There’s one thing in regards to the 6.5 Creedmoor that brings out the worst in individuals. On either side of the coin, there are people who find themselves so emotionally connected to their beliefs about this cartridge that it nearly turns into a part of their persona. In my time at Outside Life, I’ve seen these battles rage on within the feedback sections and at all times puzzled why it’s such a polarizing cartridge.
To be honest, I had zero expertise with it previous to the spring of 2024, so maybe I simply didn’t know sufficient to develop robust emotions about it. Rising up within the huge woods of Pennsylvania, the principle rifle I’d used for large recreation was at all times the .30/06, which by no means let me down. However I’ve by no means been towards capturing different cartridges both. I suppose that’s why I’ve at all times discovered the combating over the 6.5 creed so silly.
Then in Could, I used to be given the distinctive alternative to type my very own opinions in regards to the 6.5 Creedmoor whereas attempting to find black bear in northern Alberta with W&L Information Providers on an invitation from Mossberg, Swarovski, and Hornady. The journey fell smack dab in the course of Could, so the spring bear season was in full swing by the point we arrived in camp. If all went to plan I’d get to shoot two huge Alberta bears with the 6.5 Creed.
Welcome to Alberta
After enduring the flights and 8-hour bus trip to camp, we arrived with time to hunt for six days. We might be sitting over bait from elevated platforms positioned deep within the bush. Having hunted black bears little or no in my life, I used to be each nervous, and excited in regards to the probability to see them up shut and private.
As our guides refreshed the bait, we checked our rifles and scopes to ensure they didn’t get bounced round throughout our travels. For my hunt, I selected the Mossberg Patriot Predator paired with a Swarovski Z8i 1.7-13.3×42 and 143 grain Hornady Precision Hunter ELD-X bullets. I didn’t fear about assessing the true accuracy potential of this rig since my possible capturing distance on this hunt was going to be about 50 yards. I can say that at that vary my common group measurement was effectively beneath an inch — appropriately.
After confirming the rifle, scope, and ammo mixture was able to roll, we loaded into the vans for our first night sit. We drove for about 45 minutes after which pulled right into a trailhead and took off on a four-wheeler for one more 25 minutes to lastly arrive on the stand deep within the bush.
Sadly, the bears didn’t get the memo that night. Apart from a couple of sticks snapping within the distance, it was an extended, 5 hour sit with just a few pine squirrels munching on leftover marshmallows to maintain me firm.
A Lengthy Week within the Stand
That first sit with no motion would grow to be the norm for me. As different hunters in camp watched bears on bait throughout their first and second hunts, I sat idly, biding my time.
By the tip of the third day, I used to be the one hunter in camp who hadn’t seen a bear but. However, rising up within the huge woods has its classes: You get used to not seeing critters each trip. So I wasn’t too downtrodden heading into our fourth day afield. That night, all of my dangerous luck washed away and I obtained to expertise one thing most individuals by no means will: A wolverine got here by my stand and placed on a present for about 20 minutes.
After the wolverine sighting, nonetheless, it was proper again to lengthy hours spent with none motion. By the tip of the fifth day, I nonetheless hadn’t had an encounter. The opposite hunters in camp, together with the guides, have been all dumbfounded by my dangerous luck. Different hunters have been seeing 5 to 6 bears in a night. I knew I needed to change issues up.
A Final-Day Hail Mary
On the ultimate day of the hunt, the concept of sitting for one more six hours in an elevated platform with none motion had me itching to hunt some other approach. So, after some consideration, I talked with one of many guides, Shane, who agreed that we may take a crack at still-hunting.
The brand new tactic introduced new hope. As we departed camp whereas the others loved their lunch, I shouted that we’d be again quickly with each my tags stuffed.
Once we arrived on the trailhead, Shane and I unloaded the trailer and took off down a lower line within the route of the primary bait barrel. After 1 / 4 mile, we turned a nook and, to my shock, noticed a black bear about 300 yards away. I hit the deck and handed Shane my El Vary 10×32 binoculars so he may get a greater look. As soon as we each had glass on the bear, we have been capable of decide that he was a mature boar. Even higher, he was slowly closing the space between us.
After what appeared like an eternity, the boar had waddled his method to 200 yards. By this level, the preliminary nerves had worn off, and my respiration was beneath management. I merely wanted a broadside shot. Because the boar slowly turned to take a path into the bush, I settled the crosshairs and squeezed.
The sunshine recoil allowed me to look at the affect, proper the place I had aimed. The boar lunged ahead and disappeared. Shane and I have been assured within the shot, however determined to present him a while, simply in case. After half-hour had handed, we crept down the lower line and located the boar piled up not 10 ft from the place he’d been hit.
I used to be in awe of the bear’s measurement, and within the efficiency of the 6.5 Creed. The bloodtrail was brief, clearly, however substantial due to the entry and exit wounds. In fact, a single shot on a single animal doesn’t quantity to any sort of information set, however nonetheless: The cartridge’s efficiency on this bear, an roughly 350-pound boar, impressed confidence in my setup and cartridge choice.
After loading up the bear and serving to refresh bait barrels close by, Shane and I still-hunted a couple of different areas. Once we reached the ultimate trailhead, I used to be nonetheless grinning from ear to ear.
We have been making our approach down the path towards the final bait website once we heard a loud growl forward of us. After a couple of extra steps, we noticed an enormous boar get up on his hind legs and stare by way of the bush at us, solely 20 yards away.
It was clear he wasn’t certain if he ought to examine or run, however when he touched his entrance paws to the bottom, it appeared as if he had made up his thoughts that he was coming our approach. I shortly settled the crosshairs and squeezed off a shot, sending him right into a tailspin earlier than crashing down simply 10 yards away.
That was the sort of hair elevating encounter, that some would possibly argue requires a magnum rifle cartridge for extra “knockdown energy” (although this can be a fable). With this shut vary shot, I used to be but once more impressed by the efficiency of the 6.5 Creed. The bullet entered the brisket, just under the neck and between the 2 entrance shoulders. It exited on the left facet of the bear, close to the final rib after pounding by way of the highest of the guts and lungs. Internally, the hemorrhaging made it clear that the bullet maximized injury.
Cumulatively, the bears made it about 13-yards after affect, with entrance and exit wounds creating in depth blood trails over the brief distances. Which left me questioning, why on earth would hunters despise such a productive cartridge?
A Take a look at Black Bears and the 6.5 Creedmoor
After coming back from my journey, I used to be solely extra intrigued by the 6.5 Creed. I couldn’t consider anybody higher to ask about it than OL’s workers author, Tyler Freel, who has taken plenty of recreation with the 6.5, and even hunted a grizzly with it in 2023. Freel’s level? The one factor exceptional about killing a giant grizzly bear with a 6.5 Creedmoor is that folks suppose it’s exceptional.
Frankly, the 6.5 Creedmoor is a perfect cartridge for black bear. An excellent black bear cartridge must do lots of injury, be correct, and will let you shoot it effectively, with out extreme recoil. From my restricted expertise, and Freel’s in depth expertise, the 6.5 Creedmoor checks all of these bins.
“Black bears are usually not exhausting to kill. They’ve a big very important zone and when you hit them there, they gained’t be going far,” he says. “The important thing for taking any recreation is taking the time to make shot. In terms of the 6.5 Creedmoor, the cartridge and bullet are greater than able to doing the injury obligatory.”
Learn Subsequent: The Greatest Bear Looking Cartridges
Based on Freel, and the outcomes I skilled within the discipline, my setup was preferrred for black bear looking in nearly each situation. It gave me the flexibility to make correct, close-range pictures, and likewise to shoot precisely at longer distances. As for the efficiency after the shot, Freel hit the nail on the pinnacle.
“As a baseline, when you’re selecting and taking moral, cautious pictures, 140- or 143-grain 6.5mm bullet will kill stuff simply as lifeless, and sometimes simply as shortly as bullets which can be just a little bit bigger, fired at comparable velocities.”
When evaluating the Creed to the .30/06 paired with Core-Lokts I grew up with, my eyes have been opened much more. With a 50-yard zero, the 2 cartridges are vastly completely different at 200 yards. Merely put, the 6.5 Creedmoor has a greater trajectory, increased velocity, and extra vitality than the Core-Lokt load at 200 yards.
Now, for the sake of argument, I additionally added the Nosler 180-grain Partition to the comparability chart to show that there are positively .30/06 masses that may out-perform the Creedmoor on paper at that distance. However after all, they bring about far more recoil. These stats above actually solely present efficiency on paper, however none of them are actual metrics for measuring the effectiveness of a load within the discipline.
For me, I’d relatively take much less of a punch to the shoulder realizing the downrange efficiency stays fairly comparable, if not higher with the 6.5 Creed.
Though I’m certain a few of you’ll, it’s exhausting to argue with the outcomes. As somebody who had by no means fired a spherical of 6.5 Creedmoor ammo previous to this journey, I’d encourage all huge recreation hunters to at the very least strive it. Both approach, with regards to looking black bears, I gained’t be reaching for anything.