6.5 140 Partition on Griz.
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cueva
Member
Dang impressive! Congrats!!
hesse
Well-Known Member
There is a reason why you have to use 375 in Africa for dangerous game . That is what I would probably want in big bear country
FireFlyFishing
Well-Known Member
Interesting thread. Glad it was revived.
I think the author of the article wisely picked the partition for this chip on his shoulder creedmoor piece. He probably hit that bear with a fair bit of velocity from a known kick butt bullet. I'm not surprised with the result honestly.
With all that being said, he still has not convinced me the CM is all that.
I think the author of the article wisely picked the partition for this chip on his shoulder creedmoor piece. He probably hit that bear with a fair bit of velocity from a known kick butt bullet. I'm not surprised with the result honestly.
With all that being said, he still has not convinced me the CM is all that.
Varmint Hunter
Well-Known Member
Maybe the reason is that they have very little experience with the 6.5 Creed. Here in the US, it's legendary.
woodsman1991
Active Member
I seem to recall a story of a famous old hunter in Alaska who used 220 Swift as his favorite cartridge and ran into a grizzly with it. He had a heck of a time but managed to put the grizzly down. I'm in the camp of just because you can, doesn't mean you should. The 6.5 CM is certainly capable of killing a grizzly. The cost if you make a mistake is potentially your life, everyone can run their own calculations to see if the risk/reward of using a 6.5 CM makes sense to them. Personally I'd want a little bit more velocity and mass headed downrange to put the odds more in my favor...
Sectional density (SD) of 140gr 6.5mm Nosler Partition is 0.287
Sectional density of 180gr .308 cal Nosler Partition is 0.271
Considering the velocities of each, the 6.5 Creedmoor 140gr Partition will likely match or exceed the penetration of the "theoretical" .30-06 Springfield w/180gr bullet the author mentioned in his story, a round he felt many would consider a better/more socially acceptable choice than the 6.5 CM he was using.
He has a point. The 6.5 isn't giving up anything in penetration to the grand old .30-06 cartridge. It is giving up diameter & kinetic energy, though. From a tree stand on a bear bait, the 6.5 CM is a plausible choice (not anyone's first choice) and the author concedes that fact. But the point was, penetration & shot placement are the keys in any hunting situation and he had those covered.
The article made me think about how wrapped up in CARTRIDGE choice we get when bullet choice, sectional density, and ease of shooting accurately are the more significant factors to consider. A guy or gal shooting a 160 grain bullet out of a .338 Win Mag in a rifle that kicks like a mule & makes the shooter flinch would probably be a worse choice than a 6.5 Creedmoor shooting a deep penetrating, soft kicking 140 gr Nosler Partition bullet. The key factors being shot placement & penetration. Expansion helps enlarge the wound channel so that has a roll to play, too. 6.5 CM met those criteria without being ridiculously underpowered.
I wouldn't pick the 6.5 Creedmoor for a grizzly or brown bear hunt, but considering the author's living location (Fairbanks, Alaska) & hunting situation (hunts from tree stand, over bait) and occupation (journalist for hunting magazine) his use of the 6.5CM to show it can be done & isn't an outlandish choice, as many might assume at first glance, makes a lot of sense. Gets clicks, sells magazines, generates conversation, and makes millions of 6.5mm Creedmoor owners pleased as punch. Mission accomplished!
Sectional density of 180gr .308 cal Nosler Partition is 0.271
Considering the velocities of each, the 6.5 Creedmoor 140gr Partition will likely match or exceed the penetration of the "theoretical" .30-06 Springfield w/180gr bullet the author mentioned in his story, a round he felt many would consider a better/more socially acceptable choice than the 6.5 CM he was using.
He has a point. The 6.5 isn't giving up anything in penetration to the grand old .30-06 cartridge. It is giving up diameter & kinetic energy, though. From a tree stand on a bear bait, the 6.5 CM is a plausible choice (not anyone's first choice) and the author concedes that fact. But the point was, penetration & shot placement are the keys in any hunting situation and he had those covered.
The article made me think about how wrapped up in CARTRIDGE choice we get when bullet choice, sectional density, and ease of shooting accurately are the more significant factors to consider. A guy or gal shooting a 160 grain bullet out of a .338 Win Mag in a rifle that kicks like a mule & makes the shooter flinch would probably be a worse choice than a 6.5 Creedmoor shooting a deep penetrating, soft kicking 140 gr Nosler Partition bullet. The key factors being shot placement & penetration. Expansion helps enlarge the wound channel so that has a roll to play, too. 6.5 CM met those criteria without being ridiculously underpowered.
I wouldn't pick the 6.5 Creedmoor for a grizzly or brown bear hunt, but considering the author's living location (Fairbanks, Alaska) & hunting situation (hunts from tree stand, over bait) and occupation (journalist for hunting magazine) his use of the 6.5CM to show it can be done & isn't an outlandish choice, as many might assume at first glance, makes a lot of sense. Gets clicks, sells magazines, generates conversation, and makes millions of 6.5mm Creedmoor owners pleased as punch. Mission accomplished!
