The .300 win mag is sufficient for hunt a American bison?

Is the cape buffalo really that much more of a bada$$ than the American bison?
. Yes, more like comparing Mike Tyson to Barack Obama in a prison cage fight. Both are unpredictable but only one will try to kill you when agitated.
 
The 300 Magnum needs rather heavy bullets to give the shooter confidence that a good hit in the thorax will reliably down a 2200 lb within a short distance of being hit.

A classic softpoint should weigh at least 250 grains.

A bonded bullet should weigh 225 grains or more

Partition bullets weighing more than about 190 grains should work OK

Lead-Free expanding bullets weighing 168 or more grains should give enough of a wound channel to ensure rapid collapse.
 
Yeah, sure. So a 45-70 couldn't kill one, right?

ANY 300 Win mag will kill a bison DRT as long as you don't try to gutshoot them. A friend of mine harvested one years ago with a 243 to the ear. Dropped in its tracks. Ranch manager thought it was funny as all get-out, big macho men shooting bison with 60 caliber BP rifles, 458 Win Mags, 375s and such, but the fastest kill he ever saw was that 243.
 
Cape Buffalo aren't all that impressive to look at

I've seen them at a western game park and you can ride in large vehicles to approach them. They seemed smaller than I thought and kind of doughy without any super scary or lean looking musculature to them.
Personal observations aside-they are one of the most dangerous game animals.
They are aggressive, powerful and fast.
A .300 magnum that will be enough for American Bison will not be adequate for Capes.
 
IMO: No matter what caliber you decide to buy. Its all about shot placement first and foremost. Why bother with a 300 anything when a 338 Win Mag is much better suited for heavy weight North American {dangerous} game. Don't underestimate the Bison. Their a pretty sturdy package of muscle mass and heavy bone. When you have the chance. Go to a zoo that has North American Bison examples to view. You don't realize how big they are until your up close and facing one. Especially a herd Bull.
 
Here is a Buffalo hunt with a M94 30-30 and dropped it cold with a shoulder shot.

Yep, that was the way they hunted, not so much about what they hunted with. Back up a few hundred yards and shoot the 300 win mag and you still have a 30-30.
 
Why not a 30-06 with some 200-220 grain loads. Double Tap makes some heavy '06 ammo. Personally, I think 180 grainers will get the job done. 180s and 200s are generating very close to 3000 ft/lbs of energy anyway. The you'll have a rifle that's a bit more pleasant to shoot than the Win Mag. And you'll have a wide range of bullet choices on the store shelves.
 
from savagecornmuffin -- Why not a 30-06 with some 200-220 grain loads. Double Tap makes some heavy '06 ammo. Personally, I think 180 grainers will get the job done. 180s and 200s are generating very close to 3000 ft/lbs of energy anyway. The you'll have a rifle that's a bit more pleasant to shoot than the Win Mag. And you'll have a wide range of bullet choices on the store shelves.

The 180 grain bullet would need to be lead free (TSX, GMX, eTip, etc) in order to to get a good chance of opening the wound channel one would like for a quick take down. One could go as light as 165 gr in this design and probably do OK. A 190 - 200 grain partition or a 220 gr bonded bullet would probably do as well too.
 
Yea, 165 Monolithic bullets are outstanding in the 06 - 308. They penetrate more than enough for large big game like Moose.
 
Back
Top