I'm going Bison hunting in SD in December and am probably going to take my 358 Norma Mag built on a Montana Rifleman action with the Barnes Triple shok 225 gr bullet. I've got it shooting 1/2" groups at 100 yds w/RL15 powder.
Anyone ever shot a bison and do you think the 225 gr is a bit light?? I love the Triple Shok due to its high BC but was thinking of swapping to a 250 grain Barnes X or Nosler Partition.
Any suggestions or thoughts on the 225 gr 358 bullet for a bison?? OR I could take my 375 H&H Interarms.
Thanks,
Choke

I think your splitting hairs, take the rifle that makes you happy.

Millions were killed with soft pure lead cast bullets from blk powder rifles that were doing around 1300 to 1500 fps. I think your rilfe well be just fine.

I've shot 3 of them so far. All I use is a Marlin Guide gun in 450 Marlin with the factory Hornady load. None has required a second slug. Bison are not that hard to kil, but it takes them a little while to realize they are dead. In other words, unless you brain him, don't expect him to drop to the shot. Most seem to take about 5 minutes to topple over.

I'm positive your set up will work, but then bison are like anything else. Put a hole through the lungs and he will die. What puts the hole there isn't relevant. If the bullet will penetrate, the bison will be in the bag.

Good luck.

Mac

I can bracket your rifle with three bison that I have shot using a 338 with both 250 grain High Energy and 210 grain (standard) Noslers. The 250 grain was used on a 1,600 pound bull while the 210 grain was used on an 800 pound "meat bull". A 458 Winchester with a 400 grain Woodleigh Protected Point, loaded to 2,240 fps was used on a 1,000 pound "meat bull".

While it is typical that bison will simply stand and soak up lead until they fall a few minutes later I found that these loads would drop them immediately although I also provided an insurance shot through the top of the shoulders upon aprpoaching.

Enjoy your hunt and I think that your rifle will work great.

I shot one with a .44 magnum using a Hornady 300 grain bullet through the lungs. He just stood there for a while, pissed, and then fell over.

Yeah, a 225/358 will never work...

quote:

Originally posted by Yaoughtachoke:
I'm going Bison hunting in SD in December and am probably going to take my 358 Norma Mag built on a Montana Rifleman action with the Barnes Triple shok 225 gr bullet. I've got it shooting 1/2" groups at 100 yds w/RL15 powder.
Anyone ever shot a bison and do you think the 225 gr is a bit light?? I love the Triple Shok due to its high BC but was thinking of swapping to a 250 grain Barnes X or Nosler Partition.
Any suggestions or thoughts on the 225 gr 358 bullet for a bison?? OR I could take my 375 H&H Interarms.
Thanks,
Choke

It will work just fine. Shot placement is all you need to worry about.

Yaoughtachoke ----- The 225 Barnes TSX will do the job placed correctly in the Animal. My son and I shoot a couple of .358 STA's and have taken them from Colorado to Alaska to Africa. If I were shooting a Bison Bull with my STA I would without a doubt use a 270 grain North Fork. Two reasons, it is very accurate in both my STA's, and second the North Fork bullet is in my opinion the best bullet on the market today. My recovered bullets and those of my son and hunting buddies from Elk, Kongoni, and Cape Buffalo reveal perfect mushrooms and very high retained weight, plus deep penetration. ----- My Brother-in-law raises Bison and has killed over 500 head, therefore I have seen everything used, from the good to the bad and ugly. I have loaded many rounds for him in the past. He has had some interesting experiences with many different kinds of bullets and factory ammo in the past. Good luck and good shooting.

The tsx will work fine.I have never seen another bullet that performs as well on game.

I wouldn't hesitate to use my 270 or 338-06, so I would say you are covered.

In fact a buffalo rancher I know kills all of his with a 270 Win right behind the ear. DRT.

Where are you hunting? Custer State Park, one of the Indian reservations, or private ranch?

quote:

Originally posted by SDhunter:
I wouldn't hesitate to use my 270 or 338-06, so I would say you are covered.

In fact a buffalo rancher I know kills all of his with a 270 Win right behind the ear. DRT.

Where are you hunting? Custer State Park, one of the Indian reservations, or private ranch?

Hunting on the Triple U. Thanks for all the great advice and so many answers in such a short time. This forum thing is really neat and you can learn so much by listening to other hunters and their experiences.
I'll probably stick with the 225 grainer in that it shoots very accurate out of this rifle. I've used Nosler Partitions on just about everything I've shot but really like the Triple Shoks in that I like the knurled rings that only make contact, which makes it a bit slicker down the bbl and less copper too
Thanks again,
Choke

A TSX will work just fine but it sure does not require a premium priced bullet. Core-locks or Power points will also do the job. I just do not buy the manufactuers/magazine, consumer thought imposed need for premium priced bullets. I have cleanly killed too many animals in my 40+ years of hunting that just required the ability of putting the correct weight bullet in the right place.

How about just tossing rocks at them?

I would suggest studying a little bit of bison physiology. A well placed shot 2" down from the horn and 2" back (on a broadside animal) will drop them in their tracks. Putting a round in the boiler room will kill them, but it may take a while.

MG

Are you doing the Trophy hunt or the Meat hunt? Interesting website: http://www.tripleuranch.com/htm/buffalo_facts.shtml

Didn't realize they filmed "Dances with Wolves" there.

Let us know how the hunt goes.

quote:

Originally posted by 30378:
A TSX will work just fine but it sure does not require a premium priced bullet. Core-locks or Power points will also do the job. I just do not buy the manufactuers/magazine, consumer thought imposed need for premium priced bullets. I have cleanly killed too many animals in my 40+ years of hunting that just required the ability of putting the correct weight bullet in the right place.

So what if the bullet cost 75 cents more than a standard bullet. Sure most bullets will work. It is personal choice. Not buying into manufactures/magazine, consumer thoughts or being imposed. Why does it bother you if he decides to shoot a premium priced bullet ? I shoot a lot of Barnes bullets, why because I like the performance and accuracy I get.

35 Whelen, 225gr TSX worked for me

quote:

Originally posted by Redhawk1:

So what if the bullet cost 75 cents more than a standard bullet. Sure most bullets will work. It is personal choice. Not buying into manufactures/magazine, consumer thoughts or being imposed. Why does it bother you if he decides to shoot a premium priced bullet ? I shoot a lot of Barnes bullets, why because I like the performance and accuracy I get.

The gentleman asked about bullets for bison. I just don't buy the marketing hype that premium priced bullets are needed for most North American game. They were killing them 150 years ago with musket balls. I just think it is money thrown up a wild hogs behind......but you are right it is his money.

Sure, 150 years ago they were killing bison with musket balls....BUT they weren't paying several thousand dollars to do it and the ethic wasn't really in place to give two hoots about losing a wounded animal out on the plains either.

Further, I have had non-premium, specifically core-lokt, bullets fail on bison and it led to a merry chase on a "meat shoot" several years ago. The bullet was split by the atlas joint rather than breaking it. This caused the bull to drop and only get up when we were within about 10 feet of him. He took off across a neighboring property while guns were blazing. My final shot to the spine fortunately finished it but not before things could have gone very very wrong. Frankly, I wouldn't go on such a "shoot" or use core-lokts again. I don't understand why one would do either when such better options exist?!?! Monolithic "softs" and "fair chase" hunts are the ticket and I'll bet a wad of cash that all those guys using musket balls 150 years ago wouldn't have waited a second to switch to a Barnes TSX if given the opportunity. The only musket ball I'll consider using on bison will be fired from my eight bore.

Also, while I think your .358 will get the job done, particularly on a ranch "hunt", I will never use smaller than my .416 on free roaming bison again. Circumstances dictated that I use a borrowed .338 on my last trip and I felt severely undergunned. The bull dropped and died but not nearly as quickly as the one taken by my .416 in the same area four years ago.

JMHO,

John

I shot three a couple of years ago with the 160 gr. TSX out of my 7mm Rem. Each one took one shot to the head and dropped like a rock. On one bull, the bullet went completely through the skull and smashed two vertibates in the neck. The behind the ear shots exited. I don't think you'll have any problems.

Pete

I think for one of those big buffs your going to have to go nitro, nothing short of that will cleanly kill a buff.

Oh yeah by the way, my dad must be some sort of sniper hero because he killed one a couple of years ago with his 30-06 shooting a 180 grain federal softpoint. It dropped like a big tub of _hit with one shot to the lungs. By listening to some of these posts I guess I should be lucky that he lived to tell the story.