6.5 Grendel vs .243 win

[pre6422hornet]

I don't own a Grendel, but I do have first hand experience with both my older daughters shooting their Winchester model 70 FWT in .243 ( I swapped out the regular stock for a cut down one).

Reduced loads with H4895 which was mentioned above is the way to go. 95 gr Ballistic tips with 22 gr of H4895 is dead on at 100 and 4 inches low at 200 out of their rifle. Last year I imposed a 75 yard max distance for them at game, but this year I will be stretching that out a bit now that they are 10 and 12 years of age.

Even in a FWT and youth stock the recoil is darn near zero. I swear I can see the bullets hit paper through the scope.

I have not chrono'd it yet, but I have a good friend whose daughter has shot a few whitetails with around the same load and had pass through kills on each one.
Also I purchased a PAST recoil pad and that as well is a great $20 dollar investment. It even further mitigates any recoil.

 

[MT_Chad]

Savage makes their youth rifles in 223 as well so guns are readily available, the grendel you would have to build or have her shoot an ar.

 

[cahunter805]

Plenty of good bullets in 22cal that are devastating on game. Funny so many internet experts but how many have used a quality 22cal bullet on deer?
A 55gr TTSXor 53gr TSX is deadly on deer. Another solid bullet is the 60gr Nosler partition.

 

[pre6422hornet]

Plenty of good bullets in 22cal that are devastating on game. Funny so many internet experts but how many have used a quality 22cal bullet on deer?
A 55gr TTSXor 53gr TSX is deadly on deer. Another solid bullet is the 60gr Nosler partition.

Yep, same friend who's daughter has taken with 243 has also taken deer with a 222 rem and Nosler's.

 

[Bigjay73]

I have a 6.5 grendel and it's a great round for lopes, and deer. I shoot regularly at 800 yds at the range, but personally will not shoot an animal past 300 with the grendel, but at 400 with 120gr bullets, it still carries a sufficient amount of energy. There is no recoil, and is a lot of fun to shoot. Build an AR with a collapsible stock, and it should fit you and your daughter. I really dont know why anyone would use a .22 when the 6.5 is available, accurate, and effective. .22 calibers are such a ballistic disadvantage. I've shot 2 deer with a .223 and premium bullets, both lung shots, both ran off with no blood trail. Maybe I just had bad luck, but I will never use a .22 again for anything but totes.

 

[sbhooper]

Have you let her shoot any rifle yet? My friend has a little stick figure daughter that does just fine with a .243, and even bigger, as do his four other daughters. Kids are tougher than you think. Don't assume that the recoil will bother her, and don't even bring it up. Let her show you her ability to stand it. That being said, the Grendel would be just fine for close range, but it just does not have a lot of gas. It is a neat round in an AR platform, but not what I would hunt with.

Any 100-grain load in a .243, will kill all the deer that she will ever need. I have killed over 150 deer, with a 100-grain Hornady Interlock. Just get her a rifle that fits her and go shoot.

 

[JLS]

You could load light bullets on a reduced load in your .308 as well. My daughter learned to shoot with a 30-06 and reduced loads. Don’t underestimate the value of them.

 

[JLS]

Plenty of good bullets in 22cal that are devastating on game. Funny so many internet experts but how many have used a quality 22cal bullet on deer?
A 55gr TTSXor 53gr TSX is deadly on deer. Another solid bullet is the 60gr Nosler partition.

Agreed. A .223 with a good bullet is very lethal.

 

[Don Fischer]

A 22 LR used right is very lethal.

 

[Brian in Montana]

The .223 is kind of the obvious choice, but I've had an interest in the Grendel for some time. The first couple deer I shot were with a .222, but I'm in the group that doesn't really like a .22cal bullet on game. And not that a 6.5mm bullet is particularly big, but I'd rather a deer be shot with a 120gn bullet than a 55gn.

So I'm very familiar with the .243 and .223, but my knowledge of the Grendel is purely theoretical. Therefore the question.

Anyway, it's too late for this season as the youth hunt is next week, so I'm thinking mostly about next year and her little bro who will be hunting before long too. My daughter shoots that .243 OK, but she's a little tentative about the recoil. I'm having her do some dry fire drills to help.

 

[ImBillT]

The .223 is kind of the obvious choice, but I've had an interest in the Grendel for some time. The first couple deer I shot were with a .222, but I'm in the group that doesn't really like a .22cal bullet on game. And not that a 6.5mm bullet is particularly big, but I'd rather a deer be shot with a 120gn bullet than a 55gn.

So I'm very familiar with the .243 and .223, but my knowledge of the Grendel is purely theoretical. Therefore the question.

Anyway, it's too late for this season as the youth hunt is next week, so I'm thinking mostly about next year and her little bro who will be hunting before long too. My daughter shoots that .243 OK, but she's a little tentative about the recoil. I'm having her do some dry fire drills to help.

What bullet did you use in the .222?

You know you don’t have to use a 55gr bullet in the .223 right? 60gr Partition, 64gr BSB, 64gr Power Point, 70gr Accubond.

Ever consider a 6x45, 6TCU, or 6 Grendel?(6mmAR is what it’s called)

None of the above is to suggest that the 6.5 Grendel won’t do fine if that’s what you want.

Best of luck to you and your children this season!

 

[Fullquiver]

I'm of the belief that a good quality bullet out of a 223 is plenty of gun for deer out to 200 yrds.. I have personally killed into double digits of deer with my 223 rifles (AR and Bolt guns) including large mature northern whitetail bucks. (200+ on the hoof) It is not a gun for someone who takes bad shots or steep angles but a broadside deer in range is in mortal danger if you have someone who can shoot behind the trigger..

Quality bullets are the biggest factor besides shot placement with this or any rifle..

 

[std7mag]

My daughter, very recoil sensitive, did not like her Weatherby Vangard in 243.
Traded it in on a bow.
I had re-barreled my Stevens 200 from 7mmm-08AI to 250 Savage. She does not like the recoil from that either.
She does enjoy shooting my Ruger 77 MKII in 257 Roberts.
Larger cartridge loaded to +P standards, but the shape of the stock & weight are different from the Stevens.

Perhaps the answer is a stock that will fit your daughter better. I'm doing a 7mm Mauser build for my daughter and using a Boyds ATOne adjustable stock.

With a cheeck riser that i attach to the stock, my wife has no issues with my Savage 111 in 7mm Rem Mag.

The military is going to 6.8mm for a reason.

 

[ShadowFast1]

If you know of someone with a 6.5 Grendel that would let her try it out, that might be a good way to see if it would work for her. I do not feel she would be under gunned with a 6.5 Grendel, or a .223 with a good bullet and good shot placement, instead of a .243.

I recall watching a video of a young girl taking a bull elk with a 6.5 Grendel at 390 yards. She took three shots to take it down, though I suspect the first shot mortally wounded it. All the while her father was there with her coaching her on. Find a rifle that she can shoot comfortably and accurately and teach her where to place her shots. I imagine that will mean more than deciding which adequate cartridge is more adequate.

 

[sbhooper]

The .223 is kind of the obvious choice, but I've had an interest in the Grendel for some time. The first couple deer I shot were with a .222, but I'm in the group that doesn't really like a .22cal bullet on game. And not that a 6.5mm bullet is particularly big, but I'd rather a deer be shot with a 120gn bullet than a 55gn.

So I'm very familiar with the .243 and .223, but my knowledge of the Grendel is purely theoretical. Therefore the question.

Anyway, it's too late for this season as the youth hunt is next week, so I'm thinking mostly about next year and her little bro who will be hunting before long too. My daughter shoots that .243 OK, but she's a little tentative about the recoil. I'm having her do some dry fire drills to help.

Take a 223 and load get the heaviest bullet that it will shoot. Keep the shots reasonable, and it will do well. If she has issues with a .243, then she is going to have an uphill battle finding a gun with much poop that fits her.

 

[Armychap04]

I know this is an old thread. But I’m curious what the OP ended up doing?I have a 12 year old daughter hunting whitetail for the first time this year and I am back and forth between the 6.5 Grendel and .243.

 

[D4570]

Early in this thread, I pushed for a 7.62x 39, a great chambering.
Since that my GD got a 6.5 Grendel, and has never looked back.
She is now 13 and has shot 6 deer with the Grendel there were 4x4 buck mule deer 150 yards plus.
They have all dropped in their tracks.
Little recoil dead deer, light gun, a howa mini kids stock, 20" barrel.
I have been impressed with it and her shooting.
It will never be an elk gun but any deer under 200 yards is in grave danger.

 

[shannerdrake]

If you have an AR you can build or buy a 6.5 G upper for little money.

The recoil in mine is so little they I was worried something was wrong. I put a blast forwarding device on mine and a 20in barrel instead of a 16in with w compensator. The muzzle blast is almost as insignificant as the recoil.

The 6.5 G will never duplicate a 243 ballistically but it will do anything you need it to do to a deer out to 300 yards.

You can also shoot cheap bulk ammo through the 6.5 G and adjust the stock to fit anyone it needs to. Both important working with kids. My buddy’s 8 year old can get good and comfortable on my 6.5 G but not so on her 243 Savage Youth.

 

[morgaj1]

I know this is an old thread. But I’m curious what the OP ended up doing?I have a 12 year old daughter hunting whitetail for the first time this year and I am back and forth between the 6.5 Grendel and .243.

6.5 Grendel all the way. Soft shooting and plenty of juice for whitetail. That Howa Micro 6.5 Grendel is a sweet gun.

 

[Armychap04]

6.5 Grendel all the way. Soft shooting and plenty of juice for whitetail. That Howa Micro 6.5 Grendel is a sweet gun.

That’s where I am leaning. She shoots my 223 lights out and we have used it for deer under 100yds successfully. But I want something with minimal recoil that will get us closer to 200-250 yards. Think I going to grab a Grendel in a howa mini ! Thanks!