6.5 Grendel for B. Bear?

[Buckshot51]

I don’t mean to start up a shit storm but wanted to ask y’all if 6.5 Grendel is an adequate cartridge for Black Bear . I use the Grendel for hunting blacktail so I’d be nice if it could help me fill my bear tag as well ... thanks


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[280Ackley]

I carried mine last year on the kids bear hunt but never got a chance to use it. I had it loaded with 130gr SGK. I figured it would be good out to 150-200.

 

[White Mamba]

My 14.5 " grendel has taken a few with 123amax
As always shot placement matters

 

[Buckshot51]

My 14.5 " grendel has taken a few with 123amax
As always shot placement matters

What distance are you shooting from ?
Nice bear btw


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[justinspicher]

Carried mine this past season for bears, deer and elk. Didn’t get a chance to use it. If the opportunity came up I wouldn’t hesitate. A good buddy shot nice bear in Montana with his Grendel.

 

[PNWGATOR]

What bullet?

 

[White Mamba]

What distance are you shooting from ?
Nice bear btw


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Under 200yards

 

[bbell]

Our family has killed 2 blacktails with a Grendel and after those I have no doubts about bear with it. We used the hornady black eld-m ammo. Zero tracking and pass throughs on both. 125yds and 60yds. We took it elk hunting as well, but never was able to get a shot.

 

[Ozarkansas]

My brother has a 6.5 grendel that's been commandeered by his wife as her whitetail gun. With it's mild velocities even bullets like the 123 SST hold together really well and always seem to pass through. I don't think his gun has ever dropped a deer but blood trails have always been heavy and short. I'm no bear expert but I would have zero qualms taking one hunting for bears so long as shots were less than ~300 and conditions were good for blood trailing.

 

[Jim1187]

I'm spoiled since we have a very long spring and fall bear hunt, no draw, and can get a second tag (at least as a resident) here. Passing on a less than ideal shot is easy for me. We are also allowed to bait so most of our bears are killed close, although I have yet to get a bear over a bait. I like to look for an eating sized (under 300lb) bear for my first tag and don't really find them any tougher to kill than a whitetail, although good blood trails can be harder. Big bears can seem to take more convincing that they are killed.
It wouldn't be my first pick but I wouldn't feel at a distinct disadvantage if someone handed me one said to kill black bear with it.

 

[14idaho]

I'm not familiar with the 6.5 but I think Idaho has .270 minimum.

 

[Ryan Avery]

I'm not familiar with the 6.5 but I think Idaho has .270 minimum.

No, you can shoot a bear with a .223 in Idaho if you want.

We have shot two bears with a 6CM. Pick a good bullet.

 

[14idaho]

Yeh you're right. Our outfitters had a .270 minimum.

 

[BAKPAKR]

I haven’t used a Grendel but I have used a 6.8mm SPC on two bears. Both were one shot kills. One was with a 115 gr Federal Fusion and the other was with a 95 gr Barnes TTSX. Ballistics for the 6.8 are similar to a Grendel at 150 yards or less.

 

[Titan_Bow]

I wouldn't hesitate. While I don't own a 6.5 Grendel, I do have a 6.8SPC, and my son and I have taken a lot of game with that little rifle and it always impresses me how well it performs. I've been using 110gr Nosler Accubonds with good success. 6.8SPC and 6.5GR are basically identical, ballistic ally speaking, with 200 yards and in.

 

[archp625]

What bullet are you shooting?

 

[14idaho]

Not wanting to start a debate regarding the 6.5's. I've owned an outfitting business and guided mainly in Northern Idaho. I've employed dozens of local men and women as guides and wrangler's . I always took interest in the weapons that they brought to camp. They consisted mostly of 30/06, 300 win. Mags and 7 mm. Most clients used these calibers as well. We all know that a 6.5 can kill a bear, but in my professional opinion it's marginal. I've been involved in one way or another with the killing of dozens of bears and it's from this experience I speak. I think we have a moral responsibility to kill our game as quickly and humanly as possible. In Northern Idaho most of the area is thick and brushy. A wounded bear is often a lost bear. They typically don't bleed well and can go a long way even though they are mortally wounded. I've used dogs to find wounded bears and you'd be amazed how far they can go. Most of my fellow outfitters that run bear with dogs are critical about the calibers their clients carry as well. They don't want a mortally wounded bear fighting and killing dogs. I am not biased toward any caliber, but I believe in using a proven caliber that is more than capable of humanly killing the intended animal under all conditions. Just my opinion for whatever it's worth.

 

[crossone]

I would tend to agree except for maybe baiting situations. I know a guy who lives south of CDA who almost exclusively uses a 25-06 on bears and he's killed more big bears than almost anyone i know. I've hunted N Idaho for bears a fair amount and I've seen everything from a 280 Rem to a 338 Win used and they all worked fine. I agree about shooting something bigger if possible but if not, using quality, large for caliber bullets will help smaller calibers. I can' totally testify to bears not bleeding much and N Idaho being thick and bears disappearing. They're good at it.

 

[Dinny]

As mentioned above it's all about shot placement and hunting conditions. I carried mine this year while I was hunting bears with dogs. I didn't get a shot but have no doubt a treed bear would fall when shot in the head with a 120gr Corelokt.

Thanks, Dinny

 

[Goatie]

My 18” 6.5 Grendel (123sst) hits steel so hard at 300 yards I’d be shocked if it couldn’t take a bear humanely at sub 200 yards. However, 14Idaho seems to have some experience and no one wants to wound or not find a hit critter. I’d say if you’ve got bigger use bigger, if not then Grendel. I would not question using mine on bears here in MN as it’s mostly baited and close distances.