65G on Ram Silhouettes?

[Armadillo66]

For a long time my two favorite rifles to shoot 500 meter rams with was my .243 and my M1 Garand. Being able to clear a line of rams off hand with the Garand is the best shooting I have ever done. I like that the Grendel is flatter shooting than even the .243 at 500. I only got to shoot on rams for about 10 minutes last time I was at Whittington. So next time I am there I think I will see if I can do all nose shots on rams and spin them off the rail with the Grendel

[LR1955]

For a long time my two favorite rifles to shoot 500 meter rams with was my .243 and my M1 Garand. Being able to clear a line of rams off hand with the Garand is the best shooting I have ever done. I like that the Grendel is flatter shooting than even the .243 at 500. I only got to shoot on rams for about 10 minutes last time I was at Whittington. So next time I am there I think I will see if I can do all nose shots on rams and spin them off the rail with the Grendel

AD:

If your Grendel is 'flatter shooting' than a .243 at any distance, something is wrong with your .243.

LR55

[Sticks]

...
It was pointed out that going by the rules, the Howa magazine extends too far to be legit. One option is to destroy a magazine and make what is basically a single shot adapter; most shoot singles anyway but the mags aren't so cheap that I cotton to destroying one if there's another option....

Take a look in the Bolt action section. There are a couple members that have modified the mags to make them flush 3 or 4 round mags. Easy DIY with good write ups.

[jbmarshtx]

well, shot my first silhouette hi power match today and used my Howa mini in the wee 6.5 Grendel. My handloads: 120 ELD-M over 30.5 grains CFE223 seated to 2.19" and clocked at 2530 fps. I settled on the load cuz I got one-hole groups at 100 yards.
This load did the trick on all targets except the rams. However, if I hit them in the arse they tipped over. If I hit them dead center, they didn't even wobble.
So, I need a heavier bullet to topple those guys reliably.
I'm using the stock Howa mini, except for DIP bottom "metal". Had the trigger worked and it's great.
It was pointed out that going by the rules, the Howa magazine extends too far to be legit. One option is to destroy a magazine and make what is basically a single shot adapter; most shoot singles anyway but the mags aren't so cheap that I cotton to destroying one if there's another option.
Shooting at the Bull River Shooters Club in Cranbrook, BC, Canada. There are some very good shooters in this club, and they are all a great bunch. A couple of the boys shot 40/40 this year in rimfire.
Any load suggestions?

Hopefully this doesn't double post.

Aren't the Canadian guys shooting the 6 Dasher? Dustin Flint rang several rams this with a 6BR, but another shooter named Chris didn't. There was a shooter using a 6.5 BRX, but I don't know if he rang any. The rams were set normal and had muddy feet, and even a guy shooting a 7-08 rang a couple. I rang 1-2 with a 6.5 creedmoor shooting 139 Lapua + 39.1 gr H4350.

I'd like to shoot the 6.5 Grendel, but need to be able to knock over the rams before I try to build one besides the Howa mini HB that I have. A 24" barrel might help a bit.

My hold isn't good enough yet to hit them high in the back...so clearly the caliber is not the issue!

[Yama]

Yes, there a couple of the guys shooting the Dasher, and a couple are still using the BR. There are, however, others using quite a mix of cartridges. .260, 6.5x55, 7mm-08, etc.
Majority of the comments upon seeing my Grendel were "it's a cute little bugger"!
What a blast! been a long time since I've had that much fun shooting, and with such a great group of people. I think I've found a "new" passion... just don't tell my wife.

[Yama]

Thanks for that, Sticks! I may have to give that mod a try so I can be legit.

[Yama]

Did the magazine cut-down on my Howa factory mag with great success. Sits pretty much flush with the bottom metal now and should hopefully make the rifle and mag conform to the rules. Grateful for the tip on the thread!

[Herzo]

A number of years ago, I was shooting IHMSA silhouette with a 10" Contender in 7mm TCU. IIRC, I was running a 140 gn FMJBT @ about 1800 fps. If I hit the 200 meter rams above thi midpoint, they would go down. Any lower and they just laughed at me.
My unlimited gun on the other hand never had a problem -- an XP-100 in 7mm 08 with the same bullet @ 2100 fps did the job.

[GregP42]

I have been using 123gr in my 6.5 Grendel unlimited T/C and have no problems taking over the rams unless I hit them in the tally whacker or foot.

[ramslamer]

Loading heavy for rams. I am running the 147 eld-m in a howa mini. The barrel is 26 long , but slow. Group testing at 200 yd is what I have at home. Covid ruined all matches this year. I tried alot of powders cfe gave me 2475 fps but groups were not for me. I am also not a big fan of ball powder. I chose h4895 with 27 gr I’m getting 2420 fps with a ragged hole. I feel it will be good . Theirs people not getting that in a tcu. This is rifle , so it is 500 meters. Being a AAA hunter class shooter I realy cant loose a ram. I feel the 147 is a great ram bullet , seems less pressure and more smack than any other I’ve tried

[A5BLASTER]

Loading heavy for rams. I am running the 147 eld-m in a howa mini. The barrel is 26 long , but slow. Group testing at 200 yd is what I have at home. Covid ruined all matches this year. I tried alot of powders cfe gave me 2475 fps but groups were not for me. I am also not a big fan of ball powder. I chose h4895 with 27 gr I’m getting 2420 fps with a ragged hole. I feel it will be good . Theirs people not getting that in a tcu. This is rifle , so it is 500 meters. Being a AAA hunter class shooter I realy cant loose a ram. I feel the 147 is a great ram bullet , seems less pressure and more smack than any other I’ve tried

Not sure of the size yall shoot at but the life sized ram plates we have are 1/2 thick and my cz grendel with its 129 ablr handloads has no issue knocking them down at 600 yards.

[tdbru]

if i recall, a regulation Ram was around 44 lbs (20 kg). the good ones were AR500 so were quite expensive.
-tdbru

[Fess]

This discussion reminds me of the old tail of someone who could consistently hit the silhouettes but not knock them down. The story goes that he got frustrated and fit primers into the tips of his bullets. That knocked the rams down fine, but the match director wasn't happy. I have no idea if this actually happened, but I have read it more than once over the years and it DOES make a good story!

[ramslamer]

Not sure of the size yall shoot at but the life sized ram plates we have are 1/2 thick and my cz grendel with its 129 ablr handloads has no issue knocking them down at 600 yards.

I shoot at Ridgway Pa . They host the nationals every other year. They have 10 banks of an animal, most are old and bent , the rail isn’t always straight. There is also a wind at the back at times substantial. But still a very nice rand run by Good people. I have traveled some in my 30 years of shooting. I have seen 308 with 180s ring rams. Me and others feel dwell time makes up for some velocity, but I just didnt want to throw marshmallows at them. I was just passing on what I have done . The 147 is alot easyier to get a gooood load than a 140 , in any 6.5 gun I’ve tried.

[tdbru]

i've rung rams when shooting a 308 Win. it happens. frustrating. fighting two opposing issues. getting enough bullet energy or momentum or whatever you want to measure as a measurement of ram knock down vs. recoil.

ramslammer,
i am surprised that the 6.5 Grendel pushes the 147 ELDM out fast enough to knock down the rams. what twist rate are you using with those long pointy things?
thanks,
-tdbru

p.s. when did hunter class allow non factory barrel length options? i thought if the barrel needed changing you had to stick pretty close to factory contour and length. oh well, it's been quite a while since i have been able to sling bullets at 500m rams. not sure there are any full length rifle silhouette clubs/ranges out here in my neck of the woods. haven't found any yet. just in other states.

[A5BLASTER]

I shoot at Ridgway Pa . They host the nationals every other year. They have 10 banks of an animal, most are old and bent , the rail isn’t always straight. There is also a wind at the back at times substantial. But still a very nice rand run by Good people. I have traveled some in my 30 years of shooting. I have seen 308 with 180s ring rams. Me and others feel dwell time makes up for some velocity, but I just didnt want to throw marshmallows at them. I was just passing on what I have done . The 147 is alot easyier to get a gooood load than a 140 , in any 6.5 gun I’ve tried.

I dont know really never shot any comps, not really my thing, was just passing on info on what I have seen with my cz grendel on the ram plates we have at the range I use the most.

I know they are lifesize and 1/2 inch thick and sit on a flat rail. The 129 ablr handload I have in my cz averags just over 2600 fps and it knocks them over nicely.

How does the size of the plates I'm shooting compare to what is used in the comps?

[ramslamer]

My gun has a 1-7.5 twist 26 inches #5 contour. The nra changed regs awhile back. Now you got to have 2 lbs trigger 9 lbs weight in a conventional style stock. Our rams are approximately 26 tall 29 long,some old torch cut,some cad. A fellow shooter used a 6.5 tcu with 147 going 2400 FPS and did well on rams. I’ve run a creedmoor since it came around, my heavy gun still is. I’ve played with a 6.5 br,it did good,a little more steam than a grendel. In my opinion the 147 is a lot easier to get to shoot than a 140. At least in every 6.5 I’ve tried. I have heard about them blowing up, but I’ve never seen it. But we only run them no more than 3000 FPS.

[LRRPF52]

You can also try 130gr class bullets with good BC. They hit steel hard, especially at 500yds.

You can get them going 2550fps from a 22” bolt gun.

Load longer COAL with a longer barrel and you can bump that up to 2600fps.

I could load 140gr A-MAX well over 2.400” in my Howa Mini.

140gr A-MAX on the left. Factory 123gr SST on the right.