What bullet for Black Bear

[Mo_turkey_hunter]

Going best hunting this fall for the first time. I am using a 6.5 creedmoor. What would be some bullet recommendations? I have 2 boxes of federal fusion and some hornady GMX.


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[6mm Remington]

I have not used the Fusion bullet but it gets good marks for accuracy and penetrating and holding together. Same with the Hornady GMX.

I'm Nosler all the way for all of my rifle reloading though and always have been. The 130 gr. Nosler Accubond would be a great bullet in the 6.5 Man Bun I feel. Good luck.

 

[Where's Bruce?]

I prefer a 350gr 45-70 Govt. No trailing. DRT.

 

[Mo_turkey_hunter]

I also have had very good luck with whitetail deer using Winchester Deer season xp. I would think they would work but never shot a beer before


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[PathFinder]

Something hard like the GMX would be awful. Bears are light skinned and soft.
The one I shot with my 6.5 CM was a 140 ELD M, and it didn't move a step.

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[Felix40]

Pretty much anything that shoots good from your rifle. I’ve killed one with a 200gr eldx, a 90gr ballistic tip, and a 9mm 115 ftx.

 

[Ron.C]

what Felix40 said above ^^^^^^^.

nothing special needed for black bears. Use what you shoot for deer. Keep the shots in the vitals and your 6.5CM will do just fine.

 

[crossone]

I agree with the above. The 6.5CM will work fine. I have an almost 400 lb black bear on my wall that my brother in law killed with a 115 gr Ballistic Tip from my 25-06. All of that said, a good sized bear will have some serious shoulder bones on them and wounded bears are difficult to track and can be dangerous. I would stick with heavier bullets and your GMX or Fusions are good choices. I wouldn't go with anything other than monos, partitions, or bonded bullets in that caliber. With good bullets, you'll be well armed.

Cross

 

[Tall Moose]

How far are you planning on shooting? Are you open to trying other types of ammo than the two you've already got? I find expansion to be a major consideration. Bears have thick hides and absorb blood like a sponge. If you're shooting at a bear at roughly 400-500 yards or less, I'd go with a Barnes TTSX. Anything beyond that I'd go with an ELDX.

Good luck "best" hunting!

 

[Mo_turkey_hunter]

Will be shooting no farther than 200 yards. Most likely shots will be from 50-100 yards


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[RoyalKnight]

Accubond or Partition would be my pick

 

[jhm2023]

Ive lost count on how many bears I've put in the freezer or helped put there. Black bears aren't particularly hard to kill and any bullet/cartridge combo that is suitable for whitetail will work fine for black bears. I've killed them with archery gear, pistols, subsonic and supersonic 300 blackout all the way up to 33 Nosler and 45-70. The hard part with black bears is the fat can close around the entry and exit holes limiting the blood trail and on top of that the dense fur absorbs a lot of the blood that does bleed out. The other hard part is due to the color and shape they can be more difficult to judge what is what in terms of picking a good spot to shoot for proper shot placement. I think you would be better served by spending time looking at pictures of bears and half or life-sized mounts. Use whatever bullet your guns likes as long as it isn't the type that blows apart quickly.

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[Jim1187]

Assuming both the Fusions and GMX shoot to your satisfaction I would prefer the Fusions.
My preference would be a Partition, most bonded bullets and heavy for caliber cup and cores tied for second and then most monometals. Fragmenting monometals like the Hammer line up may change up my choices but aren't readily available here.
Fusions have been used to my satisfaction on a lot of bears from small to a little over 400lbs in most calibers they offer. I certainly wouldn't look for a new load if I had some shooting well.

 

[6mm Remington]

Accubond or Partition would be my pick

And Nosler E-tip

 

[LightFoot]

Either one will work just fine.
(Assuming 1.5 MOA or better precision)
Fusion has a great reputation for reliability. GMX, like most other monolithic, have a reputation for deep penetration and reliable expansion. If I was shooting long distance (where velocity of the GMX would be below, say... 1800 fps) I would go with the Fusion.

If you are considering other bullets, the Nosler Partition is never wrong.



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[waterrat]

The 140gr Nosler Partition would work perfectly ,,,,,,

 

[MtnW]

Nosler Partitions.
Some of my buds have had good luck with the Accubonds but I have no experience with those yet

 

[Mosby]

My son and I use Partitions in our WM. If we are hunting in areas with grizzly, we take 45-70 and 350 grain Swift A Frames or Hornady Interlocks coupled with some hard cast.

 

[buckslayer85]

I have had great success with the Barnes Ttsx