I’m planning on hunting a black bear in upstate any next year and I’d really like to take my 6.5X55. Anyone think this caliber will work?
 The bear keeps tearing up my property. He fell out of the tree last year, broke every branch on his way down and shat himself.
He looks 250+

It should, I've used mine on deer and elk.   If you're not rolling your own, the Norma 156gr. Oryx packs a good punch with excellent penetration.

It will be fine, they aren't amour plated

Easily. Black bears are not very durable. Put one in the heart/lunds and it wil drop right there.

My Grendel did the job really well.

disagree the experience I have, while not vast (shot 2 saw another 2 shot plus a few others that I helped bring out and saw where they were hit after the fact) they can be pretty damn tough.  My 2nd was a 214 pounder hit through both shoulders with a 300 wsm 180 grain, bear dropped like it was hit by the hammer of thor, but after 20 seconds it gathered itself and took off, only made it 50 yards but how that bear made it 50 yards with the damage done is amazing to me.  Saw another one take 2 30-06 rounds at 50 yards both vital hits and make it 200 yards, it was only 190 lbs.  So they can take a hit and keep going, all the ones I have shot, seen shot have been pushed so I am sure the adrenaline was pumping.  That being said I would have no issue at all using a 6.5x55 on any size black bear with a heavy for caliber bullet or a lighter bullet that is a controlled expansion or monometal design.

I've nuked a pile of Black Bear with a 260 Rem loaded with 143 ELD-X with no drama.

Shoot with confidence

Attached File