whats the effective range for a 6.5 grendel in an 19.5 "? i was thinking it would stretch out to around 600 yards and make a good kill on a deer? anything past that wouldnt be too good. that could be stretching it for that round. opinions?
The oft quoted formula is any distance that the bullet retains above 1000 pounds feet of energy. Keep in mind however, that range may exceed the maximum range for an ethical shot.
Yes. There have been articles written about "beanfield guns" where shooters take deer at very long range. The 6.5 grendel with an appropriate hunting bullet should be able to do it at 600 yards, if the shooter is capable of correcting for wind & distance and can make a clean shot at that range.
Not knowing the conditions or skill of a particular shooter, I would not advocate taking a shot at such a range. Above all else, a hunter should know the limitations of their skill and equipment under field conditions. A clean, humane kill on the animal is always the goal of any ethical hunter.
I consider myself a very good shooter and I'm not sure I'd shoot one at that range.
Not knowing the conditions or skill of a particular shooter, I would not advocate taking a shot at such a range. Above all else, a hunter should know the limitations of their skill and equipment under field conditions. A clean, humane kill on the animal is always the goal of any ethical hunter.
I consider myself a very good shooter and I'm not sure I'd shoot one at that range.
I don't think I'd try to take a deer at 600 yards with it. I know I could hit it, but I'm not sure it's got enough zip to do an ethical job. Especially with a small error in the distance or wind call. Probably looking at about 800 ft-lb of energy at 600 with the heavy bullets. With a bullet built more for hunting, you're gonna be slower/less energy because of the likely lower BC.
lets say you had a spot to shoot targets out to 600 yards and reloading equipment, then would you consider the shot. practice..practice..practice. i guess i should ask is the round caple of making a good clean kill, if placed in the right spot? does it for sure have enough energy and big enough bullet to do the job at that range?
Exactly. Let's say you have a rifle capable of 4" groups at 600yds (sub-MOA). Let's say you have a 2" point of aim error at that distance (not that hard to do). That puts your effective impact point within an 8" zone, which is right on the edge of the zone you have available for a clean, effective kill.
Now factor in buck fever and inclement weather conditions and you've got significant potential for a wounded animal. I'm just not willing to take that risk myself.
Why would you need to take a 600 yard shot on a deer? Just for fun?
I can make nice looking groups at 600 with my 338, but in a hunting situation, I'm not going to be laying on my mat with my rear bag and all the time in the world. I used to say I wanted to kill one at 1k, but shooting 300-600 regularly lately and 1250 one day I'll stick to about 300 yards max. I couldn't stand it if I wounded a deer. The 338 has plenty of gas to kill at 1k, but I consider myself a better than average shooter and don't want to wound the animal if I can avoid it.
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