wyomingtrapper

Your .06 should do the trick. Go with the bigger bullet. I helped a friend butcher a cow that he killed with one shot with a .270. It didn't go far (30 yards). There is a vast difference in size between a small cow and a large bull and the tenacity of an individual animal is not always the same either. Place your shot, follow through, be prepared to track if necessary. Like everything we hunt.

streetglideok

45/70 has more then enough power to bring down Bison. Do some reading on big/dangerous game hunting in africa. Its a different means to dish out the damage, using a slower, but large blunt bullet, vs the expanding hyper speed bullets. One has alot more consistant results then the other. Hang around safari hunters, and you'll learn what kills Cape Buffalo, a cousin to the Bison, but heavier boned, and meaner.

Regardless, I would skip on Bison hunting with an '06, and get more profficient with a normal sized gun first, then graduate to a mag.

finnbear

I wondeer how many were killed with a 30-30? or a .32 special?? or the puny 25-35??? 44-40?? the list goes on he!! all them poor little inadequate rounds been around a lot longer them big ol scary magnum bangnoms!!!!!

finnbear

A normal sized gun????????????? as opposed to a abnormal sized gun????

finnbear

30.06
muzzzle 100 yds 200 yds
180 Gr. Speer Grand Slam2800 / 3133+1.88 / 2575 / 2649+0.00 / 2361 / 2228-8.09 / 2161 / 1866-23.66 / 1973 / 1555

45.70
405 Gr. JFP1900 / 3206+6.28 / 1581 / 2218+0.00 / 1316 / 1537-26.53 / 1127 / 1128-79.95 / 1012 / 909-165.43 / 932 / 771
both loads are conley precision
Bullet energy is bullet energy

streetglideok

That would be entirely wrong. Bullet energy is not bullet energy, unless you are comparing apples to oranges. For starters, your table is a mess to try and compare. Next, you are talking about a 0.308" bullet vs a 0.458" bullet. One is a spitzer, one is a blunt nosed bullet. One relies on sheer bullet diameter, and a broad metplat, while the other relies heavily on velocity, expansion, and hydroshock. One is proven to be reliable at lower velocities and with tough, thick skinned game that tends to bite back. The other is known to work well in thin skinned game that isn't so dangerous. Take a guess what hunters use on the dark continent? You look at the ballistics of a 300RUM, and a 458winmag. Now go to africa, and find someone silly enough to let you use the 300RUM illegally on some of the Hippos, etc, vs the 458winmag. Let me know the outcome. Yeah, thats what I thought

Blackelk

The 30-06 has V shaped energy dispersion type of impact. The 45-70 has a U shaped energy dispersion type of impact. Although the 30-06 maybe carrying more ft lbs of energy the 45-70 will have more of an instant shock to the animal delivering more energy on impact. As the 30-06 will probably get more penetration. These are big animals and they can take a lot of system shock without immediately going down. Either way 30-06 or 45-70 will kill it shooting through the vitals. I've knocked more animals down with slow big bore handguns and muzzle loaders than I have with modern high velocity rifles. It's a whole other type of impact and system shock. Really large game can take a few rounds and be dead on their feet before giving it up. Would I take say a 30-06 and go buffalo hunting? Yes they are like shooting cattle in a pen you can wait for a decent shot.

Uncle Nicky

Bison are tough. I shot one last month with a .300 Win mag, it took 2 shots to tip him over (both were lung shots at 150 yards), Barnes Triple Shock 180 grain ammo, and it was only a 2-year-old bull.

If your only choice is a 30-06, it will do the job, but get the heaviest, best ammo you can find for the task.

streetglideok

I'm kind of shocked, do people still only rely on bullet energy to determine effectiveness. There is some truth to energy, however, bullet design, caliber, speed, etc all have a huge part, if not larger part then shear energy. This is well documented, and a simple search on here, or online will divulge this, via very reliable sources.

Mickey Finn

Nothing like a good argument.

Here's an article on buffalo cartridges from a historic perspective.
http://www.chuckhawks.com/buffalo_cartridges.htm
Not everyone likes Chuck Hawks I know.

Here's a book I read a couple years ago while Bear hunting. It helps me sit still.

http://www.stevenrinella.com/book/am...f-a-lost-icon/



It's combines this fellows hunt in Alaska. With his research of our American Bison. If I remember right. He used a .300 Win. Mag.