45-70 elk/moose

[BigUglyMan]

Great bull Slamfire!!!

Everything he has shot has been DRT too. Homeboy's amazing.

 

[BigUglyMan]

I have killed several bears (admittedly, none were exceptionally large) with a 45-110 loaded quite mildly, and with a 45 cal. muzzleloader loaded with exactly 70 gr. of fffG, and all were humane kills, only one running about 50 yards before dying. I just bought a H&R Buffalo, and I'm loading it with 777, Pyrodex and Trail Boss, and I certainly look forward to using it on critters.

Wasn't trying to say you were anything but ethical yourself. More making a comment on the nature of the commercial buffalo "hunt", which was anything but.

 

[Slamfire]

Well, not always. Last season this one dropped on the run DRT with a quick leading 2nd shot. Dang them sub 40's, often times marginal at best. Wish I had taken my .45-70 that day. Would have been 1 shot DRT.

 

[Papaclaude]

Wasn't trying to say you were anything but ethical yourself. More making a comment on the nature of the commercial buffalo "hunt", which was anything but.

Ah, OK. I can be thin-skinned - especially on CGN! I'm really stuck between pure lead at low velocities (my early cast experience was strictly with ML before I moved on to cartridge guns as well) and hard-cast at higher speeds. My only cast hunting experience has been with pure lead. I always got terrific expansion. One bear (around 200 lbs) I got through the ribs with a 500 gr. soft bullet. the bullet entered the rib cage just behind the shoulder, and came out partway out the rear of the rib cage. It opened a hole about 3-4" and pulled the guts out about 25 ft. with it. I have never seen such a devastating kill. But then, that seems to be counter to the conventional wisdom which calls for fast(er) moving hard cast.

As others would say, I guess it's a First-World problem, but a dilemma just the same.