Not happy with my grendel....

[Outsider]

Firstly...This is not a slam on Alexander Arms, Hornady, or any other manufacture of products that I use in conjunction with my grendel.

My upper is flawless...It is super accurate, it does not jam, the barrell cleans easily the fit and finish are top notch....

Here is my problem....Last season i only had A-Max to hunt with...they are not a hunting bullet, I get that....I had my first deer run off after I shot it, no blood trail at all and i luckily found it. Second deer I shot...Directly in the shoulder complete pass through evident by the two blood trails...Lost that deer, and it was the first deer I had ever lost with a rifle shot. Shot another doe last year, had to shoot it 3 times...twice behind the shoulder and once in the neck.

This season I acquired 5 boxes of 123gr SST's, shot 1 doe with them, she ran off 65 or so yards after a quartering shot in the front of one shoulder and exit at rear of the rib cage....good exit hole....ended up having to shoot her again in the neck.

This is what amazes me...So many of you guys kill deer, antelope, mulies, Caribou, Bear, Hogs, etc. with yours with no problem....What is the freaking deal with mine??? I have never had this much trouble with any of my other rifles...I have an AA Overwatch 24" with Xcomp on it. It makes me scratch my head, I'll tell you that....I am breaking out my ultra mag for whitetail buck season next week due to lack of confidence of the round and its performance record that I have experienced. I am going to give it one more chance in Doe season and if I have similar performance issues, i am selling it....

[LRRPF52]

What distances were the shots taken at? Sounds like some tough deer. WV deer seem to be averaging in the 100lb range, so the Grendel is about the perfect cartridge for them.

If your engagement ranges are closer than 100yds, you probably need a bonded or solid bullet. The 24" barrel has pretty good muzzle velocity, and all the pills you mentioned don't lose energy fast. Any details on shot placement, where the entrances were? Sounds like you were placing them well.

[Outsider]

Now that I think about it, All my shots have been within 100 yds....

Why a bonded bullet?
Would a barnes TTSX be a better option?

And our deer aren't huge by any standards....all small/medium does not more than 100 pounds, bucks bigger but i have never killed a buck with it.

[bwaites]

This sounds like your rifle is functioning perfectly well.

Your frustration seems to be centered around the results with 2 Hornady bullets. There are LOTS of "dead right there" shots with those bullets, so its perplexing you've had the experience that you have.

I would consider a TTX or TTSX. At those ranges, the 100 grain bullet should be an awesome whitetail killer.

At the velocities you are getting, I would not expect the SST's to come apart, and I would expect them to expand reliably, but a bonded bullet would DEFINITELY not come apart at Grendel speeds.

I suspect you have just been the unlucky guy in the group who does everything right and has a little devil in the mix that screws things up!

Good luck with the suggested changes.

[LRRPF52]

So here is what I think is happening:

The 24" is kicking these out at around 2600fps, and they don't shed speed quickly. You're getting penetration, but the critters are so small, that there isn't much chest cavity to work with. Going with a lighter, faster bullet might actually do the trick as well.

You could also go for head shots if your rifle is dialed-in that well, if you're shooting from solid support. A shoulder shot with a 100gr TTSX will tear through the animal, expanding, and passing through.

I'll be interested to hear what others have to say about taking deer in the 100lb range within 100yds. I'm used to big mulie monsters out here in the Rockies, where does are bigger than most bucks in the South and Southeastern US.

[MrFrankZ]

I would consider a TTX or TTSX. At those ranges, the 100 grain bullet should be an awesome whitetail killer.

+1
Using a 300BLK with 110gr TTSX, which is far less lethal than the 6.5G, I have DRT'd a couple of deer and hogs go down within 100.

[Outsider]

I'll say it again, I never said ANYTHING about the functionality of the rifle...Nothing, It is absoultely flawless. Just the shots/rounds...And i don't reload...which is another factor that is pushing me away from the round.

[45r]

The TTSX are excellent for hunting.Better to pay more than to lose your deer.

[cory]

If Precision Firearms can get enough commitments they're going to do a run of 100gr TTSX ammunition.

http://www.65grendel.com/forum/showthread.php?7211-New-Loads-by-PF/page6

[hm2 clark]

It"s always upsetting when a cartridge fails you when hunting deer. Here is a partial list of cartridge that have failed me while dear hunting. 30 06 with 150 gr 165gr and 180gr. 270 in 130gr,140gr 150 gr. 308 in 150 or 165 gr. 243 in 100 gr. 7mag. 30 30. .223. Then again, I have seen a 22mag work Here is a list of the cartridges that have never failed me yet. 6.5 x 55 in 130 or 140 gr. So..I suspect that maybe killing a deer is an inexact science. Sometimes it's just luck, good or bad. Frequently its my shot placement. In a rare case its bullet construction. I conclude that I get the most consistant kills when I choose a rifle/bullet combination that I shoot well. Maybe its not the Grendel thats the problem, maybe you just dont shoot the AR platform as well as you would shoot a bolt action platform, I know I dont.

[Sputnik]

Wanna sell it? Most sticks posted here don't last long if the price is right! Personally, I haven't hunted with mine and probably never will, but I like the way it punches paper. Hang in there, try some of the above ideas and keep us posted. It must be frustrating, but chock it up to growing pains. Most posts report the 123 SST as a nice hunting round.

[woohoo]

I like the 100gr TTSX too...driven as fast as I can.

[Sputnik]

Was there any internal vital damage?

[montana]

In my getting to be a long history of hunting I would have to say pound for pound, deer are one of the toughest animals to kill. I have shot many elk , but deer will always surprise me with their toughness. If your shots were placed right you may still have to track them for a longer distance than you might think. The first deer I shot when I was a boy took 3-3006 rounds which all went into the chest cavity. it's back leg was already shot completely off from another hunter who was a good 300 yards above me on a steep hill side. It ran another 50 yards after my last shot and was still alive when I reached him. Neck or head shots have always drop them in their tracks. I have seen them jump straight into the air after a heart shot and run for almost 100 yards. I wouldn't blame the 6.5 Grendel caliber, it's just part of the hunting experience that can create some lively hunting and caliber debates among hunters.

[Nukes]

...create some lively hunting and caliber debates among hunters.

Like those 9mm v .45ACP debates among the CCW crowd :-)