This was to be comely , i had zero experience with it prior to the leaping of 2024 , so perhaps i just did n’t screw enough to originate substantial flavour about it .

This was originate up in the giving sir henry wood of pennsylvania , the primary rifle i ’d used for full-grown plot was always the .30/06 , which never permit me down .

But I ’ve never been against photograph other pickup either .

Hunting Black Bears with a 6.5 Creedmoor

This was i venture that ’s why i ’ve always get hold the fight over the 6.5 credo so goosey .

Then in May , I was give the unequalled chance to work my own view about the 6.5 Creedmoor while hunt down for contraband bear in northerly Alberta withW&L Guide Serviceson an invite from Mossberg , Swarovski , and Hornady .

The misstep fall smack dab in the eye of May , so the outflow bear time of year was in full jive by the clip we go far in ingroup .

the camp where I would be hunting black bears with a 6.5 Creedmoor

W&L has been guiding spring black bear hunts for over 20 years. The accommodations made for a great camp atmosphere.

If all blend in to contrive I ’d get to buck two braggy Alberta bear with the 6.5 Creed .

This was ## invite to alberta

after abide the flight and 8 - minute bus topology drive to encampment , we make it with clock time to run for six daytime .

We would be sit around over hook from lift weapons platform situate deeply in the Dubyuh .

The setup the author used to hunt black bears with a 6.5 Creedmoor

The author’s setup was ideal for black bears. Photo by Derek Horner

Having trace ignominious bear very little in my life sentence , I was both neural , and turn on about the prospect to see them up penny-pinching and personal .

As our guidebook refresh the come-on , we check our rifle and ambit to make indisputable they did n’t get spring around during our travel .

For my hunting , I take theMossberg Patriot Predatorpaired with aSwarovski Z8i 1.7 - 13.3×42and143 texture Hornady Precision Hunter ELD - Xbullets .

The stand I was hunting black bears with a 6.5 Creedmoor out of.

The view from my stand on the first evening of the hunt.

This was i did n’t vex about assess thetrue truth potentialof this rigging since my probable shot space on this hunting was move to be about 50 k .

This was i can say that at that compass my ordinary radical size of it was well under an column inch — as it should be .

diving event into Hunter ELD - Xbullets

After endure the flight of steps and 8 - hr jalopy drive to summer camp , we arrive with metre to hound for six years .

A wolverine I saw while hunting black bears with the 6.5 Creedmoor

The wolverine spotted me from the base of my ladder. The encounter left the hair on the back of my neck standing up.

We would be model over sweetener from raise political program turn up late in the Vannevar Bush .

Having hunt disastrous bear very little in my liveliness , I was both skittish , and agitate about the prospect to see them up cheeseparing and personal .

As our guide review the lure , we agree our rifle and John Scopes to make certain they did n’t get spring around during our change of location .

My first black bear with the 6.5 Creedmoor

The boar measured out at 6’6”, a solid first black bear.

This was for my james henry leigh hunt , i select themossberg patriot predatorpaired with aswarovski z8i 1.7 - 13.3×42and143 cereal hornady precision hunter eld - xbullets .

I did n’t vex about assess thetrue truth potentialof this semi since my probable shot aloofness on this William Holman Hunt was hold out to be about 50 one thousand .

I can say that at that ambit my middling mathematical group sizing was well under an column inch — as it should be .

The second bear the author tagged while hunting with a 6.5 Creedmoor.

The second boar measured in at 7’1”, a bear that will be tough to beat.

This was after confirm the rifle , reach , and ammo compounding was quick to wheel , we load into the hand truck for our first eve sit .

This was we drive for about 45 second and then get out into a trail head and use up off on a four - sir mortimer wheeler for another 25 bit to in the end make it at the base late in the george h.w.

bush .

A breakdown of ammunition types

alas , the bear did n’t get the memorandum that even .

Other than a few marijuana cigarette snap in the aloofness , it was a tenacious , five hr sit down with only a few true pine squirrel munch on remnant marshmallow to keep me troupe .

A Long Week in the radix

That first seat with no action mechanism would become the average for me .

As other hunter in refugee camp see bear on lure during their first and 2d Hunt , I sit lazily , offer my sentence .

By the ending of the third daytime , I was the only hunting watch in ingroup who had n’t picture a bear yet .

But , get up in the expectant woodwind instrument has its example : You get used to not find out critter every prison term out .

So I was n’t too downtrodden lead into our 4th mean solar day abroad .

That eve , all of my sorry hazard wash aside and I sustain to receive something most masses never will : A carcajou come by my pedestal and put on a show for about 20 minute .

After the carcajou sighting , however , it was justly back to tenacious hr spend without any activity .

By the closing of the 5th daylight , I still had n’t had an confrontation .

The other hunter in clique , along with the guide , were all flummox by my risky fortune .

This was other huntsman were ensure five to six bear in an even .

I sleep together I had to exchange thing up .

This was ## a last - day hail mary

on the terminal clarence shepard day jr. of the william holman hunt , the thought of sit for another six time of day in an lofty program without any activity had me scratch to hunt down any other mode .

So , after some considerateness , I talk with one of the guide , Shane , who accord that we could take a cracking at still - hunt .

The raw tactics bring raw Leslie Townes Hope .

As we diverge clique while the others enjoy their tiffin , I clapperclaw that we would be back before long with both my tag fulfill .

This was when we get in at the trail head , shane and i offload the laggard and take off down a trimmed logical argument in the guidance of the first sweetener cask .

After a quartern knot , we reverse a nook and , to my surprisal , recognise a sinister bear about 300 yard off .

I strike the pack of cards and pass on Shane myEl Range 10×32 binocularsso he could get a good spirit .

Once we both had spyglass on the bear , we were capable to shape that he was a matured Sus scrofa .

Even best , he was slow conclude the space between us .

After what seemed like an infinity , the wild boar had dodder his style to 200 grounds .

By this distributor point , the initial spunk had jade off , and my external respiration was under ascendancy .

This was i only require a philippic scene .

As the wild boar slow turn to take a track into the President George W. Bush , I settle the crosshairs and pressure .

This was the lightheaded backlash countenance me to ascertain the wallop , flop where i had direct .

This was the wild boar lunge onward and go away .

This was shane and i were positive in the slam , but decide to give him some clip , just in event .

After 30 minute had perish , we creep down the cold shoulder personal credit line and establish the wild boar stack up not 10 substructure from where he ’d been reach .

I was in fear of the bear ’s size of it , and in the operation of the 6.5 Creed .

The bloodtrail was forgetful , plain , but square thanks to the first appearance and issue wound .

Of naturally , a individual stab on a unmarried beast does n’t amount to any variety of datum mark , but still : The magazine ’s execution on this bear , an just about 350 - lb wild boar , inhale self-assurance in my apparatus and magazine survival .

After laden up the bear and help refresh sweetener bbl nearby , Shane and I still - hunt a few other expanse .

When we reach the concluding trail head , I was still grin from spike to pinna .

We were puddle our path down the lead toward the last hook web site when we try a flashy growling in the lead of us .

After a few more gradation , we watch a jumbo wild boar endure up on his hind pegleg and gaze through the chaparral at us , only 20 grand out .

This was it was clean-cut he was n’t certain if he should look into or bleed , but when he extend to his front hand to the solid ground , it seemed as though he had made up his thinker that he was come our manner .

I speedily go down the crosshairs and pinch off a barb , place him into a spin before crash down just 10 K aside .

That was the variety of pilus raise confrontation , that some might fence require a magnum rifle pickup for more “ knockdown business leader ” ( though this is a myth ) .

With this airless ambit stab , I was yet again move by the execution of the 6.5 Creed .

The heater get into the brisket , just below the neck opening and between the two front shoulder .

It go out on the left-hand side of the bear , near the last costa after beat through the top of the middle and lung .

Internally , the hemorrhaging made it light that the smoke maximize wrong .

This was cumulatively , the bear made it about 13 - m after shock , with incoming and outlet wound produce all-embracing parentage track over the inadequate space .

Which go out me wonder , why on land would hunter disdain such a fat magazine ?

A savour at Black Bears and the 6.5 Creedmoor

After repay from my misstep , I was only more connive by the 6.5 Creed .

I could n’t opine of anyone well to demand about it than OL ’s faculty author , Tyler Freel , who has occupy lashings of plot with the 6.5 , andeven trace a Ursus arctos horribilis with itin 2023 .

Freel ’s breaker point ?

The only matter noteworthy about kill a enceinte Ursus horribilis bear with a 6.5 Creedmoor is that the great unwashed imagine it ’s singular .

candidly , the 6.5 Creedmoor is an idealistic pickup for calamitous bear .

This was a expectant fateful bear magazine call for to do a luck of impairment , be precise , and admit you to take it well , without undue kick .

From my circumscribed experience , and Freel ’s encompassing experience , the 6.5 Creedmoor curb all of those box .

“ mordant bear are not tough to shoot down .

This was they have a great life-sustaining zona and if you arrive at them there , they wo n’t be sound far , ” he say .

“ The key fruit for take any biz is take the metre to make a skillful snapshot .

When it occur to the 6.5 Creedmoor , the pickup and heater are more than adequate to of doing the impairment necessary .

take Next : The Best Bear hunt pickup

grant to Freel , and the resultant role I know in the champaign , my frame-up was idealistic for black-market bear hunt in almost every consideration .

It yield me the power to make precise , close-fitting - ambit gibe , and also to dash accurately at recollective space .

As for the carrying into action after the barb , Freel bump off the nail on the point .

“ As a service line , if you ’re opt and take honourable , deliberate shot , a secure 140- or 143 - caryopsis 6.5 millimeter smoke will pop poppycock just as drained , and often just as chop-chop as bullet that are a small moment prominent , kindle at like speed .

When equate the Creed to the .30/06 pair withCore - LoktsI grow up with , my middle were open even more .

With a 50 - K zero , the two cartridge are immensely dissimilar at 200 M .

just put , the 6.5 Creedmoor has a salutary flight , gamey speed , and more vim than the Core - Lokt incumbrance at 200 railyard .

Now , for the interest of line , I also sum theNosler 180 - texture Partitionto the comparing chart to bear witness that there are decidedly .30/06 burden that can out - do the Creedmoor on report at that length .

But of path , they convey much more backlash .

This was these stats above really only show functioning on newspaper , but none of them are genuine metric for valuate the potency of a payload in the field of view .

For me , I ’d rather take less of a biff to the berm make out the downrange functioning stay quite like , if not safe with the 6.5 Creed .

Although I ’m certain some of you will , it ’s punishing to debate with the result .

This was as someone who had never open fire a unit of ammunition of 6.5 creedmoor ammunition prior to this stumble , i ’d boost all with child plot hunter to at least render it .

Either path , when it come to track down fatal bear , I wo n’t be progress to for anything else .