Several weeks back I posted my 400gr. Woodleigh load development for this gun (see Sept. 1 post below).

I have since had a chance to use this load on a drawn Limited Entry Hunt tag for wild bison in northern BC. As well as wanting the experience of hunting wild bison, I also wanted some quality wild game meat which meant passing on large, overly mature animals. After four previous stalks where I couldn't get a clear shot at the animal I had selected, I was able to take a five year old dry cow after a high timber hunt.

My first shot was uphill and broadside at 70 yds. and passed through both lungs. As my target wobbled around, I quickly followed with a second quartering shot which hit one lung and exited through the high part of the shoulder bone. As there was still no indication that she was going down, another quick shot was fired through the heart which downed her.

All three shots were complete pass throughs with little trauma on the way through or out. The heart shot had a 5 ft. stream of blood about 10 to 12 ft. beyond where she was standing (picture 1) The lungs and heart had thumb size holes through them and exit wounds (picture 2) were 1 to 1 1/2" in size.



My conclusions are that you can use too much gun The Woodleighs need something a lot more substantial to fully utilize the energy they carry. I would have been better off using my.338WM or a faster opening 300 gr. bullet in this case. But it was a good experience seeing how a new gun performed.

quote:

Originally posted by harvey stern:
My conclusions are that you can use too much gun

Would it be "too much gun" to dispatch the critter on the spot with ONE high shoulder shot?

quote:

Originally posted by 1 Shot Hunter:

quote:

Originally posted by harvey stern:
My conclusions are that you can use too much gun

Would it be "too much gun" to dispatch the critter on the spot with ONE high shoulder shot?

Agree.

Or take out the heart first shot or some major bones as well.


The Bullets performed, opened up, exited.

I think you will find that the wound channels would have been quite ragged
right through, as demonstrated by the blood spurt from the heart shot.

Harvey, congrats on the buff, and way cool gun.

Not too much gun, maybe too much bullet...


Mad Dog

Good work Harvey!
And thanks for your report on how the Woodleighs performed..

quote:

Originally posted by 500N:

quote:

Originally posted by 1 Shot Hunter:

quote:

Originally posted by harvey stern:
My conclusions are that you can use too much gun

Would it be "too much gun" to dispatch the critter on the spot with ONE high shoulder shot?

Agree.

Or take out the heart first shot or some major bones as well.


The Bullets performed, opened up, exited.

I think you will find that the wound channels would have been quite ragged
right through, as demonstrated by the blood spurt from the heart shot.

As this was primarily a meat hunt, I didn't want to punch through both shoulders as I didn't know what kind of explosive damage to expect with a new caliber. I know what the result would be with my lesser calibers!

On my initial shot,I was trying for a heart shot but hope you can appreciate that after a few hundred vertical feet, and a half hour side hill stalk and a herd moving through heavy timber, it was pretty easy to get a couple of inches high with an off hand shot.

What surprised me was how clean and straight the wound channels were. There was very little surrounding tissue trauma and it looked like the bullets had simply pencilled through. The wound channels in the heart and lung were the size of my index finger. Amazingly none of the entering shots even clipped a rib which would have initiated more damage. Usually I have the opposite luck and then external meat damage before exit.

Maddog is correct I think. It was not really a matter of too much gun but rather not the best choice of a bullet. I became too fixated on developing a load for the Woodleighs when I should have been working on some 300 gr. Hornady and TSX loads. I'm sure with something a little more solid (ie. some shoulder bone)the Woodleighs will do an awesome job.

Harvey,

It just sounded like you were trying to put the animal down quickly, as opposed to letting it expire from your first effective shot, as one typically does with a heart/lung shot on a meat hunt.

With such a clean hole as that bullet/caliber combination is known to produce, you might have actually lost LESS meat with one high shoulder shot...?

Doug

quote:

Originally posted by 1 Shot Hunter:
Harvey,

It just sounded like you were trying to put the animal down quickly, as opposed to letting it expire from your first effective shot, as one typically does with a heart/lung shot on a meat hunt.

With such a clean hole as that bullet/caliber combination is known to produce, you might have actually lost LESS meat with one high shoulder shot...?

Doug

Totally agree! You have to give the animal time to die The first shot is more than enough!

Sure you had an exiting hunt. A friend of mine here in Norway also went there this year. He reports that this Bison is a bit harder to kill than our moose.

M