6.5 140 Partition on Griz.

Tyler used the 6.5 on purpose because of all the Creedmoor hate out there. It was frankly the perfect choice of situation to use a smaller cartridge. Close range, lots of time to make that perfect shot, and adequate for a carefully placed shot on an unalarned animal.

You give a bear a chance to get all jacked up on adrenaline and it's a very different situation. I think that often guys are hunting bears with more gun than they really need. A lot of times being over gunned can really have a negative effect on how well they can shoot. I have heard of a lot more bears needing multiple shots with 338-458 than I have with 7mm or 30s. Unless you live here you are forced to have a guide to back you up. If you do live here you don't have the time crunch working against you so you can wait for that perfect opportunity.

The more experience you have with bears the bearanoia wears off. You still need to be aware of your surroundings and situations but it becomes more realistic.
 
I prefer to have a larger cartridge but I'll say this. The follow up shots looked like placed right where they needed to go. And they seemed fast and accurate. How many can do that with their larger bores with their current scopes? I have a Leopold fixed 2.5X on my Marlin 1895 just for these occasions.
 
cajun said:
The 140 partition is a great bullet. But like the old saying goes. Dont bring a knife to a gun fight lol.
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Yeah that saying is fine in general. But it depends on who has the knife and who has the gun? Apparently he brought enough gun lol. Or is the grizzly not dead enough?
 
I've also seen 140 lb deer run away after getting hit with a 6.5 Creed :) it all depends on where you hit the animal and how much energy is left by the time that happens... I agree with everyone's comment, but I also would take something bigger after a large predator :) I'd also have a backup gunner with a 12 ga shotgun with slugs.
 
Varmint Hunter said:
The Innuits killed polar bears for decades with rusty old bolt rifles in .223. There is more than enough proof that the .223 is perfectly adequate for the task. Why would anyone step that up to a ferocious 6.5 Creed?
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Overkill I'm sure ;)
 
I'm not able to be objective on bear rifles anymore as a few weeks ago decided to switch teams to the Bears.

The lack of natural predators causes much of the angst in the western world... so it's time to start cheering for the Bears.
 
xsn10s said:
Yeah that saying is fine in general. But it depends on who has the knife and who has the gun? Apparently he brought enough gun lol. Or is the grizzly not dead enough?
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Years ago buddies dad went on a griz hunt. They were following some fresh tracks when the wind changed. Blowing straight to the griz. Guide said we wait here. Griz circled back and came up behind them. In that situation I would want a little more gun lol. If everything goes great a .243 might be enough gun. But I would plan for the worse if I'm hunting a critter that can kill me.
 
Onlyeverkilleddeer stated -

"I once knew a guy, who said he went to elementary school with a guy, who was one of the only hunters in the world that never exaggerates…he said that his dad worked with a guy, whose 3rd cousin went hunting for Brown bears…which obviously makes me an expert by proxy on all things Brown Bear…he shot a bear, that they knew was stalking them for days as they found a notebook by the bears den, written in the bears handwriting, stating that he was stalking them for days…he shot it in the face with a .700 Brontosaurus at 30 feet, and even though they could see through the bears head to the other side, the bear still was able to attack their guide and drag him away. Although I've never killed a bear myself, I will tell you guys that you should never hunt brown bears without an M1A1 tank. Nothing anyone else says, to include those that have actually killed bears, should be listened to."

🤣🙄🙄🙄😂 Getting another bag of popcorn 🍿 ready…
 
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Where did the 12ga get this magical reputation as a good backup gun? I would take a 6.5CM any day of the week over a shotgun. I blame fishermen. It's always fishermen you see carrying a shotgun. I don't know a single hunting guide that carry's a shotgun. Without exception it's a rifle, usually 338-375 or 45/70. It's my guess that a shotgun "for bears" is really just a security blanket for fishermen.

Several years ago a buddy of mine had a relative come up to moose camp. He brought along a 12ga loaded with foster style slugs and 00 buck. 3 slugs, 2 buckshot loaded in the gun. We had a nuisance young griz that had been in to camp a few times, chased out without incident twice. One morning while this guy was making breakfast it came back in and he unloaded this 12ga on it to minimal effect. We had to track it down and shoot it twice more with a 30/06 and once with a 375. This wasn't by any stretch a big bear, maybe 220-240 pounds. None of the slugs made it in past the shoulders and only a couple buckshot made it thru to the vitals and did very little damage. I doubt the 375 shot was necessary but after we found it still alive we didn't take any chances.

Forward to a few years later another buddy shot a significantly bigger griz across the fire pit with 150gr out of a 7mm rem mag. One and done, complete penetration and a very dead bear.

Shotguns are great for bunnies, burglars, and birds but a poor choice for bears. If you MUST use a shotgun a hard cast slug like a brenneke black magic or one of the sabot slugs in a rifled barrel would be my choice, but a hunting rifle loaded with a good bullet in any reasonable hunting cartridge 6.5, 308, 270, 30/06 on up to your bigger magnums are a much better choice.
 
I think it comes from a combination of big box stores and a highly transient population. Or at least it is up here.

While there are a few budget 375 rifles although a few 338s, but truthfully none are easy or cheap to shoot or own.

Conversely there is a plethora of shotguns and now autoloader 10mm pistols. Comparatively easy to shoot and much cheaper as well. Add to that the high change over of seasonal workers plus a large military and coast guard population rotating through and you have lots of customers. Customers who's main point of advice contact is the tatted up kid behind the counter of sportsmans. Sprikle on a 75 year old rumor of a native woman killing a polar bear with a 22 and next thing you know is thousands of folks wandering around south central and interior alaska with shotguns and pistols.

Truth be told it's fine, reality is bear encounters are rare, wife's logger almost 100 miles on a bike and 3 pretty decent raft floats this week. So far one black bear on the other hill and one Grizzly on the other side of the canyon. Considering it's fish season and berries are out in full force, interactions are not common negative even more so.


Pitched this way, my wife next week off is doing a fly in trip with a group. Fish are in streams and bears are out, so the guy heading up the trip asked if my wife could bring a rifle with her. Question is am I going to bypass the 338, the 375 the 4570 or the 300 wsm in favor of a 6.5 pushing a 140 partition? Nope 4570 with cebs it shall be.

Doesn't diminish the 140 partition, especially if it's all you've got.


Keep in mind for every one person walking around with a shotgun or chest rig 10.... are two dreadlocked patchouli smelling hipsters in the same area armed with a whistle and good vibes...
 

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