Elk hunting with a grendel

[bruceleroy]

I will be chasing a bull during first rifle season here in Colorado. I will also be using my Grendel. Doubtful I will even get a chance to shoot past 200 but the ballistics are up to the task in my opinion. At 300 yards I am still at 2177 fps and 1294 ft/lbs. Almost every 123 class bullet I use gets me those numbers plus/minus a few in the singles digit. I shoot an AR better than anything else I have and will carry with confidence.

[justinspicher]

Your post Bruce Leroy are my exact sediments.

[bruceleroy]

People will shoot an elk at 650 with a creedmoor, well, my Grendel has the same ballistics at 350 yards so why not? If I shoot the Nosler 129 ABLR I am good for 1800 fps and 1k ft/lbs at 500 yards in my Grendel. I wont shoot one that far with most calibers anyways so 400 yards with a Grendel it is...or I will walk closer.

[Growler]

Ok, just pulling your chain...but
cow bull
?
Say Wha?
Is that one o them confused city slicker bovines?

[Msalm]

[bruceleroy]

I agree on the 338 WM. Awesome for pretty much any hunt in the world. Ive been told for years that my 308 wasnt enough. Yet ive taken every animal ethically and they never go more than 25 yards. Except those pesky pronghorn... Anyways, Ive also seen as many magnum shooters miss and wound animals as the number that take them. I say as long as the fps equal reliable expansion and you can make the shot at XX distance, knock yourself out.

[41bear]

Shot placement and bullet construction, along with the shooter's ability/familiarity with the weapon are a far better combination that going with a "big gun." Way to many factual stories of hunters taking game with guns most would consider far less than ideal. Oh, and practice, practice, practice!

[rabiddawg]

Ok, just pulling your chain...but
cow bull
?
Say Wha?
Is that one o them confused city slicker bovines?

[AZBackcountry]

My first bull elk 1987 was taken with a 7mm Rem Mag with 150gr Core Lokt's at 30 yards. 1st shot went in the left front ribcage and exited behind the right shoulder blade. It never expanded. Number 2 I tried for a heart shot just behind the right front leg and hit an vein at the top of the heat and exited the left side in a hole not big enough to put a finger in. The 3rd entered the lungs on the right rear and exited through the left front shoulder blade where it expanded in the last inch. The bull wasn't even flinching as it walked by while I'm shooting and wondering what is going on. Core Lokts in a 7mm Mag need bone to expand. I'm not genius that can tell you why; I just know the results. I started using the Core Lokts on coyotes with the same results. Today I use Berger 168 Gr VLDs. They expand on the fur, turn lungs to jelly, shatter bones and exit. I wouldn't use my Grendel on an elk unless I wanted to pack him farther out of the biggest canyon within a mile.

[Stinky Coyote]

I agree with a 450 yard ideal conditions limit from that 16" barrel, i have a 16" barrel bolt action that shoots factory eld-m at 2386 fps and holds 1800 fps impact velocity to 450 yards. A more realistic goal for elk might be 2000 fps at impact which puts your limit at 300 yards.

Most modern bullets will do the trick. I'll only shoot eld-m factory ammo as it does fantastic work while delivering fantastic penetration and even outshines the sst in this regard. I have a moose at 125 yards with impressive performance and several deer out to 238 yards so far and still impressive.

As for the comment about 100gr arrows killing elk...thats just the tip of the arrow, most use 100gr tips for deer size critters and step up to 125gr for elk, the overall arrow weights bowhunters use range from about 375 grains to 525 grains. Most dedicated elk hunters run over 400 grains (420-475). Most of these arrows will be landing on target in the 275-300 fps range. More than adequate penetration.

[Old Bob]

I've never shot an elk with anything smaller than a 50 cal. muzzleloader. 295 grain Power belts knock'em down & they don't get up. The last cow elk I shot was an almost frontal shot at 60yds. The slug hit her high in the neck & actually flipped her over backwards. I can still remember seeing all 4 feet in the air before she hit the ground.

If I were to hunt elk with a 6.5 Grendel, I'd hunt 'em the same way I hunted with my open sighted muzzleloader. I'd get up as close as possible were I can be absolutely sure of bullet placement -100yds or less. Hunting to me has always been getting as close as I can. Sneaking up on wild animals is the challenge. I acknowledge that some folks are skilled long range shooters & that they accept the challenge of hitting small targets at far distances, but the chances for errors multiply as those distances grow.

[Stinky Coyote]

[kmon]

Like I have said here the Grendel would not be my first choice for elk, if I lived where I could hunt elk and have more than a 5 or 6 day hunt I would hunt with the Grendel for elk and just know I would pass on shots if not fully confident in the angle /conditions/distance. I have killed 5 elk with various caliber choices and seen several more shot with various calibers. A good friend that is an outfitter hates the 338 Win Mag for most elk hunters he sees. Too often those that buy one for their "big Elk Hunt" o not put the time in with it or are afraid of the recoil to shoot it accurately. Of the 5 elk I have taken 4 I have no doubt would have died quickly from the same shot with a Grendel. One killed with a 300 WBY and Barnes bullet I would not hav taken the same shot on that bulll with the Grendel.. With the Grendel I would look for a good archery type shot location, broadside or sightly quartering away and double lung the elk.

Elk in my experience are not bullet proof and can die pretty quick from a well placed double lung shot but make a shot a bit of and they can go for a long ways, one bull that was shot with a 300 Win Mag almost straight on frontal only got one lung, that bull was found after about a half mile and was still alive when found. SHOT Placement folks.

[Stinky Coyote]

[Wethepeople]

Absolutely doable. Limit yourself to broadside shots and realistic range for the cartridge. I've killed several elk with 130 grainers from the .270. Same principal applies. Shot placement is everything, if you respect the critters you hunt.