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Rick Hamilton of Sandhills Outfitters with a bull buffalo taken with his Pedersoli Sharps Quigley Rifle in 45-90 caliber using 457125 gov round nose 500 grain bullet with Goex 2F blackpowder and Starline brass

This could also be titled the “Guide gets to go Hunting”.  The wind was blowing around 35-40 mph and the wind chill was around minus 30 degrees F.  It was just before Christmas and the deep snow was making my stalk in the Sandhills on the bull buffalo extremely difficult.  The mature bull had gone walk-about one too many times and the proposition of hunting the offender in below zero temps appealed more strongly to me than fixing fences in same:) 

I utilized a low hill to block my view from the herd as I stalked within range. I was hoping for a 100 yard shot or closer, but the herd was extremely wary in the strong winds. I was carrying a Pedersoli Quigley Sharps Black Powder Cartrdge Rifle replica in a 45-90 caliber. My load was composed of annealed Starline Brass with some of the 500 grain solid lead roundnose Gov. bullet cast from a Lyman mold. My powder was 2F Goex, ignited with a CCI BR primer and a .30 wad. Touching metal with bare skin in these temperatures was best to be avoided, as I placed the 13 1/4 # 1874 Sharps Replica on my shooting sticks. I waited until I had a broadside shot and aimed the ladder sight just behind the long hair on his front shoulder, and slightly lower than the inexperienced would for a heart shot. The bellow of the Sharps was instantaneous with the cloud of blackpowder smoke that obscured my vision for a few seconds as I strained to see if my aim had been true.

The bull flinched slightly but otherwise gave no indication that he was indeed mortally wounded. Then he appeared to spot me and it seemed that the hunter may become the hunted!  My wife was filming the whole episode from afar and decided to keep filming as I hastily grabbed my sticks and headed for other parts, which was not easy in the snow. Fortunately the bull began to feel the effects of the 500 grain solid lead slug and began to teter before he finally went down.

Field dressing a bull buffalo in ground blizzard conditions should be experienced by all true buffalo hunters at some point in time, it really makes you have respect for the old time buffalo hunters and Native Americans.  He weighed nearly a ton and provided some great eating including the steaks which would melt in your mouth for months to come.

There is something about hunting buffalo with Black Powder Cartridge Rifles that just feels right and besides it was indeed much more fulfilling than building fence in the snow!

“From the Hills”

Rick

www.sandhillsoutfitters.com

This entry was posted on Monday, August 10th, 2009 at 3:37 pm and is filed under Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.