+- 6.5 Grendel Forum (https://65grendel.com)
+-- Forum: 6.5 GRENDEL DISCUSSION FORUMS (https://65grendel.com/forumdisplay.php?fid=3)
+--- Forum: 6.5 Grendel Hunting & Varminting (https://65grendel.com/forumdisplay.php?fid=11)
+--- Thread: Factory deer hunting ammo (/showthread.php?tid=19368)
Factory deer hunting ammo - c0ony - 08-07-2019
I know this has likely been asked to death, but I'm curious what the recommendations are on factory hunting ammo.
I'm going to be taking my 18" monster barrel to hunt mule deer in Utah. I don't have any reloading equipment, just to damn pricey to get into it, so I'm looking only at factory ammo.
It sounds like the Hornady 123g sst has issues with expanding, so I'm thinking of striking that off the list. So far I'm looking at Federal 130gr Berger Hybrid, the Federal 120g fusion, or the Alexander Arms loaded Barnes 120g TSX HPBT.
Does anyone have any experience with these loads? or any other recommendations?
Factory deer hunting ammo - A5BLASTER - 08-07-2019
I have never heard anyone say the SST doesn't expand. Well anyone but 6.8 Nazi's.
Take your pic ton's of hunting ammo out there.
Hornady sst
Federal 120 fusion
PF sells tons of hunting loads
Nosler 129 ablr (I think it's available now)
Hendershots has loads
I'm sure I'm messing a bunch.
The best factory hunting load is going to be what shots the best out your barrel. Hornady black eld-m ammo works just fine on game.
Hit the high shoulder and take out the cns and it will die.
Factory deer hunting ammo - Bigs28 - 08-07-2019
Sst is the standard to which i used to compare everything else as far as performance but the accuracy was not great for my rifle. I also switched to lead free. Check out precision firearms ammo. It's expensive but you only need 1 box.
Factory deer hunting ammo - Double Naught Spy - 08-07-2019
Quote:It sounds like the Hornady 123g sst has issues with expanding, so I'm thinking of striking that off the list.
I must have missed the reference to this, but I don't think I have ever considered SST as having troubles expanding. Some people report accuracy issues, but I can't recall expanding issues. If anything, you may not like how much SST can fragment. Since you are deer hunting, I expect that you want to save as much meat as possible and SST may not optimize that as much as other bullets such as Federal Fusion and other bullets that stay together better.
Quote:Take your pic ton's of hunting ammo out there.
Hornady sst
Federal 120 fusion
PF sells tons of hunting loads
Nosler 129 ablr (I think it's available now)
Hendershots has loads
PF is Precision Firearms (in case you didn't know). https://www.precisionfirearms.com/48m8/ammo/6-5-grendel-ammo.html This isn't budget ammo and they can be slow to fill orders if they don't have it currently in stock (I assume because they do runs for each cartridge that they offer and if they don't have it right now, you wait until they make the next run of it). You pay for quality and you get quality. So if you find something they have listed that you think you want for deer season, don't order it the week before deer season. Order it now, ahead of all the other people ordering just before deer season. Like A5BLASTER said, they have a lot to choose from and I think you will find several other options to consider as well.
If you are tight on money, Federal Fusion seems to perform exactly as designed (at least on the hogs I have shot with it).
Factory deer hunting ammo - Kswhitetails - 08-09-2019
DNS, forgive me if you've already discussed it, but have you ever tested the ELD-Ms on hogs? Interested in your input if you have any. Thanks
Factory deer hunting ammo - 1075 tech - 08-09-2019
Has anyone here used Mark's 129 ABLR loading? He's saying 2400 FPS from a 24" barrel. So I'm guessing ~2100 from my 12" GB? Does that sound like a good guestimate? I'm thinking of using this from my 12" for whitetail this fall. Even at 350' ASL I should still be able to get a decent range as long as I do my part with proper holdovers.
ETA: playing with a couple ballistic calculators, my MPBR would be about 240 yds. This would still have plenty of speed at ~1700+/- but energy is now a bit under 900 ft lbs. Enough?
Factory deer hunting ammo - Double Naught Spy - 08-09-2019
Kswhitetails Wrote:DNS, forgive me if you've already discussed it, but have you ever tested the ELD-Ms on hogs? Interested in your input if you have any. Thanks
I did and I did not feel like it did well for me on hogs and gave up on it. There seem to be plenty of deer hunters that like it, however.
Factory deer hunting ammo - A5BLASTER - 08-09-2019
1075 tech Wrote:Has anyone here used Mark's 129 ABLR loading? He's saying 2400 FPS from a 24" barrel. So I'm guessing ~2100 from my 12" GB? Does that sound like a good guestimate? I'm thinking of using this from my 12" for whitetail this fall. Even at 350' ASL I should still be able to get a decent range as long as I do my part with proper holdovers.
ETA: playing with a couple ballistic calculators, my MPBR would be about 240 yds. This would still have plenty of speed at ~1700+/- but energy is now a bit under 900 ft lbs. Enough?
I haven't used his 129 ablr on game but I have used his 127 LRX load on game.
His 129 ablr load should be gtg. And yes 900 ft lbs is more then enough for deer.
I kill them with stick and string and that doest even make 100 ft lbs.
Put the bullet through the heart it dies, put it in the high shoulder/spine it dies on the spot.
Factory deer hunting ammo - kmon - 08-10-2019
900 ft/lbs is more than enough, as A5 said. I have killed plenty of deer with much less. Love hunting with handguns that do not generate 600 at the muzzle and much less at 50 yards and they work well with a shot through the vitals, I have killed quite a few with the old anemic 25-20 and 218 bee and 30 carbine, hardly your deer slayer rounds but put one through the vitals and you have a dead deer.
Factory deer hunting ammo - c0ony - 08-24-2019
Am I crazy or is Federal Fusion 120g going out of stock. Are they discontinuing it?
Factory deer hunting ammo - A5BLASTER - 08-24-2019
c0ony Wrote:Am I crazy or is Federal Fusion 120g going out of stock. Are they discontinuing it?
Ammoseek.com
Factory deer hunting ammo - Javman - 08-24-2019
c0ony Wrote:Am I crazy or is Federal Fusion 120g going out of stock. Are they discontinuing it?
Seeing it in all my local Academy's.
Factory deer hunting ammo - BCHunter - 08-24-2019
Ammo selection seems to be a regional thing with 6.5 grendel my LGS only has 120 a max, which is discontinued for awhile now. But the local hardware has hornady black all the time, my brother 100 miles away in a town 1/3 the size has federal fusion, black, federal berger in stock all the time.
Factory deer hunting ammo - Frontier Gear - 09-02-2019
ELD-M and SST work great on bears and deer. In my experience, both expand well. I had some guys on another form try to tell me once that the SST in a Grendel wouldn’t expand, but none of them had ever owned (or even shot I think) a Grendel so I wouldn’t put too much stock into those options. As A5 points out in a few places, shot placement is more important. Go for whichever one is more accurate in your rifle.
Factory deer hunting ammo - tracker12 - 09-04-2019
I have used SST and ELD both. No problems with either in hogs. I like the accuracy of the ELD so that is what I have settled on
Factory deer hunting ammo - 1075 tech - 09-05-2019
c0ony Wrote:Am I crazy or is Federal Fusion 120g going out of stock. Are they discontinuing it?
Buds gun shop has fusion and the 90gr as well.
Factory deer hunting ammo - Double Naught Spy - 09-05-2019
Federal Fusion 120...
https://ammoseek.com/ammo/6.5mm-grendel?ikw=fusion&ca=brass&ekw=Carolina%20Munitions
Factory deer hunting ammo - bohawg - 09-06-2019
Been a while since last post, so hello everyone! In reference to OP, I started not to even chime in because everyone that has responded is spot on. My son and I shoot hogs and coyotes for about 5 different farmers on a commercial Nuisance Control permit. Lot of long nights and bad conditions! So when we shoot we want to make it count! We have tried many calibers, and we currently shoot a couple different calibers other than the Grendel. But the 6.5 Grendel w/ 123 SST has been one of the best combination for an AR platform ?for what we do.? May not be cheapest ammo, but very effective! I have shoulder shot big hogs and dropped them. Some have run a few yards and then drop. Coyotes don?t run off either. For deer hunting I see no issue w/ the 123 SST. In fact, I have already taken my thermal scope off the Grendel and put a nice 3x9 Sig scope on for deer season. To end my response, I am not an expert, but have put a lot of hogs and varmints down! And no matter what u shoot, ? shot placement is key?. Take care and have a good trip! and send us some cool weather!
? Bo?.