Finally building a Grendel...

v0lcom13sn0w · May 7, 2019

Mr Smith said:
Me too. Can't wait to see what kinda grouping I can pull off with a mono pod and a proper 6.5 brake on it. Already got it to sub-MOA @100yds. Goal is to get it sub 1/2MOA on factory ammo that costs less than $1/rd. And i'm pretty sure the gun I built and the cartridge is more than capable.

try hornady black 123gr.

i load my own using the 123gr hornady eld-m bullet. i get 2.5-3" groups at 520 yards

Mr Smith · May 7, 2019

v0lcom13sn0w said:
try hornady black 123gr.

i load my own using the 123gr hornady eld-m bullet. i get 2.5-3" groups at 520 yards

Way ahead of ya LOL.

That's what I did my sub-MOA groupings with.

I just have shaky hands and the original stock on my rifle was just a plain MOE stock. the one I just swapped to it has set screws to eliminate stock wiggle. the monopod should help with me wiggling the rifle all over the place lol.

But gusty day (one guys target stand actually blew over LOL) + no monopod or bag to stabilize the rifle and the old MOE stock and my wiggly hands did that with the black ammo.

It's good stuff for sure. crossed off holes were rifle sight-in to this ammo.

v0lcom13sn0w · May 7, 2019

Mr Smith said:
Way ahead of ya LOL.
View attachment 577137
That's what I did my sub-MOA groupings with.

I just have shaky hands and the original stock on my rifle was just a plain MOE stock. the one I just swapped to it has set screws to eliminate stock wiggle. the monopod should help with me wiggling the rifle all over the place lol.

But gusty day (one guys target stand actually blew over LOL) + no monopod or bag to stabilize the rifle and the old MOE stock and my wiggly hands did that with the black ammo.

View attachment 577139 It's good stuff for sure. crossed off holes were rifle sight-in to this ammo.

excellent! care to share your build specs?

daved20319 · May 9, 2019

Picked up the barreled action yesterday, now I'm really getting excited

. Ammo is going to be an issue in my neck of the woods, the ONLY thing available locally is the Hornady 123 gr. SST loading, grabbed a box, but I also ended up ordering a small variety from Midway last night. Stock should arrive Monday, ammo by Wednesday, should have it at the range by end of next week. Will post my impressions (and pics) then. Later.

Dave

ConcernedCitizen · May 9, 2019

Check Sportsman's Warehouse for the 200rd ammo cans of Hornady American Gunner 123gr HPBT.

I think the price went up recently, but it used to be $0.70 per round, which was almost less than new brass in some cases.

Mr Smith · May 9, 2019

daved20319 said:
Picked up the barreled action yesterday, now I'm really getting excited . Ammo is going to be an issue in my neck of the woods, the ONLY thing available locally is the Hornady 123 gr. SST loading, grabbed a box, but I also ended up ordering a small variety from Midway last night. Stock should arrive Monday, ammo by Wednesday, should have it at the range by end of next week. Will post my impressions (and pics) then. Later.

Dave

Online ammo shopping is usually the way to go.

Places like sportsmans and sportco and even local gun stores mark up their ammo prices 60-70% from what I pay online.

most online ammo sales will give you free shipping if you buy a case of ammo.

daved20319 · May 9, 2019

ConcernedCitizen said:
Check Sportsman's Warehouse for the 200rd ammo cans of Hornady American Gunner 123gr HPBT.

I think the price went up recently, but it used to be $0.70 per round, which was almost less than new brass in some cases.

I intend too, the next time we head to Wenatchee, but that's a 180 mile round trip, so we try to keep it to once a month at most. But even shopping online, not a lot of choices for the Grendel, and even SG Ammo only had 4 different loads in stock. Will definitely be rolling my own for this, but I still need to make some decisions about dies and components. In the meantime, the factory loadings will either give me something to strive for, or something to improve on

. Later.

Dave

Member 34319 · May 12, 2019

Found this guy while looking up Howa actions. Looks pretty sweet. Look forward to seeing more of your build come together.

osprey · May 14, 2019

A bolt action in a chassis with a brace makes zero sense to me. At least make it 14.5" barrel with a welded on flash hider that accepts a can so you can put a real stock on the thing.

daved20319 · May 14, 2019

osprey said:
A bolt action in a chassis with a brace makes zero sense to me. At least make it 14.5" barrel with a welded on flash hider that accepts a can so you can put a real stock on the thing.

Couldn't have said it better myself, I don't get the whole rifle caliber, pseudo pistol thing either, especially with a bolt action. But hey, different strokes for different folks, I guess

. Anyway, my stock showed up yesterday, so I now have something that at least looks like a rifle:

Obviously no scope installed yet, but at least I can get an idea of how it feels, and it feels pretty good

. Even lighter than I expected, as pictured, it tips the scale at 6 lbs. 12.5 oz., so even with a scope, it's going to come in under 8 lbs. Trigger pull was a surprise, I was guessing just over 2 lbs., but I pulled out my trigger gauge today, it's actually running about 3 lbs. 4 oz. I guess the clean break was fooling me, I could happily live with it as is, but I'm still going to see if it will go lower with just an adjustment. Inletting on the stock is pretty good, it's fully floated, although the barrel gap is bigger on the right. Also, the bottom "metal" needs some tweaking, the mag sits too low, rounds are hanging up on the feed ramp. Will do the minimum necessary to get it functional for now, but this one will be a piece of cake to pillar bed compared to my Savage. Will probably order the DIP bottom metal before starting that, no sense wasting a lot of time on this plastic if I'm going to be replacing it anyway. Getting eager to get it to the range, may just slap a scope on it and shoot it as is, I can always just single load if the mag isn't quite right. May be awhile yet before I can get to the range, but will post more then. Later.

Dave

osprey · May 14, 2019

The howa triggers aren't bad but beware. If the adj screws for the trigger are threaded into a aluminum housing like my older Howa 243 heavy varmint, be careful as they will strip out pretty easy. That is how I ended up with a Timney in my Howa

.

daved20319 · May 15, 2019

osprey said:
The howa triggers aren't bad but beware. If the adj screws for the trigger are threaded into a aluminum housing like my older Howa 243 heavy varmint, be careful as they will strip out pretty easy. That is how I ended up with a Timney in my Howa.

Thanks for the heads up, I'll be careful. You said adjustment screws, this is the HACT trigger, it only has one adjustment screw. Did the older ones have more? Not sure if the housing is steel or aluminum, next time I pull it out of the stock, I'll take a magnet to it to see. That said, I'm just going to shoot it as is for now, let things wear in and smooth out with use, then check it again in a couple hundred rounds. Later.

Dave

osprey · May 15, 2019

My Howa is 20 years old or more so yours probably has a different trigger. I am out of the loop on the new Howa offerings and I do not know what a hact trigger is. I will have to google that one up. Have fun with your project.