Pretty much the same thing happened when they discontinued the 550 full stock rifles in 2017. Glad I was able to get one before they did.
6.5 Grendel for whitetail
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snox801
Well-Known Member
The 6.5 grendel is my man go to for hunting.
I found the 100gr class to be the best. Either the 97gr absolute or the 99 hammer hunter are amazing
. I've killed well over 100 pigs. Almost 20 audad, lots of deer, and a red stag with it. Ranges all the way out to 400 yards.
I found the 100gr class to be the best. Either the 97gr absolute or the 99 hammer hunter are amazing
. I've killed well over 100 pigs. Almost 20 audad, lots of deer, and a red stag with it. Ranges all the way out to 400 yards.
sdakotaguy
Well-Known Member
Have you been stretching the Hammer's out to 400 yards?
snox801
Well-Known Member
I have. I wasn't impressed with the 123gr anything at the lower speeds. Went to the 99 hammers and it was a totally different rifle.
Now I'm onto the 97gr right at 3k in my 18" ar platform and 3150 in my bolt 16" howa mini.
They have dropped at least one audad and one deer at 400 yards. Have not been able to stretch it fatter but being it dropped a red stag through both shoulders and did fine at 139 yards. And the many many large pigs I've shot id say I've tested it plenty and I would feel comfortable shooting it to 450-500 where the hammer hits its min FPS recommended speed.
Now I'm onto the 97gr right at 3k in my 18" ar platform and 3150 in my bolt 16" howa mini.
They have dropped at least one audad and one deer at 400 yards. Have not been able to stretch it fatter but being it dropped a red stag through both shoulders and did fine at 139 yards. And the many many large pigs I've shot id say I've tested it plenty and I would feel comfortable shooting it to 450-500 where the hammer hits its min FPS recommended speed.
sdakotaguy
Well-Known Member
What is your preferred propellant in the AR & the Howa?
Either the hammers are a different animal or thats way over max. Best I can do with 100's in an 18" ar is 2700. What powder? Fyi saami max pressure is 52k in an ar due to bolt thrust.
snox801
Well-Known Member
They are indeed different in the way they reduced pressure.
Absolute hammers create a Weatherby style jump that lowers the pressure spike.
I followed all my standard reloading process to find max pressure then backed off .5grs and started finding nodes around that that are accurate.
I've had great luck with xbr for the 99gr but had to to to a faster powder Rl10x for the 97gr.
But please don't take my load a data as your own work up yourself.
My loads have worked in both mine and my brothers ar platform for hundreds of rounds with primers, and brass looking good.
The rl10 needs some work with adjustable gas block as it's a fast powered but was easy enough to tune.
snox801
Well-Known Member
Maybe your a bit off on some of your inputs cause here is load data from Barnes which is a mono bullet in the 100gr class 2855fps with xbr which is right in the ballpark that I got with the 99 hammer. Just slightly faster than I was able to get but each rifle is different.
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snox801
Well-Known Member
For the 99gr in both at and bolt xbr 8208 is the magic.
For the 97gr Rl10x is the ticket. Can't push the at nearly to what the bolt could before pressure so I do have two loads. Currently only running the ar load in both as to never run into a safety issue. Still shoots great out of the bolt but at 2980fps instead of 3100fps.
Buffalobwana
Well-Known Member
I have been using the Grendel since 2016. Shot 4 Antelope, half a dozen pigs one doe one Aoudad ewe and one big hairy Aoudad ram. All with Hornady 123 gr SST.
A dozen animals isn't quite conclusive, on most of these critters, I was 200 or under. All my shots were quickly effective. Maybe 3 of them took more than a couple steps. Most fell DRT when I shot well. Even the Doodad. Pigs were shot in the neck, shoulder on all Antelope and doe and frontal chest on Aoudad.
I am very impressed with this round. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend it for anything under (but not quite including) Elk.
A dozen animals isn't quite conclusive, on most of these critters, I was 200 or under. All my shots were quickly effective. Maybe 3 of them took more than a couple steps. Most fell DRT when I shot well. Even the Doodad. Pigs were shot in the neck, shoulder on all Antelope and doe and frontal chest on Aoudad.
I am very impressed with this round. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend it for anything under (but not quite including) Elk.
Buffalobwana
Well-Known Member
TAC and 123 gr Nos CC and Hornady SST is very accurate in my gun. Velocity is fine, accuracy is great.
snox801
Well-Known Member
I would not hesitate to take an elk with the hammers out of it. At 3k and 100gr that's basically .243 win with a mono construction bullet. It handled the red stag fine. Oh and my biggest was a trans long horn shot behind shoulder. I wasn't to impressed with mine using 120gr plus ammo. But it's different animal with 100gr pills.
The Barnes data is for a 24" barrel. You would be 150 fps less for an 18". So that puts you at 2700 or a little less.
snox801
Well-Known Member
That's not the case with grendel. They don't lose that much per inch of barrel. Hence why so many 12" grendels are sold as they work great. Second the hammers whole design is helpful to reducing pressure. They have always been able to be pushed faster for same pressure as similar weight bullets.
I follow the same technique everyone else does to find pressure. First sign be it brass flow, flat primer, or heavy bolt lift then back off. Same as i did with the 123eld. So pressures should be equal. I'm not the only one mike from Texas actually gets a bit more speed than me out of his with his 97gr. So it's pretty common.
I follow the same technique everyone else does to find pressure. First sign be it brass flow, flat primer, or heavy bolt lift then back off. Same as i did with the 123eld. So pressures should be equal. I'm not the only one mike from Texas actually gets a bit more speed than me out of his with his 97gr. So it's pretty common.
