Grendel for Texas Ram Hunt?

[pastorchats]

I am getting ready to take my son on a texas ram hunt. Corsican, mouflan or black Hawaiian rams. I hunted whitetail with my 16in Grendel AR and the 123SST for the first time this past season. I shot the second biggest deer I've ever shot at about 110yds. Hit right where I aimed on the shoulder, he did the heart shot jump, then fell on his chest and bulldozed into the woods. Long story short, minimal blood trail and even with a dog couldn't find him when the blood trail dried up after 500 yards through the woods. In 35 years of deer hunting, this is my first deer to ever lose. I know it happens, but it's definitely heartbreaking.

I'd like to take the Grendel to TX and redeem it, but after that experience, I'm a little nervous. I just want to be sure it's the right call. Supposedly, most shots are 100 yards or under. I'd appreciate any thoughts you have.

[ricsmall]

[kmon]

Your Grendel will be fine for those ram hunts, and if I were doing one it would be my choice as well. Now if you had said free range Aoudad in the mountains and canyons of West Texas I might want a bigger cartridge.

The only sheep that you mentioned I have killed were all Corsican and those were with a 22-250 at ranges from 50 yards to 350 yards. Longest one was on a 4 year old ram. A friend managed a 1000 acre ranch and had put some Corsicans on it and when the place sold we trapped what we could then shot some of the others for meat for that old cowboys family.

Agree with Rick on his assessment of the shot, having owned a tracking dog and used him for recovery of quite a few deer, the only leg shot deer I have recovered were from at least 300 yard tracking jobs and one over a mile and a half. The 2 leg shot ones I have recovered were both rear leg shots low in the ham where they busted the femoral artery. The mile and half one the ones tracking him went over a mile on the faint blood trail and bumped him at least 5 times. Where they lost the blood I put the dog on it there and he did the rest. Front leg hits low I have never recovered but one and it had both front legs broken just below the chest.

[Javman]

My BIL did the samething with a 7-08. Thought it was a heart shot, described pretty much what you said. When we tracking the buck some blood but ended pretty quick. Went back to the place where he thought he was standing and I looked around and saw where the buck pushed off the ground and looked a bit more and found shattered bones of front leg. Unfortunately we heard coyotes that night and saw the buzzards flying around and told him bet that's your buck! Sure enough bad shot on his part. Your 6.5Gr will do fine as long as shot placement is good and your using a good projectile.

[pastorchats]

Thanks, guys. No disrespect taken at all. Longer story, but the deer surprised me and I only had a second before he got to the woods to take the shot. I have no doubt it was human error. Ha. I really appreciate the feedback!!! As I said, it was the first deer I've ever lost, so it hit me pretty hard.

Do you guys typically shoot in the boiler room with your Grendel? Higher shoulder? Neck? I'm usually a boiler room or high shoulder guy. Thanks again.

[ricsmall]

[pastorchats]

You've got the dragging part right!!! haha. I'm with you on that. What barrel length are you using and what ammo?

[ricsmall]

[kmon]

If you hunt enough and shoot enough critters some day one will get away after being hit. Key I think is learn from every shot good or bad and try to eliminate the bad ones in the future. With the Grendel and most rifles I like the high shoulder but take what is presented if I am confident in the bullet doing its part when it gets there. Neck shots I only take at short ranges usually less than 70 yards I have seen too many go wrong. Vitals work but do usually require a little tracking.


I have lost a few with rifle an a few with archery figure about 2% at the most, in nearly 50 years of hunting deer and 20+ of hunting hogs.

In the Grendel I have used A-Max and SST along with 129gr Nosler LRAB, really like that LRAB but still use some of the supply of A-Max I bought years ago.

[pastorchats]

What makes you like the Barnes over the SST for deer? My 14-year-old shoots a 300BLK with the 110 Tac-TX and it hammers deer. I love Barnes ammo. I just haven't been able to get any factory or components to reload them.

[ricsmall]

[1Shot]

With 50 years of deer hunting under my belt I will have to agree with others assessment on the low leg hit on the deer.

I myself prefer a high shoulder shot BANG FLOP when possible. But! After killing hundreds of white tail deer with most everything between a sharp stick and a 45-70 I can attest that no matter what projectile you use if it hits the heart or pops both lungs they don't go far. A one lung hit deer can go for a long ways. Use you Grendel and don't worry on your hunt.

Just to show what even a very small projectile will do if it goes into the heart check out YouTube blow gun hunting video's. I just watched one the other day where I guy kills a black bear with his blow gun. Popped it in the heart and it did not go much over 30 yards.

[A5BLASTER]

I wouldnt have a problem taking a grendel to hunt any game in texas. Including audad. But I would change my shot placment too the cns type hit of the high shoulder/spine and the hornady sst would be the last bullet I would hunt anything bigger then coyotes with. It simple is not a good game bullet.

My vote would go to the 120 fusion are 120 gold dot if you handload your own ammo.

[pastorchats]

I appreciate all the input guys. I've never shot one low leg like that. I shot a 220lb 8 point with a 223 a few years ago. So I know a smaller caliber will get it done with the right shot. I'm excited to take the rifle to Texas. And hopefully this fall I'll lay a whitetail or two down with it as well. If I could find some other ammo or bullets to load I probably would give them a go. Thank you guys!

[Laman]

Just my experience with sst's but I have been using Hornady sst's since they first came out in 6.5x55, 7x57 and 6.5-06 and now my Grendel. My daughter and I have killed dozens of Ga. whitetails up to 200 lbs and never had what I would consider a failure with anything resembling decent shot placement. Now if you it a large bone you will get massive splintering but even with that my experience is you will get enough penetration for a kill, lower leg hits would be an exception. Based on our experience I would not hesitate to use that 123 sst on all but the largest exotics in Texas.