What can the 6.5 Grendel kill?

[Vortex!]

Rifle season opens this Saturday so I hope to put my Grendel to good use!

 

[Richard Teague]

I have two Grendels an AR and a HOWA, both are good shooters. I practice and play with the 129 gr, Hornady spire points also using them in my AR for night hog hunting. I use the 120 gr. Ballistic Tips in the 22 inch barreled HOWA hoping to apply one to a deer in Oklahoma. This rifle is truly an accurate one for as light a barrel it has. I use AA2520 and AR Comp powders. This cartridge to me is at best used under 250 yards and where I usually hunt 150 yards is a long one.

 

[Jluck]

I've put down four small mule deer bucks with one. Good shot placement and reasonable distance...

 

[Heavyiron]

Ballistically, it should be somewhere close to the 6.5 mannlicher which has killed a lot of plains game in africa. It should be excellent with deer, antelope, caribou, mule deer.

 

[MudRunner2005]

Just had to have a Grendel when CZ started offering it in the little 527...Been challenging to get it shooting MOA.
Killed three antelope with it last year just over 400 yards with 100 grain Noslers, it worked ok but nuthing the Sweede wouldn't have done better .
Had it with me the first day this year, no goat but it give a coyote a dirt nap and a dozen prairie dogs.
The second outing to fill the antelope tag the wind was howling so the Sweede got the nod and got-er-done.
The recoil of the Grendel is pleasant and it will reach way out there in good conditions but there are better rounds in the safe when the wind is gusting.

CZ ain't what it used to be... Personal opinion.

I would have spent about half the money and went with the Ruger American in 6.5 Grendel. From what I've been reading and seeing on the interwebz, they will shoot under MOA.

 

[MachV]

The CZ Has been a little disappointing as far as accuracy but fit finish are good and gotta love that set trigger system. Have another 527 in 223 that has become my go-to varmint-getter, I guess I was hoping the Grendel would shoot as good.
As for the Ruger American??? Just cant warm up to that system, kinda like the Savage axis. They may shoot good but?

 

[Tracker12]

Deer and pigs for me wit the Hornady 123 SST and ELD-M. I easily get MOA or under with Hornady Black ELD-M. SST opens up for my to a little over MOA but still respectable. Love this cartridge in my AR platform.

 

[RT2506]

Ballistically, it should be somewhere close to the 6.5 mannlicher which has killed a lot of plains game in africa. It should be excellent with deer, antelope, caribou, mule deer.

The only problem in comparing the 6.5 Grendel to the 6.5 Mannlicher is bullet weight. The Mannlicher runs 30 to 40 more grains of bullet at about the same velocity as the 123 gr out of the Grendel. That extra bullet weight really makes a BIG difference in penetration. Don't get me wrong the Grendel is no slouch when kept to deer size game within 300 yards and will kill most anything if the bullet it placed in the right place but so will a 22 lr. If going grizzly bear hunting I would not purposely be carrying my 6.5 Grendel though.

 

[snox801]

Any luck with your season. I have yet to shoot my grendel. Had a hard time going with one as my 300blk was running 2550fps with 100gr raptor. Works amazing.
Then I saw the hammer 99gr hunter and thought bingo. Time to dig it out from the safe and get as scope on it. The mono with that weight will have great speed and shoot flat. Plus being mono you don't have to worry about penetration. Kinda excited to get to use it but sad at the same time as my blk will have to sit more often.

 

[Vortex!]

I've gone hunting with it but haven't been able to shoot a deer with it yet. I've been taking my sister hunting so I haven't had much of a chance to shoot one yet. I would get her to use it but I think it's a bit heavy for her.

 

[MudRunner2005]

Just found this video on YT... The new Ruger American Predator in 6.5 Grendel shooting out to 1050 yards. Dude was even making 2 headshots in a row on a D28 at 850...And is consistently hitting a 10" plate at 1050... But everybody underestimates the little 6.5 Grendel.

 

[Vortex!]

Finally got my first kill with the 6.5 Grendel! 160 yards with my 20 in. barrel BCA upper. I'm running the hornady black ammo that is loaded with the 123 eldm bullet.

The SST will hold together fine, but not at high velocities. At lower velocities like the Grendel, it should hold together fine. I learned this a long time ago when I had no issues shooting the 139 SST in my 7mm-08 at deer, and it was like lightning... Then I shot the 139 SST in my 7mm RemMag, and had a couple grenade and just destroyed a ton of meat. I stopped using them for hunting after that.

I'm curious to see the 123 ELD factory Hornady Black ammo's performance on deer...Even though I know that it's technically "target" ammo... Heard good things about accuracy.

 

[Vortex!]

 

[MudRunner2005]

Well, I guess now we know "target" bullets will expand properly. Good info! I have been curious about how they would work on game for a while now.