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Trophy Sized Boar - 310 lbs

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  • Double Naught Spy

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    I was checking the last of my properties before heading home. This one happened to be one owned by my family. We have a tenant that runs cattle on it and he had told me that coyotes had gotten one of his calves. So I hoped to stop in and shoot a coyote or two before going home. I pulled into the gate and scanned the property. There were cattle off to my right and a lone calf way at the back of the property, which made me think that is why the other got picked off, but as I watched this calf start to move, I realized it was a good-sized hog. It turned out to be much bigger than I expected...

     

    GeorgeS

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    Nice boar and nice shot (right in the ear hole?).

    I see a number of posts here (and on the 6.5 Grendel forum) relating great results with what I'd consider 'varmint bullets' - SST, TNT, et al.

    I just got a 10.5" upper in 6.5 Grendel and have a question: is it the lower velocity of the Grendel that makes these bullets less explosive and therefore more effective on game, or have they 'toughened up' these bullets in calibers grater than .224"?
     

    Double Naught Spy

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    George, I am going to monologue here briefly about my beef with labels on bullets. What the design intent is of a bullet, how it is marketed, and how it performs in the field are often very different things or have overlap. For example, the Hornady AMAX was designed and marketed as a target bullet, but in various calibers, hunters loved it for a deer round. Hornady did not promote it as a hunting round, however. My point here is that labels are a starting point, but the proof is in the pudding, so to speak. Just because something is marketed as a hunting bullet doesn't make it a good hunting bullet, right? There are some hunting bullets that are exceptionally accurate that people use for long range shooting. Imagine that.

    The SST is marketed for medium to larger game hunting (deer/elk-sized depending on the caliber). The TNT is marketed as a varmint round. The Grendel 123 gr. SST and Speer TNT 90 gr. bullets out of my 18" barrel tend to come apart inside hogs. On the rare occasion that I find a TNT bullet, it is generally the button of the base as comes in at about 30-35 gr., the rest of the bullet (lead and jacket) being gone. The SST retains more of the bullet, but also has lost a significant amount of material. So both of these are at higher velocities.

    When I tried Alexander Arms 129 gr. SSTs, when I recovered the bullets (most punched through and were lost), they expanded fairly nicely, as opposed to looking like they had come apart explosively like the higher velocity 123 gr. SSTs did. So I think the reduced velocity plays a big role in how the bullets perform.

    Along similar lines, Berger advertised their VLD-Hunting frangible bullets for larger claim and said that the bullets come apart explosively (I don't recall the exact wording on that) such that the bullet releases all the energy inside the body, doesn't overpenetrate, and causes hydrostatic shock. Well, the 130 gr. Grendel version didn't do that at all. It did come apart, but I got huge amounts of penetration where all or part of the bullet exited the body. I think the deepest was over 24", IIRC. The only time I got what I considered to be hydrostatic shock was a shot behind the head and above the spine that downed the animal, but it was still very much alive and alert when I walked up on it, but stunned. Otherwise, if I didn't hit the spine or brain, the animal ran. Part of the reason for this, I think, is that the Grendel velocities are at the lower operating end of the round and so don't generate the results they state should occur.

    I don't know what the velocities would be in a 10.5" barrel as I don't have anything that short. I would expect more subdued performance from the bullets because of the reduced velocity, the SST likely just expanding instead of coming apart. The wound channel size will be a bit reduced as well compared to higher velocities. I know plenty of people that hunt with Grendel pistols and do well with them, but I believe if you have much hope have having hydrostatic shock helping bring down your game, you are going to need in excess of 2200 fps at the target (https://www.ballisticstudies.com/Knowledgebase/Effective+Game+Killing.html) and likely won't get that with heavier bullets.
     

    Hoji

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    Love your videos.

    Great shot.

    When I was paid by the taxpayers to kill pigs I would sometimes ( depending on the location) let mega-boars walk ( over 300 lbs).

    The reason was that they would do a pretty good job of killing pigs themselves. Can’t tell you how many small( 60-70 pound) sows I have killed in areas with giant boars that had nasty infected bites, hoof gouges in their backs and dislocated hips and shoulders from being bred by larger pigs.

    I have also seen big boars actually eat piglets on occasion.

    As soon as the cameras and video would show that the big boar was the only pig left( or the only pig reliably staying in an area) he would get the .308 treatment.

    That very well could have been a calf killer and needed your “attention”. I am glad he got it.;)
     

    GeorgeS

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    Thanks, double Naught Spy. It was a rational and informative reply.

    I've ordered the 123gr. Hornady SST (2580fps) and ELD Match ammunition, as well as the Federal Fusion MR 120gr. soft point (2600fps).
    Neither manufacturer provides the barrel length tested (but I presume it's 22", for this class of cartridges).

    Once I get the rig sighted in, I'll take it out for axis does and/or pigs.

    I'm curious to compare its effectiveness versus the 6.5 Creedmoor which just accounted for two "bang flops" on axis does on Tuesday (Nosler 140gr. Ballistic Tip @2650fps).
     

    Double Naught Spy

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    If you shoot your Grendel as well as your Creedmore, you should be fine. Generally speaking, bang flops are the result of direct CNS damage, although with higher velocity ammo, you have the chance for indirect CNS damage via hydrostatic shock. I say "chance" because hydrostatic shock does not seem to happen with any sort of consistency on game. The Creedmore will definitely have more energy and distance.
     

    GeorgeS

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    If you shoot your Grendel as well as your Creedmore, you should be fine.

    From your lips to God's ears. :D

    Both shots were on relaxed deer, impacting the shoulder. The bone fragments shredded the hearts & lungs and my guess is that the bullets or cores clipped the bottom of the spine. It was too hot to perform necropsies so we just field-dressed them and got them to the meat processor where they'll hang for a week or so.

    George
     
    Every Day Man
    Tyrant

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