08-31-2023, 03:07 PM
Well, I have an upper on the way or at least "processing" lol), and now have some of the 123gr Hornady Black ELDMs. Now I just gotta wait and see how I like em. Thanks for the advice on them...may try out the 123gr SSTs when I see some to see if they shoot any different. I'm excited to start working with them not just to see if I like them, but to start working on building my own accuracy out farther. I gotta say, when I took one out of the box, I had to laugh that so much potential is in such an unassumingly tiny package. Astonishing what something that adorable is capable of. I'm definitely excited to try out the Grendel.
As for the .308 and the Ham'r rounds...
I think the Ham'rs are optimized for LFPs. They claim under 200yds it's a viable elk round, but they also were dissing on 300blk as "exploding" on the skin when it hit a dear in the shoulder...which I think was probably bad bullet choice for shooting at bony bits. I don't like that kind of self-promotion. But still, it's designed to be a 30-30 in an AR15-sized package. With (potentially) better bullets.
I figured the 125gr 308 may have been a bit light for the elk, at least in a traditional bullet. I did find HSM makes a low-recoil 150gr that has an MV about 2350. I could see if I like Ham'r/30-30 velocities (and recoil) for the low, low price of $3 a round (where's my vomiting-in-horror emoji?). Still, $60 is a lot cheaper test of the recoil than than a whole upper or new T/C barrel. And I know it's a specialty bullet with a small market so the cost needs to be higher, it's just way more than I've ever paid for cartridges before. Acclimating to the new realities....
Yeah, I was asking about 6.8SPC for the KY elk restrictions, just in case I get to give it a go there. There's nothing I've found in the 27 calibers between a 6.8SPC and 270. I'm not willing to deal with 270Win recoil, and if I have to load those down, I may as well load the 6.8 up (for my T/C). 6.8 can be loaded into lower 270Win territory; at least in the Speer 15 manual it can. My others don't take the 6.8 as high, but Speer has a recipe for a 130gr at 2600fps. and it uses less powder than a 270 for the same velocity at a given weight (again, in Speer 15). It all might be more academic than anything in the long run. Maybe the Kentuckians can figure it out and come down in caliber requirements. Does any other state have a caliber requirement that big on elk?
I don't have a lot of excuses to get more rifles, at least not to keep. I'm in a cycle of figuring out what works best for me so I can strip back. I don't have a lifestyle where I can justify a bunch of rifles.
LRRPF52...
Yeah, I've spent a lot of time trying to figure out shot placements on things in the past year. That video of the girl taking the elk is one of the things that got me looking seriously at the grendel. And I also agree (due to a year or so of lurking here to learn best placement with various grendel bullets) that the Backfire dude shot the wrong spot for the bullet. I can't depend on altitude improving expansion thresholds, though. Here in the east, our biggest mountain is a bit under 6700ft. so average elk altitudes are more likely 3000-4000ft. I think you guys out west would have to fall down a well to hit our altitudes lol. I agree that KY should change the law, Virginia only has a 24 caliber restriction, and they're doing fine. And if you find an elk outside the 3 managed counties (which you can only hunt if they draw your name), your deer tag lets you harvest an elk. It's rare that it happens, but it does from time to time. And according to Virginia DWR, those elk outside the manged counties wander in from KY. I reckon a Virginia 24 caliber is more potent than a Kentucky 24, 25, or 26 cal lol.
I will look up Xman's threads, thanks for the tip.
Excited to try this grendel thing after nearly 2 years of looking into it. I really hope I enjoy shooting it lol.
Thanks!
As for the .308 and the Ham'r rounds...
I think the Ham'rs are optimized for LFPs. They claim under 200yds it's a viable elk round, but they also were dissing on 300blk as "exploding" on the skin when it hit a dear in the shoulder...which I think was probably bad bullet choice for shooting at bony bits. I don't like that kind of self-promotion. But still, it's designed to be a 30-30 in an AR15-sized package. With (potentially) better bullets.
I figured the 125gr 308 may have been a bit light for the elk, at least in a traditional bullet. I did find HSM makes a low-recoil 150gr that has an MV about 2350. I could see if I like Ham'r/30-30 velocities (and recoil) for the low, low price of $3 a round (where's my vomiting-in-horror emoji?). Still, $60 is a lot cheaper test of the recoil than than a whole upper or new T/C barrel. And I know it's a specialty bullet with a small market so the cost needs to be higher, it's just way more than I've ever paid for cartridges before. Acclimating to the new realities....
Yeah, I was asking about 6.8SPC for the KY elk restrictions, just in case I get to give it a go there. There's nothing I've found in the 27 calibers between a 6.8SPC and 270. I'm not willing to deal with 270Win recoil, and if I have to load those down, I may as well load the 6.8 up (for my T/C). 6.8 can be loaded into lower 270Win territory; at least in the Speer 15 manual it can. My others don't take the 6.8 as high, but Speer has a recipe for a 130gr at 2600fps. and it uses less powder than a 270 for the same velocity at a given weight (again, in Speer 15). It all might be more academic than anything in the long run. Maybe the Kentuckians can figure it out and come down in caliber requirements. Does any other state have a caliber requirement that big on elk?
I don't have a lot of excuses to get more rifles, at least not to keep. I'm in a cycle of figuring out what works best for me so I can strip back. I don't have a lifestyle where I can justify a bunch of rifles.
LRRPF52...
Yeah, I've spent a lot of time trying to figure out shot placements on things in the past year. That video of the girl taking the elk is one of the things that got me looking seriously at the grendel. And I also agree (due to a year or so of lurking here to learn best placement with various grendel bullets) that the Backfire dude shot the wrong spot for the bullet. I can't depend on altitude improving expansion thresholds, though. Here in the east, our biggest mountain is a bit under 6700ft. so average elk altitudes are more likely 3000-4000ft. I think you guys out west would have to fall down a well to hit our altitudes lol. I agree that KY should change the law, Virginia only has a 24 caliber restriction, and they're doing fine. And if you find an elk outside the 3 managed counties (which you can only hunt if they draw your name), your deer tag lets you harvest an elk. It's rare that it happens, but it does from time to time. And according to Virginia DWR, those elk outside the manged counties wander in from KY. I reckon a Virginia 24 caliber is more potent than a Kentucky 24, 25, or 26 cal lol.
I will look up Xman's threads, thanks for the tip.
Excited to try this grendel thing after nearly 2 years of looking into it. I really hope I enjoy shooting it lol.
Thanks!