Thread: 6.5 grendel for hunting

Does any one have experience with the 6.5 grendel and using it as a hunting round? Any thoughts on the cartridge for a general all round bush and medium range hunting round through a Howa mini action specifically and with a 16 inch barrel. From my digging it sounds like a good round and should still be carrying around 2500 fps out of a 16 inch barrel.

It works just fine to sensible ranges.

Ive shot a few reds and fallow with my howa mini out to 400 yards. I wouldnt push it any further than that. 123gr eldm is the go. Ive been surprised at the damage the eldm does at just 2500 fps.

Yes, it works, go buy one.

I have a mate with a Grendel and i have something very close to one (same calibre and similar velocities) both kill deer well inside 350m. Having said that bigger is always more better

i bought one for the missus after she was forced to hand her sks in, now she has a scoped rifle that will shoot 500m vs the i50 sks, 10 round detachable mag instead of inbuilt 5 and a whole lot more accuracy
i hope nz feels safer

6.5G is a great wee unit to shoot. Shot fallow & goats with mine using 123 SST, never felt under gunned at sensible ranges.

its the new 7mm-08!!

Originally Posted by Tentman

its the new 7mm-08!!

paint the rifle coffee colour ya reckon.... call it caffeine drab.... or latteflage camo

Originally Posted by Ftx325

paint the rifle coffee colour ya reckon.... call it caffeine drab.... or latteflage camo

soy latte at best

I would probably lean towards a .260 or a 6.5mememore, you can always load them down to a 6.5G... either way a 123gr ELDM will kill plenty of stuff out to 400m with ease.

Originally Posted by Timmay

I would probably lean towards a .260 or a 6.5mememore, you can always load them down to a 6.5G... either way a 123gr ELDM will kill plenty of stuff out to 400m with ease.

yes, this.

Recoil is not an issue that worries me in the slightest...45/70 and 338lm are my favorite rifles and I imagine a grendel will feel like a 22 in comparison. And I am limited to calibres available in the howa mini line-up anyway.

Originally Posted by Timmay

I would probably lean towards a .260 or a 6.5mememore, you can always load them down to a 6.5G... either way a 123gr ELDM will kill plenty of stuff out to 400m with ease.

260 rem, or a 6.5CM are definitely not fitting in a Howa Mini Action. Think Ftx325 is on the money with the 6.5 Grendel.

Originally Posted by quentin

260 rem, or a 6.5CM are definitely not fitting in a Howa Mini Action. Think Ftx325 is on the money with the 6.5 Grendel.

funnily they are the same action lenght and proportion to my kimber montana 308 length action
Id say with a little extension of the ejection port and mag well hole it would fit

Originally Posted by quentin

260 rem, or a 6.5CM are definitely not fitting in a Howa Mini Action. Think Ftx325 is on the money with the 6.5 Grendel.

I don't believe he was saying those cartridges would fit in a Mini action, simply suggesting going with 260 or 6.5 Creed (in say a standard howa action) may be a better cartridge/rifle to look at, and he could always load it down closer to 6.5G velocities if wanted, but then have the ability to crank it up when required.

And I completely agree, the howa mini action rifle is really no smaller or lighter than any other normal short action rifle, so from my point of view there's no advantage at all over anything else.

I owned a mini in 6.5G briefly, it was heavier than other rifles I owned, and was well under powdered compared to my other rifles cartridges and for the type of hunting I do and the average distances I shoot deer at the 6.5G was marginal, worked fine inside 250 yards, beyond that i found it lacking, so for me i might as well be carrying one of my other hunting rifles that were the same size if not smaller, and were lighter and packed a much larger punch.

Hence why i moved the Mini 6.5G on