I'm getting close to booking a trophy bison hunt for January 2010. I'm guessing the critter will be about 1900 pounds or thereabouts. I plan to use my .500 S&W Performance Center revolver. My bullet choice so far is a 440-450g gas checked cast bullet. Opinions? Any other good choices? I am going to attempt to get closer that 100 yards.

Recoil

Should work fine!

In my opinion, that set up should work like a charm!

Belt Mountain "Punch" bullet should do the job too!!!And if you find the bullet in the dirt on the far side you can reload it for the next hunt...

I was also toying with using a Barnes bullet. Would it hold up well if I encountered a shoulder bone?

Recoil

You should have no problems. I don't think these animals are as tough as elk. When I shot my bull last year I used my 375 JDJ with the Hornady 270SP; it went down with one shot. It went thew both shoulders at about 80 yards.

I have seen two Water Buffalos take multiple "quality" hits using 50 Cal. pistols w/ hardcast bullets at short range. There was great penetration, but very little reaction from the animal at the time of impact. They did the job, but a 500 gr. Hornady FP would have done the job quicker. Look into the 500 gr. 500 S&W bullets.

I had given them a thought. Any more comments on the 500g Hornady flat points?

Recoil

I saw my buddy shoot a bison with his .500 Linebaugh loaded with a 525 grain WFN at a whopping 1,130 fps and it knocked the snot out of the bison. You don't need an expanding bullet when you are starting out at a half an inch. JMHO.

Good point!

The 440 cast WFNGC will be fine at the velocity the 500 S&W is capable of producing, and in fact is more than is absolutely necessary.
I have shot bison and the similarly sized water buffalo and yak with the 420 WFN (1400 fps) and 400 XTP (also 1400 fps)out of a .475 Linebaugh , the 350 XTP (1350 fps) and 370 WFNGC (1390 fps) out of a .500 WE and a 400 Speer as well as a 405 Remington (1110 fps) out of a 12" .45-70. I've used a 270 spire and a 300FMJ (1950 fps) out of a 12 1/2" .375JDJ, but that's another kettle of fish.
I've used a .416 Rem. Mag. and 400 gr. Hornady soft points (2270 fps) on cape buffalo, which are generally smaller than bull bison.
All these critters fell over dead in fairly short order. The quickest as well as the longest death both came from the .475L, which simply points out that there are no absolutes.
One of the things you should consider is the fact that bison are herd animals, and you must be absolutely certain of what's behind the animal you want to shoot. With herd animals there is definitely a case that can be made to avoid a bullet that will over penetrate. I like the XTP's for that very reason, but once again, the bullets you suggest will be fine, with care and prudence.

I watched a bull take a cylinder full of 300 gr 44 mags in the chest (behind the shoulder) a few years ago. He expired, but it took a while. If I were using hard-cast, I would shoot for bone. Just my opinion.

There's a big difference between a .429 magnum and a .500 Smith. They are definitely not in the same league. That said, we should never underestimate a bison's ability to soak up lead.

I would definitely consider the 500gr XTP. My water buffalo as Franchise was saying took 2 370gr penetrators and he just stood there. It punched a perfect half inch hole with no "SHOCK" to the animal. The 385gr BCHP hit him with authority and put a hurting on him. Not only did it break bone but it also tore meat. The penetrators have thier place in hunting just on something like a boar with a big shield. So you make your decision.......

RECOIL or whomever........I have an awesome pic of the two bullets I spoke about above that was pulled out of my buffalo. I would love to post IF anyone could help I would appreciate it.

http://www.handgunhunt.com/forum/ubbthreads.php/ubb/showflat/Number/1689/page/1#Post1689

Try this.

Rich

I have been giving the 500g XTP a second thought. I know a .5" hole is a big hole but if I get some expansion with the 500g XTP I'll be making an even bigger hole! I would think that the XTP would hold up if I hit bone. If some of the 500g was lost because of the impact with a bone there would still be quite a bit of mass left.

Recoil

I like the XTP also but I was shooting the 400gr Sierra JSP because it was more accurate out of my Smith. I never used it on an animal but I'd think it would work well too.

This bison weighed just under 2,000-lbs. Took one shot, tight behind the shoulder and was down within seconds. The load was Buffalo Bore's 525 grain WLFN in .500 Linebaugh at a chronographed 1,100 fps.

Whitworth, that there is a Bison Bullet! How far was that shot made?

Just about 40 yards, if I can recall. Needless to say, the bullet exited! That was the first time I actually saw the .500 in action and it did not disappoint. No need for expanding bullets IMO.

Great buffalo! Great shot placement! A thought for discussion is that if the shot placement would have been less than ideal which bullet would have performed better a 440g Cast Performance or a 500g XTP?

Recoil

Aside from ribs, the bullet didn't hit any bone. Had it, it would have surely broken whatever it touched, but I doubt the bison would have gone down much faster. I personally like two holes in every animal, and expanding bullets at the subdued velocities of revolvers, used on very large game, may not exit. That's not necessarily a bad thing, but I want exits and two holes leaking blood -- but that's just me!

I really appreciate your input Whitworth. You are a voice of experience. I hope to make a decision on bullet type based on inputs from fellow handgun hunters. That is why I am so thankful for this site. I do get your point. I realize that a good exit hole is very important for blood loss. I also realize that the Cast Performance would most likely out penetrate the 500g XTP.

Recoil

I have nothing against expanding bullets -- in smaller calibers. Smaller calibers need to make up for their size (inadequacy? LOL!) somehow, but when you are starting out at a half an inch, well, that's just a different story. I have used XTPs in different calibers with success, but on an animal that big, and bison get really big, I want the absolute maximum penetration -- and two holes.

I was so impressed with my buddy's .500 Linebaugh that day, that years later I am finally having one built! They just work.......

I don't think you will go wrong with either style of bullet considering it is heavy enough. If you hit this big bull solidly he will be dead on his hooves. A 500gr. XTP is not a HP it is a FP, it will mushroom, but not like a HP. If you drive this bullet with enough horsepower you want have to worry about penetration, at 500gr. it's going to leave a Hell of a blood trail, if it doesn't die within a few steps of where it's standing. Considering a 385gr. BCHP (bonded core hollow point) gave complete penetraion out of a Competitor 50 AE on the Yak bull I killed. I have used Hardcast bullets to kill a Water Buffalo and a Nilgai. They did fine, but a bullet that mushrooms and still gives complete penetration will leave a Bigger exit wound. Everyone has an opinion and they both have good points. If you shoot good, it want matter what style you hit him with if the bullet is heavy enough to penetrate. No doubt a Hardcast will out penetrate a soft point, but a Punch Bullet will out penetrate a hardcast bullet.

If anyone has any question to how a 500 gr. 500 S&W XTP FP bullet will perform, just check out midwayusa.com under handgun bullets & click on Hornady 500 gr. and read the reviews. The one about the African game taken with this bullet should help prove my point.

Only if you exceed the velocity the hardcast was designed to perform at. As soon as you push it fast enough to distort the shape and profile of the nose, you diminish the bullet's ability to penetrate deep and straight. So, when velocities go up, the Punch comes into its own.

A number of years ago, a good friend took his .50 Alaskan revolver to one of the Linebaugh Seminars. He shot the medium with a 525 grain WLFN at just under 1,600 fps. It went 51-inches. That very same bullet out of his .500 Linebaugh at 1,130 fps went 51-inches immediately following the .50 AK. With the hardcast bullet, you won't necessarily pick up any penetration by driving them faster. This is probably why the .500 Smiths haven't really fared well at the seminars as most folks insist on driving them so hard and if you exceed the limitations of the bullet, it won't penetrate very well. Sustitute the hardcast for the Punch and drive it faster and now we are talking about a different animal.

Keep the hardcast in the 1,200 fps range, and they will go end-to-end on nearly anything (assuming a good nose profile).

Put one of those heavy .500 bullets in the "RIGHT" place and you will take your buff....

So how fast can 500 grainer be pushed in the .500 Smith? Just curious.