The 243 Winchester vs Buffalo
- Thread starter canadaman30
- Start date
Bows at the appropriate draw weight and weight of arrows are more than enough to take down a bison.
There's a thread on archery talk where a guy went to Africa and took down an elephant with one, and after it was dead, took a couple extra shots to check the penetration and was amazed at how much damage a bow can do. I'm not meaning to sound aggressive lol, just pointing out the simple fact that a bow, when used at the proper draw weight etc, can very easily take down some of the largest game there is, and has done so. Not only do you have up to a 2" entry hole, if the shaft twists, then you have that diameter cutting through as well. Arrows, especially when fired from a modern bow, can be absolutely devastating at appropriate ranges.
Lol the only prob is have with taking a bison with a bow is how close you'd need to be lol
bearkilr
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Nowhere, ......just past the middle
I've seen several Bison shot with a bow. Have you?
I've seen moose.
By who? Shot placement? What distance? What draw weight? What speed? What arrow weight? What tip?
Lots of things to conscider
Edit: and again, if you can dial it up to successfully take down an elephant, it'll drop a bison.
bearkilr
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Nowhere, ......just past the middle
Would you do it without a rifle there as backup on Elephant? How about Bison? Cape Buffalo? Lion? Grizzly? Polar bear? Black bear? If your answer is "no", then a bow is inadequate. Whenever I've mentioned this scenario to bowhunters, they don't really have a comeback. Funny,eh? Like I said, some animals don't deserve to be hunted with a bow.
Not even the famous Fred Bear would do it without back up, the first two Polar bear he stuck with an arrow charged and had to be dispatched with a rifle.
Anywho............. back to the topic.
Yup actually I would lol. I spot and stalk moose with a bow, wouldn't have a prob with it. It sounds like your only argument rests in the speed of a follow up shot during a charge, as opposed to a bow being capable or not. Bottom line is that a bow is more than capable, and certainly adequate. If you were 30 yards away from a grizzly and took a shot with a 338 bolt and it charged you'd be more than lucky to get off a second shot, let alone accurately anyway.
Sorry, but "deserve to be hunted with a bow" makes no sense. It just sounds like the "30/30 isn't adequate for deer" crowd lol. We're all entitled to our opinion on what we decide to use on what animal (within the law), and that's cool. But if it's a question of adequate, it is, that's just how it is. "Deserve" is subjective.
But you're right lol, veered off topic
Ardent
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
So now that the Wood Bison has been recognised as a formidable critter, which day do they get for the defence threads?
All kidding aside, I've been charged by a Wood Bison bull and it's the closest wildlife has come to killing me, made anything I've experienced in Africa seem very tame. It was not a good situation, and one I couldn't have shot from even if I wanted to, but that's another thread. They're dumb, but by no means tame. Hope this isn't Pandora's box, Bison defence threads could be the next rage.
Archery equipment is deadly on ANYTHING walking on planet earth... the keys are appropriate equipment and even more so... "shot placement"... BUT, where have you heard that before??? Oh, yeah... on all the "hunting big game with a rifle" threads... it looks like bow and gun hunters do have something in common... let's leave it at that.
- Location
- Southern Vancouver Island
I agree with that one, except for the dumb bit.
My sister and her husband tried their hand at raising the buggers on their
ranch they had in the 80's. The first thing the buffs taught them was how to construct proper fencing. They would literally stroll through standard cattle fence as if it were bushes.
Another lesson taught them to carefully move around the critters when out in their field, and to not make sudden moves or noise (Such as loud talking or laughter) when near them. When I visited their place back then I was quite mindful of the buffs movements and behaviors and spent many hours just hangin' out near them and observing.
Buffalo are pretty studious when you get to know them. Some will not give you a lick of attention, and others will be quite focused on what you're up to. Then you get the one or two who give you that "If ya turn your back...you,re mine." kinda stance, and you can definitely see it in their eyes and hear it in their warning snort.
Young ones are quite tame in a ranch setting and like cattle can be rather affectionate. "Ever bin licked by a buff Billy?"
Gotta keep a wary eye on the mothers though when near the young'ns, cause they are quite protective and sometimes don't give warning before thundering over to get you away from the calf.
They act pretty much like Brahma bulls on steroids when annoyed. Git behind heavy cover...then duck!
Of course wild buffs are much more wary than ranched critters and most hunters have to work hard and sneaky
to get within reasonable range to place the shot. For hunting the wild ones I would prefer a .338 or larger bore
with a well made boolit and take 'em inside 100 yds. for a sure kill. A good shot with a 6.5x55 160gr. would
work too if the critter didn't know it was coming.
Mmmmmmm.........buff burger & cheese.
Hey, that could be someone's avitar......baaa!
Bison are seriously tough! As far as smarts, they don't like cracks in the road or a bridge and will horn and gore other Bison to go first, to make sure its safe, Bigger and older animals win at this game.
Up here in the Yukon, we had a Bison hit broadside by a Semi tractor trailer doing about 100 kph. Truck got wrecked but the Bison got up and walked away! Yes its a little maimed and walks and looks funny, but its still alive after all these years....Locals in Watson Lake call that Bison "Kenworth" because the truck that hit him was a Kenworth! Every moose I have seen hit by a Semi looses every time, Moose is DOA! If you think of the energy transfer from a Semi truck and trailer into a Bison and it gets up after the wreck! 30.06 may be the minimum, but my personal Bison gun is a 375 H&H Magnum! For Bison and for those extra large bears the size of small cars
Up here in the Yukon, we had a Bison hit broadside by a Semi tractor trailer doing about 100 kph. Truck got wrecked but the Bison got up and walked away! Yes its a little maimed and walks and looks funny, but its still alive after all these years....Locals in Watson Lake call that Bison "Kenworth" because the truck that hit him was a Kenworth! Every moose I have seen hit by a Semi looses every time, Moose is DOA! If you think of the energy transfer from a Semi truck and trailer into a Bison and it gets up after the wreck! 30.06 may be the minimum, but my personal Bison gun is a 375 H&H Magnum! For Bison and for those extra large bears the size of small cars
Ardent
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
I'm of the opinion that in North America for whatever reason we have a hunting culture of cartridge minimalism; reference all the "light" cartridges oft referenced as "good for anything in North America". I've seen .30-06 class cartridges go both ways on Bison, take them down right there (neck shot) and watched them soak up a more than half dozen hits that would drop a Moose on the spot, doing little more than grunt. Yes, they'll die to .30-06 / 7x57 etc, but not necessarily close to where they were shot, it could be several miles from there. I'm going to make up a number and say they'll probably drop within a hundred yards to good .30-06 hits three quarters of the time. The other quarter of the time can make you a believer in real big game rifles for real big game.
Last, and this is a can of worms, wild Bison actually are dangerous and can be very aggressive, there are just so few hunted per year compared to classic dangerous game species they get omitted from the title. There is zero doubt they are dangerous game however and I consider them far more dangerous to hunt than big bears. I work in Grizzly territory alone, saw six in 24 hours last shift, but it's not the Grizzlies that concern me, it's the Wood Bison. Again, it's the only animal that's nearly killed me in the wild, and I know others who've had nasty and close experiences with them. This all spells .375 H&H for me if you're one of the lucky few with a tag or are going after the control herd west of Wood Buffalo, .338 also swell, .300 Win Mag 200gr as a bare minimum.
Last, and this is a can of worms, wild Bison actually are dangerous and can be very aggressive, there are just so few hunted per year compared to classic dangerous game species they get omitted from the title. There is zero doubt they are dangerous game however and I consider them far more dangerous to hunt than big bears. I work in Grizzly territory alone, saw six in 24 hours last shift, but it's not the Grizzlies that concern me, it's the Wood Bison. Again, it's the only animal that's nearly killed me in the wild, and I know others who've had nasty and close experiences with them. This all spells .375 H&H for me if you're one of the lucky few with a tag or are going after the control herd west of Wood Buffalo, .338 also swell, .300 Win Mag 200gr as a bare minimum.
I agree with Ardent totally - I do not understand the concept of "is this small enough to use on a ....."
If that is what you have to use on animals - fine - make that decision. But when you have heavier calibers to use on game when common sense says that heavier is better, do not go and try to use a a tiny round just because.
Of course there are the grey areas of size of round vs size of animal, but I am talking the extremes here.
If that is what you have to use on animals - fine - make that decision. But when you have heavier calibers to use on game when common sense says that heavier is better, do not go and try to use a a tiny round just because.
Of course there are the grey areas of size of round vs size of animal, but I am talking the extremes here.
I have shot a couple of Bison in the wild, and it was with the 338 Win Mag.
While I know they have been killed with lesser chamberings,
I am well aware of the stamina of these majestic animals.
Neither of the ones I shot went far after the shot, but there was one fellow
hunting in the same area that shot one 9 times with a 308 before it succumbed.
Shooting a Bison with a 243 is ridiculous!
Regards, Eagleye.
While I know they have been killed with lesser chamberings,
I am well aware of the stamina of these majestic animals.
Neither of the ones I shot went far after the shot, but there was one fellow
hunting in the same area that shot one 9 times with a 308 before it succumbed.
Shooting a Bison with a 243 is ridiculous!
Regards, Eagleye.
Trophy buff?? Have they every seen the real thing? And yeah, I gotta agree with everyone who states that with a proper head shot, you can use just about anything. But you better wait till the animal looks away (as he was) is perhaps even better, is facing away...
I would challenge the phrase "proper head shot." The only thing that defines a "proper head shot" is the result after impact... Before the trigger is squeezed there is NO SUCH THING as a "proper head shot." I have spent countless hours blood trailing a couple dozen big game animals that were shot with a "slam dunk" "proper head shot..." There are just too many things that can go wrong in the split second that it takes for your brain to communicate with your trigger finger, not to mention the animals movement, twig deflection, wind, body posture and plain old human error. I would encourage anyone and everyone to wait for a clear shot to the "boiler room" or just pass on the animal... There will always be another day, it is just not worth the bad result that often occurs. JMEO.
All this bison talk has me worked up!! Out of 1055 nonres applicants I am number 7 for an any bison tag in Wyoming this fall!!! Kind of like hitting the lotto with only 22 nonres tags available. Not sure what gun to take but am leaning towards the 375 or 9.3x62. It's going to be a real privilege to hunt bison in the shadow of the Tetons!!
Yes, Sir, and yet hardly anyone ever mentions it. I know of two guys who have had charging bison drop just feet away from them. One was killed by the guy's hunting partner as he was trying to reload his 300 Mag. The other just barely managed to get the last round in his rifle off as the bison closed on him.....after absorbing three earlier hits. The bull fell literally at his toes!
It is, however, quite exhilarating!
Bison and trucks? C-FBMI can tell you about bison and trucks.
Ted
