Buck down with 123 SST

[customcutter]

hm2,

Yes, just a couple of miles south of Lumpkin toward Georgetown. The paper companies just kept raising the lease prices, we finally had to give it up. Killed a few turkeys there also.

[XOOFP]

Good story PA. Great buck too!

[rebelsoul]

My apologies for showing up late to your party. That buck is awesome! I'd like to hear more about your bullet performance. I'm just cutting my teeth on my Grendel and I want to get it right with the ammo. I had a no exit shot that got me worried. I've got some advice on another thread but I want experience; lead hitting meat and bone. BTW is that Waterloo area.

[PA_Allen]

My apologies for showing up late to your party. That buck is awesome! I'd like to hear more about your bullet performance. I'm just cutting my teeth on my Grendel and I want to get it right with the ammo. I had a no exit shot that got me worried. I've got some advice on another thread but I want experience; lead hitting meat and bone. BTW is that Waterloo area.

Hey Reb,
The picture is from Jackson County area. I've killed about 3 dozen or so deer with the Grendel using the 120 NBT, 100 TTSX, and 123 SST. All of them work fine. The beauty of the Grendel is the ability to easily have precise bullet placement. If I were stalk shooting deer as you describe, I would lean toward the 100 TTSX pushed out at 2700+ fps. Every 100 TTSX I have shot at deer or antelope has exited with lots of internal damage. I would feel better about taking a strong quarting or raking shot with the TTSX thsn one of the softer cup and core bullets. I hunted exclusively with the 123 SST this year to give it a fair shake. I like the performance in most cases, but it is more fragile than the TTSX of course, which can be an advantage or disadvantage depending on bullet placement.
Best,
PA

[explorecaves]

I would second the TTSX in either the 100gr or, as I stated earlier, the 120gr… This is a sample of the wealth of information in Volume 2 of the grendel reloading handbook.

[rebelsoul]

Thanks PA & EC. Can I get the 100 or 120 ttsx out of a box? Do you prefer 100 or 120gr. at < 300yds. I've shot 30-06 most of my life and need group therapy to break my heavy lead addiction. For years I used 220gr. because I thought I needed "knock down" power. BTW the three grendel kills I pictured in the other thread came from Jackson Co.

[rebelsoul]

Tsx and ttsx, what differs? Fifty bucks a box from AA. I won't be shooting any possums or possums on a half shell with those. PA, any long range kills? How far can I push it?

[explorecaves]

Main difference between ttsx and tsx is the polymer tip that gives you better BC for those long range shots. If you are going for varmint, I would look at the lighter pills (85gr range). The main advantage of the 6.5 pills vs the .30 cal is sectional density. http://www.chuckhawks.com/sd.htm You get higher SD with much lighter pills which results in greater penetration than you are used to with the .30 cal round.

A lot of the information you are asking can be extrapolated from the reloading handbooks. I was very surprised with the wealth of knowledge that was compiled for volume 2. If you don't have it yet, go to ar15buildbox.com and place your order today.

[rebelsoul]

I prefer to copy the homework of "A" students like PA that splatter BLOOD. When my customers need advice on fixin' their dozer, I don't try to sell them a tech manual. I just try to play them the greatest hits. The data is in the book, but EXPERIENCE is what connects the dots.

[PA_Allen]

Rebel,
Explorecaves is giving you some good info as well. The gel testing really helps make sense of the field results. The polymer tip on the TTSX also helps initiate expansion (in theory) and the TTSX usually has a larger hollow cavity imediately below the polymer tip which is a good thing for expansion as well.
I have killed game out to about 325 yd with the 100 TTSX and they worked great. That being said it looks like you are looking for a factory load. If I were in your shoes I would shoot the 123 SST or 120 gr NBT factory loads and go slay stuff. If you shoot enough game, you will have an unexplained bullet "failure" or small blood trail, or a "robo-deer" that you hit just right and just didn't know well enough to lay down and die. Stuff happens. The beauty of the grendel is that it runs at moderate velocities, so most standard bullets perform beautifully and if you step down in weight, the premiums like the TTSX work great too. It's kind of a boring answer, but I've found that I am usually the weak link in my weapon's performance, both on game and on paper.
Best,
PA

[explorecaves]

I prefer to copy the homework of "A" students like PA that splatter BLOOD. When my customers need advice on fixin' their dozer, I don't try to sell them a tech manual. I just try to play them the greatest hits. The data is in the book, but EXPERIENCE is what connects the dots.

I know you are new here, but that comment just insulted many members in this forum that wrote the handbooks… The ones that wrote the books have much more experience combined than many here would ever hope to know.

[rebelsoul]

My apologies, no insults intended. I don't want to shop lift PA's excellent thread. Let's step out back and settle this. (Meaning I'll start a new thread and take my butt woopin' like a man.)