6.5 creedmoor or 300 win mag for black bear?

[jrdnschl]

Planning to go after black bear for the first time this spring. I have a 300 win mag and a 6.5 creedmoor and I am comfortable shooting both. Is the 6.5 creedmoor enough for a black bear or should I take the 300 win mag?

 

[Jagger0502]

Bear are about the same as deer when it comes to anatomy. Depending on distance the 6.5 will do the job 300 will do it with more a$$. Both will get the job done with the right bullet.

 

[Where's Bruce?]

.300win without a doubt. I was told by a houndsman that they treed a bear and shot it six times with a 45-70 Govt, it fell 80' from the tree and landed on solid granite...got up and rolled off the edge falling another 40' again to hit rock. The 7th shot killed it. When they dressed it out they found six 45acp rounds buried just under the hide. Bears are tough.

 

[SamsonMan22]

The 300 win is never a bad choice. I shot one with a 260 rem and was amazed at how much it soaked up, in its defense the bullets were sst 140s but I still expected better results.

 

[Northpark]

Honestly I keep life simple these days. I just shoot everything with a .300wm with my pet handload. In this case Bears bite back so a bit bigger round with a slightly larger wound channel would be my choice.

 

[PablitoPescador]

You want to get a real good exit wound on a bear. It seems their fur soaks up a lot of the blood and it’s hard to get a good blood trail. I’ve killed one with a 270 that didn’t exit. Killed him with one shot but there was zero blood. I use my 300 win mag now for that reason

 

[justin davis]

300 win mag is the do it all gun I think. Perfect for bear

 

[CApighunter]

A 300 win is never the wrong answer if you can shoot it well.

 

[JDalton]

Another vote for 300 win mag, but keep in mind bears can still take a hit from the big calibers and run off so if the bear is still moving I keep shooting until its down.

 

[Redwood]

Shot placement is more important than caliber in my opinion. I would lean towards the 300WM assuming they are relatively close in overall weight and you can shoot them both accurately. If your 300 weighs a lot more or you don't shoot it as well I would take the 6.5. They will both get the job done.

 

[jrdnschl]

Thank you for all of your input. It looks like I will be taking my 300!

 

[MHWASH]

Take whatever is lighter and you shoot best.

 

[LightFoot]

Take the lighter one!

>>>----JAKE----->

 

[Lowg08]

.300win without a doubt. I was told by a houndsman that they treed a bear and shot it six times with a 45-70 Govt, it fell 80' from the tree and landed on solid granite...got up and rolled off the edge falling another 40' again to hit rock. The 7th shot killed it. When they dressed it out they found six 45acp rounds buried just under the hide. Bears are tough.

Sounds like guys were a horrible shot. I have killed bears with a 45/70, 30-06, 30-30 and 243. I’ve seen them killed by many other calibers. I killed a 400lber with one shot of a 45/70 and it never quivered. Shot placement is key. Bear are the same density as whitetail very squishy. Their vitals are a little back and a quartering away shot is a much better option. When in doubt bust that head.

 

[FLAK]

Yep, got to where I use my 300WM for everything.
Just a no brainer.

 

[Where's Bruce?]

Wounded bear attacks hunter who approached it thinking it's dead | Daily Mail Online

A group of hunters, thought to be American, shoot a a black bear. One of them approached it, thinking it's already dead, only to be attacked by the wounded massive bear that was still alive.

www.dailymail.co.uk

 

[Lowg08]

I can spot so many things wrong with that whole situation as an ex-hound hunter. He asked for that due to their stupidity. Also his horrible marksmanship. That bear was hit really far back. You can tell by how the bear reacts. I’ve treed hundreds and hundreds of bears with dogs. Those dogs should have been tied back and not run in on the bear wide open like that. Just because they fall do not mean they are dead. Any good houndsman with the amount of money that is tied up in dogs would have instructed a head shot and had a follow up shooter in place besides some dude randomly shooting at a scrambling bear.

 

[lang]

I'm an archer so don't have much opinion on what you shoot. Have seen lots of bears lost due to being hit too far forward. I looked into it and most Canadian bear guides tell their clients to aim for the middle of the middle! Not what we've all been taught. We like to aim 4-6 inches behind the shoulder. Lots of guys say they are tough to kill and like to take out the shoulder to anchor them, well our experience has not ended well shooting like we do for deer and elk tight to the shoulder. Since aiming back I haven't had one go more than 30 yards with a bow. Here's a good link, http://www.bear-hunting.com/2019/9/5-tips-for-shot-placement-on-bear-podcast.

 

[roosiebull]

Planning to go after black bear for the first time this spring. I have a 300 win mag and a 6.5 creedmoor and I am comfortable shooting both. Is the 6.5 creedmoor enough for a black bear or should I take the 300 win mag?

I would take the one I like carrying best, bear are not hard to kill if you shoot them well. My 2 choices are 7rem mag, or the 6.5 gender bender... I doubt I will take the 7 mag once... my 6.5 is just so nice to carry and bear are not hard to shoot through

 

[roosiebull]

.300win without a doubt. I was told by a houndsman that they treed a bear and shot it six times with a 45-70 Govt, it fell 80' from the tree and landed on solid granite...got up and rolled off the edge falling another 40' again to hit rock. The 7th shot killed it. When they dressed it out they found six 45acp rounds buried just under the hide. Bears are tough.

I can assure you there is more to that story if that story actually happened. Shoot them through both lungs and they are dead super quick. The majority are dead inside 20 seconds... they are tough as heck if you don’t kill them good though.... I’m very particular when shooting at bear, I want an easy shot with plenty of time and a good angle