Buffalo Target

I'm looking at making a buffalo target for a local shooting range. I'm planning on using AR500 steel and something similar to this picture (it still needs work), the thin white lines along the jaw-line and horn-line would be thin cuts in the steel to differentiate the head. To get the proportions correct, I'm looking for information on how wide a buffalo is ear-tip to ear-tip and how wide on the outside of the horns a buffalo like this would be? Thanks for any help you can offer.

 

In my experience buff ear to ear is roughly 36"...used as a guide to judge horn width when possible.

 

If going according to the books you will work with roughly 33" ears and 36" spread on the pic

 

Thank you for the input. I'm hoping to make the target realistic in size so that whatever distance or position it's shot from the feedback is accurate.

 

Buffalo are usually shot at close range. Are you concerned about ricochet?

 

I like the project you are doing, it is a great idea. To my eye the proportions of your target are a bit off, the head is too big / the chest too small. Just an opinion, you may want to measure several photographs for correct ratios. Why not just paint the lines that you have indicated will be thin cuts? The target will last longer, especially with buffalo-suitable bullets fired at it. It's not difficult to touch up the paint lines when they become too smudged.

 

Way to go Rickster...... good call.

 

Hang your steel on chains so it can swing. It will eliminate ricochet. The bullets willl fragment and cut a groove in the ground below the target

 

Well, if you’re making good shots at 50 or 100yds anything closer should be fine for accuracy