6.5 Grendel

[LoonWulf]

oh, I have actually never shot anything with the 123ssts, I was shooting the 123Amax. I rarely use the ssts because of the cost increase and slightly heavier jacketing. The 123s might actually be a little squishier than their match counterparts tho. least from the waterjugs I've shot.

 

[Double Naught Spy]

I think if a person wants to use the Grendel on deer/pig sized game, make sure you use the right bullet for the job, and make sure your tracking skills are honed.

This is one of the most naive statements I have read in quite a while, the insinuation that Grendel is somehow majorly inferior to x39, and for that matter that it requires extra special attention or skills relative to hunting. Regardless of caliber, you need to choose the right bullet for the job and you need to place your shots correctly given your ammo choice with the correct trajectory through the animal or you may have to track.

This notion that Newtosavage just shoots hogs and they all fall over dead, no tracking ever, because he is using the all powerful and hyper deadly x39 is ludacrous at best. Why? Because is being claimed just isn't true for any caliber. The hunter has to do his/her part. The gun and cartridge needs to do their parts. The bullet needs to do its part.

There is nothing wrong with the x39. It is a perfectly good caliber for what it is. It is a slower cartridge for the same weight bullet with a lower BC, less energy, and hence has poorer ballistics than the Grendel, but will certainly work for hunting hogs and deer at the distances hunters typically shoot. The one place where x39 is definitely superior, however, is that it is less expensive to shoot.

 

[Newtosavage]

This is one of the most naive statements I have read in quite a while, the insinuation that Grendel is somehow majorly inferior to x39, and for that matter that it requires extra special attention or skills relative to hunting. Regardless of caliber, you need to choose the right bullet for the job and you need to place your shots correctly given your ammo choice with the correct trajectory through the animal or you may have to track.

This notion that Newtosavage just shoots hogs and they all fall over dead, no tracking ever, because he is using the all powerful and hyper deadly x39 is ludacrous at best. Why? Because is being claimed just isn't true for any caliber. The hunter has to do his/her part. The gun and cartridge needs to do their parts. The bullet needs to do its part.

There is nothing wrong with the x39. It is a perfectly good caliber for what it is. It is a slower cartridge for the same weight bullet with a lower BC, less energy, and hence has poorer ballistics than the Grendel, but will certainly work for hunting hogs and deer at the distances hunters typically shoot. The one place where x39 is definitely superior, however, is that it is less expensive to shoot.

No need to get like that DNS. You put a lot of words in my mouth right there.

You may shoot a lot of pigs, but I've been at it for over 30 years and I'd wager you have a ways to go yet to catch up to the number I've killed. So if you want to color me naive, then that's probably a bit naive on your part.

I'm not looking to have a whizzing contest with you or anyone else - especially over something as trivial as caliber selection - which is why I was sure to speak from MY OWN PERSONAL EXPERIENCE, which is more than most, but maybe less than some. Feel free to speak from your own, but you can lay off the personal attacks.

If a caliber you are fond of doesn't impress me, then feel free to assume it's my problem and move on. No need to feel defensive about your choice of calibers because of someone else's experience with it. So long as you're happy with it, just say so and let folks draw their own conclusions.

 

[Double Naught Spy]

I'm not looking to have a whizzing contest with you or anyone else - especially over something as trivial as caliber selection

LOL, that is exactly what your posts have been doing.

 

[Newtosavage]

LOL, that is exactly what your posts have been doing.

Posting my personal experience should not make anyone feel insecure. You included. I didn't tell anyone they were wrong. I didn't tell anyone they were naive. I just shared my own experiences. If you read my posts, I actually said some very good things about the Grendel.

Glad you like the Grendel. Until you have done objective side-by-side comparisons between the Grendel and any other caliber, you really don't have anything to compare the Grendel to. Maybe you have. One would assume that's why you chose the Grendel over the .223. That would be cool to see if you have. I know I have.

 

[Plastikosmd]

Thx to the thread I went and got a 6.5.

MTR, here I come!

 

[Plastikosmd]

Rifle
10 boxes of ammo
Second mag
Swarovski x5 2x15x44
Bag of 1x fired brass from LGS

rings in route, pics pending

sadly, had surgery,
Will be a while until I can lift/shoot

 

[bangswitch]

Rifle
10 boxes of ammo
Second mag
Swarovski x5 2x15x44
Bag of 1x fired brass from LGS


sadly, had surgery,
Will be a while until I can lift/shoot

Can you do any reloading while you heal? If you want a source of new brass for your Grendel, Everglades Ammo has it. It's Hornady or Alex Arms headstamp, reasonable prices. I just got 500 cases a week ago, been priming and loading until I'm out of bullets, but have 200 Lapua Scenars coming, 123 grain.

 

[Plastikosmd]

The case I bought is what he had
Hornany 123g “Elite March Black”
(Whatever that is, kinda tactitool)
My typical pattern is to buy various brands, find out what is best and then start tuning from there. You bring up a good point, I do have plenty of other things to start reloading for(20+ calibers.) Maybe I will do that to keep me from going insane
Thk u!

 

[bangswitch]

The case I bought is what he had
Hornany 123g “Elite March Black”
(Whatever that is, kinda tactitool)
My typical pattern is to buy various brands, find out what is best and then start tuning from there. You bring up a good point, I do have plenty of other things to start reloading for(20+ calibers.) Maybe I will do that to keep me from going insane
Thk u!

I was giving that suggestion based on you saying you'd bought a bag of once-fired brass. But I did look up the Hornady 123 Elite Match Black ammo. I'm wondering what powder and how much of it is in those rounds. They list a MV of 2590 fps for it. Their hottest load in the Hornady Tenth Manual is 2500 fps and they list it as a maximum load (31.2 grains CFE223). I've gone to 31.5 and get 2550 from a 20" barrel, no flattened primers (yet), and my brass is holding up well, no discernable case head thinning after 4 firings. Maybe they're using a 24 or 26" barrel for their testing, IDK. I've fired maybe four boxes of factory Grendel ammo, all Hornady 123 AMAX, and that was just to get a start on brass right after I built my rifle. I have around 2000 rounds through my gun so far, and it's been almost all reloads, with either Alexander Arms or Hornady brass. The A-A brass is made by Hornady. When I went to order bullets the other day, Brownell's was out of Hornady 123 ELD's; I didn't want 130's, but have 100 I've loaded but not shot yet. I want to see how they chrono and what kind of groups I get compared to my 123 loads before I buy any more. I saw that the Lapua Scenars weren't outrageous, so I thought I'd try some of them in 123 grain. I've been spending a lot of time at the loading bench since this social distancing stuff started, looks like I'll have a lot more before it's over.

I love my little 6.5G

 

[LoonWulf]

I was giving that suggestion based on you saying you'd bought a bag of once-fired brass. But I did look up the Hornady 123 Elite Match Black ammo. I'm wondering what powder and how much of it is in those rounds. They list a MV of 2590 fps for it. Their hottest load in the Hornady Tenth Manual is 2500 fps and they list it as a maximum load (31.2 grains CFE223). I've gone to 31.5 and get 2550 from a 20" barrel, no flattened primers (yet), and my brass is holding up well, no discernable case head thinning after 4 firings. Maybe they're using a 24 or 26" barrel for their testing, IDK. I've fired maybe four boxes of factory Grendel ammo, all Hornady 123 AMAX, and that was just to get a start on brass right after I built my rifle. I have around 2000 rounds through my gun so far, and it's been almost all reloads, with either Alexander Arms or Hornady brass. The A-A brass is made by Hornady. When I went to order bullets the other day, Brownell's was out of Hornady 123 ELD's; I didn't want 130's, but have 100 I've loaded but not shot yet. I want to see how they chrono and what kind of groups I get compared to my 123 loads before I buy any more. I saw that the Lapua Scenars weren't outrageous, so I thought I'd try some of them in 123 grain. I've been spending a lot of time at the loading bench since this social distancing stuff started, looks like I'll have a lot more before it's over.

I love my little 6.5G
View attachment 902638

My 24" AR would get 2600+ with 123s and the same 31.5gr load of cfe223, but my 20" would only do 2470 with the same load.
My 24" CZ barely makes 2500 with that load, and my new 20" is right at 2500. I don't think either of these broke 2500 with the Hornady black ammo.

Different guns can have a considerably different reaction to the same load.

you also need to watch for swipes and other printing onnthe case, as well as the traditional signs of pressure when running an AR. I can say that I'll see "other" signs of issues with an AR before my bolt gun shows anything.

 

[Varminterror]

The Hornady Black ELD factory load runs 2560fps with the 123 ELD (same exact bullet as the 123 A-max, just a heat resistant polymer tip) in a 20” barrel. Photos of the rifle on first page - photo of the ammo below, and the bullet which killed the buck also pictured on page 1.

Naturally, that’s a polygonal rifled barrel, which picks up a little speed over a traditionally rifled barrel. But keep in mind - we’re talking about a Grendel here. There’s not much change in muzzle velocity by barrel length... 20fps ballpark per inch. It’s a small case with a relatively large bore - low expansion ratio. Adding barrel length doesn’t eek out much more speed.

 

[Gtscotty]

The Hornady Black ELD chrono'd at an average of 2,355 fps out of my 16" Wilson Combat. Seemed a bit pokey, but 16" is fairly short, and I might have a slow barrel. Handloads with the same bullet are good for ~50 fps faster with 8208 and ~100 fps faster with AR-Comp. That's a pretty mushroom, I think I'd like to give either the 123gr ELDs or the same weight SSTs a try for antelope and maybe muleys this year.

For shorter range woods-type shots, I do wonder how the 129gr Interlocks would do. I got ~2,330 fps with them over AR-Comp, I've heard they're pretty soft, but I don't know how much range I'd get with that MV before expansion started to become limited.

 

[Plastikosmd]

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