.50-70 on Buffalo

Share your tales (tall or otherwise) of hunting adventures.

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longcarbine
Posts: 42
Joined: Fri Sep 29, 2006 9:14 pm

.50-70 on Buffalo

Post by longcarbine »

Took the family down to Pierre again this year for another buffalo hunt.
This year I took my single trigger #3 sporter in 50 1 3/4", 475 gr ppb, 40-1, 70 gr. Swiss 1.5.
Had the boys load up three shells for me, like last year, and marked those shells with a red sharpie marker.
They did all the loading except cast the bullet.

The weather was pretty nice except the day we went out to the ranch, visibility was only around 100 yards due to heavy fog.
Spent most of the morning driving around trying to figure out where they were. Last year you could see the small herds from miles away.
As we sat on top of a butte one of my boys thought he saw buffalo on top of another butte about two miles away. It turned out to be a
herd of mustangs, but as we were looking at the horses we suddenly heard a rumbling sound below us. Turned out there was a small herd
right below us that spooked when we started talking about the horses. We picked up their tracks and followed for about a half a mile and
were able to see a dark mass of animals about 150 yards away through the fog. It was to foggy to pick out an individual animal so we just
started slowly getting closer ten yards at a time. A few times they started to get edgy so we just sat down and waited. After about 30 minutes
of this we were within about 100 yards and able to see the animals clearly. I looked at a really big bull and then found the littlest and then picked
out one that was between those two in size.

Last year I went for a heart shot, this year I went for a regular double lung. When I touched her off the bulls tail went straight out and his head
went down and he just stood there. I knew I got him good so I just reloaded and waited for him to fall. Well I waited and waited and the bull just
stood there rocking back and forth for a couple of minutes, so I shot him again. That shot made him jump and he and the rest of the buffalo took
off running but he was only able to run about 30 yards and he fell down and got the heck trampled out of himself by some of the bulls behind him.
The guide then walked back to get the pickup and the boys and I walked up to the bull. When we were about ten yards away the bull lifted his head
up, looked at us, then seemed to try to get up. As soon as he turned his head back to straight I picked out his ear and aimed slightly behind it and below the horn
and brained him good.

All in all it seemed like the lung shots killed him plenty but I think it took awhile for his brain to get the message. I think his running did more
to hasten his demise than anything, as it got him breathing harder than he was just standing there. Both bullets exited and left inch to inch and a half or so exit holes.
One of the shots, probably the second, shattered the lower third of the humerus bone on the off side and the ball still exited. When I was cleaning up the carcass I
found some sheared pieces of lead along the sharp edges of the broken bone.

Here is some pics.

Image

Image

Image

We found this bullet as we were skinning the head out. It exited just left of dead center of the X you'd make if you were shooting straight on.
It was barely through the skin and caught in the hair. It is about .900" at its widest point. Only a penny left over this time. :D

Image

Just picked up the meat today, ended up with a little over 300 pounds. The way me and my kids eat meat I don't think it will last till the fall.

Thanks

Gannon
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Warhawk
Posts: 31
Joined: Wed Feb 14, 2007 12:58 pm
Location: Texas

Re: .50-70 on Buffalo

Post by Warhawk »

Another great report. I'm sure your boys think they have the coolest dad on the planet :D
rdnck
Posts: 1885
Joined: Tue Oct 29, 2002 9:33 pm
Location: Woodlawn,Texas

Re: .50-70 on Buffalo

Post by rdnck »

You are on a roll! Congratulations. Shoot straight, rdnck.
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Caddo Lake Chapter
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pete
Posts: 2258
Joined: Tue Nov 12, 2002 10:16 pm
Location: Colorado

Re: .50-70 on Buffalo

Post by pete »

Like rdnck said, you are on a roll. They can be tough can't they? Good story.
Marathonman
Posts: 1000
Joined: Thu Oct 24, 2002 6:47 am

Re: .50-70 on Buffalo

Post by Marathonman »

First of all congratulations!

Now that you've killed two buffalo with a Sharps. One with a 44-77 and another with a 50-70, both great old time calibers.

Here comes the question...

Based on what you know now, what caliber will you use next year?
I had gotten possession of a big "50" gun early in the fight, and was making considerable noise with it.

~Billy Dixon~

Adobe Walls 1874
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Roofuss
Posts: 139
Joined: Sat Jun 21, 2008 4:54 pm
Location: central Arizona

Re: .50-70 on Buffalo

Post by Roofuss »

Good looking animal ...Great job, congrats !!
Stephen Borud
Posts: 1015
Joined: Mon Apr 16, 2007 9:29 pm
Location: Casper Wyoming

Re: .50-70 on Buffalo

Post by Stephen Borud »

Very fine Gannon!

Stephen
bruce m
Posts: 3350
Joined: Tue Aug 04, 2009 5:25 am
Location: australia

Re: .50-70 on Buffalo

Post by bruce m »

longcarbine,
how did you shatter the lower humerus with a lung shot?
keep safe,
bruce moulds.
ventum est amicus meus
marshalfire
Posts: 38
Joined: Mon Jul 11, 2005 12:00 pm
Location: Northern Wisconsin

Re: .50-70 on Buffalo

Post by marshalfire »

Really enjoyed the story of the hunt. Nothing better that a father and sons being together and enjoying this adventure.

Gannon, I sent you a PM with some questions about the hunt.
Thanks
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