What cartridge for Alaska and western big game?

[Maverick1]

Heavy bullets break heavy skulls. Charging bears moron. Tell me youKnow nothing.

Appears you replied to your own post and then called yourself a moron. Is that correct?

 

[svivian]

Appears you replied to your own post and then called yourself a moron. Is that correct?

Its Roal Reapers Alaskan Cousin

 

[Yukon Cornelius]

Well, he wasn't "charging" so maybe I just got lucky, like the moose, and the other bears, and.... I should probably change my screen name to "Lucky"....

Post in thread '.223 for bear, mountain goat, deer, elk, and moose.' https://rokslide.com/forums/threads...n-goat-deer-elk-and-moose.130488/post-3656117

I believe in shot placement and honestly I was getting ready to post a question about the charging bear situation. I hunt with a 6.5cm or my 458 socom. My youngest is set up on a 556/223 ranch American. We are getting ready to move to unit 17 with coastal browns.

I’d have no problem shooting a bear with any of my guns. You pick your shot. You take it when it’s going to be effective. And I know in a charge, bigger could be nicer but I’d have no problem dropping a mag on a bear, but I’ve also seen bears not go down until hit numerous times with 338wm.

I think a rifle ballistic standards are more than the average 10mm/44mag out of a handgun (been awhile since I’ve looked it up).

Thanks for sharing your bear pics. I think in a true charging situation any gun is better than bear spray.

 

[LongWayAround]

Appears you replied to your own post and then called yourself a moron. Is that correct?

"Suck it"

 

[Thegman]

I believe in shot placement and honestly I was getting ready to post a question about the charging bear situation. I hunt with a 6.5cm or my 458 socom. My youngest is set up on a 556/223 ranch American. We are getting ready to move to unit 17 with coastal browns.

I’d have no problem shooting a bear with any of my guns. You pick your shot. You take it when it’s going to be effective. And I know in a charge, bigger could be nicer but I’d have no problem dropping a mag on a bear, but I’ve also seen bears not go down until hit numerous times with 338wm.

I think a rifle ballistic standards are more than the average 10mm/44mag out of a handgun (been awhile since I’ve looked it up).

Agreed. I think we probably make more of "charging bears" than we need to (not that it should be ignored either). When handguns are successful the large majority of times, it's hard to imagine that centerfire rifles wouldn't be as well. Your 458 Socom would make most handguns look puny and I bet you can shoot it a lot better, as well.

Thanks for sharing your bear pics. I think in a true charging situation any gun is better than bear spray.

100% As I say, "spray is gay"...

 

[BigNate]

So where did Orangutan go? I thought he'd regale us with details of his vast experience stopping charging angry bears.

 

[Bowfinn]

.

 

[Ryan Avery]

6UM

 

[AB3006]

To the OP: how about this "Yay! An excuse to buy another gun!"

Realistically, in my limited experience, I think that your 6.5CM with the right bullet is fine. I have a 6.5 Swede, that has just a tad more oomph, but it's essentially the same animal. I load it with 130gr Sierra Gamechangers over Hunter and I wouldn't hesitate to take it out for anything short of a brown bear.

OTOH, I also have a 30-06 (165gr Nosler BTs over Hunter) and a 9.4x62 (285gr PPU SP over Varget, but haven't hunted with it yet). However I simply adore old Husqvarna rifles, so much so, I think I may be addicted.

 

[Formidilosus]

Oh those scary bears… truly terrifying…. Give or take.






30’ish yards

 

[TheM1DoesMyTalking]

I don't hand load. I don't put together custom rifles. And I am very adverse to recoil. So I am not even considering the 7PRC, or 300 Win Mag, or anything that kicks similarly hard. I cannot shoot those effectively.

Why are guys recommending long action and magnum chamberings when the OP has stated the above?

@Merril, you already have "enough gun." Your suppressed 6.5CM Tikka is ideal for everything you are wanting to hunt. See the 6.5 for deer/elk/bear/etc thread for examples.

What factory ammo are you planning to use?
What scope and rings do you have on it right now?
What stock are you using? If OEM, have you added the vertical grip? Have you considered modifying the stock to have a negative comb? Have you installed a limbsaver pad?

Optimize what you have and invest the rest in ammo (ELD-M/ELD-X) and practice.

 

[Merril]

Why are guys recommending long action and magnum chamberings when the OP has stated the above?

@Merril, you already have "enough gun." Your suppressed 6.5CM Tikka is ideal for everything you are wanting to hunt. See the 6.5 for deer/elk/bear/etc thread for examples.

What factory ammo are you planning to use?
What scope and rings do you have on it right now?
What stock are you using? If OEM, have you added the vertical grip? Have you considered modifying the stock to have a negative comb? Have you installed a limbsaver pad?

Optimize what you have and invest the rest in ammo (ELD-M/ELD-X) and practice.

Thanks for the advice.

I'm planning to use 125gr copper impact. It's a monolithic solid bullet.
I have some vortex rings and an Athlon Midas Tac 4-16 scope. It's great for sitting in saddles or tree stands but I hope to find a lighter scope since I will be carrying it around more.
The stock is OEM with the standard grip. I'll pick up the vertical grip. I'm not sure how to modify the stock for a negative comb but I did install a limbsaver pad.

 

[akmerle]

If you arent wanting more than your 6.5CM, then your real best bet is just to get a 6.5PRC.

6.8 Western is a good round, but if ammo availability / options is a factor, then it lacks greatly.

Your existing 6.5CM is an arguably overall better round to the 308 and 7-08 rounds IMHO when all factors are considered (ballistics, recoil, cost, availability, and bullet options).

But really, I dont think any animal you are shooting is going to know the 200-250fps (8-9% difference) muzzle velocity difference between the 6.5CM vs 6.5PRC, especially when that 8-9% difference is down to about 150fps by 500yds.

Or since you are running an 8" can, you could run a 16-18" 308, have a much more manageable overall field length, and still have similar performance to a 22-24" 6.5CM (within 500 yds).

 

[AB3006]

Thanks for the advice.

I'm planning to use 125gr copper impact. It's a monolithic solid bullet.
I have some vortex rings and an Athlon Midas Tac 4-16 scope. It's great for sitting in saddles or tree stands but I hope to find a lighter scope since I will be carrying it around more.
The stock is OEM with the standard grip. I'll pick up the vertical grip. I'm not sure how to modify the stock for a negative comb but I did install a limbsaver pad.

With the limbsaver, the Creed's recoil will be like a gentle kiss

I find that something in the 2-10 range is just about right for me (my rifles have Burris Fullfield 2.5-10x42 scopes on). I generally don't zoom in over 7x anyways, and I find 4-6 to be a good compromise of FoV and Zoom. If you are planning to do some longer shots on paper, gongs... or critters then yeah, the higher zooms are needed. I shoot paper and steel out to 500, but generally wouldn't trust myself to shoot a critter beyond 200 and change, so I don't need the superglass.

 

[8mille]

I am looking for a cartridge to hunt big game out west and in Alaska. The largest game I hunt now are whitetail deer. I use a suppressed Tikka T3x in 6.5CM at ranges of 70-300 yards.

I am moving out west and want to go after elk, black bear, pronghorn, mountain goat, and other things. Later I plan to go to Alaska to hunt caribou and moose. I still don't expect to take shots at more than 500 yards. The 6.5CM should be enough for pronghorn but I think I need a more powerful cartridge for the rest.

I don't hand load. I don't put together custom rifles. And I am very adverse to recoil. So I am not even considering the 7PRC, or 300 Win Mag, or anything that kicks similarly hard. I cannot shoot those effectively. I am currently looking at the 6.8 Western, 7mm-08, or the 308. Which of those would be best for an off the shelf mountain rifle and ammunition? Whatever I go with will have my 8" suppressor on it. Are there other cartridges I should consider?

I would say 338wm (or .375 even) ; but you don’t like recoil. 30-06 very practical; especially that you have 6.5. Everything you mentioned that you’re considering is in the same category. That’s why many here say just keep the 6.5. You might actually be better off with a .223 to pair your 6.5.
12gauge shotgun. Of course the 7rem
you mentioned would work.

 

[TheM1DoesMyTalking]

Thanks for the advice.

I'm planning to use 125gr copper impact. It's a monolithic solid bullet.
I have some vortex rings and an Athlon Midas Tac 4-16 scope. It's great for sitting in saddles or tree stands but I hope to find a lighter scope since I will be carrying it around more.
The stock is OEM with the standard grip. I'll pick up the vertical grip. I'm not sure how to modify the stock for a negative comb but I did install a limbsaver pad.

I'd recommend reading through this thread and see what bullets stand out to you as having the wound channels and terminal effectiveness that you are looking for:

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

Dec 17, 2021

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 not nearly as many as I should have, from a couple deer. I'll try to briefly describe the ones I don't have pics of.

If you have experiences, good or bad, post them up. Of course, pics are great, and add a lot of valuable information. Maybe it will take off, maybe it won't, but if it does it...

• woods89
• Replies: 1,620
• Forum: Firearms

• 

Also check out this sub forum for test results and reviews on optics and rings that maintain zero: https://rokslide.com/forums/forums/rifle-scope-field-evaluations.133/


The SWFA 3-9X will save you about 4 oz of weight compared to your Athlon and be more reliable as well: https://swfa.com/collections/swfa-s...d-mil-quad-reticle-30mm-tube-1-mil-clicks-ffp

You mentioned shooting out to 500 yards, don't worry about 9x being enough magnification. I shot sub-moa groups at 500 with it this week.

 

[medvedyt]

maybe a little geographical different as from the yukon but i have 308 win, 30-06 and one 9.3x62 coming soon all in tikka t3x ... the 9.3x62 is more for bison hunting and moose as i liked that caliber. sold other 375 and 9.3s to get what works for me. 30-06 or 308 is very common here as well as 300wsm/300 win mag for single rifle owners ... as 30-06 is the mini caliber accpted for bison hunting but i did find factory ammo in 308 win that meets our minimun ...

 

[nm.otter]

I have some vortex rings and an Athlon Midas Tac 4-16 scope. It's great for sitting in saddles or tree stands but I hope to find a lighter scope since I will be carrying it around more.
The stock is OEM with the standard grip. I'll pick up the vertical grip. I'm not sure how to modify the stock for a negative comb but I did install a limbsaver pad.

I suspect you have either a 22" or 24" factory barrel. If so, I'd have it cut to 18-19-20 inches and threaded. Then I'd screw one of those new Unknown Suppressors OG cans on the end and go have fun.

 

[Hnthrdr]

Thanks for the advice.

I'm planning to use 125gr copper impact. It's a monolithic solid bullet.
I have some vortex rings and an Athlon Midas Tac 4-16 scope. It's great for sitting in saddles or tree stands but I hope to find a lighter scope since I will be carrying it around more.
The stock is OEM with the standard grip. I'll pick up the vertical grip. I'm not sure how to modify the stock for a negative comb but I did install a limbsaver pad.

There is a whole portion of this site dedicated to scope evaluations, I would read up. Common themes is trijicon, Swfa, one maven scope, and night force scopes are solid. There are a few others that make the cut. Their commonality is that most of them weigh around 20 oz… light scopes tend to not be durable scopes.

 

[Colby]

Thanks for the advice.

I'm planning to use 125gr copper impact. It's a monolithic solid bullet.
I have some vortex rings and an Athlon Midas Tac 4-16 scope. It's great for sitting in saddles or tree stands but I hope to find a lighter scope since I will be carrying it around more.
The stock is OEM with the standard grip. I'll pick up the vertical grip. I'm not sure how to modify the stock for a negative comb but I did install a limbsaver pad.

I would keep that rifle, switch to a better projectile (like eld-m) toss the scope and rings and snag a swfa and some um rings and call it good. If you want another rifle get a twin in .223.