Virtually all hunters and shooters probably agree that the 6.5 Creedmoor is a great target shooting cartridge. Most hunters would say it’s great for hunting deer sized game too. A smaller number would even classify it as adequate for bigger game like elk. However, the vast majority of hunters would say that using the 6.5 Creedmoor for hunting grizzly bear is a foolish stunt. Well, Outdoor Life staff writer Tyler Freel would disagree with that assessment and used his 6.5 Creedmoor to kill a really nice grizzly during the spring of 2023.
Well, Tyler was kind enough to come on the show with me today to discuss this hunt in detail: why he decided to hunt that bear with a 6.5 Creedmoor, what previous experience he had both hunting grizzly with other methods of take and what other animals he’d taken with the 6.5 Creedmoor and how those situations informed his decision to go ahead with this hunt, what rifle and ammunition he used, and the situations where he would NOT use a 6.5 Creedmoor on a big bear.
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Resources
Read Tyler's article on Outdoor Life about his grizzly hunt here.
Subscribe to Tyler's Tundra Talk Podcast here.
Follow Tyler on Instagram @thetylerfreel and click here to see the video of him shooting the bear.
Show notes: https://thebiggamehuntingblog.com/podcast/grizzly-bear-hunting-with-a-6-5-creedmoor/
Tyler used a Winchester XPR rifle on this hunt, which is a capable, yet surprisingly reasonably priced hunting rifle. Learn more about the XPR and other rifles in that price class here: Best Hunting Rifles Under $500
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