Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Deer Hunting 6.5 Grendel on Deer

Hornady 123 grain SST.

Nice Skeen.

I'm trying to find a howa carbon mini chambered from 6.5 grendel.
Thinking it would be a handy rifle for my 10 year old boy

I may have to rethink how far the Grendel is good for. My two sons got their deer with it this year with the shortest being 241 yards. The first took two shots through the lungs at 241 and 250+ yards and my other son took his at ~250, but through the spine so even a solid would have worked. It just surprised me how far it carried. My daughter killed her deer with the 6.5x55 at 247 yards and the deer did react more from it and went down within a step mainly because it was lacking a heart.

The 6.5 Grendel forum is a great resource.

"6.5 Grendel Forum : : For the 6.5 Grendel Aficionado"

https://www.65grendel.com/forum/forum.php

Thanks for all the feed back guys. I'm still learning about this little cartridge. Still on the fence if I wanna keep it or sell to someone else. With this being a new caliber to me, it is hard to get components to complete my reloading setup. If anyone is interested shoot me a PM and we can talk. Thanks again.

One of the reasons I got into the 6.5G is not having to load for it. I bought several cases of Wolf and enough 123gr SST to go for years.

I'd have no issues using it on a dear. it will probably work just fine on larger game as long as you keep it in the kill zone and the range reasonable.

The li'l 11.5" Alexander Arms Highlander, 6.5 Grendel, wearing a Steiner P4Xi 1-4x24, gettin' it done.

About 70 yard shot with 123grain SST, tucked just behind the left shoulder, 30 yard run and a coup de grace.

Healthy looking buck. My ears hurt just looking at your gun…

I am very seriously thinking of buying a 20" barreled custom CZ-527 and your question inspired me to run some numbers for the 4500' elevation I often hunt. With the 129 ABLR going 2500' at the muzzle, which Mule Deer's load work implies it ought to easily do, at 350 yards I calculated:
- 2,084 FPS (probably plenty for the ABLR, if Nosler's "expands down to 1300 FPS" is accurate)
- 1,244 Foot Pounds (which nobody argues is too little for deer and such)
- 16.3 inches low with a 200 yard zero. Accept a little further 230 yard zero for 3" high at 100, and it's only 13.3" low at 350.
This sounds pretty reasonable but maybe I am missing something?
I am giving my buddies the chance to talk me out of buying this rifle but so far they're just enabling...

Cheers,
Rex

Just for reference out of my rifles:
Hornady 123SST factory ammo, Nikon Spot-On G1 model.
Both results are based on my chronograph results.
CZ527, 24" BL: 2620fps --> 1000+FPE at 400yd
DIY AR15 ARperformance 3R, 20": 2500fps --> 1000+FPE at 350yd
PSA, 12.5": 2300fps --> 1000+FPE at 225yd

SST as many note expand rather violently; I would stick to just behind the shoulder with those.
It was really strange for the factory published fps to match the chronograph with the CZ.

Great thread. I’ve got a TC G2 Contender rifle and have a 20” 30-30 barrel for it. It would probably do 95% of what I hunt in. I’ve been thinking of getting another deer hunting barrel for it, just for the hell of it. I saw where MGM will make a 6.5G for a G2.

I’ve never shot the 6.5G, but seems most folks who has, would prefer it to a 30-30 for deer. Is that the case here with folks who own one? I understand it’s a great option for an AR, but just thinking out loud on a 20” Contender barrel.
Thanks

Was out a week or so ago, with my Ruger Predator in the Grendal...

100 grain bullets ( hornady SPs).... no problem off the bench hitting steel at 300 yds...

28 grains of 3031....

just know your scope settings and should be no issue, unless I jerk the trigger... which I do sometimes...

I have a 24 inch mgm on my G2 in 6.5 Grendel. It's shooting 2800 with 100 grain partitions and 2500 with 120 grain ballistic tips.

That 30-30 with a 125 grain Ballistic Tip would be tough to beat.

Re reading this thread I miss typed. The load my kids used was the 100g NBT not the 120 NBT.

Fair advice IMHO for the AR platform. Step this up to handholds In a bolt action rifle & your range may be stepped up a bit. May be a bit surprising for many, though the 6mm ARC is arguably more balanced offering out to the upper ranges the op is asking about. Don't get me wrong I have liked the 6.5 Grendel for deer hunting for 6 years or so in a mini bolt action rifle. very capable when properly employed.

If you have not noticed, as much as I like the 6.5 Grendel - I like the 6mm ARC more in both mini bolt actions & AR platforms.

Is that due to better range or better kills?

Seems here lately 6.5 Grendel is catching on more. It's a really good efficient cartridge but it does have its limitations. What's kind of funny to me is it took nearly 20 years since it's introduction to catch on. But the creedmoor on the other hand.....

I shoot the Grendal, and on steel out to 300 yds at our local range... even with 140 grain Speer SPs...

but then I shoot the same steel at 300 with one of my 260 Remingtons... when it hits steel at 300, the steel is spinning like it was hit with a 300 Win Mag...

I still like my Ruger Predator in 6.5 Grendal.... or my 6.5 Don't Need More as I sometimes call it...