6.5 grendel for elk?

[volcomdork182]

hey, first post, but i used the search engine and everyone outside of this forum seems to have doubts about a 6.5 grendel taking out a elk. Many say i should switch to a .450 bush or .50 beo but the range of accuracy is to about 250 without excessive drop. So my question is: Can a good bullet in a 6.5 take out a elk at 300 yds or less? Also i live in Oregon and we have Rosevelt elk over here, so their racks aren't a "awing trophy" but their bodies and masses are huge.

Thanks,
volcomdork182

[leopard6.5]

Welcome to the forum!

There is a story( sorry I don't know how to post the address) on ar15.com of Mark Larue( Larue Tactical) shooting an elk at 405 yards with a Grendel.
It dropped 10 yards from the point of impact and he said the wind was howling. There are pictures posted.

Hopefully this gives you some idea of the possibilities.

Good Luck!

Lee

[bwaites]

hey, first post, but i used the search engine and everyone outside of this forum seems to have doubts about a 6.5 grendel taking out a elk. Many say i should switch to a .450 bush or .50 beo but the range of accuracy is to about 250 without excessive drop. So my question is: Can a good bullet in a 6.5 take out a elk at 300 yds or less? Also i live in Oregon and we have Rosevelt elk over here, so their racks aren't a "awing trophy" but their bodies and masses are huge.

Thanks,
volcomdork182

Welcome to the forum!

With the right bullet Elk can be taken without worry. BUT....placement, placement, placement. And remember, at 400 yards, you are still above 1000 foot pounds of force. Guys shoot elk with bows and less than 100 foot pounds.

[JohnOD]

Like bwaites said it can do the job with a good bullet placed properly. That said the 6.5G is far from an ideal cartridge for Elk... especially Rosies in the typical thick country there found in. A 125 grain Partition in the ribs would be my choice.

[toolsofthetrade]

yup, I plan on using the 129 interbond for elk this year IF i am hunting in cover and make sure to use the round within its capabilities, Hornady recommends a velocity threshold of about 1600fps for the IB bullet, so once I get my load developed I will know my limitation.
There is a member here that his wife dropped her elk with the Grendel and the 125gr partition.
I will also be packing my .300wm though as well for longer shots.

[WillD]

Welcome to the forum!

With the right bullet Elk can be taken without worry. BUT....placement, placement, placement. And remember, at 400 yards, you are still above 1000 foot pounds of force. Guys shoot elk with bows and less than 100 foot pounds.

That's probably the most important aspect of it but others like how hard do you hunt, after all the hunting stops when the shooting starts and how familiar are you with your rifle. W.D.M. Bell killed well over 1000 elephants most with brain shots and 300 with a 6.5 x 54 MS. Needless to say he was an expert shot sometimes using a .318 to kill flying waterfowl. You can kill an elk with a .22 LR if you get/take the right shot. There are no magic bullets or calibers!

Here's the link to Larue's hunt with pictures: http://www.ar15.com/forums/t_2_219/164444_.html&page=2

Cheers, Will

[warped]

I would wager that many people would fail to drop an Elk with a .50BMG due to poor shot placement, so it is probably a good illustration of how important shot placement is.

[sneaky one]

Find the hair you want to hit, on that far away future snack. Use the best optics that you can afford, and practice,,,,,,

[volcomdork182]

Thanks for all the responses guy's. Sounds good to me. a caliber capable And i know all about shot placement. I am a avid shooter and shoot just about every other weekend shooting 100-200 rounds through each of my guns i take. With a big bore. everyone told me to get one at the shop, is 20+ for a box where as 6.5g is a lot cheaper and seems to be readily available. Now its just a matter of buying a building with the scrunch before the hunt.

[hm2 clark]

Elk hunts can be expensive. I love my grendels, bur if I was to drop $15,000 on an elk hunt I'd use my 338 06. On the other hand if I lived in elk country and took 2-3 elk a year I would try my grendel with the 130 gr swift scirroco or maybe the 129 grain Hornady spire point both work well on big pigs.

[DirectDrive]

That said the 6.5G is far from an ideal cartridge for Elk... especially Rosies in the typical thick country there found in.

They are big and tough. Avoiding quartering and running shots.
I hit one right across the top of the heart with a 30-06 and it still went about 40 yards. Many long time elk hunters out here consider 30-06 the minimum.

[warped]

.270win smokes them, if you have a kill shot it does not matter if the bullet was 130grain or 180grain.

[hm2 clark]

One of the best ways to ruin the Grendels rep would be to recomend it for game bigger and hardier than can be easily dispached by the average hunter.