bison - PRB or slugs?

[johnwm]

I'm hoping to set up a bison meat hunt, and am trying to decide between patched round ball and bore-diameter slugs. I would prefer to use a Lyman GPR which I have used to take a number of deer with patched ball loads of around 90gr FFg, but I am wondering if I would be better advised to choose a Great Plains Bullet or Powerbelt out of a Lyman Trade Rifle instead. Both guns are .54-caliber. In either case, I won't shoot beyond 100 yards.

Thoughts? I have no experience with either gun on game bigger than deer, and both guns are plenty accurate for this purpose. I'm trying to turn this into as memorable a "hunt" as possible, given the limitations of bison hunting nowadays. Will I regret using the GPR/patched ball combo?

 

[Patocazador]

I've never hunted bison but would choose the Great Plains bullet over both a powerbelt or PRB. Mass counts when dealing with LARGE animals.

 

[oletymepreacher]

I've killed a buffalo with a muzzleloader in .72 caliber. Used two roundballs, both shots were in the right spot. Partner killed his with his 54 shooting a roundball. One shot kill on his. His load was in a GPR using 90gr of 2f. Buffalo don't die quick as a general rule, so practice on reloads is needed. Hope this helps. Buff are good eating, much better then beef.

 

[Thing]

If it were meI WOULD USE ABOUT 140 GRAINS of powder with a patched RB and keep the distance to 50 yards at most. Proper shot placement will be an important factor on an animal of this size. The PRB will do the job. But, to be 100 percent sure ,if you are in doubt,use the slug.

 

[Wes/Tex]

Though I've never hunting them myself, I've known 3 guys who've taken them with round ball. All three were .62 smooth bores with 90 grains of powder...one was that fabled old salt Robert "Curly" Gostomski, and one of the few things Toby Bridges ever did right was include a copy of the painting of Curly and his bull in one of his books! :wink:

 

[coloradoclyde]

Given that the opportunity to hunt bison with a muzzleloader is rare...... And later when you are at the tavern quaffing a pint of ale with your friends,....do you want to tell them you shot it with a round ball....or a slug... for me the choice is obvious..............................................ROUNDBALL!

Memories are what you make them!

 

[Britsmoothy]

How wide are these 'ere bison then?

B.

 

[johnwm]

Thanks for all the responses, gents. Colorado Clyde has hit the nail on the head...I really, really want to use a roundball rifle, even though I know the slug would be probably a "better" choice. I've always been a use-MORE-than-enough-gun kind of guy, so it goes against the grain to choose the smaller, lighter projectile.

But this is a special case. If I can put this thing together, it will probably be my only bison, so I want to do it as "right" as I can.

 

[Vaino]

MY .54 elk load would do the job....it's "done in" a few elk w/o complications. .535 swaged RB, .020 patch and 120 grs Goex 3f. This load is zeroed at 100 yds and has killed elk at slightly longer distances. Study buffalo anatomy and go to it.....Fred

 

[BrownBear]

It's all in the details on how you hit them. Flehto's right on studying the anatomy. Small changes in shot angle really affect how you'll shoot them.

I've been in the follow-up of about a dozen kills, actually along for the ride (horseback) on three of them as the rancher friends guided hunters onto kills. No muzzleloaders on any of the hunts I was shadowing, but the ranchers have guided a few. Overall, they're impressed, simply because the ML hunters were so careful about their shots.

A bum shot is a bum shot, no matter what launched the pill that kills. Worst I've seen firsthand was badly punched with a modern large caliber magnum. We trailed that big bull for over a mile into unbelievably nasty cover. It finally fell into a deep, narrow little draw and wedged into place so a kill shot could be delivered.

It was so stuck in there that 4 horses couldn't pull it out, and since it was upright, couldn't gut it either. I rode back close to 3 miles and traded my horse for my serious 4WD, hitched a stock trailer behind that and spent half a day driving back to it and used the truck to help drag it out of the draw, then up into the trailer. Took close to 6 hours to get it back out after it was in the trailer.

Do your hosts a great favor and study your anatomy and make a great shot! You'll be fine with your 54 round ball.

 

[buford87]

It is my understanding that Charlie goodnight said a.50hawken was the perfect buffalo rifle.I don't remember where I read this. I have never killed anything but paper with any of my muzzle loaders so I can't make a suggestion but I can wish you good luck. ............watch yer top knot......

 

[Spikebuck]

On an animal as large as bison, would it be prudent if using round ball to have it made of a lead alloy to harden it up a bit to aid in more penetration?

While I have not hunted buffalo, I've seen several large bulls shot with muzzleloaders in hunting videos (none with round ball though.) On impact, those buffalo did virtually nothing save take a step or two. It was as if they had not even been shot. After a half minute to a minute, they fell over.

It would seem that penetration would be the paramount objective. Personally I would want to be no further than 50 yards and like others have said, be familiar with anatomy and place the shot very carefully. From what I saw, it may be quite possible to load and shoot again.

 

[nwtradegun]

ROUND BALL OF SOFT LEAD SO IT WILL FLATTEN OUT.
ABOUT 120 GR. OF POWDER AT LEAST.

 

[crockett]

Well PRB would be the better experience since its more pc. Are you going to be alone or have a back up?

 

[Britsmoothy]

Second attempt!
How wide is a buff's chest please?

B.

 

[Wes/Tex]

I'm not really sure of the exact width. An adult male, usually about 4 years old, stands about 6 feet high, weighs a ton (2000 lbs) and is 10-12 feet long. The hair on the front end is thick and heavily matted for warmth...to the point it insulates them from cold and prevents snow from melting on their backs from body heat! Will see if I can find better chest measurement figures...but they're big, aggressive and territorial. Their eye sight is good and sense of smell is better. Those big woolies can be real tough to 'put the sneak on'! But they can sustain a 40 mph run for some distance.
http://library.sandiegozoo.org/factsheets/bison/images/bison.jpg

 

[Britsmoothy]

I'm not really sure of the exact width. An adult male, usually about 4 years old, stands about 6 feet high, weighs a ton (2000 lbs) and is 10-12 feet long. The hair on the front end is thick and heavily matted for warmth...to the point it insulates them from cold and prevents snow from melting on their backs from body heat! Will see if I can find better chest measurement figures...but they're big, aggressive and territorial. Their eye sight is good and sense of smell is better. Those big woolies can be real tough to 'put the sneak on'! But they can sustain a 40 mph run for some distance.
http://library.sandiegozoo.org/factsheets/bison/images/bison.jpg

Cheers. Maybe around three feet wide??
Large ribs after the thick wool then the usual soft lung tissues.
Why do we hype things up?
Why do some think higher results of a mathematical equation will be better in the field? (Or prairie).
If a native flint tipped arrow can do it so will a soft lead ball that also turns into a jagged edged tool!
Load it with two balls if you want to!

 

[longcruise]

Three feet wide would be a big one. Like all animals, they vary in size. Agree with you that it's easy to over think. The rifles of the mountain men were commonly.52 cal and they apparently worked pretty well.

 

[azmntman]

My pop shot a bull buffalo at about 50 yds with a .58 conical. INSANE blood splatter at impact and he ran three more leaps and was dead. We recovered the bullet stuck out the other side in the hide and I still have it. He was only shooting 80 grains. Blew through two shoulders. I think a PRB would have done as well if a tad back missing shoulder bone and a bit more powder. These suckers are HUGE though...get close to a few before season so the size don't give you buffalo fever!! And ya the meat is excellent. One other thought, you likely wont be carrying 4 quarters to the truck :shocked2: ! Have some help!!

 

[Wes/Tex]

In actual fact, I'd say more like 2, maybe 2.5 feet. A bison is more oval shaped in the chest area because of the odd dorsal arrangement which creates the "hump" and those delicious "hump ribs"! :wink: The hide is thick and tough and the front end is covered in that thick, matted hair. They'd be tougher than deer or elk but it wouldn't stop a ball of any descent weight...I'm thinking .54 and up. I mean they were hunted from horse back with Colt's Dragoon revolvers...yes we're talking point blank and conical slugs but still!

They can be contrary old critters and can rip a horse open and toss it in the air with their turned in horns and heavy neck muscles. Gotta be a might cautious messing with Tatanka! :wink: :haha:
http://media.salon.com/2014/06/yellowstone-bison.jpeg-620x412.jpg
https://franceshunter.wordpress.com/files/2009/10/bison_skeleton.jpg