I was shooting my 6.5 Grendel rifle at the range today, and I wondered what is the effective range of this cartridge for hunting and target shooting?
The 6.5 Grendel has a max effective range of 400-yards for deer hunting, 800 yards for coyote hunting, 1,000 yards for military use, and 1,200-yards for target shooting. Past 400-yards, hunting bullets will no longer expand enough for deer-sized game. At 1,000-yards the bullet lacks deep penetration. Past 1,200-yards, the bullet goes subsonic and loses stability.
History of the 6.5 Grendel
Before we go deeper into specific uses, let’s cover some quick history of the Grendel. First unveiled in May 2003 at the Blackwater Training facility in North Carolina, the 6.5 Grendel out-shot the 7.62 NATO at range with half the recoil. Still supersonic at 1,200 yards, the 6.5 Grendel delivered superior external ballistics to the 7.62 NATO. In 2004 Alexander Arms released the 6.5 Grendel, developed by putting a 6.5mm bullet into a necked down 7.62×39 casing. The 6.5 Grendel was designed for hunters to use on deer-sized animals beyond the effective range of any .223 Remington hunting ammo. The effectiveness at hunting was quickly overshadowed by Grendel’s surprising accuracy. Excellent sub-MOA (less than 1-inch spread at 100 yards) groups are easily obtainable. With the right barrel length and bullet combination, 6.5 Grendel is capable of supersonic flight past 1,200 yards.
Effective range for deer hunting
An AR-15-style rifle chambered in 6.5 Grendel is one of my favorite choices for hunting whitetails. The 6.5 Grendel was designed for hunters to use on deer-sized animals out to 300-400 yards, beyond the effective range of .223 Remington for most hunters. Make no mistake, 6.5 Grendel packs a wallop. At 300 yards it has more than double the kinetic energy of a .30-30 cartridge, and almost 4x the energy of a 75 grain .223 Remington hunting load. Because the bullet weighs so much more, the Grendel doesn’t rely on velocity for its terminal effect on animals, so you don’t lose much effectiveness by choosing a 16- or 18-inch barrels. These shorter barrel lengths are perfect for modern sporting rifles, and for using suppressors. Grendel makes for a lightweight, handy AR-15 hunting rifle that can be carried all day long and fired standing or from a hasty supported position.
Effective range for hog hunting
The 6.5 Grendel can be used effectively on hogs out to 300-400 yards as well. The ability to make quick follow-up shots with the AR-15 platform really shines in hog hunting. Many times, hogs travel in large groups, and time is of the essence to take down multiple hogs before they scatter. The lighter recoil of the Grendel paired with the AR-15 platform further enhance the speed of follow-up shots and precise shot placement.
Effective range for coyote hunting
The Grendel’s flat trajectory and retained energy at longer ranges makes it ideal for hunting coyote too. The effective range for coyotes is up to 800 yards. Less penetration and expansion is needed to put down yotes’ than deer-sized game, which allows you to double the effective hunting range of this caliber. Having the ability to take quick and accurate follow-up shots pays off when hunting song dogs as well when they are traveling in pairs. The increased range capabilities is also a distinct advantage for follow-up shots over a .223. Jay Langston did a review on the Christensen Arms CA-15 rifle, which is one of the finest and most accurate hunting rifles in the 6.5 Grendel.
Effective range for long range precision shooting
The 6.5 Grendel is a long-range capable cartridge out to 1,000+ yards. At 600 yards, tennis ball size targets are no match for this flat-shooting round. While 6.5 Creedmoor has been all the rage for the last 10 years or so, the advantages of low recoil and faster shooting apply to long-range precision shooting or competition as well. In fact, the Grendel is the lightest recoiling 1,000-yard capable 6.5mm rifle. Don’t underestimate the impact that recoil has on the ability of a person to shoot accurately either. Some people do handle recoil better than others, but all other things being equal, most will absolutely shoot more accurately with a milder recoiling cartridge. Faster follow up shots from the low recoil and the AR-15 platform provide a significant speed advantage over a bolt action rifle to boot. Last, keep in mind that the Grendel is the only 6.5 caliber that will work in an AR-15 platform rather than an AR-10 platform, which is a tremendous difference in weight. The lower recoil aids in the stability needed in the lighter package.
Ideal bullet weight for 6.5 Grendel
The ideal bullet weight for the 6.5 Grendel is 123 grains, according to all the testing Hornady conducted when perfecting factory loads. The Hornady 123 ELD-M is a dandy, accurate long-range shooting with the Grendel. Many shooters are using the Grendel past 1,000 yards with this ammo. It sets the mark for others to strive for. It’s also expensive, but that’s how it goes if you want world-class accuracy in a factory load. This is the line of ammo that shooters in the US tend to favor for long-range shooting with any cartridge. The Hornady 123 SST (super shock tip) is the equivalent hunting load. With some rifles, a 130-grain bullet will also produce acceptable accuracy and target energy. The Grendel has on average, near 30-feet of drop at 1,000-yards. It starts to drop sharply past 500-yards. For target shooting at a known distance on a still target, that’s certainly doable. A good bullet, like Hornady’s match loads, still has enough accuracy at the distance. The ballistic chart below is from Hornady.com for the 123 ELD-M.
| Velocity (FPS) | Energy (FT/LB) | Trajectory (Inches) | |
| Muzzle | 2580 | 1818 | -2.4 |
| 100 Yards | 2410 | 1586 | 2.3 |
| 200 Yards | 2247 | 1379 | 0 |
| 300 Yards | 2090 | 1193 | 9.2 |
| 400 Yards | 1940 | 1028 | 26.4 |
| 500 Yards | 1796 | 881 | 52.8 |
Bolt Action Rifle Options
While the 6.5 Grendel was designed for use in the AR-15 platform, it performs well in bolt-action rifles as well. Several manufacturers are offering rifles in this caliber now, and the feedback has been positive from both hunters and shooters. These bolt guns are light weight and low recoiling, and that is a great combination. Jay Langston did a review of the Ruger American 6.5 Grendel and the best performing handloads in that rifle.
Wrap-Up
The 6.5 Grendel provides an extreme range capability for hunting, competition and tactical applications. These ranges are far beyond those previously achievable with the AR-15 style weapon. The 6.5 Grendel has the flexibility to move from lightweight varmint bullets in the 90-grain class, which offer superb accuracy for competition and small game shooting, to mid-weight, 108- to 120-grain competition bullets, and then on to 130- and 140-grain bullets, ideal for longer range, tactical shooting.
You Might Also Like:
Handloading for Ruger’s American Predator Rifle in 6.5 Grendel
Christensen Arms CA-15 Rifle Review
6mm ARC Effective Range
Harnessing Hornady’s 6mm ARC with Accurate Handloads
6.5 Creedmoor Effective Range
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