My first post, and its a 2fer!

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  • lastlaugh
    Unwashed
    • Jan 2018
    • 7

    My first post, and its a 2fer!

    Hello all. I have been lurking here for awhile but never took the time to register. I have gotten tons of load data and helpful information from the forum, so I figured it was time to contribute.

    My first Grendel was an upper from Andy over at GrendelHunter. (He is a great guy and has the best customer service I have ever seen). It was a 20" with matched bolt, mated to one of my Colt 6920 lowers. The thing was dead accurate for me an everyone I let shoot it. I kept the upper for over a year and recommended them to several of my friends who still have GrendelHunter uppers. However, i wasn't shooting the groups I was hearing mentioned on here. I looked into the whole SAAMI vs non-SAAMI talk, but never put much thought into it at all. I was happy with the 3/4 (handloads)-1.5 (Wolf)inch groups I was shooting with the upper.

    But, about a month ago, I decided I wanted something lighter. I was getting ready to go on leave back to my farm in TN, and remembered how much of a PITA it was to haul a 20" bull barreled rifle up and down the hills. I had these visions in my head of shooting the grendel 1000 yrds, and had been setting my rifle up that way from the beginning. When I really stopped to think about it, i knew there was no way I was going to get a shot over 300yrds, even if I intentionally waited for it. Hell, 100 yrds in my neck of the woods would be a long shot due to the thickness of the brush. So, I started looking online for a new, lightweight barrel to build a new upper. I was stuck on the Underground Tactical Ultralight barrel/bolt combo, but just as I got ready to order, I saw AA 18" fluted Ultralight in stock. I called them up and asked if they could get me the barrel before I went on leave. They told me they had none in stock, but they would pull a machinist from the back, and have him cut one for me right then. They sent it out the next day and the barrel and "hard use" bolt arrived at my farm in TN the day before I did. Outstanding customer service!

    I put the upper together with just a basic Aero Precision upper and Matrix handguard. I brought several handloads I wanted to test (123gr AMAX and 120gr TTSX), along with a box of 120gr Federal Fusions. I sigted in with the Fusions, and was immediately impressed.

    The sight-in target is attached, 5 shots on the left, then a sight correction to bring it up to 2" at 100yrds, followed by a 3 shot group. Yes, there are 3 shots there!

    I shot several more sub-MOA groups with the 123 AMAX and TTSX handloads, but none were as tight as the Fusions. However, I after reading about the AMAX's performance here, I wanted to try it. I had also promised a friend I would kill something with the 120 TTSX he loaded for me.

    So, the next afternoon, I grabbed a 5 round mag and staggered it with TTSX and AMAX. (The AMAX was on top, followed by the TTSX.) I headed to the woods behind my bard, and found a fallen cedar tree to lean against. While scouting the property this year, I had noticed several heavily used paths and this tree was the culmination of 5 of them. So, i plopped my ass down and waited. this was 2 Jan and it was 4 degrees in TN that day. Needless to say, I was freezing! About 2 hours in and I was ready to give up. Just as I started to stand, I head a loud blow, and 2 large does came rushing down the hill in front of me! The closest one stopped 30yrds from me, and began grazing. The second one was another 30 yrds behind her, but had caught a look at me and stopped in her tracks. She had her eyes locked on me, and the buck behind her was slowly walking towards her from behind. From the sound of the blows and the noise he was making, I was sure he was huge. But, the longer I waited, the closer the first doe got to me, and the longer the second one had her eyes locked on me. I was dying to see the buck, but 3 weeks into leave with no meat in the freezer. I couldnt wait any longer, so I slowly raised the Grendel, sighted in on the closest doe and fired. SHe reared up, fell over, and died immediately. By the time I recovered from the shot, I lost the other 2 deer. I didn't see them run in my peripheral vision , or thru the scope, so I decided to just wait to see what happens. The woods were silent for almost 15 minutes...............then, out of the corner of my eye, I saw the second doe. SHe had immediately lain prone as soon as I shot! She never ran at all! She moved very slowly behind the tree in front of me, and the froze. The only part of her I could still see was her shoulder, and it was between a V in 2 cedar trees. I remembered I had the TTSX, and figured a shoulder shot would be a good test of it. I raised the rifle and fired again, but the doe just turned, and trotted off up the hill like nothing had happened. I was sure I had hit her, but saw no blood, nor did she show any sing of being hit.

    SO.....I waited....again. I figured I would give it another 15 mins just in case I hit her. (I didnt want to push a wounded deer further into the woods). After 15 mins passed, I stood up and walked over to where she stood (approx 60 yrds away). Nothing.....no blood at all. So I turned, and began walking up the hill where she went. About 20 more yards up, I saw her. She was laying at the top of the hill, head up looking at me. Her head and eyes were fading, and when she saw me she attempted to get up and run. Thats when I noticed the broken leg, and massive loss of blood on the ground. I had hit her, but it was farther back on the shoulder than I thought. I backed off and gave her time to die. This had never happened to me. I have never killed 2 deer at the same time!

    I dragged the deer back to my barn, gutted them, and let them hang for a few days in the freezing temps. I made sure to get lots of pictures of bullet damage for all to see. (Pictures are attached, but I have more on request). I didnt get a weight on them, but the one on my left in the pic was pretty big.

    Happy as hell with my new AA grendel barrel. My Swede and Creed just got a baby brother!
    2fer.jpgamax entrance and exit.jpgsight-in.JPGttsx_entrance.jpgttsx_exit.jpg
    Last edited by lastlaugh; 01-13-2018, 03:54 AM.
  • IescapedCali
    Warrior
    • Sep 2017
    • 335

    #2
    Nice harvest, lastlaugh. Always satisfying to put food in the freezer (of course, you seem to have harvested it in a freezer as well). Congrats!

    Comment

    • Djgrendel
      Warrior
      • Feb 2016
      • 200

      #3
      Glad you were able to recover the second deer. Sometimes things don't go as planned. Venison in the freezer is way better than giving it to the coyotes.
      Yard work is not an excuse!

      Comment

      • VASCAR2
        Chieftain
        • Mar 2011
        • 6218

        #4
        Welcome to the forum lastlaugh, great story thanks for posting! No question the 6.5 Grendel can get it done, very versatile cartridge, glad you like your AA barrel.

        Comment

        • Double Naught Spy
          Chieftain
          • Sep 2013
          • 2560

          #5
          Very good! Nice job on the recovery.
          Kill a hog. Save the planet.
          My videos - https://www.youtube.com/user/HornHillRange

          Comment

          • lastlaugh
            Unwashed
            • Jan 2018
            • 7

            #6

            Comment

            • sierracharlie338
              Bloodstained
              • Jan 2018
              • 43

              #7
              Lastlaugh,

              Im curious as to what you think happened with the TTSX shot. Did you hit where you were aiming? Was it a gut shot (green stuff in pics) or did you knick the stomach while cleaning it? Not criticizing but looking for info as I am a student of terminal ballistics and bullet performance.

              Comment

              • Tcrocker
                Unwashed
                • Jan 2018
                • 16

                #8
                Nice bet you were give out by the time you were done. I just shot my first deer with a 6.5 Grendel last Saturday. I was worried with the way the little acted but dead is dead. Thanks for the pics I like to see the after effects of bullets so I can pic a new bullet if need be.

                Comment

                • LRRPF52
                  Super Moderator
                  • Sep 2014
                  • 8569

                  #9
                  Welcome aboard and nice harvest!

                  Great story and discipline in the woods by not spooking your prey after the shots.
                  NRA Basic, Pistol, Rifle, Shotgun, RSO

                  CCW, CQM, DM, Long Range Rifle Instructor

                  6.5 Grendel Reloading Handbooks & chamber brushes can be found here:

                  www.AR15buildbox.com

                  Comment

                  • lastlaugh
                    Unwashed
                    • Jan 2018
                    • 7

                    #10
                    Originally posted by sierracharlie338 View Post
                    Lastlaugh,

                    Im curious as to what you think happened with the TTSX shot. Did you hit where you were aiming? Was it a gut shot (green stuff in pics) or did you knick the stomach while cleaning it? Not criticizing but looking for info as I am a student of terminal ballistics and bullet performance.
                    Sorry Im just now getting to respond to you.

                    I hit where I was aiming, but the deer wasnt at the angle I thought she was. She was obscured by 2 large cedar trees growing into a large V. I could see mainly just her shoulder, and front right leg. I didn't realize she was quartering to me at such a sharp angle. The bullet went in at the right spot, but did go thru the gut on the way out. I was not happy with the shot, but she dropped in about 30yrds. Just rather have clean kills

                    Comment

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