On Killing Buffalo

[KCSO]

Some people seem amazed that anyone would or could kill a buffalo with a Henry rifle.  Since my neighbor raised Buffallo and BEEFalo starting in 1982 and I have had the opportunity to kill buffalo (American Bison)with various weapons and hhave up till now recovered bulllets from over 20 buffalo i thought i would lend a little practical expirence here.  Buffalo were exterminated in the cane breaks of kentucky with muzzleloaders that ranged fro 45-54 caliber for the moost part and fired a ball from 127 to 220 grains at up to 1700 fps.  This combination still works and a 50 caliber muzzleloader with just 80 grains of FFg powder will punch a hole in one side and out the other, through the lungs of a 1000 pound buff. 

Now the Henry rifle firning a 216 grain slug at 1100 fps is in fact somewhat more powerful than a muzzloading ball from a 45 caliber rifle and is close to a 50.  Compared to a 300 magnum a Henry round is pretty wimpy but in it's day it was considered an adaquate cartridge for hunting.  Now add to this the fact that in running buffalo you are shooting at close range and have a good shot at the vitals and you will see that Billy Comstock was probably reasonalbly armed for the job at hand.  Personally I have seen buffalo killed with everything from a 22 magnum to a 12 ga ball from a trade gun.  I fully intend to use either a Spencer or a Henry for my next buffalo, but I will not be hunting at ranges over 75 yards and I know I can place my shot exactly. 

I have heard some hogwash about bullets bouncing off of a buffalo's skull and it just ain't so.  A standard miliitary 45 Colt load will handily penetrate a buff's skull at 50 feet, IF you hit the right spot.  Hit the boss where the horns attach and a good rifle bullet won't do the job.  I expirimented by shooting into green skulls with a 44 Henry load from a 44-40 case and in each instance if the bullet was in the right spot it handily penetrated to the brain cavity.  The same with a shot behind the ear. 

All in all although I wouldn't pick a Henry for my first choice for all round hunting today, if I were a hunter in 1865 I would sure wouldn't turn up my nose at a Henry rifle. 

[shieldsmt]

Interesting.  I would have thought this was all nuts just a year ago.  Hunting has become a little hoo-hum with a scoped rifle, for me.  I went to an old 1903 Springfield, just as it was issued to the WWI soldiers.  It became a challenge.  I haven't killed a big game animal for the last 8 years with anything else until this year.  I bought a Uberti '73 in 44WCF.  By the time this past season wound down, that gun loaded with FFFg and 209 gr.soft lead flat bullets w/ SPG lube has taken two antelope, two very large mule deer bucks and a decent whitetail buck.  All shot through the ribcage, all bullets went clean through and kept on going.  All died quickly. I took an elk with the Springfield because I chickened out and decided against the '73.  Next season I'll use it.  I'd not hesitate to try a buffalo with it after reading your post. 

[Fox Creek Kid]

I could theoretically kill a tiger with a .22 LR too. It's the part where he mauls & eats me during the lag time in between that makes me nervous. 

[Hoof Hearted]

YOU'RE KILLING ME!!

Anyone know how to get Scotch out of a keyboard?

Stand it up on edge and hold your tongue just right
If this doesn;t work, add more Scotch

HH

[Grogan]

Yes, I can see how that could work on ONE Buffalo.

The trick is what to use when you need to kill MORE than one?

Head over to the BROW Group for the right tool for the job; shots at 200 to 400 yd.s

No herd of wild Buffalo is going to stand there and let you pick them off at 75 yd.s or under with a Henry.

At least the ca 1870s Buffalo wouldn't.

[Hoof Hearted]

There were alot of Buffalo killed that weren't standing still

Some shot from trains and many shot off horse back. The Indians killed them without guns before the white man

HH

[Major 2]

"...The trick is what to use when you need to kill MORE than one? "
Cavemen killed them by yelling ...Ran them of Cliffs... 

[Marshal Deadwood]

The west was the only place buffalo were left. They kill the big numbers in the east off with flintlock rifles.  Lots of folks do not know that the east had large numbers of buffalo,,,,but by 1800,,they were gone. Most hunters hunted them over salt licks. You can still see the big trails they cut in the forest (the buffalo)....looks like old mountain logging roads almost...but cut deeper.

Boone, Kenton and others were continually killing a buffalo for the forts. Keep many of your ancestors alive during hard times.

Pretty kewl history actually.

I am 'all heated up' to hunt with a .44wcf now....Whilie a whitetail ain't no buffalo....I KNOW a rifle in .45colt will knock a deer dumb dead every shot. Wish I'd gotten my '73 in .44wcf though,,just for the historic angle.

Ya'll have a good'un,,

MD