6.5 creedmoor for Bear?

[Jason277]

Merry Christmas! Ok, what do you guys and girls think about 6.5 Creedmoor for Bear hunting? Not enough, or sufficient? Thank you in advance Jason

 

[LightFoot]

It’s enough.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

 

[ResearchinStuff]

6.5 Creedmoor/260 for Deer, Elk, and whatever else.....

Seeing that the 223 thread is such a success, I thought maybe I would start one for the Creedmoor/260. Seems like people are asking a lot about using them and various bullets, especially for elk. I've used mine for the last few years almost exclusively. I have some pics of bullet damage, albeit...

rokslide.com

 

[peterk123]

From a friend of mine that is a hunting guide. I asked him what round he would recommend for my wife, 243, 6.5 7MM-08 or something else. Goal is one gun for it all. His words; "I hate to jump on the 6.5 band wagon, but it is just a great round. Easy recoil, plenty of power and plenty of availability. I love my 243. It has been handed down through three generations and has killed a lot of elk, but if I were buying a gun for my wife (or himself) it would be the 6.5". He is in the process of building one for "his wife".

 

[WeiserBucks]

Shoot them where they should be shot and it'll be fine.

 

[Rockin'A]

That’s what my 9 year old daughter shoots. Gonna take her in 2024 to spring bear hunt in Idaho.

 

[hiker270]

Black bear are not hard to kill if you hit them where you're supposed to. If not the fat layers and heavy fur leave little blood to follow and a lost bear.

 

[Jason277]

I know the 6.5 gets trashed a lot but it seems to be proficient along as the shooter does his or her part .

 

[roosiebull]

Merry Christmas! Ok, what do you guys and girls think about 6.5 Creedmoor for Bear hunting? Not enough, or sufficient? Thank you in advance Jason

Way plenty, they are hell on bear. I would favor a softer bullet, and bear are soft, and extremely easy to kill with a well placed shot… don’t overthink it.

The bear I killed this fall was with a creed, and it made quick work of it.

 

[ArcherAdam]

For black bear I think it could be great. I really feel many over gun for black bear. Jmho.

Sent from my SM-G996U using Tapatalk

 

[Backpack Hunter]

It will be more than enough. I'm personally fond of the 243.

 

[Hoodie]

I had good results this spring with the 143 grain ELDX. Had good results with the same bullet on an elk the year before last.

Have you seen the .223 for big game thread? If not that's a good place to get a masterclass on why bullet construction and impact velocity matter way more than diameter. Tons of useful real world data.

 

[MHWASH]

Worked on this one. Any animal you'd shoot with a .270 can also be killed just as easily with a 6.5 CM.

 

[jhm2023]

Black bears aren't particularly hard to kill when shot placement is good, though they are quite unforgiving if the shot placement is bad.

Hard quartering away ~75 yards. 124gr Hammer hunter entered at the front edge of the rear leg and the base exited at the back edge of the opposite side front shoulder. This 6'8" bear fell where he was hit and never got up again.

MV is 2,912' from a 22" barrel. Remember, bullet selection and shot placement matter more than headstamps, and the 223 thread further validates this. This rifle has also accounted for other bears, moose and caribou without issue.

 

[BAKPAKR]

I have shot a couple with 6.8mm SPCs. One ran about 35 yards and the other dropped in its tracks. The 6.5 Creedmoor has quite a bit more energy so I think you will be fine.

 

[PredatorSlayer]

100%. I shoot most of my with a 6mm CM shooting 108gr eldms. Think big coyote not small grizzly bear. They are super easy to kill. I wouldn’t hesitate to shoot them with a 223.

 

[thinhorn_AK]

130g accubond in front of a good load of varget.

 

[Glory]

Depends on how big of a bear, how close it will be to dense cover, if it's going to be raining 2" in the next 3 hours, and if you have a back up shooter. In my area once a big bear gets off the beach into woods they can be hard to find. I prefer to break bones, and leave them on the beach. If you want to do it with a 6.5 CM, more power to you. I am sure it can successfully be done with a 6.5 CM, but nothing is worse than trying to find a bear right before dark, in the rain, in the thick woods.

 

[NorthernHunter]

I shot my bear this year with a handmade 140 sst out of my 6.5. It went 25 yards. If you can hit your target it doesn't matter what gun. You should over gun if you can't shoot consistently. If you shoot well pick the caliber you want. I've shot 75% of my animals with 30-06. However I love my 6.5 and how much happier I am spending range time.

 

[StuckoYota99]

6.5cm served me well on my bear last year.
Shooting Barnes hybrid hunter.