Hey all, new to the forum, considering a Howa mini action in the 6.5 Grendel cartridge as I would like to start shooting silhouette. Cumulative recoil seems to be a topic I've heard about regarding shooting silhouette.
Is the Grendel round enough for the rams? I realize this has likely been a topic addressed elsewhere or in the past, but humor me
Welcome to the forum Yama. I’ll let someone else comment as to whether the 6.5 Grendel as enough to knock over rams as I’ve never seen any of the rams used in silhouette matches. The 6.5 Grendel bullets have high sectional density and the 6.5 Grendel can stay supersonic to 1000 yards. I have a Cz 527 in 6.5 Grendel and the recoil is very mild so I wouldn’t hesitate to try.
Got my Howa mini in the 6.5 Grendel and took it out for a spin today. Following Howa's provided break in procedure, as well as fire lapping a nasty Blaser barrel, it was a fair day at the range despite all the cleaning and the torrential rain storm accompanied by both thunder and lightning. Typical Rocky Mountain weather!
I'd say the recoil is close to my Sako in .223 Rem, and accuracy despite being brand new was very good; I expect it will get even better.
Plan is to lighten the trigger pull a bit, replace the cheesy bottom 'metal', work up some loads and have a ball!
Can't give a direct answer, but most silhouette shooters use 7-08, .308 family of cartridges, with 100 grain. 243 being on the light side for rams. So look up the energy at 500m for a .243 as well as 7-08, .308 and that will give you an effective range.
Glad your enjoying your howa pictures are always appreciated.
So looking up quick estimates hornady 6mm 100gr tbsp starting at 2800 has 600 ft lbs energy at 500 yards,
7-08 139 btsp starting at 2800 has 900 ft lbs energy.
6.5 123 eldm starting at 2450 has 710 ft lbs energy.
So short answer is it should work. Depending on what your getting for muzzle velocity.
Welcome to the forum. We used a piece of 3/8 AR500 to back the plywood we used for targets at 100 yards. After 20 rounds of hornady 123 sst factory, there was a half inch hole through the steel. Plenty of energy
Thanks for the responses. One of the top silhouette shooters in these parts, as well as a few others in the club, use the 6mm BR with great success. I figgered with a little more mass/momentum that the Grendel could do well, too.
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Waiting for correct Talleys, used Rem 700's for now, Vortex Viper 6.5-20 cuz I got a smokin' deal on it.
Yes, I've seen the DIP bottom metal replacement for the Howa mini and plan to get one but, alas, the 49th parallel being only an abstract concept is very real when it comes to importing parts, etc.
However, it's never stopped me before and it won't now. Just a bit more complicated process and not without risk. BTW, how's the food in Guantanamo these days? Just kidding, but it's absurd that two countries with the world's greatest unprotected border and have never been to war with each other since the days of muskets can't have freer laws and regulations pertaining to cross-border importation...
Does anyone manufacture metal magazines to fit?
Great site, great forum!
Hi
just came across your post. I have a 6.5 grendel I shoot HP silhouette. For rams I have been using the 136gr lapua bullet it take ram 95% of the time have lost only a few and it was the same target at our club that has a forward lean on the ram. I have been using h335 for powder and with the 26 inch barrel it pushing 2650fps there bullets are seated very long with 10 thou jump.
cliffy Wrote:Hi
just came across your post. I have a 6.5 grendel I shoot HP silhouette. For rams I have been using the 136gr lapua bullet it take ram 95% of the time have lost only a few and it was the same target at our club that has a forward lean on the ram. I have been using h335 for powder and with the 26 inch barrel it pushing 2650fps there bullets are seated very long with 10 thou jump.
cliffy
Ok sir we need build specs on this rifle.
2650 is awesome fast with a 136 grain bullet, I need me some of that.
I have h335 powder but never thought of trying it with the 130 and higher class pills.
Here is what I shoot. Started with mosberg mvp varmint in 223 which I rebarreled to 6.5 grendel. I use a bartlin barrel 1in 8 twist. Shot factory hornady 123 a max for first 3 stages well collecting brass to load. Now I shoot 100 gr ELD-M for first 3 stages at 2790fps is what my 10 shot average is. Accuracy is great using benckmark powder and just dropping from powder measure not weighing each round. Has a ED of 12 so it not bad. These rounds are a soft touch to the lands which gives me OAL of 2.275 with 28.8 gr benchmark. Start low and work your way up to this still under max in hornady manual. You really need the 26 inch barrel to get the velocity up there. On the ram load using hornady cases, CCI450 primers, 29.5gr H335, a lapua 136gr bullet seated at OAL of 2.288 you need to start low and work up this is not safe in AR. At 30gr I get a heavy bolt lift but 29.5 feel fine.
cliffy Wrote:Here is what I shoot. Started with mosberg mvp varmint in 223 which I rebarreled to 6.5 grendel. I use a bartlin barrel 1in 8 twist. Shot factory hornady 123 a max for first 3 stages well collecting brass to load. Now I shoot 100 gr ELD-M for first 3 stages at 2790fps is what my 10 shot average is. Accuracy is great using benckmark powder and just dropping from powder measure not weighing each round. Has a ED of 12 so it not bad. These rounds are a soft touch to the lands which gives me OAL of 2.275 with 28.8 gr benchmark. Start low and work your way up to this still under max in hornady manual. You really need the 26 inch barrel to get the velocity up there. On the ram load using hornady cases, CCI450 primers, 29.5gr H335, a lapua 136gr bullet seated at OAL of 2.288 you need to start low and work up this is not safe in AR. At 30gr I get a heavy bolt lift but 29.5 feel fine.
Two ar grendels but will be doing up a bolt grendel on the rem 700 sa pared with the magpul hunter stock and magpul 223 mag.
Still deciding if I'm going with a sammi chamber are doing some kind of custom chamber, not looking to get to crash just want to get enough to get the 130 class target and game bullets to the 2600 maybe 2700 range.
I took my Howa mini 6.5Gr to Tulsa last month. Off the bench, I was able to knock down a couple of rams using factory Hornady SST 120gr ammo. But, I think that they were setting the rams a bit light.
What club do you shoot and how do y'all set your rams? I shoot a 6.5 creedmoor, but was thinking about trying to put together a 700 grendel if I can find a ppc bolt or action.
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?
