Using copper on the Delta Bison Hunt

~Lang Van Dommelen~

After drawing a coveted Delta bison tag, I received plenty of advice about rifles and bullets. Some people insisted I needed a bigger gun, while others said I should be shooting a bullet weighing 200 grains or more. 

The Alaska Department of Fish and Game has specific requirements for rifle hunters who draw bison tags: a minimum bullet weight of 175 grains and at least 2,800 ft-lbs of muzzle energy. I didn’t want to buy another rifle, so my 30-06 would have to do. I also knew I wanted to shoot copper bullets if I could find something heavy enough that had adequate muzzle energy. 

After doing some research, and seeing what was available in Anchorage,  I settled on trying 180-grain Hornady Outfitter CX ammunition. It met the Department’s requirements and it seemed more widely available than some other options I considered. I made sure to send my receipt to Alaska Copper Challenge, which reimbursed me for the majority of two boxes. 

With new ammunition in hand, I headed to the range to see how it performed. I quickly discovered that my rifle loved it, consistently shooting groups under one inch, so I picked up a few more boxes since I knew I had the ammunition I would shoot if I got lucky enough to have the opportunity to harvest a bison.

Opening day found me hiking around the Delta Junction Bison Range, mostly seeing moose. After glassing 15 moose, I started making my way back toward the truck, thinking I was about to call it a day. Then I spotted two more funny-looking moose right where I had seen a cow and calf a few hours earlier.

It took me a moment to realize I wasn’t looking at moose at all. I was looking at two bison. Using what cover I had,  I slowly worked my way closer until I was lined up at 75 yards. After what seemed like an eternity, the two bison separated, and one finally turned broadside. My first two rounds hit both lungs, but the bull continued walking toward the woods. I fired two follow-up shots before he finally went down.

 

This was a once-in-a-lifetime hunt, and the Hornady Outfitter CX copper bullets performed exceptionally well. Of the four rounds I fired, three passed completely through the animal. The fourth bullet was perfectly expanded and came to rest just beneath the hide on the far side of the bull. The performance was exactly what I had hoped for.