Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles Deer hunting with the 6.5 Grendal..

My daughter's deer was hit in the high shoulder. Exit wound was 2 fist size, but it went through both shoulders. Sons deer was lung shot and exit was about the size of a nickel with very good lung damage.

Alright!

I've been seeing pics of deer being taken with the 6.5 Grendal, all over the net here...

One thing you commonly see, is the statement of a golf ball or a 50 cent sized exit hole.....
doesn't seem to matter what the bullet weight was....

even local guy here had the same thing happen, at 300 yds... 129 SP Hornady...golf ball sized exit hole...

Possibly it’s due to a fortuitous combination of enough velocity to fully expand, but not ‘splode the c&c bullets most use, plus enough bullet weight to carry them on through. Mule Deer and some others have commented on how “ordinary” or “deer” bullets perform well when kept to sane speeds. The Grendel starts them out well within that window, and maintains enough speed to ensure expansion to some surprising distances. It also helps I suspect, when you use bullets like the 129gr ABLR and Speer 120gr GD. The ABLR is supposed to expand down to 1300fps, and the Grendel can deliver it at that speed waayyyyy out there.

125gr Nosler partitions shoot great out of my 18" PSA barrel.
1st kill !

Just swapped the 4.5-14 E1 on my Howa for a Weaver K6. Lost about 6oz and the balance seems improved. Had to remove the slip-on pad due to the scanty ER of the Weaver, but it still fits fine and passes the nose-bump test when worked from the shoulder.

No issues with the Burris, just wanted it for something that’s on its way here. I do wish they offered a standard duplex, but that ship has sailed. I’m totally satisfied with the passel of Philippine Burris scopes I’ve picked up over the last year.

Shot a 100 # ish pig at 220 yards today with my Howa. Picked up a couple of boxes of the old factory 123gr Amax last year. Quartering away - bullet entered back middle and exit opposite front shoulder. Went a couple yards. Not sure I connected with the others I took running shots at. Hate wasting those Amax.

Glad I read this I thought 140s would be too much
Sounds like they do just fine
Hank

The boy's Grendel kills again.

Not deer related, but the Grendel gets it done on hogs.

https://youtu.be/KGmrzBW09hQ

Thanks, Dinny

I run 8208xbr in mine too. 2500fpswith a 123 amax from an 18" bhw barrel.

Bb

Thinking about the 129 ABLR. Never too fast, yet still has the needed velocity out beyond way far enough, as you said, like (850) . For next year, at the rate I'm moving.

said it once and I'll say it again....

That is a damn respectable buck your son took there Skeen...

I see 'em like that here in Oregon, out of town...but normally shots need to be made quick, because two to three seconds, they are gone... downhill, or just disappear digitally into brush so thick, even the snakes have to slow thru it...

hope you son, mounts that one...it sure is a wall hanger, in my book..

Well now that I finally have winter routine setting in, especially with this covid crap, and living like 3 miles from the range...

I've got time to play with the Grendel over the next 3 or 4 months...

Since there are applications for the 300 Blackout, I am going to do some testing on the Grendel in that type of service,
with the 160 gr RN, that I've picked up a couple of boxes of....

Powders I'll probably test after working with the 140 Speers, W 748, AR Comp and 2015 BR....

from times past working with 6.5 x 55 Swede and the old 160s, I know that leaving the Muzzle in the 1800 to 2000 or 2100 fps range, they are still a very viable deer round, in spots like heavy brush, or places like good old northern MN or No Wisconsin swamps...

also have found out with the two sets of dies I've picked up for the Grendel, they will reform 7.62 x 39 brass to be able to be useful in the Ruger Bolt Action Grendel... Put it into what I call 30/30 type of service parameters....

Got about 500 bullets coming, 85 Gr HPs from Sierra....with those and some 100 grainers I have, also plan on playing to see how it does with those bullet weights and Blue Dot....I operates real well, with bullets in the 1800 to 2400 fps MV range...

If I can get a moderator under Biden and Harris still, this is the rifle I can see a lot of use available for....

I'm surprised there haven't been more guys trying the 100 gr. TTSX in their grendels. you should be able to get them 2900+/- fps. they penetrate like nobodies business, and they are longer than most lead core 120 gr. pills.

100 grainers of a lot of the manufacturers are often overlooked for hunting deer etc...

the do better than people normally give them credit for

the 100 TTSX is definitely the pick of the litter

I still have a few I purchased for my previous Grendel, a CZ. Don’t recall the details, but I ended up with 129gr ABLRs in that one before it left here. Might work up a couple in my Mini, but the GDs are easy and cheap. Gonna tote it until I get the Earn-a-Buck doe that puts me back in the buck business. Have a couple/three hundred ABLRs too.

A LH Grendel would be very welcome at my house for the boys to use. Unfortunately, I'm too poor or cheap to come up with one as I've never seen a factory option. For the distances we shoot on our place, I'd likely load the 100gr Partition.

Was really looking forward to the Barrett Fieldcraft coming out in 6.5 Grendel would love one for everything in western NY

My 12 year old got her personal best last weekend using the 6.5 grendel. 18" ballistic advantage barrel and 120 grain corelokt load from druid hill armory. I think the smile says it all.