Hornady American Gunner 6.5mm Grendel 123gr BTHP Ammo Ballistics
Brass Case • BTHP • MPN: 81511
Hornady American Gunner 6.5mm Grendel 123gr BTHP Ammo Ballistics
Brass Case • BTHP • MPN: 81511
Trajectory @ 100yd Zero
| Range | Velocity | Energy | Drop |
|---|---|---|---|
| Muzzle | 2590 fps | 1832 ft-lb | — |
| 25 yds | 2540 fps | 1763 ft-lb | -0.6" |
| 50 yds | 2492 fps | 1697 ft-lb | -0.0" |
| 75 yds | 2444 fps | 1632 ft-lb | +0.2" |
| 100 yds ⊕ | 2397 fps | 1570 ft-lb | +0.0" |
| 125 yds | 2350 fps | 1509 ft-lb | -0.5" |
| 150 yds | 2304 fps | 1450 ft-lb | -1.5" |
| 175 yds | 2258 fps | 1393 ft-lb | -2.8" |
| 200 yds | 2213 fps | 1338 ft-lb | -4.6" |
| 225 yds | 2168 fps | 1284 ft-lb | -6.8" |
| 250 yds | 2124 fps | 1233 ft-lb | -9.4" |
| 275 yds | 2080 fps | 1182 ft-lb | -12.6" |
| 300 yds | 2037 fps | 1134 ft-lb | -16.2" |
| 325 yds | 1994 fps | 1087 ft-lb | -20.4" |
| 350 yds | 1952 fps | 1041 ft-lb | -25.1" |
| 375 yds | 1911 fps | 997 ft-lb | -30.4" |
| 400 yds | 1870 fps | 955 ft-lb | -36.3" |
| 425 yds | 1829 fps | 914 ft-lb | -42.8" |
| 450 yds | 1790 fps | 875 ft-lb | -50.0" |
| 475 yds | 1750 fps | 837 ft-lb | -57.8" |
| 500 yds | 1712 fps | 801 ft-lb | -66.3" |
Product Overview
Hornady American Gunner 6.5mm Grendel pushes a 123-grain BTHP bullet at 2,590 fps, delivering 1,818 ft-lbs of muzzle energy. The G1 ballistic coefficient of 0.450 provides good aerodynamic performance for a value-tier round. American Gunner positions itself between Frontier training ammunition and Match-grade offerings, giving shooters accuracy potential above FMJ without premium pricing.
The boat tail hollow point bullet uses the same profile as Hornady's match projectiles, just manufactured to looser tolerances that reduce cost. This approach gives shooters better accuracy than standard FMJ without paying match-grade prices. American Gunner fills the gap for shooters who want to practice with something more precise than training ammunition but don't need competition-level consistency.
High-volume practice and informal competition define the use case. Shooters sighting in optics, running carbine courses, or maintaining proficiency can shoot American Gunner regularly without the cost anxiety that comes with premium match ammunition. The 123-grain weight matches most Grendel loads, so skills developed with American Gunner transfer directly when switching to hunting or competition ammunition.
- Value-tier pricing makes regular practice financially practical compared to premium match ammunition
- BTHP design offers better accuracy potential than FMJ while staying below match-grade pricing
- Hornady's quality control and wide distribution mean consistent availability and performance
- The 123-grain weight at 2,590 fps matches premium loads, allowing seamless zero transfer
- Looser manufacturing tolerances than Match ammunition mean accuracy varies from approximately 1-1.5 MOA rather than sub-MOA
- The hollow point is a manufacturing feature, not expansion design—this is not reliable hunting ammunition
- Mid-tier positioning means higher cost than steel-cased imports for pure volume shooting
- Some shooters report slightly more velocity variation than Match-grade loads
All Hornady American Gunner 6.5mm Grendel 123gr BTHP Ammo Prices
| DEALER | QTY | PRICE | SHIPPING | TOTAL | PRICE/RD |
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