07-28-2022, 03:22 PM
I get where youre coming from, and I dont think anyone has described Grendel as the hammer of Thor.
That said, Id be interested to see comparable data on larger charge weight cartridges and look at the travel distance averages from the shot, at various engagement ranges.
The Scandinavian Moose Hunt survey has over 14,000 samples.
What they found with that was that the .45 bores had the least average travel distance from the shot, but represented a very small % of the overall bore diameters used.
6.5mm and 7mm were the next most efficient.
.30 bores were at the bottom, but represented about 50% of all bore diameters, mostly .308 Win, .30-06, and .300 WM.
The guys using .45 bores tended to be a lot more experienced shooters with many years of practice.
I dont think the terminal performance is the main factor in the above data, but ability to shoot the rifle consistently and confidently enough to make good hits through the vitals.
6.5mm and 7mm are easier to do that with, while still providing plenty of projectile mass for deep penetration on moose. 6.5x55 Mausers in Scandinavia are typically shooting 156gr-160gr.
One hypothesis is that you would see similar numbers or maybe even worse with .300 Win Mag, due to bad shot placement being more common with it due to 1) recoil/muzzle blast sensitivity, 2) optics loss of zero/bad zeros, and 3) limited training opportunity due to 1 & 2 plus ammo cost.
For the US, 6.5 Grendel does a great job on facilitating easy hits through vitals on medium and medium-large game, with engagement distances more dependent on optics and altitude, not necessarily bullet weight.
The list of suitable hunting projectiles is pretty lengthy, not limited to just one or two bullets. 123gr A-MAX and 123gr SST have just been mass-produced at affordable prices most of Grendels life on the market.
Just in the 120+gr class, you have a lot of cup and core bullets that work similarly in that moderate impact velocity range.
120gr Nosler Ballistic Tip
120gr Speer Hot-Cor
120gr Sierra Pro-Hunter
123gr SST
125gr Nosler Partition
129gr SST
129gr Spire Point
For really impressive performance, the 129gr Accubond Long Range is excellent, as it expands down to 1300fps and has a very high BC.
That said, Id be interested to see comparable data on larger charge weight cartridges and look at the travel distance averages from the shot, at various engagement ranges.
The Scandinavian Moose Hunt survey has over 14,000 samples.
What they found with that was that the .45 bores had the least average travel distance from the shot, but represented a very small % of the overall bore diameters used.
6.5mm and 7mm were the next most efficient.
.30 bores were at the bottom, but represented about 50% of all bore diameters, mostly .308 Win, .30-06, and .300 WM.
The guys using .45 bores tended to be a lot more experienced shooters with many years of practice.
I dont think the terminal performance is the main factor in the above data, but ability to shoot the rifle consistently and confidently enough to make good hits through the vitals.
6.5mm and 7mm are easier to do that with, while still providing plenty of projectile mass for deep penetration on moose. 6.5x55 Mausers in Scandinavia are typically shooting 156gr-160gr.
One hypothesis is that you would see similar numbers or maybe even worse with .300 Win Mag, due to bad shot placement being more common with it due to 1) recoil/muzzle blast sensitivity, 2) optics loss of zero/bad zeros, and 3) limited training opportunity due to 1 & 2 plus ammo cost.
For the US, 6.5 Grendel does a great job on facilitating easy hits through vitals on medium and medium-large game, with engagement distances more dependent on optics and altitude, not necessarily bullet weight.
The list of suitable hunting projectiles is pretty lengthy, not limited to just one or two bullets. 123gr A-MAX and 123gr SST have just been mass-produced at affordable prices most of Grendels life on the market.
Just in the 120+gr class, you have a lot of cup and core bullets that work similarly in that moderate impact velocity range.
120gr Nosler Ballistic Tip
120gr Speer Hot-Cor
120gr Sierra Pro-Hunter
123gr SST
125gr Nosler Partition
129gr SST
129gr Spire Point
For really impressive performance, the 129gr Accubond Long Range is excellent, as it expands down to 1300fps and has a very high BC.
NRA Basic, Pistol, Rifle, Shotgun, RSO
CCW, CQM, DM, Long Range Rifle Instructor
6.5 Grendel Reloading Handbooks & chamber brushes can be found here:
www.AR15buildbox.com
CCW, CQM, DM, Long Range Rifle Instructor
6.5 Grendel Reloading Handbooks & chamber brushes can be found here:
www.AR15buildbox.com