Home Forums Reloading Big Game Rifles Heavy Bullets in 6.5 Grendel

I’m waiting on a Pendleton stock to finish a 6.5 Grendel build on an 8 twist, 22” sporter barreled action from Brownell’s. Already have the JO bottom metal. I hunt the forest in the Adirondacks where shots are almost always inside 100 yards, often inside 50 yards. I’m buying a few bullets to develop a whitetail load with. I’ve been thinking of trying 140gr ELDMs and think I should end up with a load that, up to 100 yards, pretty closely duplicates a CM at 400 yards. Because deer get out of sight so guickly, and are difficult to track on dry leaves, I’m looking for consistent exits on broadside to quartering shots. Also, because I process and eat the game I take, I do not want to waste more meat than absolutely. Not interested in solid copper bullets at this time and have some 129gr ABLRs. What’s the consensus on 140gr ELDMs for effective wounds and probable exits?

Thanks.

Frank

Frank, I think the 140 ELD M should be a great bullet, but getting exits might be a tall order to depend on from it. Fully broadside bucks, probably, but outside of that I would think it's probably not as likely. Although at Grendel speed it'll hold together great, it could make a heckuva front end expansion that limits it popping out. This is all a guess since I have only really used the 147 at 6.5 CM speeds.

Looking forward to seeing how your 6.5 turns out. The SS ones have been tempting.

Have you considered the common 129 grain Interlock?

Under the parameters that you've cited, I'd consider the 125 grain Partition for their balance of speed, expansion, and penetration. You don't need a VLD bullet at the ranges that you're hunting. They work in the 260 REM, but it is sometimes difficult to squeeze the best accuracy out of them.

The 129 ABLR worked well for me this year on one buck out of the 6.5 Gren. Angled shoulder and exit offside at ~125 yards. Muzzle velocity should be ~2400 with the load I was using...but I haven't checked it to verify so that's +/-.

The 129 ABLR has been a very good deer bullet for me out of the CM. From near to far I've almost always gotten exits and really impressive internal damage. I'm hopeful it will be just as good of a fit for the Grendel.

This

Yep. For the cited application the modest BC won't mean squat, and the likelihood of blowing one up is pretty low too.

Hard to beat interlocks and cheap

I’ve definitely considered the 129 Interlock and will pick up a box and work up a load to try. At the ranges I shoot at BC has never meant anything in my bullet choices. Actually, I did some searching and stores up some .243 and .284 Interlock round nose bullets to hunt with.

JCMCUBIC, what powder idi you use with the ABLRs?

Thanks for the replies. I’m really looking forward to completing and hunting with this rifle. I wanted to build a 6PPC years ago as a hunting rifle but there were no actions that fed them reliably until Sako, and those were expensive and difficult to find. The Grendel will be the PPC I always wanted. I built a 6x45 on a Sako Vixen action that scratched the small 6mm itch.

For heavy bullets in my Grendal... a Ruger American Predator.. I have used both the 129 SP from Hornady and the 140 grain from Speer., which have both dropped the deer I was aiming at on the spot.. Both were bang/flops, results instant and exited on the off side.

My load was 29.5 grain of W 748 with the 129 grainer, and 29 grains with the 140 SP from Speer.
W748 is giving me pretty strong velocity with the heavier bullets.

I don't need any fancier newer trendy bullet. The 129 SP from Hornady and any of the old 140 grain SPs, from multiple manufacturers will also work very well at Grendal speeds, because these bullets were designed a long time ago, to work in a host of older 6.5 calibers, that date way back to the early 1900s and even the late 1800s.

Case in point I've seen data for the older 6.5 x 55s, or the 6.5 Cacarno etc, where 140 grain bullets were giving MVs of the 2000 to 2400 fps Range. My load with 29 or so grains of W 748, will give me the same velocities, out of the Grendals 22 inch barrel. These bullets were designed to open up at the lower velocities of these turn of the last century's 6.5 mm bores.
So they work perfectly for the 6.5 Grendal.

I used 26.5 gr of H4895 in neck sized brass. It's Nosler's listed max load (https://www.nosler.com/65-grendel - under 130 grain bullets) but since that should be AR data, I just started (and ended) with the max load. I don't usually do that, but considering 6 ARC bolt vs AR listed loads I was fine with it. Bullets were seated longer in JO's bm/mag box which likely increased the cushion on any pressure worries. It's not a worked up load, just a thrown together and sighted in. Later this spring and summer I'll play with it. There's likely a fair bit of performance left, both velocity and accuracy wise, thought I'm not a "speed is everything" guy.

I have no argument against folks 129 SP recommendations for the limited range. I used the 129 ABLR because I have a stockpile of them and have so much good experience with that bullet. If planning to stretch it out a bit, I think the 129 ABLR might be the pick of the litter, but if starting from scratch with limited range in mind, I'd likely go with the 129 SP.

My idea of limited range, with the 129 SP or the 140 gr SPs, is 250 to 300 yds.

Deer I've taken weren't that far out, but practicing at the range, hitting steel targets at that distance has presented NO Problems.. The distance I have taken deer with the Grendal using those bullets were under 200 yds, but at the same time, those bullets drilled right thru the deer, so I don't see that declining at another 100 yds or so... especially the 140s have a high sectional density.

Using those same bullets in a Swedish Mauser in 6.5 x 55, and fueled with 30 grains of 4198, which equals the loads used back around the turn of the 20th century for those rifles, which is pretty much the MVs I get from the Grendal with them.

I have taken deer with the Mauser in excess of 300 yds, so I know they will work to that distance and beyond with the Grendal.

Thank you JCMCUBIC and Seafire.

My experience really mimics JCMCUBIC's.
I'm shooing the 129 ABLR at a (carefully estimated) pressure of about 60K PSI in a 19" custom CZ527 (Not an AR load). MV of 2515 FPS. Very accurate with 28.4/IMR8208XBR, CCI41, Lapua case. CFE223 was very accurate also but I went with the significantly more temperature resistant powder.
Have killed one deer with this rifle so far at about 120 yards. Through the lungs behind all the shoulder meat- went about 10 feet and dropped.
I don't think you can go wrong with any of the bullets others have recommended but I think you already have the perfect Grendel bullet on hand in your 129 ABLRs.
Will add you might really like the 120 BT in your conditions too.

Good luck with it.
Rex

Good info Rex. Thank you

I also recommend the 129 ABLR based on my experiences with that bullet compared to the others recommended. I don't believe in using bullets weighing more than 130gr in the Grendel. The inherent SD of 6.5 bullets allows them to penetrate better than other calibers when weights are equal. I wish someone would make a 100gr PSP similar to but cheaper than the 100gr Partitions, which I run at 2890fps in my Howa Mini.

Dinny do you have any new hog hunting videos out? Mb

I'm just an accomplice...

That's exactly what I'd be looking at. Damn cheap for practice, which we should all be doing, and works great on critters. Win win.. Personally, I'd be saving the ABLR for the 6.5 Creedmoor or 260 Rem. Just me though, I like to shoot.. I'd make the Interlock work, even out to 400 yards, if need be. One of my buddies uses the 6.5 Grendel on yotes, out to 400, but after about 350, it starts falling flat on its nose. Even when using a bullet like the ABLR, or ELDM.