6.5 creedmoor for Bear?

[ZAK13]

I'm sure it'll do the job with proper shot placement. Bear have been taken with a 243 lots of times.

 

[Thebigbaby]

Sufficient.

 

[Matthausarchery]

Will work if you do your part. I would avoid longer distance high angle shots. But put one middle of the middle and youll be eating bear ham and stuffing sausage!

 

[AZ_Hunter_2000]

Assuming this is true...
Adult male black bears range from about 130 to 190 centimeters (50 to 75 inches) in length and weigh 60 to 300 kilograms (130 to 660 pounds). Females measure from 130 to 190 centimeters (50 to 75 inches) and weigh 40 to 80 kilograms (90 to 175 pounds).

So despite the vitriol spewed by so many WKRs for the 6.5 Creedmoor and those who shoot it, the 6.5 CM is more than enough for the bulk of black bears for the more common shooting distances. There are always outliers where something with more oomph may better serve you, such as if there is a chance of stumbling across a grizzly or a behemoth coastal bear in the Carolinas.

But look at a lot of the harvest photos here and elsewhere. While there are some bruisers, those tend to be the exception rather than the rule. Most are on the small to average side (which is still lighter and smaller than a mature mule deer buck).

Other than that, remember "middle of the middle".

 

[KM5019]

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

Certainly sufficient. I do not use the 6.5 but rather a 270 which I would consider fairly comparable. Never lost a bear with it.

 

[Hondo0925]

I just got a 6.5 and I’m sure as heck going to shoot a bear with it this next fall with some luck

 

[MTguy0341]

Last bear i killed was with the 6.5 CM. 143 gr ELD-X. 270 yard shot, didn't go five steps. Average size Montana boar.

 

[roosiebull]

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

This is black bear killing in a nutshell, incredibly easy to kill with a well placed shot in the lungs, incredibly hard to kill if your shot misses the mark, and very hard to track on poor hits due to where they flee and pads rather than hooves.

Anything that works on deer works on the biggest of black bears, just don’t get too fancy on angles, wait for an easy to see angle and kill it.

Another key of that is the vitals sit a couple inches back from a deer, so there is no reason to play with the shoulder on a bear, and their shoulders are small anyway… don’t need much for bear, you just need to not get too trigger happy too early, their anatomy is hard to see, and vitals are relatively small

 

[Pramo]

I wouldn't hesitate to use a 6.5, and as stated above ensure you know the lung location. I aim middle of the middle + 4inch and it will go down quick bow or gun

This was 120 yard shot 6.5 with eldx, it went 30 yards

 

[thinhorn_AK]

6.5 creedmoor = dead animals at 1000 yards. Guaranteed. Literally zero bullet drop and awesome stopping power. Best balistics out there.

 

[Zerk]

We are in era where people want to prove how small of gun to use. I realize people use arrows to kill these animals. But for able bodies adult, I don't understand the desire to go as small as possible.

As for one gun for everything, how many only own one gun? I get it if you are buying really expensive scopes.

Where I hunt deer, it is thick bush, not many deer, and you may see one deer a short period. While not taking reckless shots, I like knowing I have more than enough gun. Lack of exit wound makes tracking harder too. Where I hunt 100 yards feels like a 1000.

I like what Elmer Keith said, I want my hunting done when I pull the trigger.

 

[Axlrod]

We are in era where people want to prove how small of gun to use. I realize people use arrows to kill these animals. But for able bodies adult, I don't understand the desire to go as small as possible.

As for one gun for everything, how many only own one gun? I get it if you are buying really expensive scopes.

Where I hunt deer, it is thick bush, not many deer, and you may see one deer a short period. While not taking reckless shots, I like knowing I have more than enough gun. Lack of exit wound makes tracking harder too. Where I hunt 100 yards feels like a 1000.

I like what Elmer Keith said, I want my hunting done when I pull the trigger.

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[Khuntbarney]

Shot plenary of bears with a 6.5 creed all were dead with 1 shot. Killed them from 80-675yards works extremely well used both 143 eldx and 140 Berger

 

[mercy17]

I think it will work perfectly. I plan to find out this prong.

 

[MT-nuffgun]

The 6.5 creedmoor will make a fine bear cartridge. As always shot placement is key. Stay away from the shoulders as the vitals sit a little further back than a deer. Some men consider the .223 and 22-250 capable bear cartridges and I can’t argue with their success.

 

[tkhuntsman]

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

Honestly despite what a lot of people say at reasonable distance it's a killer. It's about shot placement more than knockdown power. Black bears aren't that hard to kill if you hit them well stay away from the shoulder like a couple of inches further back than you would on a deer they're just built different. Don't expect to come out and shoot 600 yards cross canyon bucking a 15 mph wind it's just not the cartridge for that. But inside 350 yards with good angles not even a second thought.

 

[Bowhunter46]

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.

What bullet did you use?

 

[roosiebull]

What bullet did you use?

Eldm now, but accubonds and terminal ascents too

 

[Bowhunter46]

Eldm now, but accubonds and terminal ascents too

How’s the performance with the accubonds and TA within 100yd

 

[roosiebull]

How’s the performance with the accubonds and TA within 100yd

I don’t know that we have shot anything under probably 150yds, but no surprises with any, accubonds expand to a nickel, hold together and make a fairly narrow wound, TA act like a nastier accubond but still don’t fragment much but cause more damage, eldms are what I’ll stick with, they are easy to find and do more damage than the other 2 with no downside from what I’ve seen.