6.5 Grendel for whitetail
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sdakotaguy
Well-Known Member
6.5 Grendel is quite capable. Expect your shot distances to be inside of 250? Until the 6mm ARC became available 6.5 Grendel was my favored deer rifle for roughly 5 years. shot placement & bullet choice can be more of a factor than your cartridge IMHO. Personally chose the bolt action CZ 527 action w a 22" barrel. used TTSX & SST's & preferred the all copper bulet. the SST was just more explosive than id prefer from a cup & core bullet.
I've killed several deer & pigs with my Grendels. As with any lower velocity round bullet selection is a bit more critical.
I've had best luck with the 123 ELDM but you have to be a bit mindful on distance.
Keep bullets in the 100-110 grain range and you have more flexibility.
100 grain Nosler Ballistic tips have been killers for me as well. I have a smoking fast load worked up using 97 grain Hammer Absolutes but have not shot anything with them yet.
I've had best luck with the 123 ELDM but you have to be a bit mindful on distance.
Keep bullets in the 100-110 grain range and you have more flexibility.
100 grain Nosler Ballistic tips have been killers for me as well. I have a smoking fast load worked up using 97 grain Hammer Absolutes but have not shot anything with them yet.
Keep your shots at sensible ranges and use a good bullet like the 123gr SST and you will be fine. Lots of people over on AR15.com use the Grendel with great success.
My set up is a 16" AR lightweight carbine with a 1-4 power scope. I've used it to kill a few coyote but never tried it on deer.
My set up is a 16" AR lightweight carbine with a 1-4 power scope. I've used it to kill a few coyote but never tried it on deer.
Shooting 85 grain Hammer Hunters in mine at 3000 FPS. I'll keep it within 350 yards. 20 inch heavy barrel Howa. Shoots bugholes. Killed quite a few with123 SSTs this will be 1st year with the little hammers. Killed 16 last year with 110 and 120 hammers in C M and 7-08. I believe it will work as well.
My daughter will be shooting 99 grain hammer hunters out of a 20" Howa this deer season. Should be good medicine on deer. Shot will be 100 yards or less.
WanderingGoatie
Well-Known Member
I've only killed a pronghorn antelope with a grendel at about 150 yards. 18" Draco's barrel. I know antelope are not the hardest animals to kill but the damage it did was remarkable. I have no doubt it would do well on a whitetail. It also hits steel with solid purpose at 300 yards. I'm using it this year in the MN deer woods so hopefully I'll get a chance for more data inputs Saturday morning.
Howdy, I picked up a Ruger American a couple months ago. I've been wanting one for years in a bolt action, didn't want to build one till I tried one. This thing is sweet 20" barrel, 10 round box, shot a couple boxes of Hornady black to get brass and help break it in. Brass for this cartridge is just starting to come around I picked up 100 pieces of Hornady brass. This thing shoots one hole .5 to.7 at 100 yds with any bullet you shoot. I made up 50 with 85gr Hammer hunter, 34 gr Cfe223 ,3000 fps. .4-.5, 5 shots group's. I can't ask for any better from a R.A. Yes I will take it out this year and bag a whitetail. Thanks for asking.
Also have a CZ 527 in Grendel. Its been discontinued by CZ. They make some of the best guns, then do something stupid like the Alpha 600. Go figure. I'm shooting 99 Hammers in it at 2780. My thick woods and ground blind rifle. Set trigger is 6 ozs. Its the one I let kids shoot there 1st deer with. Leupold VXR. 3-9 x50 firedot reticle. I tell them to put the red dot on the shoulder and touch the trigger. It happens so fast they can't yank the trigger. Dead on the spot almost every time.
Ha ha ha that's great. I'll bet the expression on there face would be fantastic. I seen the Cz years ago, just didn't pull the trigger on one. I heard they were a good mini action bolt gun. Thanks for sharing that, had a good laugh.
I have two CZ rifles and I agree that they make a quality firearm. I wanted to pick up one in 6.5 Grendel for a centerfire rifle my son could start out shooting on since it has such a mild recoil. I hesitated to long and like you said they've been discontinued.
Ruger is making them. Hard to find, for the money I am very pleased. And you can always upgrade them.
