Good morning;
I can't address this question directly as I've never shot a grizzly with anything... In fact, I've never seen a real live one as we don't have them in Ontario, Quebec or The Maritime Provinces.
But a family friend was travelling in Western Canada with my wife to visit our youngest son in Saskatchewan and her daughter in Alberta several years ago. They spent some time in the Jasper area and, while travelling, saw and videoed numerous black bears, and one beautiful silvertip grizzly. The grizz appeared to be female and was digging out roots from the side of a hill, then sitting in the cavity she dug while eating her lunch. This went on for nearly 1/2 hour. She then ambled off, taking her good-ole-time. I still have that vid.
The point? She appeared to be about 300 - 350 lbs, and our friend got too close (in my wife's view)but the bear was apparently easygoing about the whole deal. But, if the bear had decided our friend was getting too close, she could have been on her in a flash! (I've seen first hand how quick a black bear can be when it decides to move!)In such a scenario, for a hunter, I'd want much more than a 6.5X55!
I have perhaps more experience with blacks than the average hunter because I hunt them every year. This past season (September - October)we had a large black bear attending our baits from all signs. We heard him on one occasion. But a day after our hunt was over I received a phone call from the man who set up this hunt for us on private property. He told me the large black bear that had been seen in the area by a number of folk (and was hitting two of our baits) had just driven one of the horses on the property into the bog and had killed it.
I can't obviously speak for the West, or other hunters/guides, but I for one will never go after such a bear (mentioned in our hunt)with anything less than a 300 magnum! In my case, because I was guiding a young hunter, I carried a Marlin .45-70 with 405s at 2100 fps.
I have some experience with 6.5s also, and while I believe they will work adequately in open areas, I'd NEVER carry one for bear in the close quarters we have to contend with here in central Ontario. I've also witnessed a close friend use his .270 on a couple of bear, a 200 pounder and a 400. The 400 lb died within 30 yards of where it was shot. BUT, because it bawled 11 times (recorded on video)I was able to locate it on the edge of dark while the shooter went off to find his flashlight. The bear plunged headlong into the thickest tangle possible, and had it been any darker it would not have been found until morning as there wasn't ONE DROP of BLOOD on the ground ANYWHERE! The bullet was a 150 Nosler Partition that made a pass-through but the wound exit closed shut as soon as the bullet exited! So much for pass-throughs with a small caliber on a bear that has 4" of fat plus thick hide and long matted hair!!
On bear, I want a BIG HOLE going in, and if it never exits, it will STILL leave a massive blood trail! THAT's from experience!
Good luck on your hunt, but go get yourself at least a .30-cal.
We've heard of the plentiful successes using 6.5's, but I wonder about the failures.
Bob
www.bigbores.ca
