Bullet choice performance experience on whitetail

[Huntchic]

I'm new to using the Grendel cartilage for deer hunting and am intending on giving it a try this season and admittedly have no experience on how it will preform. I hunt near extremely thick cover and or property lines often its important for deer to drop on spot or very limited run. Now i realize shot placement is key. So assuming shot placement is within 1" or less of point of aim I'm looking for folks with experience using the 125 Partition around 2400fps MV and the 123 SST around 2450fps MV. Im using an 18" Faxon barrel AR platform build. In the past I've used 30-06 and shot deer high in the shoulder or neck shots. was always drop on the spot. My thinking is with the Grendel using the 125 Partition out to 150 yards and the 123 SST beyond 150 yards. Can anyone tell me what kind of performance and terminal effects these bullets have done from their experiences on deer? Im also interested in where you hit the deer and outcome. Unless i learn otherwise i plan on shots in the upper shoulder and neck just like i did with the 06 in the past. I may in certain instances or at beyond 150-200 yards shoot in the ribs behind front leg ( boiler room). So because I've yet to use the new Grendel on deer i haven't gained confidence nor any experience yet nor what to expect in most case with a well placed shot using these bullets and velocities.

[LRRPF52]

Here are some results with 125gr Partition and larger studies with all the bullets on game that were put together here on the forum:







Another premium bullet I would consider is the 129gr Nosler Accubond Long Range (ABLR). Very soft bullet that opens up down to 1300fps impact velocity.

If you go with monoliths, there are bunch of them too, with the Cavity Back 105gr and 118gr expanding dramatically, as well as the Maker TREX bullets.

There are hundreds of choices of bullets. 123gr SST is one of the main go-to cup and core bullets due to affordability/performance.

We cover them in the 6.5 Grendel Handbooks, to include a lot of terminal ballistics studies across the impact speed spread for each.

[Huntchic]

Wow thank you so much , that’s perfect. I actually read about the lady who shot the elk the other day. The chart with the distance travel after the shot was great information!

[grendelnubi]

In my experience, within the range your indicating, the only difference you will see with the 6.5 Grendel vs the 30.06 is less meat damage. Same shot placement will have the same results.

I have shot more than 10 deer and many many pigs with my 6.5 Grendel and most were DRT, not one step. You can not beat a neck shot for placement when hunting smaller plots. Most any bullet will perform with good shot placement.

When I am using my 18" - 22" Grendel's I have moved away from the 123 SST, going to the 120 Gold Dot, due to fragmentation. I still use the 123 SST with my 16" however. You will still get some fragmentation even with the Gold Dot but not near what you will see with the SST. Measured weight retention with the SST is between 60-90 grains. 120 GD weight retention is generally about 100-110 grains. Sorry no experience with the 125 Partition, but would suspect it to do as good or better than the 120 Gold Dot. It would be my choice based on the details you provided.

Don't give it another thought, the Grendel will fill your tags.....

[gldprimr]

I don’t use a 30-06 but can say that I have & have used 280AI, 7mm-08, 358 Winchester, 6.5 Creedmoor and 6.5 Grendel to take deer with. I find the 6.5 Grendel kills Whitetail deer as effectively as any of my other rifles with less recoil. It is the rifle I reach for first when I go deer hunting. I have used 125 gr. Nosler Partition, 120 gr. Nosler Ballistic Tip, 123 gr. SST and 129 gr. Nosler Accubond Long Range in my 6.5 Grendel. I’ve pretty well settled on the 129 gr. ABLR though have no issues with any of the others for killing deer. Really load what shoots best in your rifle that you have confidence in, put the bullet where it belongs and get ready to use your skinning knife. I am sure the 6.5 Grendel will not disappoint.

[Huntchic]

Thank you for that. im getting nice tight groups with the 123 SST, 123 ELDM and 125 Partition. Going with the Partition and SST to keep it simple.

[kmon]

My favorite bullet for deer from the Grendel is 129gr Nosler LRAB. It does fragment but stays together very well for penetration. I have yet to recover any in game as they have all passed through even with high shoulder shots.

Partition I have used in many calibers on lots bigger critters including elk, I have full faith in those bullets as well.

[Huntchic]

I’ve not explored the LR but have read many folks liking them.
like you I’ve used the PT in a number of different calibers and it has always performed well in them. Would expect the same from 6.5 Grendel.

[rickt300]

When I first started shooting the Grendel I had a lot of 129 gr. Hornady soft points. They had to be seated pretty deep and I am sure my loads were getting under 2300 fps using BLC2 but everything shot with it went down plenty quick enough. I don't think I ever took a shot longer than 100 yards. After that I used the 120 gr. Ballistic Tips and 100 gr. Nosler partitions. Unfortunately my habit of shooting everything in the neck or high shoulder made it hard to say one was better than the other.

[Huntchic]

I’ve also had good success with interlock bullets in other calibers but I’ve not tried them in Grendel. Wish they made one in 100 gr. To 125 gr. Like you I tend to take neck or shoulder shots whenever possible too.

[oyster]

Whichever bullet your guns shoots the most accurate is the one to use. Deer aren't extremely tough animals, especially for CNS shots.

[Huntchic]

I hear ya which it likes. So far ive stayed around the 123 grain ELD, SST and the 125 Partitions and have good accurate loadings for them. Not tried anything else. I building a 12" Grendel now and ordered bolt and barrel this morning so im planning on starting with 123 SST but may try something lighter if it shows good velocity and energy.

[Stinky Coyote]

shot 6 things last season, 5 with grendel (deer/antelope) and 123gr eld-m factory ammo and 1 with a 308 with 168gr eld-m and all 5 of the grendel kills were drt....the 308 kill went 15 yards lol....

the 123gr eld-m factory ammo is the top choice for everything, you don't have to reload or try anything else, targets to big game, it's perfect....flattens things, for 6 seasons for us now, 7 species of big game, 10-420 yards, 20 animals, average recovery distance about 11 yards, average shot distance about 165 yards