Home Forums Hunting & Shooting General Big Game Copper ammo and black bear—30-06 or 6.5 creedmoor?

Yes. Shoot bone/CNS if you want them to drop ASAP.

Great looking bear!

Yes, that was the first of multiple years where she killed a bigger bear than I did. Her and that 270 were a bear killing pair.

Never shot a bear, but have used Barnes X, XBT, XLC and TSX on small game to zebra. The smaller calibers will not make as big of a wound channel as the bigger rounds, and they tell me that bear have a layer of fat/hide/long hair that can soak up exit wound blood. For "big wound channels", its still hard to beat "Old School" round nose softpoints or soft spitzers. Partitons are the best of "both worlds". "if it were me" I would look for some 180gr round nose for the 30-06, barring that a 180/200 Partition. But that's just me...

I’ve had both 150 & 180 grain Barnes break elk & boar bones over 500 yards from 7 Mag & 300 Weatherby so impact velocities similar to a 30-06 under 300 yards - I’m a believer in 180 grain Barnes 2400-2700 FPS on just about anything walking. Large cow at 240 yds last season 10’ of blood on far side with a chunk of heart tissue & a 15 yard slide downhill in the snow. Use the monolithIc 30-06 With no worries.

I would take the 06. A 150 lb bear is no big deal. With a big bear, you might want more. There is no real reason to take the smaller caliber. My son and I have used the .270 Win. and it does fine. I also shot one with a . 270 Win broadside through both lungs . You will have a dead bear , problem is , this bear was jacked up. It came running into the boat pile. After I shot it ran off , and it was a terrible thing to watch is run out of sight in that thick brush. I knew the bear was dead and no harm to me . The problem is they are very hard to track and many times they dont bleed much. If I didn't find the bear that night, it would have been spoiled the next morning for sure, and I almost didn't find it and was almost dark when I did. From then on it was through the front shoulders and anchor him right there. Next bear , I will smash a big bullet , 150 gr. Hornady into the front shoulders . It wont go far at all. A good chance your 65. will work fine but what do you have to gain by using the smaller caliber?

There is a strong argument that once you have a .30/06 you are wasting any money that is not spent on hunting. Some cartridges may come close on paper but a hunter does not operate on theory, he is living his life, his dreams and goals and savoring every second of it. A .30/06 means all concentration is on the game, the opportunity and the moment so the cartridge, any cartridge, is not a distraction some tend to build a hunt around.

Well said John👍

The .30-06 and Black Bear are made for each other, IMO. My bullet choice is the 165 gr. TSX in the '06, not only for bear but for a large variety of game.

Either will work. I would lean to the 30.06

Barnes bullets don’t tend to pencil through anything.

Would he allow a client to hunt with a .260 Remington or a 6.5x55?

We always hunted bears here in September over bait and in our experience black bears are not that hard to kill, but they are hard to find after you shoot them. They live in close proximity to dark over grown vegetation and wet swamps and ours have come out at last light. In September they are putting on fat for the winter and growing out their coats that soaks up blood like a sponge. Bears have soft feet and don’t leave scuff marks like a deer where they run. Your experience with mono copper bullets not doing a lot of damage on deer mirrors my own and for that reason I would not use them on a black bear. Maybe a TTSX, but the TSX left such a lousy impression with me, I’m done with Barnes entirely. A heavy 180 cup and core bullet to assure complete penetration for a larger exit wound would be my choice. Probably a Hornady Interlock, Nosler Accubond or a round nose Remington Core-Lokt. You are not going to have an ideal shot angle on a called in bear and hitting only one lung might lose your bear. In that case, I would try to break a front shoulder. Bears are bigger boned and heavier muscled than a deer. Use the ‘06.

Take your tried and true and never believe the advertised velocity on a cartridge box.

I’m guessing you aren’t very informed on 6.5’s. Hunting round way before a target round. Started as a military round. Been around longer than the 30-06 too. Lots of animals, including moose, have died for years from the swede.

My 260 with a 140 Berger ain’t a slouch I assure you. I would have no qualms using it for pretty much everything North America has to offer.

Don’t get me wrong. I love the 30-06, and will never be without one. A 6.5 is very capable though. Creedmoor and 260 are very much ballistically the same. So I would use one no problem

Apart from the question mark, I don’t even understand how this is a question...

The guide friend is simply being silly. While I'm not the typical fanboy of the 6.5 Creedmoor, I do own one and use it often. It performs every bit as good as my rifles in 6.5x55 and 7mm08 for medium big game. It isn't as capable as the 30-06 for larger game, but for the game animals discussed in this thread it is more than capable, and every bit as good. Perhaps better.

Same here.


As many have said, either choice would work.

I wouldnt think twice about shooting a black bear with a .223 and a good mono...

here in Minnesota most bears are shot over baits so shots are close ,less than 100 yards .for that reason the 30-06 is the better cartridge with the most power and good enough accuracy. don`t forget the 30-06 is been around for so many years ammo is easy to buy,find,borrow any place in the world too ! as far as copper ammo i will be using 180 gr. Nosler partitions in my 30-06 and that`s lead !

Six black bears this spring by Riley and friends... .243, 25-06, 7SAUM, 30-06, and 300WM (x2) and all using TTSX all but one died in their tracks. the lone runner lost his entire heart and made a circular run while painting everything under him. That was the 7SAUM and the shot was essentially perfect, just took too much heart out and turned the suction side of the pump off.