6.5 Grendel Load Recommendations

[rybu0305]

I've got a 6.5 Grendel Howa Mini that I primary use for my young kids. It is a great rifle and has taken many deer. I have only used factory ammo (mostly Hornady ELDX) for hunting to date but I started hand loading other cartridges recently. What do you recommend and use for whitetail deer hunting within 100 yards? I was thinking 115-120 grain bullets are about optimal weight. Which powders and bullets do you prefer?

 

[Steve300xcw]

As good and cheap as the 123gr hornady stuff is. I gotta ask. Why bother?

 

[N2TRKYS]

If I had a 6.5 Grendel, I would load the 129 grain ABLR.

 

[menhaden_man]

Only 70 yards at camp but that’s one hole. Howa 6.5G. CFE and load long.

 

[Q_Sertorius]

As good and cheap as the 123gr hornady stuff is. I gotta ask. Why bother?

I’m in this camp. Mine shoots the Hornady 123-grain loads so well that I haven’t bothered to reload any yet.


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[Steve300xcw]

I do wonder about the AAC grendel stuff. As cheap as that stuff was last time I looked....

 

[Q_Sertorius]

I do wonder about the AAC grendel stuff. As cheap as that stuff was last time I looked....

I just ordered a couple hundred rounds of it. I should be shooting it on June 30th. I’ll let you know.


____________________
“Keep on keepin’ on…”

 

[Steve300xcw]

I just ordered a couple hundred rounds of it. I should be shooting it on June 30th. I’ll let you know.


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“Keep on keepin’ on…”

I stocked way up when the American gunner stuff was $0.75 and the black was $1....But have been eyeballin that stuff. Just because I gotta know

 

[rybu0305]

Thanks for the input.

I don’t find the hunting ammo to be all that cheap.

Reloading is fun and I can hand load more rounds for the same money or less and shoot more.

As I said my kids mostly hunt with this rifle and more rounds means more practice for them.

 

[Q_Sertorius]

Thanks for the input.

I don’t find the hunting ammo to be all that cheap.

Reloading is fun and I can hand load more rounds for the same money or less and shoot more.

As I said my kids mostly hunt with this rifle and more rounds means more practice for them.

The hunting ammo isn’t all that cheap? You mean the 123-grain ELDM? I am not questioning the value of your time, just trying to figure out if I am looking at this properly.


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[glennjones]

I use the 120 ELDM over 29.0 gr of varget. It has worked in both an AR and a mini action for me. My wife shoots deer with it and that rounds has created some of the nastiest wounds I've seen on deer.

 

[HandgunHTR]

If you can get your hands on some IMR 8208 XBR it has been the most consistent powder for me in both of my Grendels (TC Encore and Ruger American Gen 1) with 100-123 grain bullets.

AA2520 is also a good choice for the 120-123 grain bullets. One of my best loads using that powder is 28.5 grains of AA2520 under a 123 grain SST, Starline brass, and a CCI 400 primer. It produces 2499 fps out of my 23" TC Encore barrel with a SD of 9.6.

 

[Natebonebusta]

I use 120-123gr projectiles. Mainly 123sst, 120eldm, 120nos bt, 120tgk. I typically look for lowest cost per bullet.

Powders that have shined for me are H335 and Ramshot Tac. I load both of them at 28gr which is in the 52,000 psi spectrum. Bolt gun data is a grain or two higher than published book data for gas guns.

Most of my woods shots are within 100y. All my Howa Grendel loads make this rifle a 400y gun with muzzle velocities out of an 18.5” barrel at between 2379-2507fps.

Great choice for practice, and very kid friendly.

 

[menhaden_man]

I need to try TAC. Have an 8 lb jug and it just doesn’t cut the mustard in 308 (not like Varget anyhow )

 

[Steve300xcw]

I just ordered a couple hundred rounds of it. I should be shooting it on June 30th. I’ll let you know.


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well?

 

[Q_Sertorius]

well?

I shot almost all of it up. I’ve posted some groups up in the “What did you do at the range today?” thread. What did you do at the range today?
https://r.tapatalk.com/shareLink/to...p?posts/4286816/&share_type=t&link_source=app

My groups with the Hornady Black ended up being better (0.9” up to 1.56” 10-shot groups) and the velocity averaged about 2505.

The AAC was usually in the 1.5” to 1.9” range with an average velocity closer to 2400 FPS.

 

[WestMOhunter]

I’ve reloaded numerous combos for 6.5 Grendel in the hundreds. If velocity is your #1 priority: CFE223 or Leverevolution. Varget works, Benchmark works. However, if you’re trying to eke out small groups with a temp stable powder, IMR8208XBR and AR Comp are the two best. The 8208 is great, but it will spike close to max in heat worse than AR Comp, but both are top 2 IMO. I’ve shot many 5-shot (yes, I know) groups in the .4s and .5s. It’s a Wilson Arms (not to be confused with Combat) fluted H-bar and it shoots really well.

Bullets:
-Hornady 123 ELDM and SSTs. I love ELDs, but the SST in a Grendel just flat shoots and kills.
-Nosler. I bought a boatload of 123 custom comp. and 26.9 gr of ARComp has been a hammer. Shoots 4-4.5” 5-shot groups at 500. Repeatable.

Some like 129 ABLRs, some like 129 SSTs. It’s already a super slow round so I just don’t see the advantage of losing another 100fps.

Next is 100 ELD-VT for non-deer loads.

 

[Adbarnes01]

I have a load with some 100 gr amax 30.5 grs Shooters World Tac powder that shoots amazing. I like the lighter bullets in the grendel to get the speed up. This load is bumping 2800 fps out of my 20' mini

 

[jesco88]

I'm personally still playing around with powder choices, but as far as bullet selection on whitetail within 30-200 yards- that 123gr Hornady SST bullet did great on the 2 whitetail I shot in a 2025 late season hunt. One shot was a high shoulder on a buttoned buck at around 100 yards. He was standing almost perfectly broadside and dropped right where he stood. The bullet exited and still left a good sized exit. Muzzle velocity was around 2500fps. The next one was in the woods, and she was about 30-40 yards, slightly quartering away, I took a lung shot and the bullet hit a rib going in, broke the rib and pushed a portion of the rib into the lungs, and exited with about a 2" hole. She ran about 15 yards and piled up. Very impressed with that Grendel. The BC is 0.510 and operating at Grendel speeds, it seems to be soft enough to open up quick but tough enough to punch through without blowing up.

As far as loading goes, just google Sierra 6.5 Grendel load data, there's a .pdf with bolt pressures (62,000 psi) that you can reference. I tried H335 and LeverRevolution, trying some IMR 8208 XBR next, as I've heard accuracy is supposed to be pretty good.