Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters bear gun?

Out of curiosity...

I have a 6.5 Creedmoor right now as my "big" gun. I know the energy figures look pretty good but I can't help but wonder if I get the chance to go after bear or go where they are...is this enough? There is a big difference between would I shoot a bear at 200 yards in a hunting situation and one running right at me from 50 yards and I have to stop it.

Energy figures are nice but a bigger hole always seems better...?

You Guys Want To Shed Some Light Here For me?

We're talking black bear? You are well equipped. Pick a great bullet and go kill one.

A black bear charging from 50 yards? That is not a non-existent situation, but essentially will never happen.

Brown bear

The thought was, if a 3006 with a partition has been said to be enough gun, would my equal energy load be equal and also enough

If I was going to hunt brown bear,it would be with a .375 H&H.

Not going to intentionally hunt them, mostly just curious about your opinions on the energy vs the diameter and usefulness in real life experience

I'm not one of the writers, but I'll throw my two cents out there. First, which type of bear? Black, mountain Grizzly, Kodiak, Polar, ...?

If its Black bear - use it and be happy. Shot placement - regardless of caliber - trumps energy alone. Example, a .375 H&H in the guts is less likely to kill Blackie as quickly as a 6.5 in the boiler room (heart / lungs).

If its Grizzly, Kodiak or Polar bear - personally I believe the question is not, "can a 6.5 Creedmore kill one of these tenacious bruins", because it can.

You mentioned "one running right at me from 50 yards and I have to stop it." To me the question is, why would I want to use a 6.5 Creedmore to hunt one of the large, bad tempered bruins? Indeed, what if you have to try to stop one at 30 feet with a 140 grain bullet? Or worse, having to crawl on hands and knees through an alder thicket after a wounded Brownie? For me, I would be wishing for a .375 H&H or .416 Rigby in those close quarters. Anything else would seem too small to give me comfort.

There is a vast difference between killing a bear and stopping a charging bear. If the situation calls for stopping it right now - for me the conversation starts at .338 win mag 250 grain bullets, and goes up from there. There is a very old thread somewhere in search history posted by JJHACK, spelling out what is a stopping rifle. I suggest reading it. At least I found it informative.

I guess I gave more than two cents, but who's counting?

gundog

So you carry a stopping rifle or a hunting rifle?


I am mostly interested in learning how bc and energy converts to reality. An arrow has almost zero energy compared to a 338 but it works just fine to kill stuff, for example.

Used bear as an extreme example.

Phil shot a bear with a 9mm. Some can't kill one with a 338. So obviously placement trumps all. We knew that.

But numbers on paper apparently don't mean a lot in the woods.

If the rifle will take the 156 and 160 grain round nose bullets you would be in the same class or better as the 6.5X54 Mann/Scho.

The "256 Mannlicher" was known 100 years ago for it's exceptional penetration with those kind of bullets.
So yes you would have the capability of making kills on big bears.

But you better shoot well. Big bears die as easily as anything, if you break their spines or brain them, and the 160 gr bullets will go deep enough to kill with lung shots.

But if you were facing a mean bear, where the bear was the hunter and you were responding, you'd better keep cool and shoot REAL well.

So if it all has to be perfect then it sounds like an 06 and 180 partition is better

If Brown Bear is on the menu, take a real gun, or stay home.

.338 Win Mag, or .375 H&H.

Anything is beter than nothing. However, ^^^^ I like this. ^^^^^

So it sounds like to get a decent step up from 6.5mm I need a lot bigger gun. And a lot bigger gun isn't a 270 or 06.

mjbgalt,

Phil Shoemaker commented here that he'd be happy to guide any brown hunter who brings a .270 Winchester they're used to with good bullets--partly because he has, and they've done well. A 6.5 Creedmoor wouldn't be very different with good bullets. It would be interesting to hear what Phil has to say on this question.

That crossed my mind too john. Hope he pokes his head in for a minute

mjbgalt,

I carry a hunting rifle, typically .243, .270, 7mm-08 or 30-06. I have never pursued a coastal brown bear, so do not feel the need for a stopping rifle.

If I ever get the opportunity to hunt a grizzly on the tundra, I would feel comfortable with my .270 or 30-06.

gundog

My take, brown bear hunts are expensive and a lot of trouble.

I have an assortment of rifles that would kill a brown bear, but I'd have to take my .375 H&H, just 'cause. It's accurate and I can shoot it. What's not to like...

In fact, I was shooting it off a bench this evening. I'd practice a bunch off hand before going on a hunt.

A good bud, on his way in a couple months to Africa for Cape Buff, spends time shooting his .416 Rigby off hand, can put most bullets in a 6" target at a hundred. Those that miss the black are pretty darn close.

Black bear, another story.

DF

There's a bit of theory and what if involved in my question. I always wonder how and why on things and this grabbed my attention while watching a TV show on alaska

mjbgalt-

Possibly I'm misinterpreting this sentence, but it seems you have a 6.5 Creedmoor load that produces energy equal to the 30-06?

Using a 30-06, Nosler's on-line reloading data shows that a 200-grain Partition bullet can be safely loaded to a velocity of 2688 fps.

What is the bullet weight and muzzle velocity of your equal energy load for your Creedmoor?

Thanks.
--Bob

Not looking at that weight. Was comparing as close as I could get it, 150 partition to 140 partition. But yes I know you can go heavier in the 06 of course.

Still, guys are talking 375s needed so?