuracy since most shots are pretty close.

[muledeerarea33?]

I used a 454 Casull T/C pistol so I’m sure either of your 30 cal options would be fine.

[NOTAGS]

The 300 WSM is plenty of  gun, I killed mine with that shooting 180 Trophy Bonded coppers, bullets mushroomed perfectly, retained over 95% of weight, and lodged against skin on far shoulder . The copper shoots great in my 700.  That being said, they are a big beast, my bull hardly flinched on the first shot even though he was technically dead before the next two hit him. If its still standing, keep reloading cause that park boundary  is usually close by.

[rossislider]

Either will work fine. I personally prefer the 300 WM. If it were my hunt I would probably work up a load using the all copper Barnes LRX 212 grain bullets. LRX over TTSX since it isn't cheap to work up a load and the LRX is the better all around and long range bullet for other hunts.  I don't use these in my current loads, but will probably go to them at some point. I know a lot of reloaders that use then with fantastic long range results.

https://www.barnesbullets.com/bullets/

[450Dakota]

Used a 300 Win mag with a 180 gr Sierra Gameking at 110 yards. Took one step forward, two back and hit the ground. 

[Old Buck]

I drew a spring Kaibab Buffalo tag in 2013.  Ammunition and reloading supplies were difficult to find at that time.  The only 308 cal Barnes bullets that I could obtain were the 200 grain long range.  I worked up a load for my 300 WM of 68 grains of RL22 with the 200 grain LR.  I shot my bull the first morning after slipping up to about 75 yards.  I was on a bipod and held for the heart.  At the shot, the bull gave a hop and ran into the trees.  I waited about 5 minutes and moved to where I could see where the buffalo had run.  The buffalo was still up and when he saw me he started running south to the Park.  Left with only the north end of a southbound buffalo, I began shooting.  I got him turned and put several shots behind the shoulder.  I finally had to put a round behind the ear to finish the job.  As we cut the bull up, I was surprised at how little damage the bullets did.  When we got into the body cavity, a friend pulled the heart out and found that there was a finger size hole that went all the way through. I must have hit the low pressure side of the heart. Three bullets were recovered in the animal, they had all lost the petals.  I had essentially shot the buffalo with 308 cal copper wadcutters.  

I also loaded up some 140 grain Barnes ttsx for my 7mmRM as a backup rifle.  I had heard great things about the ttsx so I used that load later that year on a Colorado elk hunt and it worked great. In 2018 my son drew a spring Kaibab buffalo tag and worked up a load for his 300WM using the 180 grain ttsx.  It worked well.  Based upon my experiences, I would recommend the Barnes ttsx over the Barnes long range for buffalo.

[lionhunter]

uExcellent information from all.  Thanks

Game and Fish said they are ok with leaded bullets as long as you take the gut pile/ burry the gut pile.  (I am sure that is the last thing a guy wants to do after breaking down an animal that size)

Has anyone used a Nos AB on Buffalo?  Like I said above, 180 gr shoot perfect out of both guns already!

Thanks again for input.

Whitey-

[idgaf]

Killed mine with 180gr out of 30-06.  He lived less than a minute. Shots on the north kaibab are close. 

[AZkiller]

On 4/30/2020 at 1:05 PM, lionhunter said:

uExcellent information from all.  Thanks

Game and Fish said they are ok with leaded bullets as long as you take the gut pile/ burry the gut pile.  (I am sure that is the last thing a guy wants to do after breaking down an animal that size)

Has anyone used a Nos AB on Buffalo?  Like I said above, 180 gr shoot perfect out of both guns already!

Thanks again for input.

Whitey-

They want you to take or busty the gut pile. You do not HAVE to.

[recurveman]

Your bigger issue is getting a tag and then getting a buffalo out of the park to shoot at.  

[pwrguy]

Any of the above will work fine.  My bullet of choice was the 210 ABLR.  Like every other game species placement is critical.

[Lv2hnt]

I accompanied a disabled Arizona veteran hunter on the North Kaibab just a few weeks ago. One shot with a 250-gr Nosler Partition .338 Win Mag at 37 yards and the bull died 20 yards from where he originally stood when the shot was taken. That will happen when 3900+ ft lb of muzzle energy breaks the front shoulder, tears up the top half of the heart and continues through both lungs.

A quality bullet in any caliber suitable for elk will do the job (50-yard shots on the Kaibab are not unusual) --- we happened to have an awesome Ariz Elk Society Ruger #1 past banquet rifle with us for the hunt. Important note: shot placement is different on a bull bison than on an elk, etc.! Moving forward horizontally from the penile shaft to intersect with the center of the front shoulder, place your crosshairs 12" up from that point and squeeze the trigger ...