6.5 Grendel

Thebear_78

Thebear_78

Handloader
Sep 30, 2004
3,090
836
I got an ar15 barrel in 6.5 Grendel from my dad for my birthday this year. I had been picking up the pieces for a long range ar15 project for a while now but had been vacillating on cartridge choice. This makes it easy.

I can't wait to get it put together. It will mostly be a paper and steel puncher, but I could easily see double duty as a deer/caribou/wolf rifle.

Here is the build parts list so far

Integrity arms left side charging billet upper/lower matched set

24" medium contour Satern 1-8 barrel in 6.5 Grendel II

Samson 15" EVO key mod free float hand guard

Magpul PRS stock and MOE grip.

I'm Unsure of what glass to put on it but leaning towards either,

Nightforce SHV 4-14x50 F1 MOAR
Burris XTR II 3-15x50 MILDOT
SWFA SS 3-15x50 MOA-QUAD

Something with exposed turrets and good ranging reticle under a grand.

Any load data and experience with the Grendel would be great



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Got nothing on it for load data but I think that would be a super set up. Love those little 6.5's.

Been running the 3x9 SS HD on my 338 Win Mag. Love it so far!!
 
I've been loading my Grendel with 107 smk.
Lapua brass
107 smk
29.5 gr IMR XBR 8208
COAL 2.285
2730 fps
Getting .5" groups
 
I was thinking about trying the 129gr LRAB in the Grendel. Everything I've read leads me to believe I can get it up to or over 2500fps out of the 24" barrel and with the low minimum velocity for expansion it should reasonably expand on game out to well over my personal range limits. I think it should make for a decent medium game bullet for Alaska. Black bears, black tails, and caribou shouldn't be a problem for it. Also it's excellent BC should keep it on the steel out to 800-1000 yards. Looking forward to getting it put together


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I would as well like to build my own AR in 6.5 Grendel.
It's a neat little round!

HawkeyeSATX a.k.a. Bryce
 
Got it put together today. Still waiting on the muzzle brake it everything else is put together. Turned out pretty nice.

I went with the Nightforce 4-14x50 F1 MOAR. It's the same reticle as my 308 so I don't have to learn two reticles and you just can't beat Nightforce for repeatable click adjustments and great glass.

Specs
24" Satern 1-8 5r medium contour barrel
Integrity arms side charging matched receiver set
Magpul moe grip and PRS BUTTSTOCK
Giesselle SD-E trigger
Atlas mono and bipod
Nightforce 4-14x50 F1 MOAR

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Took it out to the range today. For off the shelf ammo and first time out it did pretty good. I also think that not having a guy raining hot brass in my direction playing with his bump fire stock would help my concentration.

I picked up 4 boxes of hornady 123 amax ammo. I was pleasantly surprised when a 10 shot average ran right at 2525fps with an ES of 22 and SD of 7. That's pretty consistent for inexpensive factory ammo.

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I got it zeroed pretty quickly. At 100 yards was consistently running 5 shots under an inch. After getting it sighted in at 25 yards I shot this five shot group, made the adjustment and shot 5 more. First group was right at .74" and second was .84".

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Then I took it down to the 300 meter range. 5 shots with a max spread of 2.84". The group was 1.7" x 2.3"

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Its not going to win any bench rest competitions but its shooting very well considering. I need to pick up a set of dies and start reloading. Hopefully I can tighten up those 300 yard groups a little bit.


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Man, that thing looks good. 2500 with the 123 sounds very good. Pretty tempting.
 
It's definitely showing a lot of promise. I think I'll try a box of the SST HORNADY ammo. If it shoots as well as the amax it should do well on caribou


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Yeah buddy. I've never looked at the 6.5 Grendel but with that longish tube it looks like a lot of fun. Be fun for my daughter as well.
 
I bet it would be nice for your daughter. There is vertually no recoil to speak of. Its a tad heavy to carry around very long but would make a good rifle for using in a deer stand.
 
Yeah, I've never really been bitten hard by the AR bug. Had a couple of them years ago but since work always provided one I didn't really get into them. I like them but was much more into bolt guns. Might have to do a little more research. I do like the little Grendel cartridge though. Seems pretty cool for the AR platform.
 
The thing I enjoy about the Ar15 platform is its versatility. You can easily build one in less than an hour with really minimal tools. You can go heavy and long for bench and longer range work, you can go light and compact for hunting/dynamic shooting. You can go from 22lr-50 cal thumpers and swap back and forth in minutes. You can put together a budget gun for under 500 dollars and go all out and spend thousands.

Right now I have a lightweight/compact 16” 223, and a compact 277 WLV upper set up for hunting. This 6.5 grendel set up for target/long range work. I will be putting together another upper one of these days in 450 bushmaster, a compact no frills 16” upper with either red dot or low power variable for a camp rifle or brush rifle.

These things are really like legos for gun guns!
 
That's half scary for me TB... I do like to monkey with stuff. Not sure which direction I will go just yet. I do like the ballistics on the small 6.5's with 100-123 grain bullets.
 
...one bullet you might consider trying is the 130gr. HPBT GameKing, w/ it's truncated meplat, it should fit mags w/o having to be seated overly deep, & still get 2300+fps MV, 1800fps/ 1000ft.lbs out to 400yds. I've used the .25 120gr. on antelope & mule deer, the 6.5mm 130gr. on mule deer, & the 160gr. 7mm & 165gr. .308 on mule deer & elk, all w/ very good terminal performance...
 
Yep. I've heard good things about those HPBT Sierras. Might give them a shot in my 6.5 Swede.
 
...They're not the highest B.C. available, but I'm rarely shooting game past 400yds. anymore, & they've been easy to load sub-MOA w/ great terminal ballistics in all 7 rifles I've loaded 'em for. I like the Accubonds, but I really struggle to get rid of the "zingers", & adjusting powder charges, seating depths, etc., etc., it don't take long to go thru a box of 'em...
 
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