02-04-2020, 07:47 AM
(This post was last modified: 02-04-2020, 03:50 PM by lazyengineer.)
65-Grendel: 100gr H-ELD: 28.7 gr ARComp @ 2726 fps (yes, it's a little faster than my 95 gr load, but close)
![[Image: 20200202-225354-1.jpg]](https://i.postimg.cc/26cz52Vq/20200202-225354-1.jpg)
This one didn't go so good. As you can see I hunted all of the target to finally get the zero, which was basically half a MIL less than the 95 gr load; that's quite a difference for two similar wt bullets at similar velocity. There are two groups here. 2,3&4 were at the same settings; odd how 3 and 4 were so high. Shots 8-11 were all at the same settings, and see the vertical stringing. No way would I compete with this, that's close to 3 MOA.
65-Grendel: 120gr H-ELD: 27.9 gr TAC @ 2420 fps (a relatively mild load that seemed to shoot well at shorter range)
![[Image: 20200202-225330-1.jpg]](https://i.postimg.cc/HnFdwn0d/20200202-225330-1.jpg)
This was actually my first string with the Grendel. Many of the shots aren't recorded, but shots 1, 2, 3 were all at the same settings. See how 2 of them are great, but one of them went all the way out into the white. I kept shooting thinking if I could shoot several 10's in a row, I could try to compete with this. I was not successful, so ended up not competing with this rifle in the match.
65-Grendel: 129gr H-SST: 27.8 gr TAC @ 2374 fps (0.951 seconds flight time)
![[Image: 20200202-225403-1.jpg]](https://i.postimg.cc/NFj5JKrX/20200202-225403-1.jpg)
It was shooting maybe 2 MOA or worse.
Lessons and observations:
Three things I think tripped me up with the Grendel
1) Despite changing out a lot of things and trying a lot of things, I can't really make my Grendels sing. 1 MOA or better is proving difficult for me to achieve even at short range, though I tried numerous additional tweaks before this match to try and improve things; which don't appear to have helped much. My struggles continue despite BBL, upper, lapping or no, optics, ammo, load, factory vs reloads, gas block used (that was a waste of time), muzzle device, and bolt; firing from bipod or sandbags - doesn't matter.
2) While 6.5 bullets have better BC than 5.56 bullets, Grendel is slow; and so has more flight-time in some settings; which means more time for the wind to act on it, and for more spread out bullet drop behavior with standard deviation of velocity.
3) I can't say if I've mastered the art of the bipod yet or not.
In all fairness, I am comparing a sub-$200 Moster BBL, to a custom made Shilen malonited 5.56 BBL HBAR with a match competition chamber and ammo timed to that barrels throat; fired out a gun that weighs twice as much as the Grendel, with a round that already recoils have as much. So it's probably not realistic to expect the Grendel to shoot as well, but I was so impressed by the weight and BC of Grendel, I thought it would compensate for that and beat out the 5.56 at 600 yards. I was wrong.
That said, one of the other shooters at the match thought it was neat I too was shooting Grendel, and says he gets 1-hole groups with his Grendel at home (and I believe him; he's not a boaster). He uses Sierra bullets. Most every shooter I talk to who can make a Grendel really sing, says they do with Sierra's, so I think I'll try that next. Also, the 95 gr load performance was encouraging.
This one didn't go so good. As you can see I hunted all of the target to finally get the zero, which was basically half a MIL less than the 95 gr load; that's quite a difference for two similar wt bullets at similar velocity. There are two groups here. 2,3&4 were at the same settings; odd how 3 and 4 were so high. Shots 8-11 were all at the same settings, and see the vertical stringing. No way would I compete with this, that's close to 3 MOA.
65-Grendel: 120gr H-ELD: 27.9 gr TAC @ 2420 fps (a relatively mild load that seemed to shoot well at shorter range)
This was actually my first string with the Grendel. Many of the shots aren't recorded, but shots 1, 2, 3 were all at the same settings. See how 2 of them are great, but one of them went all the way out into the white. I kept shooting thinking if I could shoot several 10's in a row, I could try to compete with this. I was not successful, so ended up not competing with this rifle in the match.
65-Grendel: 129gr H-SST: 27.8 gr TAC @ 2374 fps (0.951 seconds flight time)
It was shooting maybe 2 MOA or worse.
Lessons and observations:
Three things I think tripped me up with the Grendel
1) Despite changing out a lot of things and trying a lot of things, I can't really make my Grendels sing. 1 MOA or better is proving difficult for me to achieve even at short range, though I tried numerous additional tweaks before this match to try and improve things; which don't appear to have helped much. My struggles continue despite BBL, upper, lapping or no, optics, ammo, load, factory vs reloads, gas block used (that was a waste of time), muzzle device, and bolt; firing from bipod or sandbags - doesn't matter.
2) While 6.5 bullets have better BC than 5.56 bullets, Grendel is slow; and so has more flight-time in some settings; which means more time for the wind to act on it, and for more spread out bullet drop behavior with standard deviation of velocity.
3) I can't say if I've mastered the art of the bipod yet or not.
In all fairness, I am comparing a sub-$200 Moster BBL, to a custom made Shilen malonited 5.56 BBL HBAR with a match competition chamber and ammo timed to that barrels throat; fired out a gun that weighs twice as much as the Grendel, with a round that already recoils have as much. So it's probably not realistic to expect the Grendel to shoot as well, but I was so impressed by the weight and BC of Grendel, I thought it would compensate for that and beat out the 5.56 at 600 yards. I was wrong.
That said, one of the other shooters at the match thought it was neat I too was shooting Grendel, and says he gets 1-hole groups with his Grendel at home (and I believe him; he's not a boaster). He uses Sierra bullets. Most every shooter I talk to who can make a Grendel really sing, says they do with Sierra's, so I think I'll try that next. Also, the 95 gr load performance was encouraging.