Howa Mini 6.5 Grendel- what is wrong?

[Almondgrower]

Use a proven used scope you own.Putting another new scope on that also could be defective proves nothing.I am betting on loose mounts,rings over tightened or bad scope.

I have a Howa mini 6.5 Grendel for my son and it shoots really well , I'd ck the above , that's what my money would be on . Mount/screw issue , mount fit to action issue or scope issue

 

[Mike Matteson]

Is your son the only shooter with this rifle. Have you tried it? Is the rifle being bench rested, or standing and shooting. It looks like you have tried only 2 manufactures bullets. There several other manufactures that build bullets for that cartridge. What's the trigger pull weight? You don't say weather you are using hand loads or store purchase ammo? Need to watch him shot, and see if he's doing something wrong.
SSS
Mke

 

[msauce1]

After checking all that others have said you might try a limb saver barrel donut it helped my howa 6.5 grendel they have very thin barrels and heat quickly too.

 

[RYEWSKY25284]

In the last 8 months at the range, I've seen three brand new Vortex Crossfire II scopes bad right from the first round! One was my best friends. Luckily, I almost always have a couple of spare scopes with me when I go to the range, usually testing them or a rifle.

Start with a well proven scope or a new higher quality scope next...

line up behind the gun like you are going to to take a shot, then dry fire, look for ANY movement or wiggle in the crosshair. If it's got ANY wiggle....That is more than likely the culprit.
After having learned a frustrating lesson with scopes gremlins, this is the first thing I do at the first when something seems out of wack....

My .02 cents

 

[wkdwdg66]

View attachment 185418

Good pattern for 12ga 00.

 

[Calhntr]

Start with a better scope with different rings and bases, make sure the rings are aligned and lapped in , not stressing the scope tube in anyway, and the crossfire is vortex's chinese made cheapest line they offer. There are good chinese scopes but they cost 4x more and usually too big for a mini Howa, a leupold vx2, or 3i, or burris fullfield 2, are good quality scopes to start out with. They hold zero for me season after season on a
AR 6.5 grendel, Rem.700 .243, Savage and Ruger American .308, Savage 7mm-08, Win.70 270win. And Win.70 300win. mag. Good luck, Howas are known as good shooters

 

[TXTrained]

I had the same problem with a 223 Wylde...I checked and retorqued barrel nut,Scope mount,rings,barrel for a Copper Foul...It ended up being the scope.I did have best group with cheap 62 grain Golden Bear...It out grrops Hornady Black and every other Ive tried.
Now with that said My 6.5 Grendel witha 24 inch Spiral Fluted barrel on Ar15 and a cheap Bear Creek Arsenal is a Tack driver.Its shoots a 1/4 inch to 3/8 inch at 100 yds all day long.It did take about 120 bullets to get lined out though after break in.It shoots anything I throw at it.From 100 grain Wolf to Hornady Black to Hornady Match.
Id definetly swap scopes and go from trhere.Its probably an optic problem more than a barrel. Good Luck.

 

[Indian7953]

. My grandson has a 65 Creedmoor predator he paid under 400 bucks for and it shoots better than any rifle I have that cost up to $2000. I just bought a predator for myself, they had them on sale last week for $350.

 

[Johnd45lc]

Hey Bub

Hey John cool seeing you on here.

For sure!
May need to bring this rifle over to you guys.
We changed the scope out and put the Nightforce bases, Warne rings and the Nightforce scope on it.
It shot better, but not great.
Do you think you guys could make this thing shoot like it should for a decent price?

 

[JMW67]

For sure!
May need to bring this rifle over to you guys.
We changed the scope out and put the Nightforce bases, Warne rings and the Nightforce scope on it.
It shot better, but not great.
Do you think you guys could make this thing shoot like it should for a decent price?

For sure!
May need to bring this rifle over to you guys.
We changed the scope out and put the Nightforce bases, Warne rings and the Nightforce scope on it.
It shot better, but not great.
Do you think you guys could make this thing shoot like it should for a decent price?

looks like you might be down to finding ammo it likes

 

[5gauss]

I would try another scope...even buy one. Good to have spare of everything. If scope mounts are rock solid and you have tried the other things mentioned, scopes can be bad(Unless you have proven this one on another rifle) I would try another scope and go from there. I have never had loads that crazy at 100 from just different powders, primers, cases, seating depths, etc....not that wide. Have seen it several times in friends scopes...

 

[5gauss]

For sure!
May need to bring this rifle over to you guys.
We changed the scope out and put the Nightforce bases, Warne rings and the Nightforce scope on it.
It shot better, but not great.
Do you think you guys could make this thing shoot like it should for a decent price?

just saw this...yes better...should still do much better....your guy maybe can help...or try more variation based on an already proven load in the data somewhere...and go from there
a quest

 

[Arkansasdad]

In the last 8 months at the range, I've seen three brand new Vortex Crossfire II scopes bad right from the first round! One was my best friends. Luckily, I almost always have a couple of spare scopes with me when I go to the range, usually testing them or a rifle.

Start with a well proven scope or a new higher quality scope next...

Yeah, Chinese scopes are not much. This statement is not directed to you but I have been to the range and saw people with good custom builds and put these cheap scopes on them. Remember a good scope will make a mediocre rifle shoot better but a poor scope will ruin any rifle. Why anyone would put Chinese anything on anything is beyond me. When it really counts these junkers will lay down, if you cant make them work at the range how will you make them work in the field. I talk to these guys about scopes and hardware, they tell me how good these Chinese, Taiwan, Bangladesh, Korean and so forth scopes are and how they retain their zero but looking at the scope there is not a mark on them from wear or use. These folks don't know how to judge quality, take that rifle and scope and use it, really use it, then tell me how good it is after it gets some dents and bruises and after a few thousand rounds. Buy American you will be happier and you wont have to hide it from your friends at the range at the range.

 

[RYEWSKY25284]

Yeah, Chinese scopes are not much. This statement is not directed to you but I have been to the range and saw people with good custom builds and put these cheap scopes on them. Remember a good scope will make a mediocre rifle shoot better but a poor scope will ruin any rifle. Why anyone would put Chinese anything on anything is beyond me. When it really counts these junkers will lay down, if you cant make them work at the range how will you make them work in the field. I talk to these guys about scopes and hardware, they tell me how good these Chinese, Taiwan, Bangladesh, Korean and so forth scopes are and how they retain their zero but looking at the scope there is not a mark on them from wear or use. These folks don't know how to judge quality, take that rifle and scope and use it, really use it, then tell me how good it is after it gets some dents and bruises and after a few thousand rounds. Buy American you will be happier and you wont have to hide it from your friends at the range at the range.

You are spot on. It drives me nuts to see these guys at the range with really nice rifles and junk glass and wonder why it won't group. And some of them.....you just can't pound it in their head the importance of good glass. Heck, good glass helps an average rifle.