45-70 Bullet for Bison Hunt

[Exterminate1]

I've used the 4570 quite a bit. Two bull elk and quite a few large wild boars and found that the 405 soft points work the best. It doesn't matter how much Velocity use past 1800 ft./s.
Started using hard cast lead but found that the soft points work much better. The lite hollow points don't seem to penetrate on bigger animals.

 

[aalyea]

I've taken 2 bison, first a big bull but used 375 with Barnes. Both shoulders and perfect mushroom under hide. Second was a cow with 405 Speer hand load in Marlin at 1650fps. Behind ear, no recovery, and instant result. Next one planned to be my Sharps with 500 grain cast flat point and 65gr Swiss 1 1/2. Best meat around.

 

[shootski]

Good Morning Everyone,

So almost a decade after I bought a Shiloh Sharps I have decided it's finally time to go on a bison hunt. The trip will be in January 2022 so I have until then to get my load squared away.

Coming from a whitetail background I'm currently on the fence in regards to the particular bullet to use, do I go modern with one of the hammers or do I go old school and run one of the 500gr Paper Patched bullets? I've heard they are incredibly hard to kill if not hit right so would it be better to take the lung shot or should I go for the behind the ear shot to drop them outright?

Still doing some research so any info you guys can provide would be greatly appreciated.

Read this: http://www.bigboreairguns.com/07bisonhunt.htm

If we can take a 2,000 pounder with an airgun you can do it with your powder burner!

PS: check out quackenbushairguns.com for more UNBELIEVABLE airgun HUNTS!

Best wishes for a great hunt!

shootski

 

[rustyshackleford]

405 speer would be a good bullet for a normal load at 1400-1600 ft/sec. if you want faster and flatter for Barnes. I've got some 350 gr A-frames that I'm not sure why I bought . They'd probably work real well too but I think you can push the Barnes faster

 

[bengineer]

I have killed 7 bison. All with a 308. All subsonic 150 fmj. All skull shots. Some frontal, some broadside, some quartering away.
That bullet is minimal for killing power. If one hits brain or high spine, the legs contract before the animal drops, even with these slowpokes.
In the 45/70, you wont bruise meat unless you shoot light bullets fast.

That Shiloh deserves a cast bullet, likely a heavy paper patched soft slug. I admire "hard" flat nose cast for killing (12 bhn), but Sharps! That smells like pointy smushy heavy greasy bullets and black powder to me. My marlin guide uses rl7, imr 4198 or 3031 with several fn cast from 350 to 460 gr. Those would do, but "c'mon, man," its a Sharps!

 

[cvixx]

405 and 500 grain bullets were the ones used by the Indian Fighting Army. I am sure more than a few buffs were taken along the way.

 

[del2les]

Bison aren't that hard to kill, and since you already have the Sharps, I would stay old school and load a 405 or heavier hard cast RNFP. A few guys around even use BP loads in their 45-70's and 45-90's for the true old experience. YMMV

 

[Dean2]

405 and 500 grain bullets were the ones used by the Indian Fighting Army. I am sure more than a few buffs were taken along the way.

When first developed for the military for use in the trapdoor Springfield it started as the 45.55.405. The lighter bullet and load was due to the weakness of the trapdoor. Stronger guns were adopted and moved.to 45.70.405. The original name of 45/70/500 for this cartridge came. After yet stronger actions were made. . 45 cal, 70 grains of black powder and a 500 grain bullet. From Springfield using the 405 grain to Gattling guns using the 500 that was what was fired. Same for the original Sharps etc. The lighter 405 grain bullet was predominately a civilian option for lighter game and a bit flatter trajectory.but most of the Buffalo and large game hunters used the 500 grain.

 

[RAGGED EDGE]

I've got some 350 gr A-frames that I'm not sure why I bought . They'd probably work real well too but I think you can push the Barnes faster

^^^^^^^^^^ THIS! ^^^^^^^^^^

 

[RAGGED EDGE]

A while back I killed one in s. CO with a muzzleloader. A .44 330-grain Harvester in a sabot boosted by 100 grains of Swiss 2-Fg did everything I needed. At 80 yards it went straight through the left shoulder, out the other side and into the wall of the canyon the herd ran into.. Buff staggered around in a small circle for about 20 seconds and keeled over. I couldn't get reloaded fast enough to end it sooner. All this was after a foot chase of about 2 miles across a 40,000 acre ranch. My buddy, hunting with a hi-wall in .45-70 shot his 4 times before it expired. His loads were pushing 405-grain cup-n-core bullets about 1600 fps. FWIW none of his bullets exited.

 

[MRMAJESTIK]

Yeah, but you left out, all his shots were in its *** as it went over the hill -----

 

[RAGGED EDGE]

Yeah, but you left out, all his shots were in its *** as it went over the hill -----

Canadian heart shot?

 

[DMP25-06]

Canadian heart shot?

No Sir .

That point of impact is known worldwide , as the "TEXAS HEARTSHOT" .

 

[RAGGED EDGE]

Can we split the difference? "TEXICAN HEART SHOT"?