6.5 Grendel stalking rifle with 115gr Barnes Tac-X
- Thread starter Gatehouse
- Start date
Just for comparison, I also shot these loads in this rifle a little while ago:
100gr Nosler@ 2400 FPS
127 SST, 129 Nosler LRAB @ 2250-2300 FPS
So I am hoping to get somewhere around 2350 FPS with these bullets. As this is a stalking rifle and not a precision rig, I'm less concerned extreme accuracy and more interested in velocity. Although I'm sure I will end up with a load with both good speed and good accuracy.
100gr Nosler@ 2400 FPS
127 SST, 129 Nosler LRAB @ 2250-2300 FPS
So I am hoping to get somewhere around 2350 FPS with these bullets. As this is a stalking rifle and not a precision rig, I'm less concerned extreme accuracy and more interested in velocity. Although I'm sure I will end up with a load with both good speed and good accuracy.
islandhunter
CGN Regular
- Location
- princeton b.c.
Wow, good velocities! I'm getting 2300 fps with a 16" barrel, ar comp and 129 ablr
littlehughey
Regular
- Location
- Central Alberta
Watch out on that D8208BR Gatehouse, it reaches max sooner than IMR8208XBR - I had a 100fps velocity jump on the last 0.2gr increment when working up loads in the 223 Rem. Great powder, just work up carefully.
Yup, it’s faster burning for sure. Unfortunately will probably hit a wall with the 8208 so I’m waiting for a jug of CFE 223 to show up.
elimsprint
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Kelowna, BC
Yup, it’s faster burning for sure. Unfortunately will probably hit a wall with the 8208 so I’m waiting for a jug of CFE 223 to show up.
CFE223 is the best powder I have found for my 6.5 Grendel, 123SST's @2704 out of my 22" barrel with superb accuracy. I want to run a few over the chrono to see how much they lose in the cold but, it's cold and I'm feeling lazy, lol.. I worked up the load in the summer heat and I don't know exactly how temp sensitive it is but I think it's safer going from hot to cold than the opposite. 8208XBR was OK but slower and not quite as accurate, I haven't tried anything else yet.
elimsprint
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Kelowna, BC
Gatehouse, what does your loading program say for a max charge of CFE223? I'm up to 31.4 but I don't know what max is and I'm not seeing any pressure signs at all.
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elimsprint
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Kelowna, BC
Thanks Gatehouse, I'm running the 123SST's, I've got 400+ of them so I'll be running them for a while, lol.
leveractionjunkie
CGN frequent flyer
- Location
- Kamloops, BC
I keep thinking this round might just be the perfect centerfire cartridge for my kids to start big game with. Maybe a nice light bolt action, single shot or even a modern stalking rifle.
This thread is adding evidence to that decision.
This thread is adding evidence to that decision.
I can't think of a better cartridge for kids to start big game with. The standard answer seems to have been ".243" but it has more recoil, uses more powder and they aren't going to be shooting game at long distances at first anyway. Low recoil = they will want to shoot it more = get more practice hitting stuff and less practice flinching.
My CFE 223 powder showed up and Bear season will soon be arriving so I decided to get back to the 6.5 Grendel Stalking Rifle project!
Shot a few powder charges working up a load, here are the last 3.
Wind really picked up and it starting dumping sleet for the last 2 groups but I managed pretty good accuracy.
With a 100 yard zero:
100 yard- velocity 2112fps 1140 FtLbs
200 yard- velocity 1910fps 930 FtLbs 6.3" /.9 MRAD low
300 yard- velocity 1720 fps 760 FtLbs 22"/2.1 MRAD low
The drops will line up nicely with the reticle on the Vortex PST 1-6 scope I will install on it.
Shot a few powder charges working up a load, here are the last 3.
Wind really picked up and it starting dumping sleet for the last 2 groups but I managed pretty good accuracy.
With a 100 yard zero:
100 yard- velocity 2112fps 1140 FtLbs
200 yard- velocity 1910fps 930 FtLbs 6.3" /.9 MRAD low
300 yard- velocity 1720 fps 760 FtLbs 22"/2.1 MRAD low
The drops will line up nicely with the reticle on the Vortex PST 1-6 scope I will install on it.
I am looking to do the same and work up a load with my Renegade Grendel but I chose the nosler accubond LR instead it's 129gr so a bit heavier but it also claims expansion down to 1300fps while barnes needs a lot more velocity.
I did pick barnes for my 10" 300blk tho because they have a 110gr designed specifically for blackout and expands fully down to 1200 fps and its a 150 yard max setup.
I have used the 168gr on elk before in my 308 the TTSX works beautifully but once your going down to 2000fps they are not reliable so that was why I looked at the nosler accubond lr instead.
I did pick barnes for my 10" 300blk tho because they have a 110gr designed specifically for blackout and expands fully down to 1200 fps and its a 150 yard max setup.
I have used the 168gr on elk before in my 308 the TTSX works beautifully but once your going down to 2000fps they are not reliable so that was why I looked at the nosler accubond lr instead.
This Barnes bullet is tailored towards the Grendel and rated for the similar expansion velocity - about 1400FPS. And I am sure they will expand down to that threshold under optimal conditions but as we know, things aren't always optimal in hunting situations.
So in theory this load will expand at 300 yards but in practice I will choosing this stalking rifle for terrain where 300 yard shots exist but are the exception rather than the norm. To promote rapid expansion, hitting some shoulder bone will be a good practice.
I had a good load for the 129 LRAB in my 20" Grendel but then Justin banned it. I'll probably make a load for them in this rifle too, I have some left over ammunition and it seemed to work fine in this rifle but I would like to optimize the load for the 12.5" barrel.
I think I am going to swap this barrel onto a MRA Renegade as well. While I don't have a problem chambering a Grendel cartridge into the LPC, it's more effort than with my .223 LPC, and it sounds like the spring assist is better suited to the case geometry of the Grendel. And since I have a MRA receiver sitting on the shelf I haven't done anything with yet, it makes sense to at least try it out.
So in theory this load will expand at 300 yards but in practice I will choosing this stalking rifle for terrain where 300 yard shots exist but are the exception rather than the norm. To promote rapid expansion, hitting some shoulder bone will be a good practice.
I had a good load for the 129 LRAB in my 20" Grendel but then Justin banned it. I'll probably make a load for them in this rifle too, I have some left over ammunition and it seemed to work fine in this rifle but I would like to optimize the load for the 12.5" barrel.
I think I am going to swap this barrel onto a MRA Renegade as well. While I don't have a problem chambering a Grendel cartridge into the LPC, it's more effort than with my .223 LPC, and it sounds like the spring assist is better suited to the case geometry of the Grendel. And since I have a MRA receiver sitting on the shelf I haven't done anything with yet, it makes sense to at least try it out.
Here's a light one in 6.5 Grendel with an 18" Gunner Match Faxon barrel and SSA-E trigger. It tips the scale at 6lbs, 2.8oz with scope but no mag.
Anyone who hunts with one of these rifles NEEDS to get ATRS' backpack sling. It is super comfortable hands-free carry with a surprisingly quick swing to action. The rifle sits perfectly between the shoulder blades and sometimes you forget it's there. I have a slightly longer handguard coming for it.
I plugged the gas port to save weight vs using the supplied ring.
Anyone who hunts with one of these rifles NEEDS to get ATRS' backpack sling. It is super comfortable hands-free carry with a surprisingly quick swing to action. The rifle sits perfectly between the shoulder blades and sometimes you forget it's there. I have a slightly longer handguard coming for it.
I plugged the gas port to save weight vs using the supplied ring.
This Barnes bullet is tailored towards the Grendel and rated for the similar expansion velocity - about 1400FPS. And I am sure they will expand down to that threshold under optimal conditions but as we know, things aren't always optimal in hunting situations.
So in theory this load will expand at 300 yards but in practice I will choosing this stalking rifle for terrain where 300 yard shots exist but are the exception rather than the norm. To promote rapid expansion, hitting some shoulder bone will be a good practice.
I had a good load for the 129 LRAB in my 20" Grendel but then Justin banned it. I'll probably make a load for them in this rifle too, I have some left over ammunition and it seemed to work fine in this rifle but I would like to optimize the load for the 12.5" barrel.
I think I am going to swap this barrel onto a MRA Renegade as well. While I don't have a problem chambering a Grendel cartridge into the LPC, it's more effort than with my .223 LPC, and it sounds like the spring assist is better suited to the case geometry of the Grendel. And since I have a MRA receiver sitting on the shelf I haven't done anything with yet, it makes sense to at least try it out.
You might want to look into that because from what I have read the 6.5 barnes bullets are built for 3000fps creedmoor and other high velocity 6.5 calibers and nothing I have read says any of the 6.5 bullets expand under 2000 min expansion of any kind is 1800 but lots of reviews show that 2000 is the minimum really. The 110 and 120 blackout are designed specifically for the low velocity blackout that is confirmed but please if you seen the same with their 6.5 designed for Grendel let me know because I cannot find anything online that says that.
