Custer State Park Bison Hunt

I am thinking about trying to go in 2012 on a bison hunt at the Custer State Park. The rules state "must be at least .270 caliber and generate a minimum of 2,200-foot-pounds of energy at the muzzle".

What caliber would you use? I have a .308 barrel for my Encore but for some reason would prefer to use a revolver. Any suggestions?

The only revolver rounds I'm aware of that will make that kinetic energy figure are the .460 and .500 S&W. Heavy loaded .475 and .500 L's and their ilk (420's @ ~1400 fps) fall a bit short at about 1850-ish. This just goes to show the fallacy of kinetic energy in such matters due to squaring the velocity.
Call someone in the know at the Park and talk with them.

That's what's so stupid about rules like this... A 475 Linebaugh isn't powerful enough according to the rule and I guarantee it will knock the crap out of a bison and yet a 308 is ok regardless of bullet.

They seem to forget the load thats killed the most buffalo in history was a 458 cal, 405gr soft lead slug with a muzzle velocity of 1300fps. Thats only 1500ftlbs of energy at the muzzle and yet buffalo were killed out past a thousand yards with that round. The really unbelievable thing is that the old standard 45-70 round I'm speaking of would only have about 320ftlbs of energy @ 1000yds and only be going a little over 500fps with a drop if the gun were zeroed at 100yds of 1900" @ 1000yds. That makes you stop and think about alot of these ballistic limits put up by outfits like this. I have a problem here where you can hunt private land for elk with an inline muzzle loader or shotgun but they wouldn't even talk to me about straight walled pistol cartridges. The reason is that the land is flat so they wanted limited flight yet they apparently don't realize what a modern inline muzzleloader will do.

Rod,
It gets even crazier....In Nevada,you can't use any type of optical sight on a muzzeloader...open sights only. A good inline smokepole is capable of 200 yds. and we're held to open sights with aging eyes.

When bureaucrats make the rules......

here you can only use inlines during centerfire season which that special hunt is. During muzzleloader season you can't have inlines it has to be open ignition and period sights. You can't even use a fiber optic front. I can understand wanting it to be a traditional hunt but there is a line where somethings contribute to an ethical harvest, like a hi vis front sight in low light.

Rod,

I'm going to offer a different perspective. I don't think that something like a sight can contribute to an ethical harvest. They can help you make a shot in low light or at a greater distance but the hunter is the one who makes the ethical decision that's it's too dark or too far for their capabilities with the tool they have at hand. I have no problem with sticking a 4x12 scope on an in-line muzzle loader and hunting with it but it does chap my tail feathers that those guys get a special season and handgunners don't. The only reason they have special seasons is because they all started out as primitive weapons seasons and there is nothing primitive about today's inline guns. I don't agree with special seasons for different weapons in general but it's all about the money. States want more revenue for tags and the industry want's to sell everyone more stuff. Once again handgun hunters are left out in the cold.

Well said/its like the guys during archery season with a crossbow,what kind of bow can you walk around with cocked with a rifle stock and scope on it.Its about selling archery tags to someone that just wants an easier way.

That's one thing I'll say good about my state if it's supposed to be a muzzleloader or archery hunt that's what it is. No in lines and no crossbows, if it's a traditional archery hunt then it's longbows or recurves only. Also no handgun restrictions except it has to over .224 centerfire and that's for all animals so they are giving credit to the hunters to have enough common sense to use enough gun. I do wish they would have mandated proficiency testing though, 2/3 of the state is draw only except for archery so we have a problem with rifle hunters that don't draw buying a bow throwing a few arrows and then flinging arrows at everything that moves. It's such a problem that they actually dessimated the mule deer area I hunted. We find lost bow kills all the time up there.

Thats the thing about hunting with a bow,without the disipline to hold on to that arrow until you know you can put it in the sweet spot you will lose an animal.The Sportsmans channel bowhunting programs also do the sport no good.In 32 yrs Ive lost 4 deer acouple because of impatience after the hit.Also the range has to shorten way up when hunting juat because you can put them in a pie plate at 40 yds means nothing because just 2 steps by the critter means a gut shot.

OK Guys: this post / allows for/ and covers/ a whole lot of ground, including (unfortunately) some (political) ground.

Back in the older years (this is covered in my video...

"Handgunning Mule Deer And Pronghorn Antelope"... http://www.hunterseyevideo.com)

the law in Colorado was that Handgun Hunters had to pass a "PROFICIENCY TEST." It consisted of a written test as well as a shooting test, performed with a "legal handgun and loads."

I was a Tester Certified by the Colorado Division of Wildlife, and could tell a few stories about my experiences with testing handgunners.

But the bottom line is, without going in to too much more detail, is this testing program was done away with.

Well this thread got a little off from where I wanted it to go. LOL.

The only .460 round I can find with the required foot pounds of energy is the Corbon 200 gr DPX at 2350ftlbs.

Is a 200gr bullet big enough for Bison?

I agree with 500WE, it wouldn't hurt to talk with the right person either with South Dakota Fish Game and Parks or with someone at the park.
the worst that could happen is they confirm the rule that is already in place.

Hi Wapitirod,

We can have In-Lines here in OR but they have to be open ignition and use caps, no 209 shotgun primers. I drew two M/L tags, elk and deer so I was just on the phone with the ODFW to confirm the limitations. No Optics and no H--Vis sights.

Bill in OR

Yep - sorry about that... Personally I would use a considerably heavier bullet.

Your right bill it's just that there are very few of those available. The Ruger M77 was one but is out of production I believe.

MIHunter I apologize I'm probably a big one to blame for things getting off track. I agree with Gary you probably should be looking at least a 300gr bullet on the bison. I'm guessing you don't handload so have you checked with Grizzly yet? They load Hawk jacketed, hard cast and punch bullets although I'm not sure about for the 460 but it's worth a try.

I actually just checked Grizzly and they have three loads at 2000,2050, and 2100ftlbs so it's splitting hairs but really you don't know for sure what those loads would do out of your gun unless your chrono them and then it may be lower or it could be higher.

Not sure what they offer in the 460 but Corbon has a 440 gr. hard cast in the .500 S&W that generates 2500+ ft. lbs.

Thanks for the help guys. I talked with the Buffalo Herd Magager because the rule actually states rifles. He said they would allow a handgun but it had to met the same rule of larger than .270 and 2200 foot pounds of energy.

I found Buffalo Boar Ammo they have 2 .460 rounds.

300 gr. J.F.N. (2,060fps/M.E. 2,826 ft. lbs)
360 gr. L.B.T.-L.F.N. (1,900fps/M.E. 2,860 ft. lbs.)

Which would you chose out of those 2 options? Bigger the better for a buffalo?

Those babys ought to be a handfull.

either should work fine, the 300 might give you a little extra range but either should give good penetration. If it were me and I knew the shot would be under 100yds for sure I'd take the heavier bullet where trajectory isn't as much of an issue.

I did some figuring out of curiousity and I don't have any 475 or 500 Linebaugh loads that would make the cut and I think you'd have to push things to the brink to get a load in one of those calibers that would meet their requirements.