Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Alaska Which 6.5mm bullet for bear?

If you were packing a 6.5mm rifle (doesn't matter which one) what 6.5mm bullet would you carry in the chamber/mag if you "might" be attacked by a bear? For inquiring minds, I'm building a 6.5x57 BR (30 deg shoulder) on a long Rem 700 action. A light, daily, carry rifle. I also have the same rifle in 9.3x62 but hey, I'm a rifle looney.

Alan

I'd lean toward the 140 NPT or 140 NAB.

DF

TSX.

Swift Aframe, Nosler Partition,TTSX, etc. All 140 gr weight.

130 TSX. It was the deepest penetrating bullet in my large test.

If you like old school, the old Hornandy 160 round nose

Barnes does not make a 140 TSX and Hornady no longer makes the 160 RN.

Cool! Good to know!

Oh yeah I forgot about Hornandy not making them anymore, I still have a partial box though.

120 TSX recovered from beluga whale head. Around 50 yards



140 Partitions from far side of moose; double shoulder shot shots involving mainly muscle, no major bones. The same animal was also shot with 2 140 A-Frames which didn’t get quite as far and were lodged in the far side shoulder muscles. Around 150 yards



160 Hornady RN. Lengthwise caribou. About 100 yards

All six bullets were fired from the same 6.5x55 Swedish M70

In answer to your question about bullets for the 6.5 caliber, beats me! I’d probably run a heavy TXS as fast as it would go.

Even better, bring the 30-06.

Actually, Hornady still catalogs both the .264 and the .267 versions of their 160 round noses.

I've had very mixed results with the 160 Hornady RN.

Toad, please tell us about your mixed results with the 160 Hornady RN. As an FFL i've got access to a wholesaler who has those in stock.

I've had them fail to exit a whitetail @ less than 150 yards, and on the other hand I've had them break bones and exit moose. all at .264 Win Mag speeds. I doubt I'd use them for big bear myself.

Norma Oryx 156 grain bonded bullet

Vapodog, do you have any 1st hand experience putting game on the ground with the 156 Oryx?

I found a wholesaler (i'm an FFL) who has 20 boxes of the Hornady 160 RN in stock. Might have to try some for accuracy/speed.

Alan

130 TSX or 140 Partition
Your choice

Those would be my choice as well.

My last would be the 160 Hornady. Have seen them break both of a deer's shoulders and exit, and not get all the way to the skin on the far side with a rib shot. And those were fired from a 6.5x54 Mannlicher-Schoenauer at only 2200 fps.

I've been debating on what to use in my 6.5x55 as well. Not being a reloader I'm stuck with what's on the shelf. Right now it's a toss up between 140gr accubonds or Sakos 156 gr deerhead, which I think is a norma oryx. The accubonds shoot well, haven't tried the deerheads yet.