6.5 Grendel - Bad Experience

[MadHatter]

If it was due to lack of expansion, I wouldn't think you would find meat on the ground.
No telling really.
I shoot Barnes out of everything, and have never had a issue.
They are hell out of my 6.8.

[D u s t y]

I've had good success with the Hornady Amax, I believe now it is the ELDX? it's not as frangible projectile as the SST and exits leaving a good blood trail. The SST kills just as well but typically no blood trail. I bought a few hundred when the 123 grn sst's came out and now typically use them on pigs.
As stated above a high shoulder shot puts deer down in their tracks, typically very little meat loss.

The eldx is not like the amax the eld match is with a higher BC. Eldx is best suited to longer shots up close they don’t preform very well. I like the amax and eld match both turn the chest cavity to liquid

[Low Fence]

EVERY animal Lola shoots looks just like this. And IF they ain’t DRT, it’s a blood trail anyone not legally blind can follow

-Fusion 120


… now hornady black…. I might have 3 exits, no exit, exit on same side. I never know what they will do, so I reserve them for mag dump situations. I like the SST…. But I’d have to stab an animal with one…. Cause I can’t hit one with em.

We disassemble a box of them and weight components….. my 5yo could get closer tolerance with his beach toys

[TxBowHntr]

EVERY animal Lola shoots looks just like this. And IF they ain’t DRT, it’s a blood trail anyone not legally blind can follow

-Fusion 120


… now hornady black…. I might have 3 exits, no exit, exit on same side. I never know what they will do, so I reserve them for mag dump situations. I like the SST…. But I’d have to stab an animal with one…. Cause I can’t hit one with em.

We disassemble a box of them and weight components….. my 5yo could get closer tolerance with his beach toys

Dang! I am a fan of Fusion and use those in my other rifles. Will also be looking for Fusion as well for the Grendel. Thanks for posting!

[Drycreek3189]

I never shoot behind the shoulder on deer with a rifle anymore. High shoulder or neck is the ticket for DRT kills.

This right here ! My reason is probably different from yours, I’m too old to drag a deer 200 yards out of the woods now, so I like to drive right up to them. A Sierra GK out of my .280 ruins very little meat.

[Bluesman]

Hornady American Gunner Ammunition 6.5 Grendel 123 Grain Hollow Point Boat Tail

I use these but out of a 20" barrel AR. Have only shot paper, they did well at 100 yards. Made pre-covid by a couple of years.

[SAC]

Hornady American Gunner Ammunition 6.5 Grendel 123 Grain Hollow Point Boat Tail

I use these but out of a 20" barrel AR. Have only shot paper, they did well at 100 yards. Made pre-covid by a couple of years.

I hesitated to buy the 200 round pack, only to see the price double in 3 weeks

[crawdaddy21]

I use 123 SST but shoot them right behind the ear. DRT and waste less meat. It’s either hit or miss and you know right then.

[BCHUNTER]

Find some fusion ammo.

[3rdCoastHunter]

Round is child’s play.

[RifleBowPistol]

Do some reading, Barnes bullets don't open up very reliably at all. I have tried a couple different types of Barnes, shot multiple deer, never had one open up. They just zip through, with very little damage. The only reason I recovered the deer I shot, was they were all heart shots. So the deer only went 40 yards and dropped, but no blood, small entrance and exit wounds.

With a round like a 6.5 Grendel, you are not going to get a lot of velocity, then with the short barrel, you are loosing quite a bit o velocity. Combine the low muzzle velocity with a Barnes bullet, you are not going to get much expansion, so very low damage and very little blood to trail.

The Grendel can be very lethal, but for it to be such, you really need to do some research and find good bullets that will give you reliable expansion.

[softpoint]

I've only shot 4 animals with my Grendel. It has an 18 inch barrel. I used 85 grain Sierra hollow points, because I have a stash of them. I've killed two deer, both does, both only ran about 30-40 yards before going down. Bullet went all the way through on broadside shots right behind the shoulder. Exit about golf ball size. Also killed two hogs, one about 70 pounds, and a boar about 175 pounds. Both fell right on the spot. Didn't dress them out and didn't inspect bullet wounds. These were hand loads with the Sierra bullets.

[KickerPoint79]

As others have said, the fusion has been great for me. Deer and hogs down like a hammer with shoulder shots. But it’s been impossible to find unfortunately.

[Kingfisher789]

There is always the chance the hit wasn't as good, but I feel really good about the shots. And the second deer reacted as expected. I checked the zero on the rifle when back at camp and it is still on at 100. Judging by what everyone is saying, I need to get my hands on some Hornady SST rounds. Needless to say, I will not be shooting anymore deer with these rounds.

Why are you shooting “ behind the shoulder?”

[TN_boy]

SST are the way to go. My son made this bad shot at 100yds and the deer only ran 20yds.