Home Forums Hunting & Shooting AR and Tactical Rifles Need Advice 6.5 Grendel , Hornady 123 SST or Federal Fusion 120 SP ??

I'm building a Grendel and I'm trying to choose between the Hornady load and the Federal Fusion with the above stated bullets. I'll be using a 16 inch Faxon Gunner barrel. Anyone have any actual experience with these Factory loads out of a short barrel (16" ). Actual velocities ect.
I've always reloaded so my experience with factory ammo is very limited
Any advice would be appreciated
Thanks
Lj

I'm interested in seeing some data, too. I just got my Grendel together last week and put a few through the pipe. The Hornady 123 SST loads clocked at around 2410 average, with a very low E.S., and put the first 5 rounds out in a cluster just under an inch at 100 yards. None of the local shops carry any other ammo, so I'm looking at ordering some Of the ELD's to try out, and have some Starline brass and dies on the way.

I’ve never shot either out of a Grendel, but I can’t see where inside of 200yds that the SST would offer anything over the Fusion. On paper the fusion is a much tougher bullet. I’ve shot both moose and caribou with one and it performed like it was supposed to. Good expansion and pass throughs. Again I’ve never shot the SST, but I read a lot about them coming apart. YMMV.

What cartridge did you shoot the fusions out of.

I have shot both out of my Grendels but have not killed anything with them yet.

6.5 Swede on a bou and .300wm for moose.

I'm in the same situation. I've been pouring over reviews in the last couple of days. The fusions seems to be hard to find at the moment. Fusions seem to be the better killer but BC isn't great if you are thinking of going long. SST seems to be either great or explosive depending on velocity and what kind of resistance they meet. ELD-M also seems to be getting great reviews as a game bullet if you can stand the thought of shooting a match bullet at game.

I plan to buy a box of each (if I can find them) and let my rifle decide...

The .224" and .243" versions CRUSH it.

Hint..................

At Grendel velocities, the SST would (and will) be my choice. Creed I'd go something bonded (or all copper a la Barnes), but the 125SST out of my blackout makes two excellent drain holes--one on each side--of everything I shoot. If there's fragmentation, it's not present in any meat that comes off the critter, so it must happen in the vitals. I'm fine with that, additional tearing in the heart/lungs isn't a detriment.

Everything I've shot with SSTs out of my blackout has dropped within 25 yards. Some haven't gone anywhere.

Thanks for the info guys, keep it coming. I'm favoring the Fusion 120s right now, I only use rifles to hunt and the Grendel is a borderline cartridge for my uses but should work on stationary targets up to 300. If anyone has some velocities out oh a 16 inch tube I'd like to hear about it
thanks
Lj

Hint

Short answer: Both are great and kill medium sized game with very little drama.

Over at 65grendel.com there is an imperial buttload of data on these two rounds in the ammo/reloading forum and hunting forum. And velocities given different bbl lengths. (Spoiler: 16" bbl is probably best all-around.)

My daughter's 16" bbl 6.5G is in the middle of bbl break-in, maybe fewer than 200 rounds downrange. Fusion 120 looks to group a smidge better than SST, but SST is more readily available. We'll see after 200-+ rounds down the pipe. Hers shoots the cheap steel cased Wolf pretty well, so I can toss her a box or two and let her rip after we get the serious shooting done. Girl loves that rifle.

Oh, and my daughter hammered a large Axis doe last month with the 123gr SST factory load. Traditional behind the shoulder shot. Doe got 100 yards and then realized she was dead. That SST penetrated, left a quarter-sized hole on the way out, and turned lungs into what looked like chum to me. I would be happy with SST on anything but the biggest critters suitable for 6.5G, then might want a tougher bullet like Fusion.

I don't know about the Fusion, but a friend of mine showed me pics of a number of SST victims. Good sized deer too. He's been very happy with how it does them in.

Old thread, but wanted to chime in. This past season I build a lightweight AR 18" barrel Grendel for woods hunting in WV. Popped a large doe in the chest at about 50 yards with factory Hornady 123 SST and was VERY impressed at how that little cartridge and bullet combo performed. I'd feel comfortable out to 300+ with it. Will be loading the 123 SST in my lightweight 6.5 Creed and 6.5x47 bolt guns for this coming deer season.