OK....made it to the match this past Saturday. First off, let me say that the folks there at Bangsteel in Virginia are a class act. Dan Newberry, his son Forrest, and all of the other folks that put on / help out at the match are super!
Equipment was : Aero lower with a 3.5# CMC trigger, Luth-AR buttstock, 24" BearCreek (which has been a pleasant surprise, delivering sub-MOA groups with at least 2 different factory loads and the 130 Berger reloads), Harris 9-13" bipod, sandsock, and a 12x SWFA mil-mil in Burris XTR rings. Loads were: Starline brass, CCI 41 primers, 29.6 grains of Leverevolution under the 130 grain Berger AR hybrid. Velocity at 850' ASL was measured at 2480fps. Actual match was shot at 2800' ASL. Mags were ASC 15 rounders.
Now, on to the report. Conditions were about perfect, lol. Overcast, about 65 degrees, a bit breezy at times. Wind at the line was 3 to 6 mph, blowing from right to left at about 75 degrees, but at the targets, (due to terrain?), was moving shots to the right by as much as a full mil. Targets ranged from 460 to 1193 (!) and from a 4 inch plate to a full IPSC torso, with a couple of life size coyotes and a (what looked like a very small) pig at 1193 yards.
The Grendel, with the 130 Bergers, seemed to hold up fine, elevation wise, even at the longest targets. Hits, and misses, just about all due to bad wind calls on my part, were easily spotted, and while the impacts weren't as impressive as some of the bigger stuff, the Impact on my shoulder was nearly as bad, either. I normally shoot a 243 Win. bolt gun with hot 107 grain loads in these matches, and the difference in wind calls between that and the Grendel is significant.
I was no where near a contender to place in the match, but I can see potential in the rifle and the load, especially with a bit more practice, and some more education in reading the wind.
Equipment was : Aero lower with a 3.5# CMC trigger, Luth-AR buttstock, 24" BearCreek (which has been a pleasant surprise, delivering sub-MOA groups with at least 2 different factory loads and the 130 Berger reloads), Harris 9-13" bipod, sandsock, and a 12x SWFA mil-mil in Burris XTR rings. Loads were: Starline brass, CCI 41 primers, 29.6 grains of Leverevolution under the 130 grain Berger AR hybrid. Velocity at 850' ASL was measured at 2480fps. Actual match was shot at 2800' ASL. Mags were ASC 15 rounders.
Now, on to the report. Conditions were about perfect, lol. Overcast, about 65 degrees, a bit breezy at times. Wind at the line was 3 to 6 mph, blowing from right to left at about 75 degrees, but at the targets, (due to terrain?), was moving shots to the right by as much as a full mil. Targets ranged from 460 to 1193 (!) and from a 4 inch plate to a full IPSC torso, with a couple of life size coyotes and a (what looked like a very small) pig at 1193 yards.
The Grendel, with the 130 Bergers, seemed to hold up fine, elevation wise, even at the longest targets. Hits, and misses, just about all due to bad wind calls on my part, were easily spotted, and while the impacts weren't as impressive as some of the bigger stuff, the Impact on my shoulder was nearly as bad, either. I normally shoot a 243 Win. bolt gun with hot 107 grain loads in these matches, and the difference in wind calls between that and the Grendel is significant.
I was no where near a contender to place in the match, but I can see potential in the rifle and the load, especially with a bit more practice, and some more education in reading the wind.