Favored 6.5 Creedmoor bullet for black bear

[megastink]

I just ordered a Savage Ultralight in 6.5 Creedmoor for a long-haul-in mountain rifle. I'm planning on hunting black bear and deer with it. I was wondering which bullet everyone prefers for bear pit to 400 yards. I'm leaning towards the 143gr ELD-X, but would like to hear from successful hunters. TIA!

 

[Varmint Hunter]

Black bears are no harder to kill than deer of similar weight. Stay off the shoulder bones and any whitetail bullet will work fine. You almost never recover a bullet from a black bear. They are just not very tough to penetrate.

 

[Idaho Lefty]

I'd Use the 143 gr ELD-X or, 140 gr. Berger, Elite Hunters, as BOTH have, "Tough enough" Jackets, to Do,.. the Job.
Ideally,.. I'd Break One Shoulder and Blow Up, the Lungs = dead Bear,.. quickly.
140- 143's can Be Pushed to Over 2,700 FPS with, very Good, Accuracy !
For Best "performance" try to get within, 300 Yards to keep, the Velocity,.. Up !

 

[Sockeye66]

I've had excellent results on Mule deer with the Speer 140gr Speer Gold Dot, shoot them over the Alliant RL16 load recommendation on their site seated to 2.850 for 2800fps.

 

[K.E.C. Darkside]

For the 6.5 Creedmore I like the 130gr. Bullets. You can get good speed for a distance shot. I like 127 LRX, 130 Accubond and the 130 Hybrid OTM Tactical. Hope this helps.

 

[lancetkenyon]

130 Berger OTM
140 Berger Hybrid
130 Sierra TGK
140 Sierra TGK

 

[ncwg2boatguy]

Good old green tip NBT. Black Bears are not hard to kill. Any soft point, partition or Ballistic tip put on the spot will fold them like a lawn chair.

 

[std7mag]

Black bears are no harder to kill than deer of similar weight. Stay off the shoulder bones and any whitetail bullet will work fine. You almost never recover a bullet from a black bear. They are just not very tough to penetrate.

I've never seen a 400lb deer, but I have seen numerous 400lb black bear.

I don't have a 6.5.
But I will agree with @ncwg2boatguy on the Nosler Ballistic Tip.
They are a much tougher bullet than people give them credit for.
A 140gr NBT from a 280 Rem will knock a 200lb bear off it's feet at 200 yards. Literally.

 

[Varmint Hunter]

I've never seen a 400lb deer, but I have seen numerous 400lb black bear.

I don't have a 6.5.
But I will agree with @ncwg2boatguy on the Nosler Ballistic Tip.
They are a much tougher bullet than people give them credit for.
A 140gr NBT from a 280 Rem will knock a 200lb bear off it's feet at 200 yards. Literally.

Black bears are not nearly as tough nor as big/heavy as they appear. I've hunted black bears in Maine and Canada for 40 years. The average black bear taken is probably 150lbs. Large bears are in the 200lb+ class and only the exceptional bears exceed 300lbs. I've shot bears that exceeded 300lbs with soft c&c bullets. They typically sail right through them and exit.

There are rare exceptions where a black bear lives in an area of easy & unlimited food source. Those bears will make records for weight every year but the chances of ever seeing one is fairly remote.

 

[HandgunHTR]

I shoot 140 grain ELD-M in my 6.5 Creed and 139 grain Scenars in my 260 REM. I have killed a bear with the 260 and have carried the 6.5 while having a bear tag in my pocket.

Both will drop even the biggest black bear with authority.

 

[ncwg2boatguy]

Black bears are not nearly as tough nor as big/heavy as they appear. I've hunted black bears in Maine and Canada for 40 years. The average black bear taken is probably 150lbs. Large bears are in the 200lb+ class and only the exceptional bears exceed 300lbs. I've shot bears that exceeded 300lbs with soft c&c bullets. They typically sail right through them and exit.

There are rare exceptions where a black bear lives in an area of easy & unlimited food source. Those bear will make records for weight every year but the chances of ever seeing one is fairly remote.

100% agree.

 

[skipglo]

Agreed with 143x.....289 yards furthest shot to date on a Black Bear with my 6.5....spun 5 times and DRT! Multiple shot at 105 yards...all died within 15 yards.

 

[lancetkenyon]

Good old green tip NBT. Black Bears are not hard to kill. Any soft point, partition or Ballistic tip put on the spot will fold them like a lawn chair.

Isn't the green tipped NBTs .308 cal?
6.5mm is a brown tip.

 

[std7mag]

Isn't the green tipped NBTs .308 cal?
6.5mm is a brown tip.

I don't know. All of mine are either blue (25 caliber) or red (7mm).